P26A3: owner reports and bulletins
Got P26A3 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
19 complaints filed with NHTSA mention P26A3, 19 of them since 2015, across 4 different models. The component owners most often filed it under: engine.
Most-reported models
| Vehicle | Complaints | Model years reported |
|---|---|---|
| SUBARU FORESTER | 15 | 2019, 2020 |
Manufacturer service bulletins that name P26A3
8 technical service bulletins and manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA mention P26A3, from 2 makes. A bulletin means the manufacturer has documented a known cause or a fix procedure for that model. Examples:
- RAM 1500 (2023, 2024), bulletin 11006531: "Coolant Contamination / Coolant System Flush Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle must exhibit/set the following Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC): P26A3 - Engine Coolant…
- HONDA CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID (2018), bulletin 10245549: Service Bulletin - There is a software problem in the PCM, which may cause the MIL to come on with DTC P26A3 (electric water valve malfunction), DTC P100C (electric VTC motor speed signal circuit malfunction) and/or P001…
- HONDA ACCORD PLUG-IN HYBRID (2014), bulletin 10179389: Service Bulletin - The MIL is on with DTC P26A3 (electric water valve malfunction).
- HONDA CLARITY ELECTRIC (2018), bulletin 10145430: Service bulletin - There is a software problem in the PCM, which may cause the MIL to come on with DTC P26A3 (electric water valve malfunction), DTC P100C (electric VTC motor speed signal circuit malfunction) and/or P001…
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.