P0305: Cylinder 5 Misfire Detected
Key takeaways
- P0305 means the engine computer counted too many misfires on cylinder 5, and it only exists on engines with five or more cylinders.
- A flashing check engine light with P0305 means stop driving: unburned fuel is overheating the catalytic converter.
- The usual fix is an ignition coil ($120–$300) or spark plugs ($250–$600 on a V6 or V8); swapping the coil to another cylinder tells you which.
- 91 complaints filed with NHTSA mention P0305, and the Chrysler Pacifica leads with 16, most of them 2017 and 2018 models.
- 189 manufacturer bulletins name P0305; most are engine-computer software updates, so ask the shop to check for one before replacing parts.
What P0305 means
Cylinder 5 isn’t firing properly, and the engine computer noticed. The scanner name is Cylinder 5 Misfire Detected. The computer watches how fast the crankshaft spins between firing pulses; when one cylinder fails to push the crank along, that pulse comes up short, and after enough short pulses on cylinder 5 within a set number of revolutions it stores P0305.
One thing to check before anything else: P0305 only exists on engines with five or more cylinders, meaning an inline five, a V6, an inline six or a V8. If your car has a four-cylinder and your reader shows P0305, the reader or the vehicle selection is wrong.
Is it safe to drive?
Short trips only, and not at all if the light is flashing. A steady check engine light with a mild shake means you can drive gently to a shop. A flashing light means the misfire is heavy enough that raw fuel is reaching the catalytic converter, which can overheat and fail. Pull over when it is safe and shut the engine off. The same applies if the car shakes hard, loses power, or you smell fuel.
Causes, ranked
| Cause | How you confirm it | Typical cost (US independent shop, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Failed ignition coil | Swap coil 5 with a neighboring cylinder on the same bank; the code moves with it | $120–$300 per coil |
| Worn or fouled spark plug | Plug is past its interval, gap worn wide, oil or carbon on the tip, cracked insulator | $150–$350 a set (4-cyl), $250–$600 (V6/V8) |
| Clogged or leaking fuel injector | Coil and plug check out; injector balance test or noise check shows cylinder 5 is off | $250–$600 per injector |
| Vacuum leak near cylinder 5 | Often also a lean code like P0171; smoke test finds a cracked hose or intake gasket | $50–$400 |
| Software fault | Shop finds a matching bulletin for your engine | $100–$200, often $0 under warranty |
| Low compression (valve, ring, lifter, head gasket) | Compression or leak-down test on cylinder 5 reads low | $1,500–$4,500 |
What to check first
- Read the freeze-frame data. It shows whether the misfire happened cold, at idle or under load, which narrows the cause.
- Look for other codes. Misfires on several cylinders with P0300 point to fuel, vacuum or timing, not one coil.
- Swap the coil. Move coil 5 to a neighboring cylinder on the same bank, clear the code and drive. If the code becomes that cylinder’s code, the coil is bad. If it stays P0305, pull the plug.
- Inspect the plug and boot. Look for oil in the plug well, a cracked boot, or a worn electrode.
- Test the injector and compression only if coil and plug are fine.
On some V6 engines cylinder 5 sits on the rear bank under the intake plenum, which is why the same coil job can cost twice as much on one car as on another.
The bulletin pattern is mostly software: Stellantis (Ram, Jeep, Wagoneer, Gladiator) and Ford (2024 F-150 PowerBoost) issued engine-computer updates for misfire codes including P0305. Dodge has a spark plug re-gap bulletin for the Challenger, Nissan has a cold-start misfire bulletin for the Frontier, and GM has one for a damaged oil control valve solenoid leaking oil and causing misfire on the Colorado and Cadillac ATS.
What it costs
The cheap outcome is a single coil, $120–$300. The common outcome is a coil plus a set of plugs, a few hundred dollars more on a six or eight. The expensive outcome is low compression from a valve or head gasket problem, $1,500–$4,500. Paying for about an hour of diagnosis first, usually $100–$180, stops a shop from selling you plugs, coils and injectors in turn. If you want help reading your freeze-frame data before you go, ask our AI mechanic.
Related codes
P0305 often comes with P0300 (random misfire) and sometimes a neighbor like P0306 or P0304. If you also see a lean code, find the vacuum leak before you buy ignition parts. For what to do with a flashing light right now, read check engine light flashing; if the car also shakes, see check engine light and car shaking.
What owners report to NHTSA
91 complaints filed with NHTSA mention P0305, 70 of them since 2015, across 46 different models. The component owners most often filed it under: engine.
Most-reported models
| Vehicle | Complaints | Model years reported |
|---|---|---|
| CHRYSLER PACIFICA | 16 | 2005, 2017, 2018, 2019 |
| FORD F-150 | 8 | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2022 |
| JEEP WRANGLER | 6 | 2012, 2014, 2018 |
| CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 | 4 | 2010, 2019, 2020 |
| DODGE RAM 1500 | 4 | 2011, 2012 |
| HONDA PILOT | 4 | 2014, 2016, 2017 |
Manufacturer service bulletins that name P0305
189 technical service bulletins and manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA mention P0305, from 19 makes. A bulletin means the manufacturer has documented a known cause or a fix procedure for that model. Examples:
- RAM 1500 (2025), bulletin 11008018: "Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle must exhibit/set one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs): P01…
- FORD F-150 (2024), bulletin 11001886: Some 2024 F-150 vehicles built on or before 14-May-2024 equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost may exhibit an illuminated MIL and set cylinder misfire DTCs P0300, P0316, P0301, P0302, P0302, P0304, P0305 and/or P0306. This may …
- JEEP WRANGLER (2023), bulletin 10236946: Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation, a technician may find one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble C…
- JEEP WAGONEER (2023), bulletin 10239947: Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician may find one or more of the following DTCs have been set:…
- JEEP GLADIATOR (2023), bulletin 11004882: "Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates **Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle must exhibit/set one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs): P…
- DODGE CHALLENGER (2023), bulletin 11005019: Spark Plug Re-Gap to Resolve Misfire Symptoms Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle must exhibit/set one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs): P0300…
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
Can a 4-cylinder engine set P0305?
No. A four-cylinder has no cylinder 5, so P0305 on a four-cylinder means the scanner is misreading the car or the code belongs to a different vehicle. P0305 shows up on five-cylinder, six-cylinder and V8 engines.
Can I drive with a P0305 code?
For short trips to a shop, if the light is steady and the engine is not shaking hard. If the check engine light is flashing, pull over and stop: that is the computer telling you the misfire is bad enough to damage the catalytic converter.
Which cylinder is number 5?
It depends on the engine. Manufacturers number cylinders differently, and on V6 and V8 engines cylinder 5 can sit on either bank. Check the service information or the diagram on the intake cover before you pull a coil.
Is P0305 always a bad coil or spark plug?
Most of the time, but not always. A leaking injector, a vacuum leak near that cylinder, or low compression from a valve problem can all set it. If a new coil and plug don't fix it, a compression test is next.
Will clearing P0305 fix it?
Clearing only erases the record. If the cause is still there, the code comes back, often within one drive. Clear it only after a repair or as part of a coil swap test.