P0297: 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 P0297 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

No consumer complaints filed with NHTSA mention P0297. That usually means it's rare, or owners don't quote the code when they file.

Manufacturer service bulletins that name P0297

2 technical service bulletins and manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA mention P0297, from 2 makes. A bulletin means the manufacturer has documented a known cause or a fix procedure for that model. Examples:

  • FORD EXPLORER (2016), bulletin 10091127: SOME 2016 EXPLORER, FLEX, MKT, TAURUS, MKS AND TRANSIT VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 3.5L GTDI ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT AN ILLUMINATED MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P2096, P2097, P2098 AND/OR P…
  • LINCOLN MKT (2016), bulletin 10091127: SOME 2016 EXPLORER, FLEX, MKT, TAURUS, MKS AND TRANSIT VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 3.5L GTDI ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT AN ILLUMINATED MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P2096, P2097, P2098 AND/OR P…

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.