P0299 Code in 2026: $0 to $3,500, and Why the Turbo Is Rarely the First Answer

P0299 is the code people read as "the turbo is gone." The federal complaint file says that is usually the wrong first conclusion.

P0299 — "Turbocharger/Supercharger Underboost" — means the engine computer asked for a boost pressure and measured less. Air had to be pushed into the engine and not enough of it arrived. A turbocharger that is failing is one way that happens. A split hose, a loose clamp, a charge pipe that popped off, a wastegate that will not close, a solenoid with ice in it, a vacuum line with coolant in it, and a calibration that reads the wrong number are the others.

We read 40 complaints to NHTSA that name P0299, chosen at random from the 141 in the file. Sixteen of those owners never found out what caused it — the code came and went, a dealer fitted three parts and it came back, "nobody can find the problem." Nine were told the answer was the turbocharger, two of them by their own guess. The rest were a wastegate, frozen charge air coolers, cracked boost hoses, a vacuum pump, coolant in the vacuum lines, and engines with problems of their own.

And one document in the file pays for the turbo outright. GM's Special Coverage N232395330 replaces the turbocharger on certain 2017-2018 Buick Encore, Chevrolet Sonic and Chevrolet Trax with the 1.4L engine, at no charge, for 10 years or 120,000 miles, regardless of ownership — and reimburses owners who already paid. GM brands account for 62 of the 141 P0299 complaints in the file.

By the end you will know which of five routes your P0299 is on, what each costs in 2026, which program might pay, and the cheap cause that gets skipped when a turbo is quoted first.

Claims marked 🟢 rest on a bulletin, program or recall listed in the Sources section. Claims marked ⚪ are shop-price estimates carried from our turbocharger replacement cost guide, which prices the turbo itself in detail; this page does not repeat that analysis. Owner-reported figures are published with ODI numbers. The bulletin count for P0299 comes from our Check Engine Code Index.

I built PulsCar after a $380 "full diagnostic" in Phuket in 2025 led to roughly $6,000 over six months across several shops, and the sound never went away (the story is on the About page). Every claim on this page that rests on a document says so, because the alternative is the kind of guessing I paid for.

Underboost is a symptom, so start with the weather and the hoses

Every route below is defined by when the code sets and what else the car is doing, not by the code. One rule overrides everything: boost is a pressure in a sealed system, so the first question is whether the system is sealed. A turbo that spins perfectly cannot make pressure through a split hose, and a cooler full of ice cannot pass it on. The cheapest answer is almost always on the pressurized side, between the turbo and the throttle body, and the most expensive answer is the one quoted before anyone has pressurized that side and listened for a leak.

First: is this really P0299? The boost codes side by side

Write down every code stored with it, including pending and history codes, because P0299's companions decide the route.

The timing companion matters. Our code index lists P0016 among P0299's most frequent companions, and a 2013 F-150 owner in the file had P0016 and P0299 together and was told the timing chain was stretched, at $2,500. An engine whose cam timing is off cannot use boost properly; fix the timing first, and see our P0016 guide for that code's own story.

What boost is, and the four ways it goes missing

A turbocharger is a pump driven by exhaust. It compresses intake air, the air passes through a charge air cooler (an intercooler) and a set of pipes and clamps, and enters the engine at the throttle body. A wastegate bleeds exhaust around the turbine to limit how hard it spins, commanded by a solenoid or an electric actuator, and on many engines by vacuum. Boost goes missing in four ways.

It leaks. The pressurized side has joints, clamps and rubber hoses that harden with heat. A crack lets pressure escape before it reaches the engine.

It is never made. The wastegate sticks open, its linkage wears, its clip falls off, or its control solenoid does not command it closed. The turbo spins slower than asked.

It is blocked. Water condenses in the charge air cooler; in cold weather it freezes and narrows the path.

The turbo is failing. Worn bearings, a damaged wheel, oil starvation. This is the one people assume, and in the file it is the minority.

The 10-minute P0299 driveway protocol

1. Read all the codes and the freeze-frame data with a ⚪ $15-$40 OBD2 scanner, per our diagnostic cost guide. Note the air temperature and engine temperature when P0299 set.
2. Note the weather. A code that appears on cold mornings and never on warm afternoons points at moisture and ice.
3. Open the hood with the engine off and cold. Follow the pipes from the turbo to the throttle body. Look for oil-wet joints, a hose that is cracked or swollen, and a clamp that is loose or missing. Squeeze each rubber section; hard, crazed rubber is suspect.
4. Look for oil inside a disconnected charge pipe if you can get one off safely. A film is normal; pooled oil points at the turbo's seals.
5. Listen with the engine running. A hiss under load is a leak; a whine or grind from the turbo itself is a mechanical failure.
6. Check the oil level and condition, and the coolant level. Oil feeds the turbo's bearings; coolant in a vacuum line is a finding one Audi owner had.
7. Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and on the manufacturer's owner site, which shows special coverages and programs that the NHTSA lookup does not.

Eight P0299 situations, and which is yours

"It happens on cold mornings and goes away." Ice or condensate. Route 3.

"A 2017-2018 Encore, Trax or Sonic 1.4." GM's special coverage. Route 2.

"A 2019 Equinox, Malibu or Terrain 1.5 that runs rough and nearly stalls." A charge air cooler pipe coming off the throttle body. Route 2.

"A dealer fitted parts and the code came back." Nobody has found the leak. Route 1.

"The shop says turbo, and nobody mentioned a leak test." Ask for one before paying. Route 1, then Route 5.

"It came with P0016 or other timing codes." Fix the timing first.

"There's blue smoke or a whine." The turbo itself. Route 5, and stop driving.

"It's a diesel truck with a turbo actuator code." Ram and Ford have warranty extensions on some. Route 2.

The P0299 price ladder, from the bottom up

Read it from the bottom up and the shape is the same one our turbo guide describes: the rungs that produce the same symptom as a failed turbo cost a fraction of one. The expensive rung is only right after the cheap ones have been ruled out.

The P0299 number, by what you drive

The makes and models that fill the federal file, and the documents that go with them. Full counts by make and model.

The five P0299 routes, cheapest first

Route 1 · A leak on the pressurized side — hoses, clamps, charge pipes — $200 to $500

The pressurized side of a turbo engine is a chain of joints: turbo outlet, pipe, intercooler inlet, intercooler, outlet pipe, throttle body. Rubber sections harden with heat cycles, clamps loosen, plastic pipes crack. A leak anywhere lets the pressure the turbo made escape before it reaches the engine, and the computer reads underboost.

What the file shows. A 2022 Wrangler owner describes turbo charge hoses that "hardened, cracked, and failed under standard boost pressure," with an "immediate and complete loss of boost pressure." A 2012 Edge owner's mechanic reports a dealer that had fitted three parts without fixing it. That second pattern — parts replaced, code returns — is the signature of a leak nobody has found.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. ⚪ A boost leak test: the shop caps the intake, pressurizes the system with air or smoke, and watches where it escapes. Our turbo guide puts a boost leak repair at $200-$500, against $1,000-$2,000 for a remanufactured turbo. 🟢 Manufacturers point there too: Audi's bulletin for certain 2020-2022 Q5 and SQ5 says that if "DTC P029900 is present, technicians should check the boost pressure against specifications and possibly replace the intercooler air charge pipe," and a Cadillac preliminary information for 2010 SRX tells technicians to "look for hoses at wastegate damaged by clamp."

Fix it yourself — the honest split. Inspecting the pipes and tightening a loose clamp is a driveway job. Replacing an accessible hose is too. A pressure test needs a tester or a smoke machine, and some joints are buried; that part is a shop's.

Where this does not apply. If there is blue smoke or a turbo whine, the leak is not your problem. Go to Route 5.

At the shop — say this: "Before we talk about the turbo, can you pressure-test or smoke-test the intake and charge air system and show me where it's leaking? I'd like the leak test result on the repair order."

Route 2 · Your VIN is on a document — $0

The GM 1.4 turbo coverage. 🟢 GM Special Coverage N232395330, released 14 February 2024 and revised as N232395330-01 in August 2024, covers "certain 2017-2018 model year Chevrolet Sonic/Trax and Buick Encore vehicles equipped with a 1.4L" engine (RPO LUV) that "may have a condition that could cause the turbocharger to fail." When it does, "the Malfunction Indicator Light (Check Engine Light) will illuminate and a diagnostic trouble code will set. Additionally, the engine may run rough or have reduced power." Dealers "replace the turbocharger as necessary" at no charge. The coverage runs "for a period of 10 years or 120,000 miles (193,000 km), whichever occurs first, from the date the vehicle was originally placed in service, regardless of ownership," and "vehicle owners or lessees who paid for repairs referenced in this Special Coverage" can apply for reimbursement. Two Encore owners in the file cite it by number.

The GM 1.2 and Malibu coverages, longer still. 🟢 GM has four more special coverages for turbochargers that "may have a condition that could cause the turbocharger to fail," with a check engine light, a stored code and a reduced-power message: N232407740 for certain 2020 Buick Encore GX, N242450640 for certain 2021 Encore GX and Chevrolet Trailblazer, and N242484750 for certain 2022 Encore GX and Trailblazer, all with the 1.2L three-cylinder turbo (RPO LIH); and N252508360 for certain 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. Each runs "for a period of 15 years or 150,000 miles" "regardless of ownership," and the Malibu document adds that owners "already outside of the above years and/or miles" are still offered reimbursement "if the issue occurred within the years and miles stated." Three of the four were revised on 1 September 2026. A 2021 Trailblazer owner in the file had a turbo and wastegate repair in February 2026.

The 2019 charge pipe. 🟢 On certain 2019 Equinox, Malibu and Terrain with the 1.5L engine, GM's N192266090 describes a charge air cooler outlet that "may become disconnected from the throttle body," with a check engine light, rough running and possible stalling at low speed; the correction is a charge air cooler retainer kit. The version of it we read applied to vehicles in dealer inventory and expired on 30 September 2020; ask a dealer whether the kit has been fitted to your VIN.

Diesels. 🟢 Ram warranty extensions X93 and X99 replace the Cummins 6.7 turbocharger actuator on certain 2013-2015 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500 and 5500 trucks. Ford's customer satisfaction program 18M05 extended turbocharger coverage on certain 2011-2012 F-450 and F-550 with the 6.7. Nissan ran a voluntary emissions campaign on the 2016 Titan XD diesel's high-pressure turbocharger.

European cars. 🟢 BMW extended the emissions warranty on certain turbocharger wastegates to 8 years or 82,000 miles from the in-service date on a range of 2004-2014 models, and MINI extended the N18 turbocharger on certain 2011-2012 Cooper S to 10 years or 120,000 miles.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The second lookup. NHTSA's search shows recalls; GM's special coverage and the diesel extensions are not recalls. Ask the dealer to check the VIN's applicable warranties.

Fix it yourself — the honest split. None. It is a phone call and a VIN.

Where this does not apply. A 2016 Encore or Trax, and every Cruze, are outside N232395330's list, though they share the engine family. More on that below.

At the shop — say this: "Is Special Coverage N232395330, or any other coverage for the turbo or boost system, open on this VIN? If I paid for this repair before, how do I apply for reimbursement?"

Route 3 · Cold, water and ice — the winter P0299 — $0 to $1,100

A turbocharged engine makes water. Humid air is compressed and then cooled in the charge air cooler, and the moisture condenses out. In freezing weather it can freeze — in the cooler, narrowing the path, or in the small solenoid that controls the wastegate.

What the manufacturers have written. 🟢 GM bulletin 18NA020, revised through May 2022 for certain 2016-2022 Envision, Equinox and Terrain, gives "a procedure to replace the charge air cooler due to moisture getting inside of it" with "DTC P0300 and/or P0299/P2227." And GM engineering information PIE0452A, May 2018, asked the field for information on 2018 Equinox and Terrain with "Charge Air Cooler Ice Blockage" and "DTC P0299 Set After Completing Bulletin 18-NA-020" — that is, on cars where the replacement cooler had already been fitted and the code came back. GM preliminary information PIP5812C, December 2021, covers P0299 and P0234 "setting due to oil/moisture condensate freezing in Turbocharger Wastegate Regulator Solenoid Valve" on certain 2016-2022 Encore, Terrain and related models. Ram bulletin 18-015-15 has technicians inspect "the Charge Air Cooler (CAC) system for excessive water and/or ice" on certain 2014-2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesels.

What owners describe. A 2018 Equinox owner calls it "freezing up due to no protection from elements" and paid $1,100 out of pocket. A 2022 Equinox 1.5 owner describes "a lot of water in intake and engine is in limp mode." A 2016 Trax owner lost power at 70 mph in sub-zero weather.

Why does P0299 appear in cold weather? Because a turbocharged engine condenses water out of its own intake air, and in freezing weather that water can become ice in the charge air cooler or in the small solenoid that controls the wastegate. GM has documented both on its 1.4 and 1.5 turbo engines, and Ram has a procedure for ice in the EcoDiesel's charge air cooler. In PulsCar's reading of the federal file, the cold-weather complaints share a pattern that makes them hard to diagnose: reduced power on a cold morning, a code, and then a car that tests normal once it has warmed up in a service bay. That is why the most useful thing you can bring to the shop is the temperature and the time of day the code appeared, and why a repeat of the problem in winter is not proof that the last repair failed.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The detail that it happened when cold. Tell the shop the outside temperature and whether the car had been parked overnight; without that, a warm car in a service bay will pass every test.

Fix it yourself — the honest split. Drive gently for the first few minutes on freezing mornings and let the engine warm before hard acceleration. That reduces the symptom; it does not remove the cause.

Where this does not apply. A P0299 that appears in hot weather and under load is not ice. Go to Route 1 or 4.

At the shop — say this: "The code sets on cold mornings and clears once the car is warm. Can you check the charge air cooler for water or ice and the wastegate solenoid for condensate, and is there a bulletin for this on my VIN?"

Route 4 · The wastegate and its control — $300 to $800

The wastegate decides how hard the turbo works. If it cannot close, the turbo never builds the pressure the computer asked for.

What the manufacturers describe. 🟢 GM preliminary information PI-1366, January 2015, on certain 2011-2014 Cruze, Sonic, Trax and Encore: "due to loss of wastegate preload," the check engine light comes on with P0299. PIP5643 on the 2019 Cadillac XT4: "the wastegate retaining clip on the wastegate lever falling off." PIP6058, April 2025, on certain 2025 Envista and Trax: P0299 and P0234 "setting due to wastegate binding." PIP5829A, February 2023, on certain 2019-2023 Encore GX and Trailblazer: P0299 "and/or cold start rattle." Audi describes, on certain 2009-2010 A4 and A5, linkage wear that "leads to play at the waste gate flap. This leads to boost escaping."

What owners describe. A 2021 Explorer owner had P25B4, "wastegate (A) stuck closed," with P0299. A 2018 Accord owner's shop found "excessive play in the waste gate rod." A 2021 Trailblazer owner took the car in for a turbo and wastegate repair.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A clip, a linkage adjustment, a solenoid or the vacuum that drives it. One 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLC43 owner describes an engine-driven vacuum pump that left "insufficient vacuum to the boost-control system." On engines where the wastegate is integral to the turbo, ask whether the actuator can be replaced separately before a whole turbo is ordered.

Fix it yourself — the honest split. On some engines the actuator arm is visible; a clip that has fallen off is obvious. Adjustment and replacement are shop work, and electric actuators often need calibration afterward.

Where this does not apply. A wastegate with no play, no binding and a solenoid that responds to a command is not the cause.

At the shop — say this: "Can you command the wastegate actuator with a scan tool and check the linkage for play or binding? If the actuator is serviceable separately from the turbo, I'd like it quoted on its own."

Route 5 · The turbocharger itself — $1,000 to $3,500

Sometimes it is the turbo. Our turbocharger guide covers that repair in detail, and its point bears repeating: oil in the charge pipe or play in the shaft condemns a turbo; a code does not.

What owners paid. Outside GM's coverage, owners of GM 1.4 cars report paying $1,480 for a cracked turbo on a 2016 Encore, $1,502 on a 2014 Cruze after a "failed boost control test," and $3,010 for a turbo and single-use parts on another 2014 Cruze; a 2016 Trax owner was quoted over $2,300. One 2016 Cruze owner reports GM "funding a $1,000 payout" toward the repair. A 2012 Dart owner was quoted about $1,500.

Does P0299 always mean the turbo is bad? No, and in the federal file it usually was not the conclusion. Of 40 complaints naming P0299 that we read in full, 16 owners never learned what caused it, and nine were told the turbocharger was the answer — two of those by their own assumption, and two were 2017-2018 Encores sent to GM under its special coverage. The manufacturers' own documents for this code point at hoses, clips, solenoids, ice in charge air coolers, vacuum supply and software far more often than at the turbine. PulsCar's practical reading is simple: a turbo is condemned by physical evidence — oil pooled in the charge pipe, radial or axial play in the shaft, a damaged wheel, a whine or grind — and by a boost leak test that passes. A quote written from the code alone skips all of that, and on a GM 1.4 from 2017 or 2018 it may also skip a coverage that pays for the part.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The oil. A turbo lives on its oil supply; a failed turbo on a car with a sludged or diluted oil system will fail again. Two 2017-2018 CR-V owners in the file were told of sludge or metal in the oil alongside P0299 and recommended an engine and turbo; 🟢 Honda ran product update campaigns and issued a warranty extension for engine oil dilution on certain 2016-2018 Civic and 2017-2018 CR-V with the 1.5L turbo.

Fix it yourself — the honest split. Replacing a turbo is a multi-hour job with oil and coolant lines; for most owners it is shop work. What you can do is change the oil on time with the right viscosity, which is the cheapest turbo insurance there is.

Where this does not apply. If the shaft is tight, the wheel is undamaged and there is no oil in the pipes, the turbo is not your problem.

At the shop — say this: "What physical evidence condemns the turbo — oil in the charge pipe, shaft play, wheel damage? What did the boost leak test and the actuator test show? And is there a coverage for this turbo on my VIN?"

What 141 complaints naming P0299 show

We searched NHTSA's complaint file, 777,040 complaints received between 1 January 2015 and 8 September 2026, for narratives naming P0299, case-insensitively: 141 complaints. Our code index reports 137 by a stricter method. The summary and the method are published.

It is a GM code in this file. Chevrolet (43), Buick (16), GMC (3) and Cadillac: 62 of 141, 44 percent. By model, the Buick Encore leads with 14, then the Cruze, Trax and Malibu with 10 each and the Equinox with 9. Ford follows with 33, led by the Escape (9), F-150 (6) and EcoSport (5); Honda has 13, mostly Accord and CR-V; Audi 10.

It is almost never an emergency. None of the 141 carries a crash flag and none a tow flag, against 4.37 and 5.11 percent across the whole file. That is not the same as harmless — 45 of the 141, about a third, describe a reduced-power or limp mode or a loss of power, several on a highway — but it is a repair to plan, not a reason to panic.

What the 40 we read turned out to be. All 40, classified.

The largest group is the uncomfortable one: owners who were never told the cause. That is what a code with many possible causes looks like when the diagnosis starts from a part rather than a test. One complaint is a 2008 Civic, which has no turbocharger; the code was presumably misreported, and we counted it as "code only."

The GM 1.5 and the charge air cooler

The second GM cluster is the 1.5 turbo in the Equinox, Terrain and Malibu, and here the documents are about air and water rather than the turbo.

🟢 The charge air cooler is the part GM keeps returning to. Bulletin 18NA020 replaces it when "moisture getting inside of it" sets P0300 or P0299. Engineering information PIE0452A went back to the field in May 2018 for cars that set P0299 again after the replacement, describing "Charge Air Cooler Ice Blockage." Preliminary information PIP5651C, August 2019, covers certain 2019 Equinox, Malibu and Terrain where "the charge air cooler pipe connection" can become "disconnected from the throttle body causing a reduced power issue" with codes including P0172, P0299, P0101, P0506 and P1101, and GM's N192266090 fitted a retainer kit for the same fault.

What owners wrote. A 2018 Equinox owner paid $1,100 for what they describe as the charge system "freezing up." A 2022 Equinox 1.5 owner describes water in the intake and limp mode. A 2019 Equinox owner found a bulletin and reports that other owners "replaced and code P0299 is still populating." A 2020 Equinox owner writes that after a year and multiple fees, "no one can find the problem."

The practical reading for these cars: a P0299 that follows cold weather is the cooler and its moisture, and a replaced cooler is not proof that the cause is gone. A P0299 with P0101, P0172 or a stall at low speed on a 2019 car is a pipe that came off the throttle body, and a retainer kit fixes it.

The vacuum side, where the boost is decided

On many engines the wastegate is moved by vacuum, and several owners in the file found their P0299 there rather than in the turbo.

A 2017 Focus owner found "rubber and oil in the vacuum lines" that left the wastegate actuator unable to release, and a turbo that failed and then began failing again. A 2016 Fusion owner paid for a repair "deemed" to be a vacuum leak, and another 2016 Fusion owner suspects hoses were not reconnected correctly after other work. A 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLC43 owner traces the fault to an engine-driven vacuum pump that could not supply the boost-control system. And two Audi owners describe coolant from a failing water pump migrating "into vacuum lines," one quoted $5,000 for the water pump system on a 2020 SQ7.

A vacuum line costs a few dollars; a vacuum leak test takes minutes. On an engine with vacuum-controlled boost, it belongs before the turbo in any diagnosis.

Ford's bulletins, and the sentence that saves a turbo

Ford has written more about P0299 on specific engines than any other manufacturer in this file, and one sentence recurs in its documents: the turbocharger does not need replacing.

🟢 The 2.0 and 2.3 EcoBoost e-clip. Special service message SSM 49427, February 2021, covers certain 2019-2020 Edge, Nautilus and Ranger, 2020 Escape and 2020-2021 Corsair and Explorer with the 2.0 or 2.3 EcoBoost showing "a lack of power" with codes including P0299, which "may be due to a missing wastegate actuator e-clip." Ford released the actuator, rod and both e-clips as a service part, and says in plain words: "Turbocharger replacement is not necessary for missing wastegate actuator e-clips." SSM 50171 and SSM 50485 widened it to certain 2019-2022 Edge and Nautilus, 2020-2022 Escape and Corsair, and 2021-2022 Bronco Sport, adding "an inoperative wastegate actuator" and "non-visible damage to the actuator rod," and telling technicians that if diagnosis leads toward a turbo, the lower-level actuator kit exists.

🟢 The 2.7 EcoBoost jamb nut. SSM 49960 and TSB 21-2272, 2021, cover certain 2021 F-150 2.7 EcoBoost trucks with P0299 and loss of power from a wastegate "question mark upper linkage lever" separating "due to a missing jamb nut." Again: "turbocharger assembly replacement is not necessary." TSB 24-2112 describes the same kind of fault on certain 2021-2023 Bronco 2.7 and 3.0: "a loose nut on the turbo actuator arm causing an under boost condition."

🟢 The 3.5 EcoBoost rod. SSM 54392, December 2025, covers certain 2021-2025 F-150, Expedition and Navigator 3.5 EcoBoost with P0299 and "a rattle noise from the turbocharger," which "may be due to the wastegate actuator rod being disconnected," and releases the rod, springs and clips "to complete the repair without replacing the entire turbocharger actuator assembly."

🟢 Older engines, same story. TSB 16-0121 and TSB 16-0122 cover certain 2015-2016 Mustang and 2016 Explorer 2.3 GTDI engines where P0299 "may be due to the turbocharger wastegate actuator rod coming disconnected from the wastegate." A 2013-2016 bulletin covers the 1.6 GTDI in the Escape, Fiesta ST and Fusion with P0234, P0245, P0246 or P0299.

🟢 Software, and air that never arrives. TSB 20-2152 (2019 Ranger) and TSB 20-2246 (2020 Explorer 2.3) fix P0299 by reprogramming the PCM. On the 3.5 PowerBoost hybrid F-150, TSB 22-2017 traces reduced power and turbo damage to "a restriction in the right air cleaner outlet pipe," and TSB 24-2264 on certain 2024 trucks to an upper air deflector "deforming and restricting the intake air to the turbocharger" until the turbo overspeeds. On certain 2021-2022 Raptor and Tremor, TSB 22-2198 blames interference between a radiator air deflector and the air cleaner inlet.

What Ford owners wrote. A 2017 Focus owner describes oil and rubber in the vacuum lines "causing the waste gate actuator to not release vacuum," a burned turbo, and the code returning a thousand miles later. A 2016 Fusion owner paid for what was deemed a vacuum leak. A 2021 Explorer owner had P25B4 and P0299 together and was told it was "not a covered issue." Two Edge owners describe losing power while merging onto an interstate.

Put together, Ford's own documents make the case this guide makes: on its turbo engines, P0299 is most often a clip, a nut, a rod, a pipe, a deflector or a calibration. If a Ford dealer or shop quotes a turbocharger for P0299 on one of these engines, ask which of these bulletins was checked first.

The Audi file

Audi has 27 raw documents naming P0299 and 10 of the 141 complaints, and its bulletins tell the same story as Ford's and GM's in German engineering terms.

🟢 The clip, again. On certain 2013-2014 A4, A5, A6, Q5 and TT, Audi writes that "the circlip connecting the turbo wastegate actuator rod and the wastegate flap lever can fall of due to low tension of the clip. Consequently, the wastegate linkage becomes disconnected, causing MIL on and DTC P029900." On certain 2009-2010 A4 and A5, "the linkage for the waste gate actuation can encounter excessive wear which leads to play at the waste gate flap. This leads to boost escaping through a loose flap." On certain 2005-2007 A3 and A4, P0299 "may be the result of an abnormal turbocharger recirculation valve." On certain 2020-2022 Q5 and SQ5, the answer is the intercooler air charge pipe.

🟢 The overheating V8. On certain 2019-2025 4.0 V8 TFSI models — A8, S8, RS 6, RS 7, RS Q8, SQ7 and SQ8 — Audi's bulletins pair P029900 with "engine overheats, red coolant temperature warning." That is the pattern a 2020 SQ7 owner in the file describes, with a $5,000 quote for the water pump system, and a 2022 Q7 owner who describes coolant reaching the vacuum lines.

For 2025-2026 S5, SQ5 and A6 with the V6 TFSI, Audi's documents through September 2026 are still "pending service solution" requests asking technicians to log cases, which means the manufacturer had not yet published a fix.

On an Audi with P0299, the first questions are therefore a linkage and its clip, a charge pipe, and on the V8, the cooling system — not the turbocharger.

The Honda 1.5 turbo file

Honda has 13 of the 141 complaints, and they read differently from GM's and Ford's. Seven are Accords from 2018 to 2022 with the 1.5 turbo, four are CR-Vs, and they tend to describe the engine rather than the boost system.

Two CR-V owners were told of "sludge in the engine" or "metal moving through the oil passages" alongside P0299 and were recommended an engine and a turbo. A third 2018 CR-V owner, after a sudden power loss and smoke, writes that they had "read that some common problems for the 2018 Honda CR-V include engine oil dilution from the 1.5L turbo engine." 🟢 That is documented: Honda announced product update campaigns in 2018 for certain 2017-2018 CR-V with the 1.5L turbo sold in cold-weather states, expanded them to 21 states and to certain 2016-2018 Civic, and issued service bulletin 19-033, a warranty extension for the 2016-2018 Civic 1.5L. The concern was fuel diluting the engine oil in cold climates. A turbo depends on that oil.

Among the Accords, one owner's shop found "excessive play in the waste gate rod" along with coolant in a cylinder, and another had P0087, low fuel rail pressure, alongside P0299 — a reminder that the engine has to make power before the turbo can add to it. We did not find a Honda warranty extension on the 1.5 turbocharger itself in the file. For a 1.5T Honda with P0299, the first questions are the oil level and smell, the dilution update, and whether other codes point at the engine.

When P0299 travels with P0016: the timing chain first

A group of complaints pair P0299 with camshaft timing codes, and they are worth separating because the fix is not in the boost system at all.

On the Ford 3.5 EcoBoost F-150, a 2011 owner reports a cold-start grinding noise, "a huge power loss," and codes P0016, P0017 and P0299; a 2013 owner has P0016 and P0299 with a ticking at startup; another 2013 owner was told the timing chain was stretched and paid $2,500, and P0299 returned within ten miles. On the 1.0 EcoBoost EcoSport, owners list P0012, P0014, P0340, P0365 and P0369 with P0299, and one was told of metal in the oil and an engine replacement at $7,266.

When the camshafts are out of time, the engine cannot use the air the turbo sends it, and the computer reads the result as underboost. The order of repair matters: timing first, then see whether P0299 returns. 🟢 Ford says as much in a different context: its SSM 50382 for certain 2020-2021 Escape and Bronco Sport 1.5 tells technicians to "diagnose P3402 first, then determine if DTC P0299 returns." Our P0016 guide covers the timing codes on their own.

The GM 1.4 turbo coverage, and the cars just outside it

GM's special coverage is the single most valuable document in this guide for the cars it covers. It is also a lesson in where coverage stops.

It lists 2017-2018 Encore, Sonic and Trax with the 1.4L (RPO LUV). The owners who paid for turbo work in the file drive cars on the other side of that line: a 2016 Encore ($1,480), a 2016 Trax (over $2,300), two 2014 Cruze ($1,502 and $3,010). The Cruze of those years used a 1.4 turbo too, but it is not on the list, and neither are 2016 models of the listed cars. We checked GM's four other turbo coverages as well — they reach the 1.2L Encore GX and Trailblazer and the 2022 Malibu, not the 2014-2016 1.4 cars.

For an owner just outside the line, the realistic path is the one a 2016 Cruze owner describes: a written request to GM, with the repair order and diagnosis, citing the coverage on the sister models. That owner reports a $1,000 payment toward the repair. It is not an entitlement; it is a negotiation with a document behind it.

For an owner inside the line who already paid, the coverage itself provides reimbursement. Keep the repair order, the proof of payment and the diagnosis that names the turbocharger.

What the manufacturer documents naming P0299 say

🟢 Our code index counts 115 distinct bulletins naming P0299, across 8 manufacturer groups, at least 36 percent of them software, and three coverage or emissions campaigns; Stellantis leads with 44, then GM 31, Ford 20 and Volkswagen Group 6. A raw search of the manufacturer communications file returns 294 documents because owner letters, dealer emails and each revision are stored separately. By manufacturer · programs and bulletins.

Ram, 93 raw documents: mostly "Flash" software bulletins for diesel and ProMaster engines, and the EcoDiesel charge air cooler water and ice procedure.

Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac, 106 together: the wastegate preload, clip, binding and solenoid-freezing documents in Routes 3 and 4, the charge air cooler moisture and pipe documents, a Cadillac CT6 turbine-wheel service update that reprograms the ECM, and the 1.4 special coverage.

Audi, 27: wastegate linkage wear on older A4 and A5, the intercooler charge pipe on recent Q5 and SQ5, and performance-model boost faults.

Ford, 18: model-specific bulletins for the 2.3 EcoBoost in the Mustang and Explorer, the 2019 Ranger, and 6.7 diesel Super Duty trucks.

The pattern is the one Routes 1 to 4 describe. When a manufacturer writes about P0299 on a specific engine, it writes about a hose, a clip, a solenoid, a cooler, water or software far more often than about replacing the turbocharger.

The diesel trucks

Only 6 of the 141 complaints mention a diesel, but the manufacturers' documents lean heavily that way, and the causes are specific.

🟢 On Ford's 6.7 Super Duty, TSB 19-2143 traces P0299 and lack of power on certain 2011-2016 trucks to "the charge air cooler (CAC) outlet tube assembly becoming disconnected at the throttle body or a separation at the CAC tube crimp clamp," fixed by replacing the tube. SSM 53328 lists P0299 among many codes for certain 2020-2022 6.7 trucks with "lack of power, and/or excessive turbo noise." Ford's program 18M05 extended turbocharger coverage on certain 2011-2012 F-450 and F-550.

🟢 On Ram, most of the 93 raw documents are software flashes for the diesel and ProMaster engines; bulletin 18-015-15 covers charge air cooler water and ice on certain 2014-2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesels; and warranty extensions X93 and X99 replace the Cummins 6.7 turbocharger actuator on certain 2013-2015 heavy-duty trucks.

On a diesel, a P0299 with smoke, a DPF code or an EGR code is a different conversation, and our P0401 guide covers the EGR side. But the first checks are the same: the charge air tubes and clamps, the actuator, and the software level.

Can you drive with P0299?

P0299 alone, driving normally. Usually, for a short while. Plan the repair.

Reduced power or limp mode. You can usually drive gently to a shop, but avoid highways where you need power to merge. Several owners describe the danger as being unable to reach traffic speed.

Blue smoke, a whine, grinding, an oil warning or coolant loss. Stop. Those are a failing turbo or an engine problem, and running it causes more damage.

Can you drive with a P0299 code? Usually for a short distance, but not indefinitely, and how much depends on what comes with it. Across the 141 complaints in NHTSA's file that name P0299, none carries a crash or tow flag, which is unusual and reassuring — but about a third describe a reduced-power mode, and several owners describe the real hazard as merging onto a highway without enough power. PulsCar's reading is to treat P0299 alone as a repair for this week, and P0299 with reduced power as a reason to stay off fast roads until it is fixed. The exceptions are the signs of a turbo failing mechanically: blue or heavy smoke, a whine or grind, an oil warning. Those can send debris or oil where it does damage, and they are a reason to stop driving and tow the car rather than drive it to the shop.

Should you buy a used car with a P0299 history?

Often, with homework. On a 2017-2018 Encore, Trax or Sonic 1.4, the special coverage may still pay for the turbo, so a P0299 history is less alarming than it looks; confirm the VIN's coverage and in-service date. On a car just outside the coverage, price in the possibility of a turbo. On any turbo car, ask for oil change records — a turbo lives on its oil — and look into the charge pipes for pooled oil during an inspection. A Honda 1.5T from 2016-2018 should come with proof its oil dilution update was done.

Clearing P0299 before an inspection: why it comes back

Clearing the code turns the lamp off and resets the readiness monitors, and an inspection checks that the monitors have run. On a car with a real boost fault, P0299 returns as soon as the engine sees the conditions that set it, often the first time you accelerate hard or the first cold morning. And a car presented with incomplete monitors is usually turned away. Fix the cause — a hose, a clip, a solenoid, a program repair — drive until the monitors complete, and then test.

What a shop actually does with a P0299, checkpoint by checkpoint

1. Reads every code and the freeze-frame data, including air and engine temperature when P0299 set.
2. Checks the VIN for special coverages, programs and bulletins, not only recalls.
3. Pressure- or smoke-tests the charge air system for leaks.
4. Commands the wastegate and checks its linkage, clip and solenoid, and any vacuum supply.
5. Checks the charge air cooler for water, especially in cold weather.
6. Inspects the turbo for oil in the pipes and shaft play before condemning it.
7. Quotes in order of likelihood, with the test results on the repair order.

Three P0299 traps that cost owners the most

Trap 1: the turbo quoted from the code. Without a leak test and an actuator test, a turbo quote is a guess. Lesson: ask what physical evidence condemns the turbo.

Trap 2: paying for a turbo GM owes. A 2017-2018 Encore, Trax or Sonic 1.4 may be covered for 10 years or 120,000 miles, and NHTSA's lookup will not show it. Lesson: ask the dealer for the VIN's applicable warranties.

Trap 3: the winter fault fixed in summer. A cold-weather P0299 tested on a warm car passes, and a part is fitted to a symptom nobody saw. Lesson: tell the shop the temperature and time of day it happened.

Three P0299 quotes, decoded

These are composite scenarios, not individual customers: each combines details that come up repeatedly in owner reports and shop quotes.

Scenario 1: 2017 Trax 1.4, 88,000 miles, reduced power, quoted $2,400 for a turbocharger at an independent shop. The car is inside 10 years and 120,000 miles and on the special coverage list. The owner takes it to a Chevrolet dealer instead, where the turbo is replaced at no charge. Lesson: on a GM 1.4 from 2017-2018, the dealer's VIN check comes before any quote.

Scenario 2: 2019 Equinox 1.5, 45,000 miles, P0299 on January mornings only, quoted $1,800 for a turbo. The shop saw the car warm. The owner tells them it only happens below freezing; the charge air cooler holds water. Lesson: a cold-only code is a moisture question first.

Scenario 3: 2014 Cruze 1.4, 110,000 miles, P0299 and a flat feeling, quoted $1,500 for a turbo. A smoke test finds a cracked charge pipe. The pipe is replaced for a fraction of the quote. Lesson: seal the system before you judge the pump.

The P0299 plan: 10 minutes, today, this week

In the next 10 minutes: read all the codes, note the temperature, and follow the charge pipes with a flashlight looking for oil-wet joints and loose clamps.

Today: run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a dealer for the VIN's applicable warranties, especially on a GM 1.4 from 2017-2018.

This week: ask for a boost leak test and an actuator test before any turbo quote; if the code is cold-only, tell the shop and ask about the charge air cooler; if there is smoke or a whine, stop driving and tow it.

If you want a second opinion on a noise before you pay for a diagnosis, PulsCar's free sound check screens a 30-second recording of your engine. A turbo whine is one of the sounds worth recording; it is not a substitute for a leak test.

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 turbocharger and diagnostic guides — estimates, not measurements from a dataset we own.

1. GM Special Coverage N232395330, 14 February 2024, and N232395330-01, August 2024: turbocharger on certain 2017-2018 Buick Encore, Chevrolet Sonic and Trax with the 1.4L (RPO LUV); 10 years or 120,000 miles regardless of ownership; reimbursement. NHTSA documents 10250285 and 11006391. GM Special Coverages N232407740, N242450640 and N242484750 (certain 2020-2022 Encore GX and 2021-2022 Trailblazer 1.2L, RPO LIH) and N252508360 (certain 2022 Malibu): turbocharger, 15 years or 150,000 miles regardless of ownership; three revised 1 September 2026.
2. GM N192266090: charge air cooler outlet disconnecting from the throttle body on certain 2019 Equinox, Malibu and Terrain 1.5L; retainer kit. NHTSA document 10166235.
3. GM bulletin 18NA020 (charge air cooler moisture, certain 2016-2022 Envision, Equinox and Terrain) and engineering information PIE0452A (ice blockage with P0299 after that bulletin was completed, 2018 Equinox and Terrain); PIP5651C (2019 charge air cooler pipe disconnect).
4. GM PIP5812C (wastegate regulator solenoid condensate freezing), PI-1366 (wastegate preload), PIP5829A (Encore GX and Trailblazer), PIP6058 (2025 Envista and Trax wastegate binding), Cadillac PIP5643 (XT4 wastegate clip) and Service Update 17408 (CT6 turbine wheel, ECM reprogram).
5. Ram bulletin 18-015-15: charge air cooler water and ice on certain 2014-2015 Ram 1500. Ram warranty extensions X93 and X99: Cummins 6.7 turbocharger actuator on certain 2013-2015 Ram heavy-duty trucks.
6. Ford TSB 16-0121, 16-0122, 20-2152 and 20-2246 (2.3 EcoBoost Mustang and Explorer, 2019 Ranger), TSB 19-2143 (6.7 diesel), and customer satisfaction program 18M05 (2011-2012 F-450 and F-550 turbocharger).
7. Audi bulletins: wastegate linkage wear on certain 2009-2010 A4 and A5; intercooler air charge pipe on certain 2020-2022 Q5 and SQ5.
8. BMW NA wastegate emissions warranty extension to 8 years or 82,000 miles on certain 2004-2014 models; MINI M010118, N18 turbocharger to 10 years or 120,000 miles.
9. Honda product update campaigns and service bulletin 19-033: engine oil dilution on certain 2016-2018 Civic and 2017-2018 CR-V with the 1.5L turbo.
10. PulsCar Check Engine Code Index: 115 bulletins naming P0299, 8 manufacturer groups, at least 36 percent software.
11. PulsCar analysis of NHTSA public data, September 2026: 141 complaints naming P0299, 40 read in full, 12 owner-reported amounts, and 18 programs and bulletins. Data and method.

For the turbo itself: turbocharger replacement cost. For the codes that travel with this one: P0016, P0011, P0171, P0300 and P0401. For symptoms: losing power going uphill, a car that won't accelerate and blue smoke. For the vehicles: the Honda CR-V guide and the Chevrolet Equinox guide.

Methodology. Complaint counts come from NHTSA's public complaint file with case-insensitive matching, checked by reading 40 random complaints in full. Bulletin counts for P0299 are cited from our Check Engine Code Index. Price ranges marked ⚪ are US estimates carried from our turbocharger and diagnostic guides. Owner figures were read by hand and are published with ODI numbers; they are not invoices. Nothing here is a failure rate.

Prices verified August 2026 in the turbocharger guide they are carried from, and reviewed quarterly — no estimator would serve our checks on 22 September 2026, so nothing on this page was re-priced this pass. Technical documents verified September 2026: GM Special Coverage N232395330 in both versions and GM N192266090 were downloaded from static.nhtsa.gov and read in full on 22 September 2026, and the complaint and bulletin files behind our analysis were queried the same day.

Had a P0299 fixed, refused or covered — especially on a GM 1.4? Email [email protected] with the vehicle, mileage and outcome.