P0197: owner reports and bulletins

Powertrain (generic, all makes). We haven't written the explanation for this code yet. Below is what owners and manufacturers have filed with NHTSA.

Got P0197 on your scanner? Tell the mechanic your year, make, model and any symptoms and you'll get the likely cause and what to check first. Ask about this code.

What owners report to NHTSA

1 complaints filed with NHTSA mention P0197, 1 of them since 2015, across 1 different models. The component owners most often filed it under: electrical system.

Manufacturer service bulletins that name P0197

11 technical service bulletins and manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA mention P0197, from 2 makes. A bulletin means the manufacturer has documented a known cause or a fix procedure for that model. Examples:

  • JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE (2019, 2020, 2021), bulletin 10190665: CEL (Check Engine Lamp) On, DTC P0197 Engine Oil Temperature Low
  • VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE (2018, 2019, 2017, 2016), bulletin 10161267: Customer states noise from heat shield Customer states MIL-on with P0496 Customer states MIL-on with P1429 and/or P1556 Customer states MIL-on with P0197 Customer states MIL-on with P0116 MIL-on P0456 Customer states the…
  • VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN (2018, 2019, 2017, 2016), bulletin 10161288: Customer states noise from heat shield Customer states MIL-on with P0496 Customer states MIL-on with P1429 and/or P0556 Customer states MIL-on with P0197 Customer states MIL-on with P0116 MIL-on P0456 Customer states the…
  • VOLKSWAGEN GOLF (2019, 2017, 2018), bulletin 10161736: Customer states MIL-on with P1429 and/or P0556 Customer states MIL-on with P0197 Customer states MIL-on with P0133 Customer states MIL-on with P0116 Customer states MIL-on with P2097 Customer states the sunshade is bindi…
  • VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS (2019, 2018), bulletin 10164423: Customer states MIL-on with P1429 and/or P0556 Customer states MIL-on with P0197 Customer states MIL-on with P0133 Customer states MIL-on with P0116 Customer states MIL-on with P2097 Oil leak from the engine Customer sta…

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.