Camshaft Position Sensor Replacement Cost (2026): Part, Labor, by Car

Replacing a camshaft position sensor costs $120–$350 at a US independent shop in 2026, parts and labor, and doing two sensors in the same visit runs $200–$550. The part itself is inexpensive; what moves the bill is where the sensor sits on your engine, whether you buy a factory or aftermarket part, and whether the code really means the sensor. Below: the price by job and by car, what the NHTSA data shows for the cam sensor codes, and how to avoid paying for a sensor when the fault is oil, wiring or the timing chain.

What it costs

All figures: US independent shop, parts and labor, 2026. They are writer estimates pending review by our mechanic reviewer.

Labor runs roughly $90–$180 an hour across the US; shops on the coasts and dealer service departments sit at the top. Trucks, large SUVs and European cars sit at or above the top of every row. Many shops credit the diagnostic fee to the repair if you let them do it.

Cost by car

The code data is the most specific NHTSA evidence for this repair. 79 owner complaints filed with NHTSA mention P0340, the camshaft position sensor circuit code, across 44 models, and 121 manufacturer technical service bulletins name it. P0341, the range/performance version, appears in 20 complaints and 71 bulletins. The engine and electrical counts below are much broader: they cover anything owners filed under ENGINE or ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, not cam sensors, and are there for context on how often each model gets reported.

A complaint is an owner report, not a confirmed defect, and one complaint can list several components. The Equinox and Escape rows are timing codes, not sensor codes; on those cars ask the shop to check oil level and the VVT solenoid before quoting a sensor. With 121 bulletins naming P0340, it is also worth asking whether one applies to your VIN; some are software or wiring fixes.

Signs you need it

• Check engine light with P0340 or P0341. The engine computer lost the cam signal or sees it in the wrong place. P0344 and P0345 are related codes for intermittent signal and bank 2 on some engines. See check engine light on for reading the code.
• Long crank or no start. Many engines can start on the crank sensor alone but take several extra seconds to work out which cylinder is firing. A dead signal can mean no start at all; see car cranks but won’t start.
• Stalling, often once the engine is hot. Heat opens a crack inside a failing sensor. More in car stalls while driving.
• Rough idle, misfires or jerking under load. Fuel and spark timing go off when the cam signal drops out. See rough idle and car jerks when accelerating.
• Limp mode or stuck in a low gear. Some cars cut power or hold one gear to protect the engine until the code is cleared.

Can you wait?

Short trips only, if it starts every time and runs normally. A steady light with P0340 and no symptoms is not hurting the engine, but a sensor that is starting to fail tends to get worse, and the next step is often a stall.

No, get it fixed first if the car has stalled once, needs a long crank to start, or runs rough. A stall at speed can take away power steering assist, and brake boost runs out after a few presses. A car that dies when hot can also leave you stuck until it cools.

Stop and check the oil if the code is P0011 or P0012 rather than P0340. Timing codes on a car low on oil can come before real engine damage.

What drives the price

Where the sensor sits. On most four-cylinders it is on the top or end of the cylinder head and comes out in minutes. On transverse V6 engines the rear-bank sensor can be against the firewall, and some engines put a sensor under the intake plenum or behind the timing cover. That is the $300–$700 row.

The part. Aftermarket sensors are $30–$80; factory parts run up to about $150, more on European cars. Cheap aftermarket cam sensors are a common cause of repeat codes, because the signal has to be clean at the right air gap.

How many sensors. Engines with variable valve timing on both cams can have two sensors per bank, so a V6 can have four. Only replace the one the code points to, unless the others show a weak signal too.

Wiring. Oil wicking up from a leaking valve cover gasket into the connector, or a chafed harness, sets the same codes. A $100–$250 wiring repair fixes it where a new sensor would not. If oil is on the connector, the gasket leak needs fixing too (valve cover gasket replacement cost).

The thing that turns a cheap job expensive. Cam timing codes. The federal OBD rule requires engines with variable valve timing to check that the camshaft and crankshaft stay correctly aligned (40 CFR 86.1806-17, applying California’s 13 CCR 1968.2(e)(15.2.1)(C)). When that check fails you get P0011, P0012 or P0016, and the cause is usually low or dirty oil, a VVT solenoid ($150–$450), a cam phaser ($800–$2,000) or a stretched timing chain ($1,200–$3,000). P0011 appears in 124 owner complaints and 190 service bulletins; P0012 appears in 44 complaints, 16 of them on the Ford Escape. A sensor swap on those codes usually wastes $120–$350. For belt-driven engines, see timing belt replacement cost.

DIY or shop?

Good DIY job on most four-cylinders. One bolt, one connector, an O-ring. Disconnect the battery, unplug the sensor, remove the bolt, twist it out, oil the new O-ring and push it in. Parts only: $30–$150. Clear the code and drive to confirm it stays off.

Shop work for rear-bank V6 sensors, sensors under the intake, or any car where the code came back after a new sensor. At that point it needs a scope or live-data check of the signal and wiring, not another part.

What goes wrong: the O-ring rolls and leaks oil, a brittle connector lock snaps, the wrong sensor on a multi-sensor engine gets replaced, or a bargain part sends a weak signal and sets the code again within weeks. Buy the sensor for your engine code, not just the model.

How to not overpay

• Get the exact code read. P0340 and P0341 are sensor or wiring codes; P0011 and P0012 are timing codes. Free code reads at parts stores cover these generic codes.
• Ask what the live data shows. A good shop checks the cam and crank signals before replacing either part; the crank sensor has its own range (crankshaft position sensor replacement cost).
• Check the connector and oil level first. Oil in the plug or a low dipstick can be the whole fault.
• Ask about bulletins. With 121 bulletins on P0340 and 190 on P0011, one may cover your car.
• Get the part brand in writing, plus the warranty on part and labor.
• Not sure a quote makes sense? Paste it into the AI mechanic chat with your car and code.