U0401
8 owner reports and 34 manufacturer filings across 24 model years from Acura, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford and others.
Where U0401 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Chevrolet Corvette | Electrical System | 7 | — |
| 2018 Mazda CX-5 | Engine | 4 | — |
| 2016 Mazda CX-9 | Engine | 4 | — |
| 2025 Chevrolet Corvette | Power Train | 3 | — |
| 2017 Mazda CX-9 | Power Train | 3 | — |
| 2019 Mazda CX-5 | Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | — |
| 2019 Mazda Mazda3 | Electrical System | 2 | — |
| 2016 Acura MDX | Electrical System | — | 1 |
| 2024 Chevrolet Colorado | Electrical System | 1 | — |
| 2016 Dodge Dart | Power Train | — | 1 |
| 2023 Dodge Durango | Electrical System | — | 1 |
| 2023 Ford Maverick | Power Train | — | 1 |
| 2019 Honda Odyssey | Forward Collision Avoidance | — | 1 |
| 2019 Honda Pilot | Engine | — | 1 |
| 2019 Mazda CX-3 | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2025 Mazda CX-5 | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2024 Mazda CX-5 | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2023 Mazda CX-5 | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2022 Mazda CX-5 | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2021 Mazda CX-5 | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2020 Mazda CX-5 | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2019 Mazda MX-5 | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2016 Scion iA | Engine | — | 1 |
| 2022 Subaru Crosstrek | Electrical System | — | 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.
My engine light came on, and the codes reported were P0441 P04F1 U0401 and P0172
Approximately two days after the vehicle was returned, diagnostic trouble code U0401 appeared and the vehicle had to be returned to the dealership
The vehicle is showing persistent electrical and communication fault codes involving the ECM, ABS, and EPS systems, including P16E2, P16E5, P16E7, P16E8, U0401, and U0416
Diagnostic scans revealed multiple stored and active fault codes, including but not limited to: U0415 / U0401 – Implausible or invalid data received from ABS / ECM / PCM B195F-12 – Power liftgate chime control circuit short to battery…
Recorded faults from last occurrence on April 05 2024: SOBDMC DTC U1011:86-AF SOBDMC DTC U1028:00-26 PCM DTC U1010:00-AF OBDII DTC U1011-P ABS DTC U0401:00-2F ABS DTC U0131:00-2E ACM DTC U0255:00-28 IPMA DTC U0418:86-AF In my situation all…
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names U0401. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.
- SA-011-262026-02-26 · Engine
- Some vehicles may display some (or all) of the following symptoms: • Check engine light on with DTC P061B • Light increase in engine rpms during acceleration • Transmission will not shift past 4th gear • Various U codes (U0401 ABS, U0401, U0415 FSC, U0301, U0316 SBS/MRCC, U0442 TCM) may be set
- 24-NA-0252025-01-10 · Electrical System
- This service bulletin provides information to correct a customer concern of Check Engine Light or Malfunction Indicator Lamp Illuminated with DTCs U0401 and/or U1611 Set.
- 24-NA-0252024-11-21 · Power Train
- This service bulletin provides information to correct a customer concern of Check Engine Light or Malfunction Indicator Lamp Illuminated with DTCs U0401 and/or U1611 Set.
- 24-NA-0252024-10-14 · Power Train
- This service bulletin provides information to correct a customer concern of Check Engine Light or Malfunction Indicator Lamp Illuminated with DTCs U0401 and/or U1611 Set.
- 24-NA-1722024-08-27 · Electrical System
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to correct the condition of Intermittent No Power or Vehicle will Hesitate DTC P0700, P0EFF, U1611, U0401.
- 24-NA-0252024-05-30 · Electrical System
- This service bulletin provides information to correct a customer concern of Check Engine Light or Malfunction Indicator Lamp Illuminated with DTCs U0401 and/or U1611 Set.
What U0401 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIThe data arriving from the engine control module is not valid.
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 U0401
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with U0401 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.