P2681
9 owner reports and 30 manufacturer filings across 11 model years from Dodge, Ford, Jeep, Toyota and others.
Where P2681 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Dodge Durango | Electrical System | 5 | — |
| 2016 Dodge Durango | Electrical System | 5 | — |
| 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee | Electrical System | 5 | — |
| 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee | Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 | — |
| 2018 Ford Escape | Electrical System | 4 | — |
| 2017 Ford Escape | Electrical System | 4 | — |
| 2020 Toyota Corolla | Unspecified | — | 4 |
| 2024 Volkswagen Atlas | Engine | 2 | 1 |
| 2019 Toyota RAV4 | Unspecified | — | 2 |
| 2021 Toyota Corolla | Engine | — | 1 |
| 2020 Toyota RAV4 | Power Train | — | 1 |
A model year appears here because the code is named in its record, not because every one of these vehicles sets it. Counts are mentions in the federal files, not failure rates — nobody publishes the denominator.
What it gets filed under
What owners said
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners’ own words, one per nameplate, scrubbed of anything identifying. These are unverified reports filed with NHTSA — they are what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The professional diagnosis (Invoice #XXX) confirmed the following stored fault codes: P2681, P2816, P08BA, P2713 The technician also confirmed that the transmission fluid was black and contained metal debris, indicating significant…
The repair order states that DTC P00B7, P0116 or P2681 was stored in the engine/motor control module
Code is P2681, part will fail and vehicle will consistently display a Engine Maintenance Required Visit Your Dealer on the MID
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P2681. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.
- V0124062074939_12024-08-19 · Engine
- Update ECM programming for DTCs P00B7, Po116 or P2681.
- SSM 475752018-10-10 · Equipment
- Some 2017-2018 Escape vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L engine may exhibit fuse F34 open, an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0034, P023A, P0245, P0480, P0481, P0645, P06A0, P06DB, P188D, P02602, and/or P2681 in the powertrain control module (PCM). The vehicle may also exhibit an all-wheel drive (AWD) fault warning and/or traction control (TC) light on. Inspect the 12A690
- SSM 474672018-08-15 · Electrical System
- Some 2017-2018 Escape vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L engine may exhibit fuse F34 open, an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0034, P023A, P0245, P0480, P0481, P0645, P06A0, P06DB, P188D, P02602, and/or P2681 in the powertrain control module (PCM). May also exhibit an all-wheel drive (AWD) fault warning and/or traction control (TC) light on. Inspect the 14290 wiring harnes
- SSM 470862018-02-16 · Electrical System — Wiring
- Some 2017-2018 Escape vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L engine and built on or before 24-Jan-2018 may exhibit fuse F34 open, an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0034, P023A, P0245, P0480, P0481, P0645, P06A0, P06DB, P188D, P02602, and/or P2681 in the powertrain control module (PCM). May also exhibit an all-wheel drive (AWD) fault warning and/or traction control (TC) light
- 18-024-17 REV. A2017-03-31 · Electrical System
- Flash: Powertrain Diagnostic And System Enhancements This bulletin involves reprogramming the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) with the latest available software. A small number of customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician may find the following DTCs set in the PCM memory: U1424 - Implausible Engine Torque Signal Received
- 18-024-172017-03-03 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- Flash: Powertrain Diagnostic And System Enhancements This bulletin involves reprogramming the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) with the latest available software. A small number of customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician may find the following DTCs set in the PCM memory: U1424 - Implausible Engine Torque Signal Receiv
What P2681 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIP2681 sits in the generic range of the OBD-II standard, so it means the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States — but WhichTrim does not carry a definition for it and will not invent one. What is on this page is the record: who named it and on what.
A stored code names the test that failed, never the part that caused it. It is the starting point of a diagnosis, not its conclusion — the same code has several possible causes and the cheap one is not always right.
Common questions about P2681
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P2681 stored?
Nobody can answer that from the code alone, and a site that does is guessing. A steady light generally means the fault was logged and the vehicle is in a reduced-risk mode; a flashing light means stop soon, because a misfiring engine can destroy a catalytic converter in minutes. The safe read of this page is the mileage and the components, not permission.
Does a code mean the car is recalled?
No. Recalls are filed by campaign and matched by VIN, and none of them are triggered by a scan tool. If you want to know whether an open recall applies to one specific vehicle, check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — that is the only source that settles it.
Why do the counts here differ from other sites?
Because these are not estimates. Every number on this page is a count of documents in NHTSA's own files: manufacturer communications that name the code in their filed summary, and owner complaints that name it in the narrative. We do not model, weight or extrapolate them.
Will clearing the code fix it?
Clearing turns the light off and erases the freeze-frame data a technician would have used to work out what happened. If the condition is still there the code returns, usually within a few drive cycles, and the diagnosis now starts from less information than before.