P2002 in 2026: Diesel Particulate Filter Efficiency Below Threshold — Cracked Filter, Sensor, Software or a Clog? What 533 Documents and 618 Complaints Show

P2002 is the code people read as "my diesel particulate filter is clogged." The documents say something different.

P2002 — printed by Audi and Volkswagen as "Particulate Trap Bank 1 Efficiency Below Threshold", by GM as "Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Low Efficiency" and by Jeep (outside North America) as "DPF Efficiency Based On PM Sensor Monitoring" — says the engine computer thinks too much soot is getting past the diesel particulate filter, or cannot confirm the filter is doing its job. A clogged filter keeps soot in; a cracked, broken or missing one lets it out, and in the North American papers the code is about the second. The cause is usually a crack, a sensor that is missing or reads wrong, a leak in front of the filter or software; in many papers the filter is replaced after other codes and checks, and the tests the makers print are GM's cloth test, Mercedes' soot check and Ford's program conditions.

We went through NHTSA's index of manufacturer communications for papers that name P2002, a companion filter code or diesel particulate filter wording. We went through 533 maker documents (488 distinct texts, in 379 families of revisions); 164 of them print P2002 in their own text and none prints P2003. How they were chosen and read is described at the end.

We also went through 618 complaints from NHTSA's file, received from January 2015 through early October 2026, that name P2002 or a companion code, or describe a diesel particulate filter, its regeneration or its soot in owners' words. Each was sorted twice, independently, by the same written rules; the two sortings matched on the main category in 93% of them (576 of 618) and the rest were settled by written rules. 405 describe a filter event on the owner's vehicle, and only 8 print P2002.

By the end you will know which of five routes your P2002 is on, what each costs, which papers and programs exist in 2026, and when to stop driving.

Claims marked 🟢 rest on a document listed in the Sources section. Dollar figures are owner reports and prices printed in the documents; we add no shop-price estimates of our own. Owner-reported figures are what people told NHTSA, published with ODI numbers, and every complaint count here comes from the 618 complaints sorted twice and published.

Words on this page. DPF (diesel particulate filter): the ceramic filter in a diesel's exhaust that traps soot. Regeneration ("regen"): the burn-off of that soot; forced, service, stationary or parked regeneration is one a scan tool or dealer starts. PM sensor: the particulate sensor behind the filter. DOC: the oxidation catalyst in front of it. DEF: the urea fluid for the NOx system, a different system. DTC: a trouble code such as P2002. Bulletin (TSB, SSM, PI): a maker's repair instruction to dealers, not a recall. CSP: Ford's Customer Satisfaction Program, a free repair offer. Reflash: loading new software into a module. GFF: Audi's guided fault finding. Cab Chassis: Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 trucks sold as a cab on a bare frame, without a cargo bed.

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 P2002 says: the filter lets soot through, or the computer cannot tell

What the computer reports. 🟢 Audi's 2015 bulletin for the 2014-2015 A6, A7, A8 and Q5 TDI prints the code as "DTC P200200 (Particulate Trap Bank 1 Efficiency Below Threshold)" and gives the expanded fault data: soot mass measured above 40 g, calculated about 30 g. GM's bulletin 16-NA-380, for diesel Chevrolets and GMCs from 2010, says "P2002 code will set if the properly functioning system detects a cracked or broken DPF." It prints two neighbours in the same breath: "P226D code will set if the properly functioning system detects that the DPF is missing" and "P244A code will set if the exhaust pressure differential sensor lines are disconnected or blocked." Ford's bulletin 20-2020 says "This may be due to a crack in the diesel particulate filter (DPF) substrate."

What you feel. Often nothing but a light. GM's papers add "excessive smoke coming from the tail pipe" and, for 2018 Duramax trucks in its Service Update 17309, "The customer may see black smoke exiting the tail pipe." Among owners who wrote to NHTSA the worst case is common: 183 of 405 complaints describe a loss of power, limp mode, a stall or a no-start.

What it is not. 🟢 It is not the code for a filter that is full of soot. GM's bulletin 15-NA-084 for the 2014-2015 Cruze 2.0L diesel separates the two: "Check for code P2463. If this code is set, do a service regeneration." and "Check for code P2002. If this code is set, the diesel particulate filter cannot be cleaned using service regeneration and should be replaced." P2463, "Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Soot Accumulation", is the full-filter code. Many documents that mention regeneration are about P2463 and its relatives; a regeneration is the printed answer for those codes, not for P2002 alone.

Is P2002 usually a clogged filter, and does a forced regeneration fix it? PulsCar went through 618 complaints that name P2002 or describe a diesel particulate filter event, each sorted twice by the same written rules: 405 on the owner's vehicle, and only 8 print P2002. The filter is the part a shop named or replaced in 97 of the 405, and in 135 of the 405 the owner says the problem came back or the repair did not hold. These are owners who wrote to NHTSA, so they show how often the fix is said not to have held, not how often a filter fails. The documents describe a cracked or missing filter, a sensor, a leak or software far more often than a plugged one; a regeneration is the answer for the full-filter codes, and for P2002 it is a step before a test, not a cure.

First: P2002, P2463, P2459, P242F or P244A? One filter, different labels

Read the exact code before you pay for anything, because the same filter carries different codes, and the fix differs. Counts are files in our set of 533 that print the plain code in their own text.

Two caution notes. The same code string can carry different titles: Stellantis' flash papers print P242F as "Diesel Particulate Filter Restriction - Ash Accumulation" while a 2025 dealer case calls it a severe soot load. And P2002 has three printed definitions: the North American "Efficiency Below Threshold", Jeep's "DPF Efficiency Based On PM Sensor Monitoring", and, in Stellantis' papers for the Jeep Renegade in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and the Jeep Compass in India, "Diesel Particulate Filter Flow Resistance Monitoring Too High ... Obstructed or Blocked". Read your maker's paper, not a code site's.

The codes that sit next to the filter but are not about it: P20EE and its relatives (113 files) are the NOx catalyst of the urea system, and P0420 (69 files) is a catalyst code. Neither is P2002.

The maker atlas: who prints a crack, a sensor, a leak, a software update or a program

The same code means different jobs at different makers. This is what the papers print for each, so you can ask the shop the right question.

Ford (6.7L Power Stroke Super Duty, 3.0L F-150, 3.2L Transit). 🟢 Ford has the most P2002 programs. Bulletin 20-2020, later 20-2087 and 20-2272, says P2002 "may be due to a crack in the diesel particulate filter (DPF) substrate", asks the shop to "Correct any other DTCs other than P2002 before performing this article" and then to "Replace the catalyst and particulate filter assembly." Program 20M06 names a cause for 2015-2016 Super Duty and 2016-2019 Medium Duty trucks: "the DPF may develop a crack due to overheating" where idle times are extended. On 2022 trucks, 22N05 says that before the recalls a cracked filter set no code ("the ability to detect and report diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P2002 was disabled"), because the factory calibration disabled the particulate sensor (recall 22E05) or the sensor was not fitted at all (recall 22E02: "unavailable due to a component supply shortage", in the Altec letter). After the recall, a truck past its time or mileage warranty limits with P2002 and no other code gets a one-time free filter until 12 months after the recall repair or December 31, 2026, whichever comes first (Supplement 3 moved the end for 22E05 trucks to 2029). Program 26N03 for 2017-2019 F-350 to F-550 trucks blames "A clogged CCV filter" and oil use; 23M01 for the Transit 3.2L blames "unmetered exhaust hydrocarbons and/or high exhaust temperatures"; 24N02 for the F-150 3.0L names a DPF-related code without printing P2002. Two older bulletins, 17-0017 for 2017 Super Duty and 17-0021 for 2015-2016, list P2002 with other codes and call for new software only.

General Motors (Duramax 6.6L, Cruze 2.0L, 3.0L Duramax). 🟢 GM prints a test before it prints a part. Bulletin 16-NA-380 is titled for a P2002, P226D or P244A code set with excessive tailpipe smoke and asks for a cheese-cloth test: the engine is revved with a cloth over the tailpipe, and "A failed test will show excessive soot particulates on the cheese cloth or equivalent". Both versions warn, in the 2017 wording, that the test "should not be performed immediately after a regeneration because of the reduced filtration efficiency of the DPF without any soot in it". For the 2014-2015 Cruze, 15-NA-084 says P2002 means "the diesel particulate filter cannot be cleaned using service regeneration and should be replaced", and sends the shop first to a charge-air-cooler duct that "has become disconnected from the throttle body". For 2017 Duramax trucks, PIP5451 says "If any soot is detected downstream of the DPF, a P2002 DTC may likely set" and starts with "a service regeneration using the GDS tool" and a check that the particulate sensor and the pressure sensor are installed properly. Service Update 17309 reprograms 33 trucks because "DTC P2002 may be disabled causing a cracked or inoperative diesel particulate filter to go undetected."

Stellantis (Ram, Jeep). 🟢 Most Stellantis papers are software flashes that list P2002 among dozens of codes; the flash is the repair, with 0.3 to 0.4 hours of labor printed on several. Some Jeep papers are blunter: the 2019 Compass bulletin 18-008-23, marked for the EE and IAP (India and Asia-Pacific) markets and not for NA (North America), says "If DTC P2002 is present it will require DPF and PM sensor replacement", so the flash does not cure a real P2002 there. The 2021-2022 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis recall Y43, which Revision 2 extends to Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups (about 189,690 trucks in all), installs a particulate sensor that "may not have been installed during the manufacturing process" and prints that "The Diesel Particulate Filter will be covered for a 12-month warranty period with unlimited mileage" from the install date.

Volkswagen and Audi (2.0L and 3.0L TDI). 🟢 Audi's 2015 bulletin 2041944/1 blames software: "The current ECM software does not accurately detect a momentary rise in DPF backpressure, resulting in a soot overload fault", and adds "Do not replace any parts for these fault codes unless directed to do so by GFF." Volkswagen's tech tip 26-19-03TT for 2015 2.0L TDI traces P0401 with P2002 to the EGR passages: "If the ports internal to the intake manifold are found restricted and faults P2002 and/or P0401 are set, replace the intake manifold." The 2009-2014 TDI bulletin 01-18-13 says "Replace the DPF & EGR filter together" after a soot swipe test, and "It is NOT necessary to replace any other components for this fault".

Jaguar Land Rover. 🟢 For the 2016 Range Rover Sport 3.0L the paper SSM73738 says "This issue is currently under investigation" and in its March 2018 version asks the shop to "replace the Diesel Particulate Filter, Particulate Matter Sensor & Differential Pressure Sensor jointly" (the January 2018 version named the filter and the pressure sensor); later 2018 versions ask for the filter alone, on vehicles built before February 1, 2017, once the other diagnosis is exhausted.

Nissan and Mercedes-Benz. Nissan's 2016-2017 Titan XD recall paper adds a particulate sensor, and a complaint in our file describes a P2002-00 appearing a day after it. Mercedes prints its own code for the same failure on the Sprinter, P3005CA: "The diesel particulate filter efficiency is insufficient" (LI49.20-N-078466), with the test "There should be ZERO soot or debris downstream of the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)." A cracked filter on the 2017-2018 Sprinter OM642 is an exhaust warranty extension.

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

🟢 These are the sentences to hold up before a quote for a filter is accepted.

• Audi (2014-2015 A6, A7, A8 and Q5 TDI with P200200 and P246300 stored): "Do not replace any parts for these fault codes unless directed to do so by GFF."
• Ford: "Correct any other DTCs other than P2002 before performing this article." The program letters add that the program applies only if "Only diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P2002 is set".
• GM: the cloth test comes first, and for the 2017 trucks, before GM's quality center will release a part, "Please do not contact the PQC until after the service DPF regeneration procedure has been attempted."
• Volkswagen: "It is NOT necessary to replace any other components for this fault" once the filter and the EGR filter are done.
• Mercedes: "Do not proceed with further diagnosis or component replacement until the exhaust leak source has been identified and confirmed" on a cracked-filter case (LI49.10-N-080528).

None of these says the filter is fine. They say prove the crack, the sensor or the leak first.

The 10-minute check

This is our advice, built on the papers above; it needs only a code reader.

1. Read the exact codes (P2002 and any companions such as P2463, P2459, P244A). A pile of codes is a reason to correct the others first, as Ford's bulletin says.
2. Ask whether a recall or program is open on your VIN. Use the free NHTSA recall lookup, then ask a dealer about programs by number.
3. Look at the tailpipe and the air path, with the engine off and the exhaust cool. Black soot inside the tailpipe fits the GM and Mercedes tests; a loose charge-air-cooler boot or an oily duct is the cheap cause, and GM warns that a static look can miss it.
4. Check the oil level, note how the truck is used, and write down what happened (the message, the speed, whether power dropped). Ford 26N03 ties P2002 to oil use, and 20M06 names extended idle times in some trucks.

Six P2002 situations, and which is yours

1. The light is on and the truck drives normally. Do the 10-minute check, then book a diagnosis within days; make essential trips only, with no long idling and no trailer towing meanwhile (our advice).

2. The light came on right after a recall or a software update. Ford's papers describe it: after recall 22E05 or 22E02 a cracked filter that never set a code can now set P2002, and "Dealers should repair any affected vehicles that experience DTC P2002 after the completion of 22E05 or 22E02, whether or not the customer has received a letter." One Nissan Titan owner in our file wrote that the dealer's own repair order says the new sensor "is able to see this and is setting the code as designed." Ask for the program by number.

3. The light plus lost power or limp mode. Treat as the tow case in the triage box. A blocked path, a leak, a failed sensor or a full filter on the same truck can cut power.

4. A first message that the exhaust filter is full or needs a drive, with normal power. That is the full-filter family, not P2002 alone. GM (10-06-05-002B) prints "DRIVE the vehicle at more than 30 mph (50 km/h) UNTIL the warning message goes OFF", Mazda 15 to 20 minutes at 12 mph or more, Stellantis about 30 minutes at steady speeds above 60 mph. Our advice: do the drive only where you can do it safely, and if the message stays or power drops, it is the tow case.

5. Black smoke from the tailpipe or a fuel smell. Service Update 17309 names black smoke as the symptom of an undetected failed filter, and the GM cloth test exists for it. Black smoke from the tailpipe alone, with none from under the truck: have it looked at within days. If it smells of fuel or raw exhaust, shows flames or loses power: pull over safely, switch the engine off and have it towed.

6. P2002 again after a filter was replaced. The papers do not print a single cause. Ask which check in the five routes was skipped: the sensor, the duct, the oil, the software.

The P2002 price ladder, from the bottom up

Owner figures are what people told NHTSA (each says paid, billed or quoted); printed labor comes from the documents. A diagnostic fee is extra.

Five more owner figures name a repair of the filter trouble without naming the part, from $934 to $11,000. All figures come from complaints about filter trouble, of which 8 name P2002. The cheapest rows are the ones people skip; the filter row is the one people are quoted first.

The five P2002 routes, cheapest first

Five things end a P2002. In the 405 complaints about a filter event on the owner's vehicle, the filter was named or replaced in 97, a sensor in 35, another cause in 72, a cleaning or forced regeneration in 25, a reflash or a campaign step with no part in 6, a shop found nothing or cleared the code in 17, and in 153 nothing was found or done yet. The order below is the order to try them in.

Route 1 · A recall, a program or a software update — free under a program, a reflash is 0.2 to 0.6 hours of labor

What it is. New software, a missing sensor installed, or a free repair that the maker has already announced for your build. For some trucks this is the whole repair.

What the documents say. 🟢 Audi's 2015 bulletin names the cause as software and the cure as an update: "This new software does not erase old faults; it only prevents the faults from occurring again." The sensor recalls are the other half. Ford's letter for the 2022 Super Duty says "If you do not have the PM sensor installed, the vehicle’s Onboard Diagnostics (OBD) system will not be able to detect or alert you of certain performance faults in the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)", and Ford prints that after the repair "Several customer drive cycles may be needed before the diagnostic system alerts the fault in the DPF". Stellantis' recall Y43 does the same for Ram Cab Chassis trucks and, in Revision 2, 2500 and 3500 pickups: "Install PM Sensor and module, then reprogram the PCM with calibration Software and install an authorized modifications label."

What the owners report. 6 of the 405 complaints end at a reflash or a campaign step with no part, and 3 of those 6 say the problem came back. But 126 of the 405 mention a recall, a bulletin, a software update or a program: performed, offered, refused, missing for their VIN, or blamed. One Nissan owner wrote that a dealer's repair order says "The new sensor that is now monitoring DPF is able to see this and is setting the code as designed", and that Nissan declined help because of mileage. Five Ford owners with a failed filter wrote that the program that fits the complaint, 20M06 or 23M01, did not include their VIN, and two more were told their truck was not covered or not eligible; one of the five wrote that Ford says 20M06 "is not attached to my VIN even though it represents the exact same issue".

The cheap cause that gets skipped. An open recall or program you have not been told about. Recalls are tied to build dates and plants, so the only way to know is a VIN lookup, and programs are identified in the maker's dealer system (Ford calls it OASIS), so ask the dealer by program number. A truck whose recall sensor was never fitted can carry a cracked filter without a code for as long as the sensor is missing, then set P2002 within days of the software being installed.

Fix it yourself. Not the software: a reflash on a weak battery is how modules are damaged. You can run the VIN lookup and ask the dealer, by program number, whether your truck is in it.

At the shop — say this: "P2002 is stored. Please run my VIN for open recalls, customer satisfaction programs and bulletins that name P2002, tell me the numbers, and check that the particulate sensor is fitted and the software is current before any filter is quoted. If a program applies, please write its number on the repair order."

Route 2 · A leak, a loose duct, restricted EGR passages or oil in the air path — no clean owner price in our file

What it is. The filter is fine and something in front of it is not: a charge-air-cooler duct that has slipped, a cracked hose, an EGR passage packed with carbon, a crankcase filter that sends oil into the intake. The soot model reads wrong, and P2002 and other codes can set.

What the documents say. 🟢 GM's 2014-2015 Cruze bulletin sends the shop first to a duct that "has become disconnected from the throttle body". GM's PIP5468D for 2017-2018 Duramax trucks says "These DTCs may be the result of loose connections of the charge air cooler ductwork" and "a static visual inspection may not reveal that the connection is not adequate". Volkswagen's 2019 tech tip for 2015 2.0L TDI models: "If the ports internal to the intake manifold are found restricted and faults P2002 and/or P0401 are set, replace the intake manifold." Ford's 26N03 for 2017-2019 F-350 to F-550 ties P2002 to "a clogged crankcase ventilation (CCV) system filter" and oil consumption.

What the owners report. 72 of the 405 end at another cause, and 26 of those 72 say it came back. The causes named include EGR parts, fuel pumps and injectors, the urea system, a turbo and a charge-air hose or boot. A Ram owner wrote that after a stationary regeneration for $280 and a low-power episode, a dealer two hours away found that "the factory installed wiring harness rubbed a hole in the charged air cooler boot which was then causing failed regeneration of the diesel particulates causing the filter to fill", and a repair they put at $4,500.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A clamp, a boot or a duct. GM's paper says to look under load, not at rest.

Fix it yourself. Look at the charge-air-cooler boots and clamps for oil, cracks and movement, and check the oil level and smell. Anything that needs the air path opened is a shop job.

At the shop — say this: "Before a filter is quoted, please inspect the charge air cooler ducts and clamps under boost, check for intake and exhaust leaks, look at the EGR passages and the crankcase ventilation filter, and tell me what you found. GM and Volkswagen print the duct and EGR checks for P2002 on some trucks, and Ford names the crankcase filter as a cause."

Route 3 · A sensor, a line or a connector — $147 to $1,300 reported for a sensor

What it is. The filter is checked by sensors: a particulate (PM) sensor behind it, a differential pressure sensor across it with two small lines, temperature sensors. A sensor that is missing, wet, corroded or fitted wrong makes the computer think the filter has failed.

What the documents say. 🟢 GM's P2002 bulletin lists the sibling code "P244A code will set if the exhaust pressure differential sensor lines are disconnected or blocked." Mazda's bulletin for 2018-2019 CX-5 diesels (PM-sensor codes P24C6, P24AE, P24B1 and P24AF, not P2002) says the codes "May be caused by water condensation in the exhaust system" and uses a regeneration as a test for P24AE, P24B1 and P24AF: "Clear the DTC(s) and perform the compulsory diesel particulate filter regeneration"; the sensor is replaced if the codes return and re-fitted in a new orientation if they do not (with P24C6 alone it is replaced at once). A Chrysler bulletin for the 2.8L diesel Town and Country sold outside the United States (codes P2453 to P2455 and P2463) prints "Normal inspection methods may not uncover the type of corrosion present (fretting)" and "Any time the Exhaust Pressure Differential Sensor is replaced or the hose has been repaired, it is necessary to reset the offset value stored in the Powertrain Control Module (PCM)."

What the owners report. 35 of the 405 end at a sensor, and 18 of those 35 (51%, among owners who complained, not a failure rate) say it came back, the highest share after a forced regeneration. A Ford owner wrote that the particulate sensor "WAS $146.55" and a replacement was priced at "$200.99", and that they had spent nearly $800 while the truck sat in limp mode. A 2016 BMW X5 owner was quoted $1,300 for a diesel particulate filter sensor and asked why a 2016 was outside the extension that covered 2014-2015 models.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A sensor line that is reversed, kinked or off, or a connector with corrosion that the eye cannot see. A sensor bought without a pressure-offset reset can set the same code again.

Fix it yourself. Not the sensor itself. You can look at whether the small lines to the pressure sensor are on, and ask whether the offset was reset after sensor work.

At the shop — say this: "Before a filter is quoted, please test the exhaust pressure and temperature sensors and the PM sensor, check the lines and connectors, and tell me the readings. If a sensor is replaced, please confirm the offset or learned values were reset."

Route 4 · A cleaning, a forced regeneration or a change in how it is driven — $200 to $500 reported

What it is. The soot is burned off on purpose, by a drive, a scan-tool regeneration or a cleaning shop. It is the cure for the full-filter codes and an early step for P2002 only in the cases the papers name.

What the documents say. 🟢 GM tells the owner to "DRIVE the vehicle at more than 30 mph (50 km/h) UNTIL the warning message goes OFF" and warns that extended idle must be avoided "because the DPF system is ... not capable of self cleaning at idle." GM's bulletin 17-NA-352, for P2463 on Colorado, Canyon, Express and Savana diesels, adds a limit: "As a rule of thumb, if a vehicle has less than 70% DPF Soot Accumulation, do not perform a regeneration unless instructed by Service Information." BMW prints that a chemical cleaning "may only be used ONCE". For P2002 itself the Cruze paper is explicit that the filter "cannot be cleaned using service regeneration".

What the owners report. 25 of the 405 end at a cleaning or a forced regeneration with no part named, and 18 of those 25 (72%) say the trouble came back. A Cadillac owner was charged "$406.16" for a service regeneration when the invoice read a soot level of 255%, and the loss of power returned. A Ram owner wrote of paying "$500 per manual regen" about once a year. Only 12 complaints tie the trouble to short trips, long idle or low-speed use.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. How the truck is used. Idling at work sites, short hops and towing at idle starve regeneration, and Ford's 20M06 names extended idle times as the cause of the cracks it covers in some trucks. A regeneration that works for a month and fails again is a sign to look for the cause behind it, a leak or a sensor, not to buy another regeneration.

Fix it yourself. When the dashboard asks for a drive, do it at steady speed for the minutes the maker prints, off the idle. Do not run a parked regeneration yourself without your owner's manual's conditions (clearance, fuel, location): the exhaust gets very hot, and 22 of the 405 complaints tick NHTSA's fire box, for various causes.

At the shop — say this: "Is the soot level measured, and what was it before and after? If a regeneration was done, why did the filter fill, and was the cause fixed? For P2002, please do the maker's test for a cracked filter rather than a regeneration alone."

Route 5 · The filter itself — $2,000 to $8,000 reported, free under several Ford programs

What it is. The ceramic filter is cracked, broken, damaged by heat or contaminated, and is replaced as an assembly with the catalyst. This is where the papers send the shop after the tests above.

What the documents say. 🟢 GM's 2017 bulletin for the cloth test ends "If the DPF has been found to be the cause of the heavy soot. Replace the DPF." Ford's 20-2020 (since replaced by 20-2087 and 20-2272 with the same labor times) says "Replace the catalyst and particulate filter assembly" once any other codes have been diagnosed and cleared, with labor of 2.0 hours for the 6.7L, 3.1 for the F-150 3.0L and 4.1 for the Transit. Ford's programs make it free within terms: 22N05 and 26N03 are one-time repairs, 20M06 runs 11 years or 120,000 miles for Super Duty up to 14,000 pounds, 23M01 11 years or 120,000 miles for the Transit, and 24N02 15 years or 150,000 miles for the 2021 F-150 3.0L. A Volkswagen paper says "If the particulate filter was replaced, an adaptation must be performed in Guided Functions."

What the owners report. 97 of the 405 end at the filter named or replaced, and 38 of those 97 say the trouble came back or the repair did not hold. By maker, 21 of Volkswagen's 37 complaints end here, 24 of Ford's 97 and 15 of Ram's 96; counts by maker do not rank makers: we have no sales figures to set them against. Prices: "THE DEALER WANTED $2300 TO FIX PLUS TAX"; a 2015 BMW X3 owner was told the emissions filter "is clogged and needs replacement ;$4168"; a Volkswagen owner wrote that the dealer "charged me $3000 to replace the DPF, then two days later the Nox Catalyst failed and they wanted another $2500"; a Ram owner was told a defective filter needed "over $4600" in repairs. Of the 8 complaints that print P2002 itself, 6 end at the filter.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The program. Five owners in our file wrote that a filter was called for and the matching Ford program did not include their VIN, two more were told their truck was not covered or not eligible, and the cheapest filter is the one a program pays for. The other skipped cause is the reason it cracked: Ford ties the 2015-2016 cracks to extended idle, the Transit to hydrocarbons and heat, the 2017-2019 trucks to oil use.

Fix it yourself. No. A high quote is a reason to get a second written quote, not to fit a part that is not the maker's: the papers print part numbers and relearn procedures.

At the shop — say this: "P2002 is stored and no other code is. Please show me the test that says the filter is cracked, tell me whether a program or recall covers this VIN, and list what is replaced with the filter and which relearn or regeneration steps follow. If a program number applies, please write it on the quote."

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

Is there a recall or program for P2002 in 2026, and has the window closed? PulsCar read every recall and program among the 533 downloaded documents, and the answer is yes for several Ford trucks, a sensor recall on Ram Cab Chassis trucks and, in its second revision, 2500 and 3500 pickups, a Nissan Titan XD sensor recall (no filter coverage printed), a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter exhaust extension and a few small GM items. For Ford, the open ones are 22N05, 25N14 and 26N03, which replace a cracked filter free of charge within their terms, and 20M06, 23M01 and 24N02, which depend on age and mileage. Coverage status "as of September 2026" is our computation from the terms printed in each document: the per-truck dates (warranty start, repair completion) are not printed, so the table says what is open, what has closed and what depends on your truck's own date. Only a dealer lookup on your VIN decides it.

Three notes. First, the Ford programs say "Coverage is automatically transferred to subsequent owners", so a used truck keeps them. Second, Ford prints for 22N05 and 26N03 "Refunds are not approved for this program", so ask before paying; in 20M06 and 23M01 the refund windows have closed. Third, a program names build dates and plants, and often a code, so a truck can have P2002 and not be in it, and five Ford owners in our file wrote that the program matching their complaint did not include their VIN, with two more told their truck was not covered or not eligible.

What 618 complaints about diesel particulate filter trouble show

The 618 complaints are from NHTSA's file, received 2015 through early October 2026, in two batches: 566 from the first search and 52 that a second, independent check found with other wording ("regen" without the word diesel, Ford's "exhaust cleaning" message, misspellings). 213 turned out not to be a filter event on the owner's vehicle (a different "regen", a gasoline filter, a urea-only fault, the words in a recall text). The remaining 405 are the study set.

Four patterns stand out. Power: 183 of the 405 (45%) describe a loss of power, limp mode, a stall or a no-start. It comes back: in 135 of the 405 (33%) the owner says the light, code or symptom returned or the repair did not hold; the shares are highest after a cleaning (18 of 25) and a sensor (18 of 35). These are owners who wrote to NHTSA, so the shares show how often owners say a fix failed, not how often a filter fails. Recalls and programs: 126 mention one. Who: Ford 97, Ram 96, Chevrolet 42, Volkswagen 37, Jeep 27, GMC 20, Nissan 17, BMW 15; model years bunch at 2014 to 2016 (169 of the 405); half of the 233 complaints that give a mileage are under about 58,000 miles.

The NHTSA record also carries boxes ticked by the owner's report: 22 of the 405 tick fire, 10 tick towed and 6 tick injury, and no complaint ticks a crash. Some fire narratives mention the regeneration: one fire began "ABOUT 10 MIN IN TO THE REGEN PROCESS" on a heavy truck, though the owner reports the insurer put it down to water reaching the fuse box, and another owner saw "BLUE FLAMES CAME OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE WHEN THE REGENERATION PROCESS BEGAN". These are single events, not rates.

The 8 complaints that print P2002

Only 8 of the 405 print the code, so what follows is a list, not a statistic. Six end at the filter named or replaced, two at another cause.

• A 2016 Ford F-250 owner: "Check engine code P2002. Dealer indicated the diesel particulate filter needs replaced." They found program 20M06, and Ford said it was not attached to their VIN.
• A 2019 Ford F-350 owner researched the crack on the filter and found it "was a common occurrence on 2017-2020 F250 and F350 Powerstrokes"; Ford told them the warranty would not cover a "filter", and the owner was quoted over $6,300.
• A 2020 Ram 3500 owner lists "Codes: P2002, P242F, P2463, P1451" and failures that include the filter, a charge-air-cooler leak and the PM sensors, with "Power reduced, see dealer" over and over and limp mode at 5 mph.
• A second 2016 Ford F-250 owner and a 2017 Ford Transit owner each had a filter called for by the dealer and a matching program (20M06 with recall 20E08; 23M01) whose VIN list did not include them.
• A 2017 Nissan Titan owner saw P2002-00 a day after the sensor recall; a 2014 Jetta SportWagen TDI owner had it in a dealer estimate of about $13,000 that was mainly for the fuel system; and a 2016 Ford F-250 owner was told the diesel exhaust fluid needed replacing.

What owners say they paid

How much does a P2002 repair cost, and who pays? PulsCar went through the dollar figures owners gave in the 405 complaints under one written rule, keeping only prices for diagnosing, cleaning, regenerating, repairing or replacing the filter, its sensors or the repair of the filter trouble on the owner's own vehicle: 38 figures in 33 complaints. Of the 38, 26 are quotes, 7 are bills, 3 are payments and 2 do not say, so most of these are what a shop asked for, not what an owner paid. The filter row is quotes almost entirely: 15 figures from $2,000 to $8,000, median $4,000, 14 quoted and 1 billed. Cleaning or regeneration is 4 billed figures from $200 to $500. Sensors run $147 to $1,300. A figure is not a price list; it is what one owner was told or charged.

The sensor figures start at $146.55 for a particulate sensor, and filter plus other parts in one figure runs $2,500 to $13,000, median $5,500 across 6. The complete list, with the ODI number and what each figure is for, is in the amounts file; the 61 candidate figures that were left out are in a published list with the reason for each.

Why P2002 comes back after a repair

In 135 of 405 the owner says it did. The papers give reasons that are not bad luck.

• A loaded filter is an effect. BMW prints, about a clogged filter, "An increased DPF load always represents an effect and not a cause!" Our reading: a new filter on the same cause can fail again.
• Idle and use. Ford ties its 20M06 cracks to extended idle times in some trucks, and Mercedes, for the Sprinter (which uses P3005CA for the same kind of fault), tells the shop to "inform the client if the vehicle is predominantly used for short-distance driving".
• Oil and air. Ford 26N03 ties the filter to oil consumption from a clogged crankcase filter; GM and Volkswagen tie it to a loose duct or restricted EGR passages.
• Software and a missing sensor. A cracked filter that never set a code can set one after a recall installs the sensor, which looks like a new failure and is the old one.
• The relearn. Ford's Transit paper ends with two manual regenerations ten minutes apart; Volkswagen requires an adaptation after a filter; Chrysler requires an offset reset after a pressure sensor is replaced, and a Stellantis flash adds a soot-load reset after a filter replacement. A part fitted and not relearned can set the code again.

Can you drive with P2002?

Often yes, for a few days, and sometimes no. This is our advice, built on the papers, which print no stop-driving instruction.

Pull over safely, switch the engine off and have it towed if: the engine has lost power or gone into limp mode; it stalled or failed to restart even once; a message says the exhaust filter is full and it does not clear after the maker's drive; there is a fuel or raw-exhaust smell, flames, or heavy smoke with any loss of power, or a new loud, hissing or changed exhaust noise; or the check engine light is flashing. For a flashing light, the one exception is a shop within two or three miles, reached gently, under 40 mph, with light throttle. Can wait a few days: a steady light, normal power, no message, only essential trips, no long idling, no trailer towing. Ford's letters for its particulate-sensor recalls say "You can continue to safely drive your vehicle", which is about a truck waiting for the recall, not one with P2002 stored; GM warns that ignoring a full-filter message leads to "Engine Power Is Reduced" and "Possible irreversible damage to the DPF"; Mazda prints that a "DPF malfunction" message restricts engine output and asks for inspection "immediately".

Should you buy a used diesel with a P2002 in its history?

Possibly, with three checks. The VIN. Run it for open recalls and ask the dealer for programs; Ford's "Coverage is automatically transferred to subsequent owners." A 2015-2016 Super Duty up to 14,000 lb (10 years or 110,000 miles above that) or a 2015-2019 Transit 3.2L diesel may still be covered by 20M06 or 23M01 if its own warranty start is recent enough, inside 11 years and 120,000 miles. The paperwork. A filter replaced under a program is a good sign; a filter replaced twice for the same code is a question about the cause. The filter itself. One owner among the 618 wrote that a used truck bought from a dealer turned out to have its "DPF (DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER) HAD BEEN PHYSICALLY REMOVED" and the emission system disabled, found after the sale. A pre-purchase inspection should read the stored and pending codes and the readiness monitors, and look under the truck; the used car inspection checklist lists the rest.

Clearing P2002 before an inspection

Do not clear it right before a test. A cleared code returns when the monitor runs again, and Ford says, after its recall software, "Several customer drive cycles may be needed before the diagnostic system alerts the fault in the DPF", so an empty list on the day can still hide a cracked filter. Ford's owner letters add that a truck without the recall "may not pass emission or smog tests" and that California and Massachusetts require emission recall completion before registration renewal. Fix the cause, drive the maker's cycle, and test after.

Three P2002 traps

Trap 1: paying for a filter a program covers. The filter row is $2,000 to $8,000 in the file; Ford 20M06, 22N05, 25N14, 26N03, 23M01 and 24N02 replace it within terms. Ask for the number before the quote.

Trap 2: forcing a regeneration at a cracked filter. GM's Cruze paper says that with P2002 set the filter "cannot be cleaned using service regeneration" and its cloth-test paper warns the test is unreliable right after one. A regeneration is $200 to $500 and 18 of 25 owners who ended there say it came back.

Trap 3: clearing the code and driving off, or deleting the filter. BMW says a loaded filter is an effect, not a cause; a cleared code returns when the monitor runs again. A removed filter is a different problem, and one owner among the 618 found one on a used truck after the sale.

Three composite scenarios

These are composite scenarios, not individual customers; they use only the facts and the price ranges printed above.

Scenario 1. A 2016 Ford F-250 6.7L with 70,000 miles sets P2002 on the highway. The dealer says the filter is cracked and quotes a price in the $2,000 to $8,000 range. The owner asks for the Ford program number, learns that the truck is inside 11 years and 120,000 miles of its warranty start, and has the filter replaced under 20M06 at no charge; Ford's procedure also requires any open recall (20E08, if there is one) to be completed before the truck is returned, and the owner asks that both numbers be written on the repair order.

Scenario 2. A high-mileage 2022 Super Duty, already past its warranty limits, gets recall 22E05, and weeks later the light comes on with P2002; the owner thinks the recall broke the truck. The dealer applies program 22N05, which Ford prints for trucks past their limits in exactly this case, and the filter is replaced at no charge because the new software can now see a crack that was already there.

Scenario 3. A 2015 TDI Jetta sets P2002 with P0401. The dealer quotes a filter. The owner shows Volkswagen's tech tip, which says to check the EGR ports and replace the intake manifold if they are restricted; the shop does that work first, and the bill depends on the manifold work.

The P2002 plan: 10 minutes, today, this week

In 10 minutes: read all codes, note any message, check the tailpipe and the charge-air boots, write down how the truck is used. Today: run the VIN for recalls and ask a dealer for programs by number; if the truck loses power or the light flashes, tow it. This week: book the diagnosis with the checks in the five routes, get the quote in writing with the program number, and drive the maker's cycle after the repair.

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.

1. Ford: TSBs 20-2020, 20-2087 and 20-2272, 17-0017, 17-0021, 17-0055, 15-0152, 21-2332, 22-2081 and 24-2145; service item 44958; customer satisfaction programs 20M06 with Supplement 2, 22N05 with Supplement 1, Supplement 2 and Supplement 3, the Altec letter CSR-3138-A and Ford's 2025 follow-up letter, 25E09 and 25N14, 26N03, 23M01 and 24N02 with its owner letter.
2. General Motors: Service Bulletins 15-NA-084, 16-NA-380 Version 6 and Version 2, 21-NA-214 Version 4, 10-06-05-002L and 002B, 17-NA-352; Preliminary Information PIP5451, PIP5468D and PIP6118; Service Update 17309.
3. Stellantis (FCA, Ram, Jeep): TSBs 18-008-23, 18-099-20, 18-091-16, 18-054-15, 18-065-14, S1725000002 and 09-014-22; emissions recall Y43 Revision 1 and Revision 2; India Compass 18-018-26.
4. Volkswagen, Audi: Audi 2041944/1; Volkswagen Tech Tips 26-19-03TT and 26-17-01 and TSB 01-18-13.
5. Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Mazda, Isuzu: Land Rover SSM73738, its January 2018 version, April 2018 version and the update slide; Nissan NTB24-061; Mercedes-Benz LI49.20-N-078466, LI49.10-N-080528 and the Sprinter exhaust extension; BMW SI B18 01 17 and SI B01 04 18; Mazda SA-026/19 and 01-003/20; Isuzu IB10-X-001E.
6. PulsCar analysis of NHTSA public data, October 2026: 618 complaints about diesel particulate filter trouble, 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.

For the neighbouring pages: black smoke from the exhaust, a check engine light that stays on, P0420, the catalyst code (on some diesels, such as GM's 6.6L Duramax in our papers, it points at the oxidation catalyst, not the filter) for the contrast, the most expensive check engine light codes and a car that will not accelerate.

PulsCar does not diagnose a particulate filter from the sound of the engine. For P2002, the stored codes, the soot readings and the documents above are the evidence.

Methodology. The complaint set is every complaint in NHTSA's file received from January 2015 to early October 2026 that names P2002 or P2003 in any spelling we searched (a letter O for zero, a space, hyphen or period after the P, the suffix 00), names a companion filter code (P244A to P246F, P242F, P2BAD, P2BAE, P20EE), names a particulate filter in owners' words, or uses the word regeneration or soot in a narrative that also shows a diesel engine; 566 complaints from that first search. A completeness check of the whole file, made after the first batch was sorted, found 52 more that used other wording (regeneration without the word diesel, Ford's "exhaust cleaning" message, misspellings of regeneration, a particulate-matter filter sensor); they were added and sorted the same way. A further 62 Ford narratives about an exhaust-temperature sensor shutdown that never name the filter, regeneration or soot were looked at and left out, and 450 narratives that mention only diesel, emissions or exhaust trouble were not added. Each of the 618 was sorted twice, independently, by the same written rules, which were dated and locked before any complaint was sorted; the two sortings matched on the main category in 93% of them (576 of 618), the rest were settled by reading each one again in full under the written rules, with 12 rules added where the first ones were silent. A spot check of 70 random complaints agreed with the final category in 87% of them, so the shares in this guide are approximate. 405 describe a filter event on the owner's vehicle; counts count complaints, not cars, and nothing here is a failure rate.

Documents: NHTSA's index of manufacturer communications listed 1,866 entries for P2002, companion codes or filter wording; 990 for heavy trucks, buses and engine makers were set aside and 876 for light-duty vehicles were considered. We downloaded 533 files (including 5 second files for the same index entry), 488 distinct texts, in 379 families of revisions, and read 178 representative documents in full, comparing their other revisions and copies line by line; the other 201 families were checked for the code and for filter wording, and 15 of them proved to be about the filter and were read in full. Scanned pages were read too. Years, models, engines, build dates and coverage terms are quoted only as the documents print them; coverage status "as of September 2026" is our computation from those printed terms. Entries for 248 index listings with a summary identical to one we read, and 115 index entries whose summary mentions only the urea system or generic aftertreatment, were not downloaded.

Prices verified October 2026: owner-reported prices are as written in the complaints (received January 2015 to September 2026; the file runs to October 4, 2026); the documents print part numbers and labor hours, not owner prices. Technical documents verified October 2026: the 488 distinct documents in our published file, of which 193 were read in full — among them Ford's 26N03 of August 2026 and 22N05 Supplement 3 of June 2026.

Had P2002 cleared by a program, a sensor, a duct or a filter you were told you had to buy? Email [email protected] with the vehicle, mileage and outcome.