P0018: Crankshaft/Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 2 Sensor A)
Key takeaways
- P0018 means the engine computer sees the bank 2 intake camshaft out of step with the crankshaft by more than it allows.
- It only sets on engines with two cylinder banks, such as V6, V8 and flat (boxer) engines.
- Check the oil level first; low or worn-out oil can upset the cam phaser and set this code on its own.
- The expensive causes are a stretched timing chain, a weak tensioner or a stuck phaser, and a chain job typically runs $1,200 to $3,000.
- Keep driving to a minimum: if the chain skips further, the valves can hit the pistons on most modern engines.
What P0018 means
The intake camshaft on bank 2 of your engine and the crankshaft aren’t lined up the way they should be. Scanners call it Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 2 Sensor A). The computer compares the crankshaft position sensor signal with the bank 2 camshaft “A” sensor, which is the intake cam on most engines. When the angle between them drifts past a set limit, P0018 sets. Bank 2 is the side without cylinder 1, so this code only appears on engines with two banks: V6, V8 and flat engines. It is the bank 2 twin of P0016.
Is it safe to drive?
Short trips only, and gently. P0018 is a high-severity code because one of its causes, a stretched or jumped timing chain, can get worse suddenly. On most modern engines the valves and pistons share space, so a chain that skips further can bend valves. What changes the answer: a rattle from the front of the engine, a rough idle, stalling or a hard start. With any of those, stop and tow it.
Causes, ranked
| Cause | How you confirm it | Typical cost (US independent shop, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Low, old or wrong-grade oil | Dipstick, oil change history, sludge under the oil cap | $0–$120 (top up or oil change) |
| Sticking bank 2 intake oil control (VVT) solenoid | Command it with a scan tool and watch cam position respond; check the screen for debris | $150–$450 |
| Cam or crank sensor, wiring or tone ring | Scope both signals; look for a crank sensor code or oil in connectors | $150–$350 |
| Engine computer software | A bulletin for your car calls for a reprogram | $100–$200 |
| Stretched timing chain or worn guides | Correlation values out of spec on a scan tool; rattle at start-up; often with P0016 or P0019 | $1,200–$3,000 |
| Weak timing chain tensioner | Rattle for a few seconds on a cold start; slack visible with the cover off | Usually done with the chain, $1,200–$3,000 |
| Stuck or worn bank 2 intake cam phaser | Cam won’t follow commands with good oil and a good solenoid | $800–$2,000; often done with the chain |
What to check first
- Oil level and condition. Fill or change it with the specified grade. The phasers run on oil, and a quart low is enough to upset them on some engines.
- Every stored code. P0018 with P0016 points to something both banks share: oil, software, or the chain on engines where one chain drives both banks. P0018 with P0335 points to the crank sensor. P0018 alone points toward bank 2 parts.
- Listen at cold start. A two-to-five-second rattle from the front of the engine points to a tensioner or chain.
- Read correlation values. Many scan tools show cam-to-crank angle for each bank; a shop compares it with spec before opening anything.
- Solenoid, sensors and wiring, then the chain, tensioners and phaser.
- Don’t just clear it and drive. If a chain has stretched, the code will come back, and driving in the meantime is the risky part.
Bulletins show a pattern: Subaru released engine computer reprogramming for the Forester and BRZ covering this code family; GM has bulletins for P0016 and P0018 after engine repairs on Colorado, Canyon and XT6, plus added diagnostic steps on several V6 models including the Acadia and Blazer; Ford and Lincoln describe small debris making the variable cam timing solenoid stick on many 2015–2021 engines. Ask for a bulletin check before a chain quote.
What it costs
The cheap outcome is an oil change, $50 to $120, or a software update. The common outcomes are a solenoid or sensor at $150 to $450. The expensive outcome is a timing chain set with tensioners, guides and often phasers at $1,200 to $3,000, and some V6 and V8 engines with several chains cost more. An hour of diagnosis that reads the correlation values is money well spent before any of that. If the engine rattles, the rattling noise guide helps you describe it; if it won’t restart, see cranks but won’t start.
Related codes
P0018 often comes with P0016 (bank 1 intake), P0019 (bank 2 exhaust) or P0021 (bank 2 intake timing over-advanced). 43 complaints filed with NHTSA mention P0018. The Chevrolet Traverse accounts for 7 (2010 to 2012 model years), and the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sedona for 4 each. These are owner reports, not confirmed causes.
What owners report to NHTSA
43 complaints filed with NHTSA mention P0018, 39 of them since 2015, across 24 different models. The component owners most often filed it under: engine.
Most-reported models
| Vehicle | Complaints | Model years reported |
|---|---|---|
| CHEVROLET TRAVERSE | 7 | 2010, 2011, 2012 |
| KIA SORENTO | 4 | 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 |
| HYUNDAI SANTA FE | 4 | 2014, 2015, 2018 |
| KIA SEDONA | 4 | 2015, 2016, 2017 |
| SUZUKI XL7 | 3 | 2007, 2008 |
Manufacturer service bulletins that name P0018
83 technical service bulletins and manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA mention P0018, from 9 makes. A bulletin means the manufacturer has documented a known cause or a fix procedure for that model. Examples:
- SUBARU FORESTER (2023, 2024, 2017, 2018), bulletin 11005592: "This bulletin announces availability of new reprograming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) developed to remedy the following DTCs: P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0087."
- SUBARU BRZ (2022, 2023, 2024), bulletin 11009691: "This bulletin announces availability of new reprograming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) developed to remedy the following DTCs: P0016: Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation Bank 1 Sensor A P0017…
- CADILLAC XT6 (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023), bulletin 10236106: This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Rough Idle, Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated After Engine Repairs with DTCs P0016 and/or P0018 Set.
- CHEVROLET COLORADO (2017, 2018, 2019, 2016), bulletin 10236106: This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Rough Idle, Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated After Engine Repairs with DTCs P0016 and/or P0018 Set.
- GMC CANYON (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), bulletin 10236106: This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Rough Idle, Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated After Engine Repairs with DTCs P0016 and/or P0018 Set.
- CADILLAC ATS (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), bulletin 10185754: This Preliminary information communicates additional diagnostic information for DTC's P0016 and P0018.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database and manufacturer communications file, snapshots September 2026. A complaint or bulletin that mentions a code is a report about that vehicle, not a statement that the code has one cause.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between P0016 and P0018?
Both mean an intake camshaft and the crankshaft are out of step. P0016 is bank 1, the side with cylinder 1; P0018 is bank 2, the other side. Both at once point to something shared, like oil or the timing chain on engines where one chain drives both banks.
Can I drive with P0018?
Only as far as you need to, and gently. If the engine rattles, runs rough, stalls or struggles to start, stop and tow it. On most modern engines a chain that skips further lets the valves hit the pistons, and that turns a chain job into an engine.
Is P0018 always a timing chain?
No. Low or old oil, a sticking oil control solenoid, a cam or crank sensor, or engine software can all set it. The chain is the most expensive cause and the one to rule out, so a good shop reads the cam-to-crank correlation values before quoting it.
Why does my four-cylinder not have P0018?
An inline four-cylinder has only one bank, so it can only set the bank 1 codes like P0016 and P0017. Flat four-cylinder engines, such as Subaru's, do have two banks and can set P0018.