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

Replacing a crankshaft position sensor costs $150–$400 at a US independent shop in 2026, parts and labor, and a sensor that is buried behind the starter or under the intake runs $400–$900. The part is cheap; where the sensor sits on your engine sets the labor, and a factory sensor costs more than an aftermarket one. Below: the price by job and by car, what the NHTSA complaint data shows, whether it is safe to keep driving, and how to make sure it is the sensor and not the wiring before you pay.

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 each row. Many shops charge a minimum of about half an hour even for a two-bolt sensor, which is why the low end is $150 and not less.

Cost by car

The trouble-code data is the most specific NHTSA evidence here. 101 owner complaints filed with NHTSA mention P0335, the crankshaft position sensor circuit code, across 33 models, and 316 manufacturer technical service bulletins name it. 27 complaints mention P0336, the range/performance version, and 25 bulletins name that one. The engine and electrical counts below are broad: they cover anything filed under ENGINE or ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, not crank sensors in particular, 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 Altima and Ram 1500 figures stand out because they are code-specific. The per-car ranges are our estimates for the common engines; a V6 or V8 with the sensor at the back of the block moves into the hard-access row. If your model is on this list, ask the shop to check for a bulletin under your VIN before quoting a part. With 316 bulletins naming P0335, a known wiring fix or software update may apply.

Signs you need it

The engine computer uses the crank sensor to know engine speed and piston position. Without a clean signal it cannot time the spark or the injectors, so the symptoms are about starting and running.

• Stalling, often once the engine is hot. The classic sign: the car dies at a light or on the highway and restarts after it cools. More in car stalls while driving.
• Cranks but will not start. No crank signal, no spark and no fuel. A tachometer that stays flat at zero while cranking points hard at the sensor or its wiring. See car cranks but won’t start.
• Check engine light with P0335 or P0336. Some cars also set a cam correlation code such as P0016 or a cam sensor code, P0340, from the same fault.
• Stumbling, jerking or misfires. A dropping signal can feel like a misfire; on some cars it sets P0300. Related: car jerks while driving.
• Rough idle or a tachometer needle that jumps. An erratic signal shows up on the gauge before it kills the engine. See rough idle.

Can you wait?

Short trips only, if there is a code but no symptom. Some sensors throw an intermittent P0335 for weeks before they fail for good. Keep trips short and local, and book the repair.

No, fix it before normal driving if the car has stalled or cut out even once. A crank sensor that drops out stops the engine immediately. At speed you lose power assist to the steering, and the brake booster has only a stroke or two of reserve left. On a highway or in a left turn across traffic, that is the danger, not the repair bill.

Tow it if it cranks without starting, or starts only after sitting to cool. It will leave you stuck again, usually somewhere worse.

What drives the price

Where the sensor sits. This is most of the spread. On many four-cylinder engines the sensor is at the front by the crank pulley or on the side of the block, reachable from above or below in minutes. On others it hides behind the starter, under the intake manifold, or at the rear of the block where the transmission bolts on, and the shop removes a starter, heat shields or intake parts to get to it. That is the hard-access row: same part, three times the labor.

The part. Aftermarket sensors are the bottom of the parts range, factory (OEM) sensors the top. Cheap sensors with a slightly different output or air gap are a common source of repeat codes, so this is not the place to save $40.

What else gets done. If the cam sensor on the same engine is original and high-mileage, doing both in one visit saves a second labor charge (camshaft position sensor replacement cost). An oil leak that soaked the sensor or its connector should be fixed too, or the new sensor goes the same way; see oil leak repair cost.

The thing that makes it expensive. The code says “circuit”, not “sensor”. A chafed harness, a corroded connector or a damaged tone ring (the toothed wheel the sensor reads) sets the same code. A new sensor will not fix those. A cracked tone ring or a slipped harmonic balancer turns a $200 job into a much bigger one, which is why a good shop checks the signal before it sells a part.

Relearn. Some cars need a scan-tool crankshaft position relearn after the swap, so the computer can set its misfire monitor. That adds a few minutes and a test drive, and most shops include it.

Why the misfire monitor matters

Federal rules require light-duty vehicles to carry an onboard diagnostic system that detects emission-control malfunctions, and EPA will not approve a system that completely lacks a misfire monitor (40 CFR 86.1806-17). The crank sensor is how most engines detect a misfire: the computer watches for tiny slowdowns in crank speed. So a weak crank sensor can show up as misfire codes or a failed emissions test, and a car with an active crank sensor code will usually fail an OBD-based inspection until it is fixed.

DIY or shop?

Doable at home on many cars. An accessible sensor is one bolt, one connector and sometimes an O-ring. Disconnect the battery, unplug the connector by its lock tab and not the wire, pull the sensor straight out, and compare the new one side by side before fitting it. Parts only, figure $30–$200. Clear the code, then check for a relearn procedure for your car.

Better left to a shop when the sensor is behind the starter or under the intake, when you have no way to check the signal, or when the code came back after a new sensor. A shop with a scope can see a dropping signal or a damaged tone ring in minutes.

What goes wrong: a broken connector lock tab, a sensor that is not fully seated so the gap is wrong, metal debris left on the magnetic tip, and a cheap sensor that sets the code again within weeks. Guessing is the costly part; a $100–$180 diagnosis is cheaper than two wrong sensors.

How to not overpay

• Get the circuit checked first. Ask the shop to confirm the signal, the wiring and the connector before quoting a sensor. The code alone is not a diagnosis; how to read check engine light codes explains what a code tells you and what it does not.
• Ask about bulletins. With 316 bulletins naming P0335, one may cover your car with a harness fix or a software update.
• Get it in writing. Part brand, OEM or aftermarket, the labor hours quoted, and the warranty on part and labor.
• Ask whether the diagnostic fee is credited. Many shops put it toward the repair if you have them do the work.
• Question a hard-access quote on an accessible engine. If you are quoted three hours, ask where the sensor sits. Not sure a quote makes sense? Paste it into the AI mechanic chat with your car and code.
• Tell the shop when it happens. Hot or cold, at idle or at speed, and whether it restarts after cooling. That shortens diagnosis.