U0038
1 owner report and 7 manufacturer filings across 3 model years from Honda.
Where U0038 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Honda Civic | Engine | 4 | — | |
| 2017 Honda Civic | Engine | 3 | — | |
| 2021 Honda Civic | Electrical System | — | 1 | Battery → |
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.
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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.
And replacing the battery the first time is what revealed all these issues because we kept getting codes on our obd-ii scanner of P0172, U0038 and U0100
7 manufacturer filings name U0038. Start with what the maker wrote down.
A code names the test that failed, not the part. A bulletin that names it is often a diagnosis someone has already written down — quote its number at the service desk.
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names U0038.
- A17060C Service bulletin2017-06-27 · Power Train — Automatic Transmission
- Service bulletin - The vehicle will not come out of park, and will not crank and/or start. Additionally, multiple indicators are on with DTCs U0038 (TM-CAN Malfunction [TCM-PCM]) and sometimes U0101 (Lost Communication) stored. There is an internal malfunction with the transmission control module (TCM).
- A17-012 Service bulletin2017-02-23 · Engine
- SERVICE BULLETIN - THE VEHICLE WILL NOT COME OUT OF PARK, AND WILL NOT CRANK AND/OR START. ADDITIONALLY, MULTIPLE INDICATORS ARE ON WITH DTCS U0038 (TM-CAN MALFUNCTION [TCM-PCM]) AND SOMETIMES U0101 (LOST COMMUNICATION) STORED. THERE IS AN INTERNAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM).
- A17-012 Service bulletin2017-02-15 · Electrical System
- Service bulletin - The vehicle will not come out of park, and will not crank and/or start. Additionally, multiple indicators are on with DTCs U0038 (TM-CAN Malfunction [TCM-PCM]) and sometimes U0101 (Lost Communication) stored. There is an internal malfunction with the transmission control module (TCM).
- ATS161101 Service bulletin2016-11-01 · Engine
- "TECHLINE SUMMARY ARTICLE - DO YOU HAVE A VEHICLE IN YOUR SHOP BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE? THE STARTER WONT CRANK THE ENGINE, AND/OR THE VEHICLE WONT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. MULTIPLE INDICATORS ARE LIT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, AND DTC U0038 (TM-CAN MALFUNCTION [TCM-PCM]) AND U0101 (GAUGE CONTROL MODULE LOST COMMUNICATION WITH A/T) ARE SET. THERES NO COMMUNICATION WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WE CURRE
What U0038 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIU0038 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 U0038
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with U0038 stored?
Nobody can answer that from the code alone, and a site that does is guessing. A steady light means a fault was logged and the car should be checked soon; a flashing light means a severe misfire — slow down and get it seen as soon as possible, because severe misfire can quickly damage the catalytic converter. 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.