P0106 in 2026: MAP Sensor, Air Leak, Wiring, Ice or Software — What 233 Documents and 326 Complaints Show

P0106 is the MAP code, and the quick answer is "bad MAP sensor." The documents do not say that.

P0106 — printed by Kia as "Manifold Absolute Pressure/Barometric Pressure Circuit Range/Performance" and by GM as "Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) Sensor Performance" — says the engine computer does not accept the manifold pressure (or barometric pressure) reading: it is out of range, or it does not match what the computer expects from the throttle, the engine speed and the other sensors. The MAP sensor sits on or near the intake manifold and tells the computer how much air pressure is in the intake, so it can work out how much air the engine is taking in and how much fuel to add. Many turbocharged cars use a combined pressure and temperature sensor (GM and Ford call it TMAP or MAPT). Its neighbours are P0107 (signal low), P0108 (signal high), P0109 (intermittent) and P0105 (general circuit), and on boosted engines the boost-sensor codes P0236 to P0238 and the barometric codes P2226 to P2229.

We went through NHTSA's index of manufacturer communications for papers that name P0105 to P0109 or discuss the MAP, barometric or boost-pressure sensor: 304 entries, 292 with a readable file, 233 distinct documents once exact copies are set aside. We read 148 in full and compared 139 revisions and copies with them; 12 entries have no file. Of the 292 files, 120 name P0106 in their own text (98 distinct documents), 37 name P0108, 18 name P0107, 10 name P0109, and none names P0105.

We also went through 326 complaints from NHTSA's file, received from January 2015 through September 2026, that name P0106 or a sister code, or describe the MAP, barometric or boost-pressure sensor in owners' words. Each was sorted twice, independently, by the same written rules; the two sortings matched on the main category in 82% of them (268 of 326), and the rest were settled by written rules. 244 describe a pressure-sensor fault on the owner's car; 82 do not. The number that matters most for this page: 32 of the 244 print P0106 themselves, and 43 print P0106 or one of its sister codes. Owners write "MAP sensor", "turbo boost sensor" or a dash message; the code lives in the dealer papers.

Claims marked 🟢 rest on a document listed in the Sources section. Claims marked ⚪ are shop-price estimates carried from our repair guides. Owner-reported figures are what people told NHTSA, published with ODI numbers, and every complaint count here comes from the 326 complaints sorted twice and published.

Words on this page. Engine computer (ECM, PCM): the car's computer. DTC: a trouble code such as P0106. MIL: the check engine light. PCV: a small valve that vents crankcase fumes into the intake. EGR: a valve that feeds some exhaust back into the intake. PIP: a GM shop tip for dealers. CSP (Ford) and RSU (Jeep): free repair programs with an end date. Part 573: a maker's official recall filing. Transport mode: a setting new cars are shipped in to save the battery (the general automotive meaning, not printed in the Ford papers). Key cycle: switching the engine off and on again. Bulletin (TSB, SSM): a maker's repair instruction to dealers, not a recall. TMAP, MAPT: a MAP sensor that also reads air temperature. Baro: barometric (outside air) pressure. Charge air cooler (CAC): the radiator for the air a turbo pushes into the engine. Flash: a software update loaded into the computer. ODI number: NHTSA's reference number for a complaint.

I built PulsCar after a $380 "full diagnostic" in Phuket in 2025 led to roughly $6,000 over six months across several shops (the story is on the About page).

What P0106 says: a pressure reading that does not fit, not a dead sensor

What the sensor reports. 🟢 GM's paper for the 2019 Colorado and Canyon diesel prints the code as "P0106: Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) Sensor Performance"; Infiniti prints it as "Manifold Absolute Pressure [MAP] circuit range/performance" and, in its 2017 bulletin's own code list, "ABSL PRES SEN/CIRC". The word that matters is range/performance: the signal is plausible as a signal, but it disagrees with what the computer calculates, or it sits outside the range the computer allows. That is why the printed causes below run from a wire to a valve spring.

What you feel. Sometimes nothing but a light. 🟢 Infiniti's 2017 bulletin for the Q50 and Q60 applies when the light is on and "There are no drivability issues." Ford's 2021 papers describe only a lit light after transport. Among the owners who wrote to NHTSA the worst case is common: 138 of 244 complaints describe a stall, a loss of power or a limp mode (complaints, not a failure rate), 21 an engine that would not start, started hard or died soon after starting, and 4 where NHTSA's form records a crash.

What it is not. It is not the mass air flow code family (P0101, P0103), a lean code (P0171) or a boost code (P0299), although a leak can set several of them together.

Is P0106 usually a failed MAP sensor, and how often does replacing it fix the car? PulsCar went through 326 complaints from 2015 to September 2026 that name a code or describe a pressure-sensor fault, each sorted twice by the same written rules: 244 on the owner's car, and 32 print P0106. The sensor ends as the named or replaced part in 110 of the 244, and in 85 of those 110 the owner says the problem came back. These are complaints from owners who wrote to NHTSA, so they show how often owners say a replacement did not hold, not how often a sensor fails. The documents are less sensor-centred: the printed causes include software, a damaged wire, loose manifold bolts, a plugged breather, ice, a broken valve spring and a leaking turbocharger. Test the reset, the air path and the wire before you buy the part.

First: P0106, P0107, P0108, P0109 or a boost code? One sensor, many labels

Read the exact code before you buy anything, because the same sensor carries different labels in different makers' papers.

The labels differ by maker. 🟢 Hyundai's 2021 campaign prints "P0106 - MAP Sensor / Baro Pressure (BARO) Sensor B (#1) - Range/Performance". 🟢 Audi's bulletin 2062323/1 prints the same code as "P010600" with "Manifold Abs.Pressure or Bar.Pressure Range/Performance", and Alfa Romeo as "P0106-00". 🟢 Ford's 2021 papers print only "P0106". A scanner label tells you the circuit; the paper for your car tells you what the maker found.

Search traps. Owners often write PO106 (a letter O), P010600, or only "MAP sensor".

The maker atlas: who prints a reset, a wire, a manifold bolt, ice, a flash or a part

The documents split by maker, and the split is the most useful thing in these papers: a 2021 F-150 at altitude and a 2016 Silverado with a pinched harness are on different roads. Document numbers link to the NHTSA PDF.

The GM valve-spring papers are the biggest surprise. 🟢 For a check engine lamp with P0106 and P0506, GM's first paper says "This maybe caused by a broken valve spring" and tells the shop, when one is found, to "inspect the intake manifold for a collapsed runner" (PIP5423). A family of later papers for 2020-2021 trucks, SUVs, Camaros and Corvettes prints the cause as "Possible broken valve spring" and asks for a cylinder leakage test once a broken spring is found (PIP5752A).

Most mentions are incidental. In the FCA flash bulletins P0106 sits in lists of about 6 to about 50 codes, and the printed fix is software; the cold-weather tag says the code was seen in extreme cold ambient temperatures.

The do-not-replace lines: what the papers tell a shop not to buy first

Papers that say do not buy a part first. 🟢 GM, for ice on the sensor: "If it is clean and dry, there is no need to replace the sensor", and "Due to the sensitivity of the sensor, Do Not use any chemical cleaners including water and Do Not use compressed air to remove contaminates" (20-NA-043). 🟢 GM, for loose manifold bolts: "Do not replace the intake manifold gasket unless testing indicates the gasket is leaking after the bolts are torqued" (PIP5529A). 🟢 GM, for the 2019 Colorado and Canyon: "No parts are required for this repair" (19-NA-127). 🟢 Audi: "Parts replacement does not solve this issue", with claims for a replaced G31 sensor or turbocharger "subject to review" (2062323/1). 🟢 Jeep (a South America paper for other codes): if the MAP sensor base is flush, "Do not apply this TSB; perform a more in-depth diagnosis" (09-028-25).

🟢 Ford: for the Escape hybrid program, "Parts are not required to complete this repair" (21B68). 🟢 Kia: "Replacement not required" for the throttle-body gasket (FUE047). Papers that do say replace the sensor. For P0106 and its sister codes, two sets print a plain replace-the-sensor instruction. 🟢 GM's PIP5787, with its update PIP5787A and the service update N212332660, says "it will be necessary to replace the MAP sensor and reevaluate the vehicle" for 2021 trucks, SUVs and vans built January 1 to February 15, 2021 with P00C7, P0106 or P0108, and if a code returns it sends the shop to the diagnostic flow chart; the service update does the same for vehicles in dealer inventory only, and it expired May 31, 2022. The limits are the build window and, for the update, inventory status. And Ford's 19-2212 says to replace the MAPT sensor for P0107, P0108 and/or P0109 on 2018-2019 Explorer, Flex, Taurus and MKT with the 3.5L EcoBoost (its first version, 19-2183, had a pressure comparison and was replaced as an incorrect procedure). Two more pair the sensor with other work: Mazda's SA-024/20 recommends replacing the engine wire harness and the MAP sensor, and Porsche's paper for the 2015 918 Spyder replaces the sensors together with new adapter cables or connectors. (Ford also replaces the MAP sensor for a different code, P0096, on 2017-2021 F-150 2.7L EcoBoost in TSB 21-2084.) The rest of the file points first to a test, a wire, a bolt, ice, software or an engine or turbo repair.

The 10-minute check

Everything here is our advice, built from what the papers test first; none of it needs more than a code reader.

1. Write down what happened. Cold morning, a trip to the mountains, a battery job, a stall: the papers split on exactly this.
2. Read the whole list of codes, not only P0106. P0106 with P0506 sends GM's papers to a valve spring on GM V8 and 4.3L V6 trucks and SUVs and on 6.2L Camaros and Corvettes, and to loose manifold bolts on its LCV, LKW and LTG engines; with P0107, GM's wire papers; with P0107, P0108 or P0109 on a 2018-2019 Explorer, Flex, Taurus or MKT 3.5L EcoBoost, Ford replaces the sensor; with P0299 or P2227 to the charge-air system; with P0068 to a software update on some Hyundai and Kia models.
3. With the key off, look and press. The sensor's plug should click and be dry; a vacuum hose to the sensor should be on both ends; on a turbo car every charge-air connector should be tight.
4. Clear the code once, drive normally and see. If the light was set by transport mode or altitude, Ford's own fix is the same clear; for a battery job the evidence is three complaints. If it comes back within days, the cheap causes are used up.
5. Ask the dealer about the VIN. "Does this VIN have an open recall or a software update for P0106?" costs nothing.

Five P0106 situations, and which is yours

1. A steady light, the car drives normally (Routes 1 and 5). Infiniti's 2017 flash applies only when there are "no drivability issues". Reset, drive, ask for software before parts.

2. The light appeared after a battery job, a trip to altitude or a transport (Route 1). Ford's papers say clear the codes and deactivate transport mode (on a just-delivered car, ask the dealer to check it is off). Three complaints say that a battery disconnect or replacement brought the light on; one Kia owner added that the same thing happens after replacing the sensor. Clear it once.

3. Cold weather, reduced power, then a clean restart (Route 1). GM for L5P diesels: ice can form in a one-to-two-hour drive below freezing, "The next key cycle, the reduced power should be gone, but the MIL (P0106/P140C) will remain." (If reduced power returns, have it towed.) Ford for the 2020-2021 Escape hybrid says an iced sensor "may disable your engine while driving"; if the engine cut out in freezing weather, have it towed and ask a Ford dealer whether the 21B68 reprogram was done on your VIN (the free program ended December 31, 2022).

4. A misfire or engine noise with P0106 and P0506 on a GM V8 or 4.3L V6 truck or SUV, or a 6.2L Camaro or Corvette (Route 5). GM's papers name a broken valve spring. This is the route that costs real money, and it begins with a valve-cover inspection and, if a spring is broken, a cylinder leakage test, not a sensor.

5. A stall or hesitation with P0106, a Ford Escape or Focus ST (Route 3). Certain 2013-2014 2.0L cars built in the recall windows are in a recall for the sensor's harness; an owner of a 1.6L Escape writes that the car has the same problem as the recall ("NO POWER AND WAS WANTING TO DIE") and that "THEY WON'T FIX IT".

The P0106 price ladder, from the bottom up

Figures marked ⚪ are published estimates from our repair guides, not quotes; owner figures are what people told NHTSA. Prices vary by engine and shop.

The ladder is a rule of thumb for order, not a forecast: the cheap rungs are the ones the papers ask a shop to rule out first.

The five P0106 routes, cheapest first

A range/performance code is a statement about a reading. Each route below is a place the reading can be lost or distorted, ordered by what it costs to rule out. Owner counts come from the 244 relevant complaints; "came back" means the owner says the same light, code or symptom returned or the repair did not hold. These owners are the ones whose trouble did not end, so none of these shares is a forecast for your car.

Route 1 · The reset cases: battery, altitude, transport mode and ice — $0 to ask

What it is. The computer stored a code for a condition that has passed: a car trucked to altitude with the key off, a battery that was disconnected, a sensor that iced up on a cold drive.

What the documents say. 🟢 Ford's 2021 papers say cars "may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0106 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM) while in transport mode, especially when operated in higher altitudes" and give the fix in one line: "To correct the condition, clear the DTCs and deactivate transport mode" (SSM 49493); a later message covers the code stored "after key-off transportation of the vehicle to higher altitudes" (SSM 50155). 🟢 GM's paper for L5P diesel trucks describes ice: "During a 1-2 hour drive in below freezing temperatures, ice may form on the MAP sensor", and says what to do if the sensor is clean and dry: "there is no need to replace the sensor"; it suggests "a winter grill cover" and bans chemical cleaners, water and compressed air (20-NA-043). 🟢 Ford's paper for the 2020-2021 Escape hybrid describes the code "while operating at or below freezing" (SSM 49654), and the owner letter of its program warns "An iced over TMAP sensor may disable your engine while driving"; the free program ran "through December 31st, 2022" (21B68).

What the owners report. 9 complaints end at a clogged or contaminated sensor or port (ice, oil, water, a feather) and 4 of them say it came back; 2 end at a shop or dealer that could not find the fault. Three complaints say the light came on after a battery was disconnected or replaced, among them a 2011 Sonata owner who wrote that "WHEN THE BATTERY IS DISCONNECTED OR REPLACE BY AN AUTO SHOP OTHER THAN HYUNDAI, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON AND THERE IS AN WARNING THAT THE MAP SENSOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED."

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A trip, a battery job or a freeze that the shop never asked about. A 2013 Fit owner's mechanic "FOUND DEBRIS/PART OF A FEATHER ON MAP SENSOR OF WHICH HE KEPT"; a 2013 Jetta owner wrote that the dealer found the intercooler and the charge air pressure sensor had "SNOW AND ICE ON IT", and that the repair cost "$1342.00". The question costs nothing; the Jetta owner's dealer still charged for the iced parts.

Fix it yourself. With the key off, make sure the sensor's plug is clicked home, clear the code once with a reader and drive normally for a few days (our advice). Do not spray a pressure sensor with cleaner or blow it out with air (our advice). GM prints that ban in its icing paper for the L5P trucks (20-NA-043); Ford's special service message for the 2020-2021 Escape hybrid tells a technician to "Inspect/clean any ice or sludge build-up from MAPT sensor and reinstall", but only after taking the throttle body off and looking inside the intake manifold (SSM 49654). No paper tells an owner to clean it at home. After that interim fix the same message tells the technician to tell the customer the vehicle is safe to drive; no maker paper tells an owner to stop driving, and this line covers a car just repaired, not one that stalls.

At the shop — say this: "My car was trucked, taken to altitude, left in freezing weather or had its battery disconnected just before the light came on. Please clear the code, recheck after a drive and tell me whether it came back before you order a part."

Route 2 · The air path and the engine's breathing — $15 to $1,250

What it is. The sensor reads the pressure correctly, and the pressure is wrong: a loose or leaking intake manifold, a vacuum hose off its fitting, a plugged breather, a split charge-air hose or a quick-connect that is not fully seated.

What the documents say. 🟢 GM's paper for 2013-2017 cars, crossovers and compact pickups with the LCV, LKW and LTG engines lists P0106 among codes that, "In rare cases", come with "hesitation or may stall", and, if service information does not lead to a solution, tells the shop to inspect the intake manifold bolts: "If the intake manifold bolts were loose, remove one bolt at a time and add medium strength threadlocker", and "Do not replace the intake manifold gasket unless testing indicates the gasket is leaking after the bolts are torqued" (PIP5529B; labor 0.4 hour). 🟢 GM's paper for high-mileage 2016-2019 Volts ties P0106 and P00C7 to a "Possible plugged PCV orifice", to be cleared with "a 1.8mm drill bit (hand use only)" (PIP5603). 🟢 On boosted cars, Jeep's paper for the 2022-2023 Wagoneer prints P0236 (not P0106) with the cause "Charge air cooler quick connect" and a "push-pull-push test", in a program that expired 18 months after June 8, 2023 (09-011-23), and GM's tip for the 2023 Equinox and Terrain, written for P0237 and P0299 and related codes, blames "Potential damage to Charge Air Inlet Pipe at Turbocharger" (PIP5927).

What the owners report. 8 complaints end at a hose, a duct, a leak or an air filter, and 4 of them say it came back. A 2012 Cruze owner wrote that the codes P0171 and P0106 came with "VALVE COVER CRACKED AT PCV HOUSING AND PCV VALVE STUCK OPEN RESULTING IN AIR LEAK." A 2017 Sonata hybrid owner pulled P0105 and P0107 and the dealer found "THE EGR PIPE(C) SEPARATED FROM FLANGE CAUSING UNMETERED AIR LEAK".

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A clamp, a hose or a connector that only needs to be pressed home, and a manifold bolt that only needs a torque wrench. GM prints that replacing the gasket is "typically not necessary" (PIP5529) and later "Do not replace the intake manifold gasket unless testing indicates the gasket is leaking after the bolts are torqued" (PIP5529B), and a gasket is the $680 to $1,250 version of the same fault (⚪ our P0171 guide).

Fix it yourself. With the engine off, look for any intake or charge-air hose that is off, split or oily, and any vacuum line to the sensor that is disconnected (our advice). A vacuum hose or intake duct is a $15 to $40 part in our guides (⚪); leave bolts and PCV parts to a shop that has the torque specification.

At the shop — say this: "Before a sensor: were the intake manifold bolts torqued, the vacuum lines, PCV and charge-air connectors checked, and was a smoke test done? Please write what you found on the invoice."

Route 3 · Wire, connector and harness — about $360 to $4,500

What it is. The signal is bent or lost on the way: a wire broken inside its insulation, a spread terminal, a corroded plug, a pinched harness, a splice that was crimped too loosely.

What the documents say. 🟢 GM's paper for 2004-2012 Colorado and Canyon says "inspect all MAP sensor circuits for being broken inside of the insulation near the MAP sensor connector" (PIP4409F); the paper for 2016 full-size trucks says to "inspect the wiring harness near the left IP junction block" and "Repair the damaged circuits as necessary" (PIP5344). 🟢 Audi writes that "The yellow wire on the electrical connector of the charge pressure sender is damaged" on 2018-2021 A6 2.0 TFSI, with "Parts replacement does not solve this issue" (2062323/1), and its 2022 Q3 list says "The goal of these checks is to identify if there is an issue in the vehicle harness" (October 14, 2022 list). 🟢 Mazda's CX-9 paper recommends "replacing the engine wire harness and MAP sensor" after corroded terminals (SA-024/20). 🟢 An FCA STAR case record (for P0107 and P0108) tells a shop to inspect "pushed out or spread terminals" at the MAP connector (S1808000282).

What the owners report. 28 complaints end at a wire, plug, connector or ground, and 13 say it came back. 16 of the 28 are Ford Escapes, and 17 complaints in the file cite Ford's recall numbers (14S17, 14V495 or 15V813). A 2014 Escape owner was "INFORMED IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SPLICES IN THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE MAP SENSOR" and "CHARGED $360.35 TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE" because the VIN was outside the recall's build dates and the car was past its warranty; a 2013 Escape owner had the recall work done in October 2014 and wrote that the symptoms "PERSISTED"; a 2013 Escape owner wrote "REPLACING THE MAP SENSOR DOES NOT HELP". The recall's terms are in the coverage file below.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The plug and the wire within inches of it. GM's paper says "Typically, the break will be within inches of the MAP sensor connector"; Audi's worksheet uses a wiggle test with the boost pressure sensor's measured value monitored for the same purpose, and a 2019 Odyssey owner was told after a MAP sensor diagnosis that "the wiring harness was pinched."

Fix it yourself. Not the wire: a repair needs the right terminals and wire (GM's paper requires "TXL wiring of the correct size along with new terminals"), and a bad splice creates the fault you are chasing (our advice).

At the shop — say this: "Were the sensor's plug and wires wiggle-tested with the pressure reading monitored, and was the voltage drop measured? If the sensor was replaced first, will you tell me what the reading did before and after?"

Route 4 · The sensor itself — $125 to $700

What it is. The sensor really is out of range or erratic, so a new one fixes it.

What the documents say. 🟢 Few papers print a sensor swap. GM's PIP5787 says "This condition may be caused by a faulty Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor" for 2021 Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon and Escalade built January 1 to February 15, 2021, and its service update tells dealers to replace the sensor (part 12711681) on the "approximately 540" 2021 trucks, SUVs and vans involved, in dealer inventory only, "will expire May 31, 2022" (N212332660). 🟢 Ford's 3.5L EcoBoost paper prints "This may be due to a faulty manifold absolute pressure and temperature (MAPT) sensor" for P0107, P0108 and P0109; its first version had the technician check whether the MAP reading is "within 10.35 kPa (1.5 psi) of the other sensors" (19-2183), and Ford replaced it a month later with a version that says only to replace the sensor (19-2212, whose own reason for the update reads "Incorrect Procedure"). 🟢 Jeep's South America paper replaces the sensor of 2021-2026 Renegade, Commander and Compass only when its base is not flush with the housing and the gap is under 1.0 mm, with the 1.3L turbo engine, for codes other than P0106 (09-028-25).

What the owners report. Across all 244 MAP and boost-sensor complaints (most do not print P0106), 110 end at a sensor named by a shop or replaced; 85 of those 110 say the problem returned or the repair did not hold. Among the 32 that print P0106, 5 end at the sensor. Examples: a 2010 Golf owner "HAD TO REPLACE THE MAP SENSOR 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS" and paid "$700 EACH TIME"; a 2013 Escape owner's "MAP SENSOR FINALLY THREW A CODE P0106 AND AFTER REPLACEMENT IT RAN FINE FOR A DAY AND STALLED AGAIN WHICH POINTS TO THE HARNESS". Not every replaced sensor is a mistake; in 85 of these 110 complaints the problem came back after, or in spite of, the sensor.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. Whatever the sensor was measuring. Even Ford's withdrawn paper asked for a comparison of the MAP reading with the other pressure readings before a part; ask a shop whether it made one.

At the shop — say this: "Is the replacement based on a measurement, such as the MAP reading against the barometric reading with the key on and the engine off? Please write the readings, and tell me whether anything else was checked first."

Route 5 · Software, a broken valve spring, a leaking turbo — free to several thousand dollars

What it is. The reading is right and the engine is not: the computer's logic is off, a cylinder is not breathing, or oil is in the intake.

What the documents say. 🟢 Software: GM prints for the 2017-2018 Corvette that "This condition may be caused by a software anomaly" with P0106 (17-NA-264), for the 2019 Colorado and Canyon with the LWN engine "No parts are required for this repair" (19-NA-127); Infiniti reprograms the ECM for P0106 on 2010-2012 and 2016-2017 cars; Ram (often tagged for extreme cold), Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Hyundai and Kia list P0106 in their flashes. 🟢 Valve spring: GM's "This maybe caused by a broken valve spring" (PIP5423), later "Possible broken valve spring" with a cylinder leakage test (PIP5752A). 🟢 Turbo: Infiniti's 2025 warranty extension for 2016-2018 Q50 and 2017-2018 Q60 prints P0106 "due to excessive oil in the intake system from a turbocharger", with a limit of "10 years or 120,000 miles", eligibility checked by VIN through an Infiniti retailer (model year 2018.5 is excluded), and a turbocharger replacement paid for when white smoke or an oil leak comes with the warning light (P4A05).

What the owners report. None of the 244 complaints ends at a software update as the only repair. 30 end at another cause and 18 of those say it came back. A 2017 Yukon XL owner wrote that a code reader gave "codes P0106 and P0506" and the shop found "3 push rods bent and I valve spring broken" in a head repair billed at $3,304.79 (the owner filed the account twice in different words; both filings are in the counts, the amounts file counts it once); a 2017 Ram owner wrote that "The EGR valve and EGR cooler went out and it caused the MAP sensor to melt".

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A software update already published for your car. Ask by bulletin number; GM and Infiniti print that the update is the repair.

At the shop — say this: "Is there an updated calibration or a bulletin for P0106 on my VIN? If the valve cover was not taken off to look for a broken spring, please do that before anything is replaced."

The coverage file: which recalls and papers run in September 2026

Status "as of September 2026" is our computation from the printed terms, and "cannot be computed" means the paper prints a term but no start point. A recall or a program is not a repair of your car until a dealer has done it and written it down; ask by VIN.

The Ford recall is the one owners in the file cite most: 17 complaints name it. "Open as printed" means the filings give no end date. One 2013 Escape owner wrote that dealers will not help because there is "no longer an open recall for this issue". Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: if the recall shows as open on your VIN, a Ford dealer does the repair free; if it shows as completed, ask the dealer what was done. 🟢 Ford's Part 573 for 14V495 says the splices were "insufficiently compressed during the supplier manufacturing process" and that "Insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness splices to the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor may cause erroneous signals to the PCM"; the safety risk is printed as "Engine stalls while driving with no warning may increase the risk of a crash." The remedy is to cut each side of the splice and solder, labor operation 14S17B at 1.2 hours, free. A Ford quarterly report counts 77,096 of 133,227 vehicles remedied, inspected or returned to inventory at the end of 2014, 57.9 percent. No Ford filing prints P0106 or any other code, and the Part 573 names the MAP sensor and covers 2.0L engines only; one owner writes to NHTSA that their 1.6L Escape has the same fault and that "THEY WON'T FIX IT". A 2013 Escape owner with a 2.0L wrote of an engine wiring harness "NOT INCLUDED IN PREVIOUS SAFETY RECALL."

The Nissan recall is about a bracket, not a code. 🟢 Nissan's 11V583 says the boost sensor bracket on the air inlet tube may separate because of a weld that was out of specification; the car goes into fail-safe mode with the warning light on. NHTSA's acknowledgement says the car "COULD STALL WHILE THE ENGINE IS IDLING WITHOUT WARNING"; Nissan's own report adds that in rare cases it cannot be restarted. No filing prints a trouble code.

What 326 complaints about the MAP sensor show

How we went through them. We went through every complaint in NHTSA's file received from January 2015 through September 2026 that names P0106 or a sister code in any spelling we searched, or describes the MAP, barometric or boost-pressure sensor in owners' words and says something went wrong: 253 from our first search and 73 more from an independent second search (owners' words such as "turbo boost sensor" and "charge air pressure sensor", and the related boost and barometric codes). Every complaint was sorted twice, independently, by the same written rules; the two sortings matched on the category in 82% (268 of 326). Every disagreement was settled by a written rule, and a final consistency check under the same rules changed 34 rows on which both sortings had agreed on the category: 29 categories and 5 flags. We publish the sorting rules and how we did it. Counts are counts of complaints, not cars; nothing here is a failure rate.

The 244 add up to the rows above. 138 describe a stall, a loss of power or a limp mode; 21 an engine that would not start, started hard or died soon after starting; 60 mention a recall, a bulletin or a settlement; 135 say the same light, code or symptom returned or the repair did not hold. NHTSA's own fields record 4 crashes, 3 fires, 2 complaints with an injury and 11 tows. Ford accounts for 60 of the 244 (38 of them Escapes), Chevrolet 42, Hyundai 29, Volkswagen 18 and Kia 16; the cars run from model year 1996 to 2024 with a median of 2013, and the 162 that give a mileage have a median of 80,000. Where the complaint ends at the sensor, 85 of 110 owners say the problem returned; where it ends at a wire, plug or connector, 13 of 28 do; where it ends at an air leak, 4 of 8; where it ends with no cause named, 10 of 57.

Is a stall with a MAP code dangerous, and does a new sensor stop it? PulsCar sorted, twice and independently, the 326 complaints in NHTSA's file from 2015 to September 2026 that name a code or describe a pressure-sensor fault: 244 describe the fault on the owner's car, 138 of them a stall, a loss of power or a limp mode, 4 where NHTSA's form records a crash and 11 a tow. Where the complaint ends at the sensor, 85 of 110 owners say the problem returned; where it ends at a wire, plug or connector, 13 of 28 do. Ford's own recall filing for the 2.0L Escape prints that stalls with no warning may increase the risk of a crash, and no maker paper about P0106 says to stop driving. Our rule: a stall, a loss of power, reduced power, or a car that failed to restart, even once, means a tow, not a drive to the shop.

The 32 complaints that print P0106

The 32 complaints that print P0106 are the nearest thing the file has to owners describing your code. Nine are Fords, seven Chevrolets, six Volkswagens and four Hyundais; 20 end with no cause named, 6 at another cause, 5 at the sensor and 1 at an air leak; 15 describe a stall or a loss of power and 8 say it came back. 20 of the 32 print more than one code, one a list of ten. A 2011 Golf owner wrote "I COULDN'T PASS INSPECTION ON MY VW DUE TO: CODE P0106." A 2013 Escape owner wrote "I COULD BE DRIVING AND MY CAR SHUTS OFF" and that "THERE IS NO LONGER AN OPEN RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE". A 2017 Elantra's mechanic could not say whether "it's a faulty sensor or if something is causing the trouble code" because the warning lights were not on when the code was read.

What owners say they paid

Of the 244 relevant complaints, 12 owners state a dollar figure tied to the repair (one filed twice), 13 figures in all: 3 bills, 5 quotes, 4 amounts paid and one where the narrative does not say. The rows below add up to all 13. The figures are what owners wrote, not audited invoices, and we publish them with ODI numbers; every exclusion has a reason in our notes.

Details: a 2010 Golf owner paid "$700 EACH TIME" for three sensors; a 2017 Escape owner wrote that "FOR A SIMPLE $30 PART (THE TURBO SENSOR), THE REPAIR COST IS $2,700.00", the cause, the owner was told, an oil leak from the turbo that got into the harness.

How much does it cost to fix P0106? PulsCar's reading of the file: nothing for a reset, a transport mode or a plug; $15 to $40 for a hose or duct (⚪ our repair guides); owners report $125 to $700 for a MAP or boost sensor, $360 for a repaired harness with quotes of $2,700 and $4,500, and $3,304.79 for a cylinder head repair where P0106 came with P0506. Of 244 relevant complaints only 12 owners state a figure that meets our inclusion rule, so these are single reports, not a price list. The ranking is the useful part: the papers put the reset, the air path and the wire before the sensor. A diagnostic that names a measurement is worth paying for before a part; an invoice that says only "replaced MAP sensor" is not evidence of a fix.

Why P0106 comes back after a repair

The reading was never the sensor's fault. A broken wire, a loose manifold bolt or a leak gives the same code with a new sensor in the car. The recall repair does not cure every splice. Ford's remedy is soldering the splices; an owner with the recall done in October 2014 wrote that the symptoms persisted. The car has two problems. Owners wrote about a sensor replaced and then a battery, a valve spring or a turbo found next. The fix was a clear. A cleared code on a half-seated plug returns when the plug moves.

Can you drive with P0106?

It depends on how the car behaves, and this is our rule, not any maker's: none of the papers we read about P0106 tells the owner to stop driving (some Ford hybrids show a "Stop Safely Now" message on the dash; treat it like a stall). A steady light with normal driving, no stalls, no hesitation, no power loss: a shop within days. If it has stalled, lost power, shown reduced power, limp mode or a "Stop Safely Now" message, or failed to restart even once, or the check engine light is flashing, do not drive it to the shop: have it towed. The recalls and a Ford program give the reasons: 🟢 "Engine stalls while driving with no warning may increase the risk of a crash" (Ford) and "could stall while the engine is idling without warning" (Nissan, in NHTSA's letter). 🟢 Ford's owner letter for the Escape hybrid says a sensor iced over "may disable your engine while driving" and the car "will coast to a stop". Infiniti's turbo paper says the oil-leak conditions have no effect on safety or drivability but could decrease performance and, in severe cases, cost the engine power. Do not drive a stalling car anywhere to "see if it clears".

Should you buy a used car with P0106 in its history?

Ask what was found, not what was replaced. A history with a plug, a wire repair or a software update and a clean drive afterwards is better than the same code coming back. Ask a dealer with the VIN about recalls and bulletins. On a GM V8 or 4.3L V6 truck or SUV, or a 6.2L Camaro or Corvette with P0106 and P0506 in its history, ask whether the valve cover was taken off to look for a broken spring. Before you pay, have the car scanned, driven to full warm-up and scanned again.

Clearing P0106 before an inspection

A cleared code returns if the cause is a half-seated plug or a chafed wire, and a smog or inspection test needs the car's self-checks to have run again (our advice); 4 of the 244 complaints say the car failed or could not pass a state inspection or an emissions test (one of them for a different code, P0491). Fix first, drive several normal trips, then test. 🟢 Infiniti's own paper for a P0106 flash says "Diagnosis and repairs beyond ECM reprogramming are not covered by this bulletin"; our reading is that a clear is not a repair either. Our guide on how to reset a check engine light covers the mechanics.

What the papers tell a shop to do with P0106, checkpoint by checkpoint

Checkpoint 1 — the history. Ford: transport mode, a trip to altitude, an iced sensor on the hybrid Escape. GM: ice, a winter drive. (A recent battery job comes from owners, not from the papers.) Checkpoint 2 — the wire. GM: inspect the MAP circuits within inches of the connector and the harness at the left IP junction block. Audi: wiggle test with the boost pressure reading monitored, pin fitment, pin drag, circuit resistance. Mazda: corroded terminals. Checkpoint 3 — the air. GM: manifold bolts, the PCV orifice, the charge-air inlet pipe; Jeep: the quick connect, push-pull-push. Checkpoint 4 — the engine. GM: a valve-cover inspection and, if a spring is broken, a cylinder leakage test; Infiniti: a turbo leaking oil into the intake. Checkpoint 5 — the software. GM, Infiniti, Ram, Alfa Romeo, Hyundai and Kia: the latest calibration for the VIN. Checkpoint 6 — the part. Only then the sensor, with a reading on the invoice.

Three P0106 traps

Trap 1 · Buying the sensor from the code. The code says the reading does not fit; it does not say which part is wrong. GM's ice paper says a clean, dry sensor need not be replaced, and Audi's A6 wire paper says parts replacement does not solve it.

Trap 2 · Spraying or blowing out the sensor. GM's bulletin for the 2017-2020 L5P trucks (20-NA-043) prints "Do Not use any chemical cleaners including water and Do Not use compressed air to remove contaminates"; makers differ. Ford's special service message for the 2020-2021 Escape hybrid has a technician clean ice or sludge off the sensor after the throttle body is off, and its technical service bulletin 21-2122 has the technician rinse the removed sensor under warm water; Kia's FUE047 has the technician wipe the throttle inlet with cleaner sprayed on a towel. Follow the paper for your car, and do not improvise with a spray or compressed air (our advice).

Trap 3 · Treating a closed recall as a repaired car. Ford's remedy is soldering the splices, the filings print nothing about replacing the sensor, and an owner who had the work done wrote that the symptoms persisted.

The P0106 plan: 10 minutes, today, this week

Today (10 minutes). Key off, check that the plug clicks and is dry, look at the hoses and charge-air connectors, read the whole code list (a parts store or a shop will read it if you own no reader) and write down the mileage and what happened that day. Today (VIN). Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for open recalls, then ask a dealer whether there is a bulletin or software update for P0106 on your VIN; if your car is in the maker atlas above, give them that paper's number. This week. If the light is back, pay for one diagnosis, ask for the measurements in writing, and let the shop try the cheapest route first. If it has stalled, lost power, shown reduced power, limp mode or a "Stop Safely Now" message, or failed to restart even once, or the check engine light is flashing, do not drive it to the shop: have it towed. Do not wait for the week.

These are composite scenarios, not individual customers; the dollar figures are single owner reports from the file. If you drive a 2021 F-150 that was trucked to altitude and shows P0106, ask for Ford's special service message 50156 by number (3.3L and 5.0L F-150) and have the dealer run its clear-and-key-cycle steps before you accept a sensor quote. If you drive a 2013 Escape with the 2.0L engine that stalls, ask for 14V495 and 15V813 by number; one owner of a 2014 Escape whose VIN was outside the recall's build window reported being charged $360.35 after a dealer blamed the splices in the MAP sensor's wiring harness (ODI 10993461). If you drive a GM V8 or 4.3L V6 truck or SUV, or a 6.2L Camaro or Corvette with a check engine light, P0106 and P0506, ask whether the valve cover was taken off to look for a broken spring (GM's PIP5423 and PIP5752A) before a sensor; one 2017 Yukon XL owner reported $3,304.79 for a head repair with a broken valve spring (ODI 11702112).

Sources and documents

Primary documents only. Where a claim in this guide is marked 🟢, it rests on one of the items below, and the reference is given so you can pull the document yourself. Claims marked ⚪ are shop-price estimates carried from PulsCar's repair guides — estimates, not measurements from a dataset we own.

1. General Motors: PIP4409F and PIP4409E; PIP5344; PIP5529, PIP5529A and PIP5529B; PIP5603; PIP5423 and PIP5423A; PIP5752A and PIP5752L; PIP5787; Service Update N212332660; 17-NA-264; 19-NA-127; 20-NA-043; 21-NA-214; PIP5927; 21-NA-074; 22-NA-007; PIT5713A.
2. Ford: Special Service Messages SSM 49493, SSM 49446, SSM 50155, SSM 50156 and SSM 49654, TSB 21-2122; Customer Satisfaction Program 21B68; TSB 19-2183 and TSB 19-2212; TSB 18-2326; safety recalls 14V495 (Ford 14S17) and 15V813, read from NHTSA's recall filings (Part 573 report, dealer and owner letters, NHTSA acknowledgement).
3. Stellantis (FCA, Ram, Alfa Romeo, Jeep): 18-019-20; 18-052-19 Rev. A; 18-024-20; 18-045-23; 09-028-25; 09-011-23; STAR case S1808000282; 18-102-16; 18-033-12.
4. Nissan and Infiniti: ITB12-026f; ITB17-017; Quality Action Campaign P4A05 and P4A06; Nissan safety recall 11V583, read from NHTSA's recall filings.
5. Hyundai and Kia: Service Campaigns T5S and T5B; FUE047.
6. Audi, Porsche, Mazda: Audi 2062323/1 and the on-car analysis list of October 14, 2022; Porsche 23/14 ENU 2480; Mazda SA-024/20.
7. PulsCar analysis of NHTSA public data, October 2026: 326 complaints about the MAP sensor, each sorted twice by the same written rules; owner-reported amounts; the document list with check status and links. Complaints, amounts, documents, the sorting rules and how we did it (CC BY 4.0).

For the neighbouring pages: the P0101 guide and the P0103 guide for the mass air flow codes, P0299 for underboost, P0171 for the lean code an air leak can set, throttle body replacement cost, a car that hesitates when accelerating, a car losing power going uphill, a car that stalls while driving, how to reset a check engine light, what a check engine light means and the check-engine code index.

PulsCar does not diagnose a MAP circuit fault from the sound of the engine. For P0106, the readings at the sensor and the documents above are the evidence.

Methodology. The complaint set is every complaint in NHTSA's file received from January 2015 to September 2026 (the file was searched to October 4) that names P0106 or a sister code (P0105, P0107, P0108, P0109) in any spelling we searched, or describes the manifold absolute pressure, barometric or boost-pressure sensor in owners' words with a word about a fault, a repair or a symptom: 326 in all, 253 from the first search and 73 more from a second, independent search. Every complaint was sorted twice, independently, by the same written rules, fixed before each batch was sorted; the two sortings matched on the category in 82% of them (268 of 326), every disagreement was settled by a written rule, and a final consistency check under the same rules changed 34 rows on which both sortings had agreed on the category: 29 categories and 5 flags. 244 describe a pressure-sensor fault on the owner's car and 82 do not; motorcycles and motorhome chassis are outside this study. Counts are counts of complaints, not cars, and nothing here is a failure rate. The document set is every NHTSA index entry whose summary names one of the sister codes or discusses the MAP, barometric or boost-pressure sensor: 304 index entries (the first search listed 233 and the second 71 more), 292 with a readable file, 233 distinct once exact copies are set aside; 12 entries have no file. We read 148 representative documents in full, compared 139 revisions and copies with them, and set aside 5 heavy-truck and motorcycle papers. Four files that are scanned images were read page by page, and the three recalls were read from NHTSA's recall filings. Model years, engines and build dates are as printed in the documents, never from NHTSA's index. Coverage status "as of September 2026" is our computation from printed terms. Amounts follow one written inclusion rule, and every exclusion has a reason in our notes.

Prices verified July to October 2026 in the repair guides they are carried from and in the owner reports above, and reviewed quarterly. Technical documents verified October 2026: the 233 distinct documents in our published file, of which 148 were read in full, among them GM's PIP5752 family; Ford's recall filings for 14V495 and 15V813 and Nissan's for 11V583 were read in full as well.

Had P0106 cleared by a reset, a wire, a leak, software or a recall, or a sensor replaced for nothing? Email [email protected] with the vehicle, mileage and outcome.