Throttle Body Replacement Cost in 2026: $250 to $900, and When It's Free

A throttle body is a valve with a computer's hand on it.

In every modern gasoline car, the accelerator pedal no longer pulls a cable. It sends a signal; the engine computer decides how far to open a plate in the throttle body, and a small electric motor inside it does the opening while two sensors report back where the plate actually is. When the motor, the sensors, the wiring or the carbon build-up on the plate disagree with the computer, it protects the engine by cutting power — and that is the moment most drivers meet this part.

A throttle body replacement costs about $300 to $800 installed in our repair guides. The federal complaint file adds the numbers the guides cannot: 44 owners who reported a completed, paid replacement to NHTSA name $248 to $1,400, a median of $556, and 44 more who reported quotes name a median of $700. The part itself, when owners bought one, cost $100 to $320. Manufacturers' own warranty time for the swap, on the Ford and GM documents we read, is half an hour to 36 minutes.

The file also shows whose cars these are. Of 4,544 complaints that mention a throttle body, 2,173 — nearly half — are Fords, Lincolns and Mercurys. A federal investigation into one Ford design counted 59,807 warranty claims for throttle body replacements. Ford ran six programs on the part between 2012 and 2019, every one of them now expired. And among passenger-vehicle safety recalls filed since 2010, one names the electronic throttle body itself as the failing part: 26V-081, on about 318,782 Nissan Rogue models from 2024 and 2025. It is open.

By the end you will know which of five routes your throttle problem is on, what each costs in 2026, which recall or coverage might pay, and the cheap cause that gets skipped when a new throttle body is quoted first.

Claims marked 🟢 rest on a recall, bulletin, program, coverage or investigation listed in the Sources section. Claims marked ⚪ are shop-price estimates carried from our repair guides. Owner-reported figures are what people told NHTSA, published with ODI numbers.

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). A part that sits between the pedal and the computer is a part that gets blamed for a lot, so every claim below that rests on a document says which one.

Rule out the $15 fix and the free one first

Every route below is defined by what the car is doing and what the documents say about your VIN, not by the word "throttle body" on a quote. One rule overrides everything: a limp-mode event says the computer lost confidence in the throttle; it does not say the throttle body is the part that failed. A loose pipe at its inlet, a pedal sensor, a battery that sags, ice in the intake, a corroded connector and carbon on the plate all end the same way. The part is worth replacing only after the cheaper suspects and the free documents are ruled out — and on the cars in the federal file, a free document exists more often than owners expect.

First: is it really the throttle body? The codes side by side

What matters most here: P2138 and the P2122-P2128 family point at the accelerator pedal, which is a separate part. P0505-P0507 and P2119 lean toward carbon and relearns. P2111, P2112, P2100 and P2135 are the codes that most often end in a new throttle body — and even they have documented cheaper causes on some models.

What a throttle body does, and the five ways it gets blamed

The throttle body sits between the intake duct and the intake manifold. Inside: a plate on a shaft, a small DC motor with a gear train that turns it, a return spring that pulls it toward a default opening, and two position sensors. The computer compares the pedal's request with the sensors' report many times a second. When they stop agreeing — or when the motor draws the wrong current — it sets a code and chooses a fail-safe mode.

That gives five ways a throttle body gets the blame:

1. Something upstream or next door. A disconnected intake pipe, a pedal sensor, a weak battery, water or ice in the intake. The throttle body is healthy.
2. Carbon on the plate and bore. Crankcase vapor leaves a sticky film. The idle airflow shrinks, the idle hunts or dies. A cleaning and a relearn fix it.
3. A documented defect with a free fix. A recall, a coverage or a manufacturer program names the part on your VIN.
4. Wear or failure inside. Motor contacts that build resistance, stripped gears, a worn position sensor, a misinstalled spring. The part is replaced.
5. Wiring, connector or computer. The new throttle body behaves exactly like the old one because the fault was in the harness or the module.

The federal file has examples of all five. The first two are the cheapest and the most often skipped.

The 10-minute throttle check

1. Read every code — including pending and history codes. Note whether it is a throttle code (P21xx) or a pedal code (P2122-P2138).
2. Restart once after a limp-mode event. If the car drives normally after a key cycle, the fault is intermittent; write down when and how it happened.
3. Look at the intake duct where it meets the throttle body. On a turbo engine, check that the pipe is fully seated and its clip is locked.
4. Unplug and look at the throttle body connector with the engine off: green corrosion, a broken lock, a pushed-back pin.
5. Look into the throttle bore with the intake duct off and the engine off. A black ring of carbon around the plate edge is a cleaning job, not a failure.
6. Check the battery age and resting voltage. Below about 12.4 volts at rest, the battery goes on the list before the throttle body.
7. Note the weather. A throttle code in a hard freeze, especially after a car wash or a snowstorm, can be ice.
8. Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and on the manufacturer's owner site.

Eight throttle situations, and which is yours

"A 2024-2025 Nissan Rogue 1.5L, loss of power." Recall 26V-081. Route 2, today.

"A Ford with the wrench light, stuck at a crawl, P2111 or P2112." The Ford pattern. Route 4 — and read the Ford section.

"Rough idle, stalls at stop lights, no limp mode, 90,000 miles." Carbon. Route 3.

"A 2021 Colorado or Canyon diesel, check engine light, reduced power." GM coverage N242445290. Route 2.

"A 2018-2022 Equinox, Malibu or Terrain 1.5L, reduced engine power." The pipe into the throttle body. Route 1.

"A 2019-2021 Ranger or 2021 Bronco, power loss only in the cold." Ice behind the throttle body. Route 1.

"The new throttle body didn't fix it." Wiring, connector or computer. Route 5.

"A 2014-2016 Jeep Patriot or Compass, and a forum says there's a recall." We found none in NHTSA's file. Read the Stellantis section.

The throttle body price ladder, from the bottom up

Two notes, because our own numbers and the owners' disagree in places. First, the owner median of $556 sits comfortably inside our $300-$800 range, which is reassuring — but the paid figures run from $248 to $1,400, so the range is a middle, not a ceiling. Second, the quotes owners reported run higher than the bills owners reported: a median of $700 against $556. Those are different owners, and a quote is not a bill, but the gap is a reason to get a second quote on a job this short.

What moves the throttle body price: part, labor, and the relearn

A throttle body job has three pieces, and the federal file lets us see each of them separately.

The part. Part prices in the file: $101 (a Ford dealer part with gasket, bought by a 2015 Fusion owner), $225 (bought by a 2016 Expedition owner), $254 for an aftermarket assembly an independent shop fitted to a 2011 Impala, and $320 (a 2007 Freestyle). Dealer quotes that split out the part name $176 for a 2010 Escape, $258 for a 2016 Expedition and $700 for a 2006 Freestyle. Toyota is the expensive outlier: two Tacoma owners were told the throttle position sensor — a $40-$60 part — is not sold on its own, and the whole throttle body was quoted at $1,200 and $1,400, the second before labor.

The labor. 🟢 The manufacturers' own warranty times for the swap are short: Ford's program 16B32 allows 0.5 hours to replace the throttle body on a 2016 F-150 and 0.6 hours on the Transit and Police Interceptor models; GM's coverage N242445290 allows 0.6 hours on the 2021 Colorado and Canyon diesel. Warranty times run lower than retail labor guides, and some engines bury the throttle body under covers and braces, but the order of magnitude is one hour, not three. Owner quotes that split labor show how much that varies in practice: $210 of labor on a 2010 Escape, $200 on a 2006 Freestyle, $590 on a 2016 Expedition. A 2012 Edge owner writes that the replacement was done "in 15 min."

The relearn. Most cars need the computer to learn the new throttle's closed position and idle airflow. On many Fords and GMs it happens after a key cycle and a drive; on Nissans it is a timed procedure. 🟢 Nissan's bulletin NTB21-049 allows 0.6 hours for a battery test, a code erase and the idle air volume relearn together. A quote that includes a relearn is not padding; a quote that includes two hours for it is worth a question.

The throttle body number, by what you drive

The vehicles that dominate the federal file for this part, and what the documents add for each.

Full tables: throttle body complaints by model · recalls, programs and investigations · 30 complaints read in full.

The five throttle body routes, cheapest first

Route 1 · It isn't the throttle body — a pipe, a pedal, ice, a battery — $0 to $150

The throttle body is the last stop before the engine, so it collects the blame for everything that goes wrong on the way in. Several manufacturers' documents describe throttle symptoms that are not the throttle body at all.

The pipe. 🟢 GM emission recall N192271200 covers certain 2019 Equinox, Malibu and Terrain 1.5L models on which the charge air cooler outlet duct "may become disconnected from the throttle body when turbo boost is active" — reduced power, rough running, a possible stall. 🟢 GM's 22-NA-224 extends the same check to 2018-2022 models and says the throttle body should only be replaced "if they are damaged or found to be the cause of the code." A 2019 Equinox owner in the federal file had the duct reinstalled at 45 miles and the problem came back on the drive home; the fix on those cars is the improved retainer, not a throttle body. 🟢 Stellantis bulletin 0901123 describes the same kind of loose quick-connect between turbo and charge air cooler on 2022-2023 Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer.

Ice. 🟢 Ford's special service messages SSM 50203 and SSM 50597 say 2019-2021 Ranger and 2021 Bronco 2.3L trucks may lose power in freezing temperatures with P2111, P2112 and/or P2119 — the stuck-throttle codes — because of "water or ice buildup in the intake manifold behind the throttle body." The throttle body is fine; it is frozen.

The pedal. A P2138 or another code in the P2122-P2128 range points at the accelerator pedal position sensor, which is a separate part on most cars. Our won't-accelerate guide carries ⚪ $100 to $400 for a pedal assembly. Replacing the throttle body for a pedal code fixes nothing.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The battery. An electronic throttle is a motor driven by the car's electrical system, and a battery or charging problem shows up in it early. A 2013 Edge owner in the file lost power on a main road and learned that a door latch had drained the battery "along with my throttle body." A battery test is free at most parts stores.

At the shop — say this: "Before we quote a throttle body, is the code a throttle code or a pedal code? Can you check the intake pipe and its clip at the throttle body, test the battery, and tell me whether it happened in the cold?"

Route 2 · Your VIN is on a document — the recall, the coverage, the programs — $0

The one open recall on the part itself. 🟢 26V-081, filed 11 February 2026: certain 2024-2025 Nissan Rogue models with the 3-cylinder 1.5L VC-Turbo engine, on which "the gears in the electronic throttle body assembly may break," which "can cause a loss of drive power." Dealers reprogram the engine computer and inspect and replace the throttle body as necessary, free. About 318,782 vehicles; owner letters were mailed 8 April 2026. Nissan's campaign numbers include R25E3 and R25A9.

The one live coverage. 🟢 GM special coverage N242445290, August 2024: 2021 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon with the 2.8L diesel, on which the throttle body motor may "fail to complete the throttle position learn cycle within the allowed time," lighting the check engine light and possibly reducing power. Covered for 15 years or 150,000 miles from the in-service date, regardless of ownership, with reimbursement for owners who already paid.

The older software recall. 🟢 14V-583 covers 2013-2015 Infiniti M35, Q50 and Q70 hybrids on which, after a lost throttle position sensor signal returns, the throttle chamber "may open, regardless of the position signal" — a gradual acceleration. The fix is a computer reprogram. If you own one of these, the VIN lookup takes a minute.

The narrow Stellantis batch. 🟢 Rapid response transmittal RRT 20-012, published as bulletin 09-003-20, covers throttle bodies built into certain 2019 Ram 1500-5500 5.7L and 6.4L trucks, 2019 Charger 5.7L and 2020 Cherokee and Compass 2.4L models during two to three weeks of September 2019. The technician checks for an "S1" or "S2" stamp, a Julian date between 2419 and 2549 and a green dot, and replaces the throttle body if it falls in the batch. The document says repairs are "reimbursable within the provisions of warranty" — so on a car now out of warranty, ask, but do not assume.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The reimbursement. Recalls and GM coverages usually pay back owners who fixed the problem before the document existed. Two 2024 Rogue complaints in the federal file describe paying for a throttle body in October 2025, four months before 26V-081 was filed, and being refused reimbursement — one "verbally," with the representative "insisting on phone calls only," the other for $1,003 of throttle body work within $6,703 of engine and throttle body costs. If you paid before a recall, submit the invoice in writing and ask for a written answer.

At the shop — say this: "Is this VIN open on recall 26V-081, coverage N242445290, emission recall N192271200 or RRT 20-012? If a recall covers it, I'd like it done under the recall — and if I paid for this before, how do I submit for reimbursement?"

Route 3 · Carbon — clean it, then relearn it — $15 to $250

Crankcase vapor carries oil mist into the intake, and it bakes onto the throttle plate and bore as a black ring. At idle, when the plate is nearly closed, that ring is the difference between the air the computer expects and the air it gets. The idle hunts, dips when the air conditioning cycles, and sometimes dies at a stop.

What the documents show. 🟢 Nissan's Sentra bulletin NTB16-027d includes cleaning the throttle valve and chamber off the car as a warranty repair, 0.5 hours of flat-rate time. 🟢 Kia's Forte bulletin FUE047 cleans the electronic throttle as part of a code fix. 🟢 And NHTSA's closing report on investigation PE11-018 describes the limit of cleaning plainly: on 2005-2007 Ford Five Hundred, Freestyle and Mercury Montego models, owners who had the throttle body "cleaned or replaced" got "only temporary correction until the throttle deposit build-up returned." Ford's lasting fix, program 12N03, was a cleaning plus new idle-control software. On some engines, carbon is a maintenance item and the calibration is the cure.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The relearn. A cleaned throttle passes more air at the same plate position, and a computer that learned the dirty throttle will idle high or hunt until it relearns. Nissan's idle air volume learning needs at least 20 minutes of idle under specific conditions; many other makes relearn after a key cycle and a short drive. A shop that cleans and hands the keys back without mentioning a relearn has done half the job.

Fix it yourself — the honest split. On a car with an electronic throttle, remove the intake duct, turn the ignition off, and clean the bore and the edge of the plate with throttle-body cleaner on a lint-free cloth. Do not force the plate open by hand against its motor, and do not flood the electronics; some manufacturers specify cleaning off the car. Then do the relearn the service manual describes. If you are not sure the relearn is automatic on your car, pay for it.

What owners report paying. Five shop cleanings in the file: $120 on a 2014 Acadia ("only to have the problem resurface hours later"), about $150 on a 2011 Traverse, $150 with an air filter on a 2007 Aura, $220.77 on a 2010 Silverado and $250 on a 2012 Elantra. A 2016 Fusion owner did it at home with "a $10 two pack of spray cleaner."

At the shop — say this: "Can we clean the throttle body and do the relearn first, and tell me what the idle airflow numbers looked like before and after? If it's still wrong after that, then quote the part."

Route 4 · Replace the electronic throttle body — $250 to $900

When the motor inside the throttle body cannot move the plate where it is told, or the two position sensors stop agreeing with each other, the computer sets a stuck-open, stuck-closed, motor or correlation code and drops into a fail-safe mode. Cleaning will not help a motor whose contacts have built up resistance, a gear that has lost teeth or a sensor track that has worn through. The part is replaced.

What the documents show about why they fail. 🟢 Ford's programs 16B23, 16B32 and 17B28 all give the same reason: "the electronic throttle body (ETB) internal motor contacts may develop contamination resulting in increased electrical resistance," which — the later two programs add — sets P2111 and P2112 and puts the car in "a Failure Mode Effects Management (FMEM) of default throttle position with fixed RPM." 🟢 Ford program 18B34 found a different cause on September 2018 builds of the F-150 and Mustang 5.0L: "a misinstalled torsion spring." 🟢 Nissan's recall 26V-081 names broken gears. 🟢 GM's special coverages 11273A and 14582 name the throttle position sensor on 2008-2012 models, and they draw a useful line: on engines with a Bosch throttle body, the dealer replaces the throttle body; on engines with a Hitachi unit, the dealer "install[s] the throttle position sensor kit," and "The Hitachi throttle body assembly only needs to be replaced if the sensor kit does not correct the condition." Where a sensor kit exists, a whole throttle body is not the first answer.

How much does it cost to replace a throttle body in 2026? Our repair guides carry about $300 to $800 installed for an electronic throttle body on most cars, and $350 to $900 on some trucks, with wiring work extra. Owners who reported a completed, paid replacement to NHTSA name $248 to $1,400, a median of $556 across 44 figures; the quotes owners reported ran higher, a median of $700. In PulsCar's reading of the documents, the job itself is short — Ford and GM warranty times for the swap are 0.5 to 0.6 hours — so the part and the diagnosis make up most of the bill. Before paying, run the VIN: 2024-2025 Nissan Rogue 1.5L models are covered by recall 26V-081, and 2021 Colorado and Canyon diesels by GM coverage for 15 years or 150,000 miles.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The software. 🟢 During NHTSA's investigation PE13-003, Ford and its suppliers "updated the powertrain control module (PCM) software to include a throttle body motor cleaning cycle during key-on" — the computer exercises the motor at start-up to wipe the contacts. On the 2015 Edge and F-150 and most 2016 models in 16B32, the prescribed repair was a 0.3-hour reprogram, not a new part; only the 2016 F-150, Transit, MKT and Police Interceptors got a replacement. If your car is a Ford of that era, ask whether the current calibration is installed before a second throttle body.

Fix it yourself — the honest split. On many four-cylinder engines the throttle body is four bolts, a gasket and a connector on top of the engine, and owners in the file did it themselves: a 2015 F-150 owner "replaced the throttle body myself without paying $800 at the Ford dealership." Buy the original supplier's part, replace the gasket, disconnect the battery if the manual says so, and do the relearn the manual describes. On V6s with the throttle body under a brace or cowl, or on cars that need a scan tool for the relearn, the labor is where the shop earns its money.

At the shop — say this: "Which code set, and did the wiring and connector test good? Is there a newer engine software that addresses this, and is there a sensor kit instead of a whole throttle body for this engine? If it needs the part, quote it with an OE unit and the relearn."

Route 5 · The new throttle body didn't fix it — wiring, connector, computer — $100 to $2,000+

A new throttle body that fails the same way is the clearest sign the fault was never inside it. In the 30 throttle body complaints we read at random, three describe exactly that: a 2013 Escape that crawled at 8 mph again "2 miles from dealership" after a new throttle body, a 2009 Fusion "still stalling" after a throttle body and an EGR valve, and a 2020 Silverado whose throttle body, oxygen sensors and engine software were all replaced while "the failure continued to occur." A 2006 Explorer owner reports the throttle body replaced "five times in less than two years."

What the documents show. 🟢 Ford's service message SSM 46085 warns technicians that two scan-tool readings commonly used to judge the throttle "should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns," because the tool cannot refresh fast enough, and that "Using these PIDs for diagnostics will lead to inaccurate results and improper ETB replacements." Ford's later messages SSM 46158 and 46266 say "the appropriate diagnostic must be completed before throttle body replacement." A manufacturer does not write that twice unless improper replacements are happening.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The connector. Throttle bodies sit on the engine, and their connectors take heat, vibration and water. A 2011 Malibu owner in the file had "a wire connector to the throttle body replaced … for $200"; a 2011 Traverse owner paid $550 for a throttle body "and harness." A 2011 Chrysler 200 owner, after $533 for a throttle control sensor, was told the next step was a $1,300 power distribution module — the kind of escalation that a proper electrical test at the start can prevent.

At the shop — say this: "The throttle body's been replaced and it did the same thing. Before anything else, can you load-test the throttle motor circuit and the sensor reference and ground wires with a scope, and check the connector and the power supply to the computer?"

The Ford file: nearly half the complaints, six programs, one investigation

Of the 4,544 complaints that mention a throttle body, 2,173 — 48 percent — are Fords, Lincolns and Mercurys. The top five models in the entire file are all Fords: F-150 340, Fusion 317, Escape 262, Edge 248, Explorer 212. The paper trail behind that number is unusually complete.

🟢 2012-2013. A consumer group petitioned NHTSA over throttle body failures on 2005-2012 Escapes. The agency granted the petition in part, noting 123 reports of reduced power or stall and a batch of contaminated circuit boards in throttle bodies built between 22 June and 15 October 2009, and opened PE13-003 into 2009-2013 Escape, Fusion, Mariner and Milan. Ford's warranty data showed 59,807 claims for throttle body replacements, about half with P2111 or P2112. The investigation closed when Ford launched program 13N03: a software update and throttle body coverage extended to 10 years or 150,000 miles, with every vehicle eligible through 31 January 2015 regardless of mileage.

🟢 2012. Program 12N03 extended coverage to 10 years or 150,000 miles on 2005-2007 Five Hundred, Freestyle and Montego for idle surge from throttle deposits, fixed by cleaning plus new idle-control software.

🟢 2016-2019. Programs 16B23 (2011-2012 Edge, MKX and Mustang V6), 16B32 (2015-2016 Edge, F-150, MKT, Police Interceptor, and 2016 Escape, Explorer, Flex, Fusion, MKX, Mustang, Taurus and Transit), 17B28 (2015-2016 C-MAX, MKS, Flex, Taurus and 2016 Edge, Fusion, MKZ, Transit Connect) and 18B34 (September 2018 F-150 and Mustang 5.0L) replaced throttle bodies or reprogrammed computers for specific build ranges. Each ran for a year or less. 16B32 refunded earlier out-of-pocket replacements only on certain models, and only for receipts presented by 14 March 2017.

What that means for a Ford owner in 2026. Every one of those programs has expired. A 2010 Fusion is now past 10 years from its warranty start date, and a 2016 Explorer outside a program's build range never had one. What the history still gives you is leverage and direction: it shows the failure is documented, it shows the software fix exists, and it is a reasonable basis for a goodwill request to Ford on a low-mileage car. "Ford has nothing to say about the problem since the Expedition is not part of the CSP," writes a 2016 Expedition owner who paid $890. Ask anyway, in writing, with the program numbers.

What 4,544 throttle body complaints show

Every complaint in NHTSA's file that mentions a throttle body, an electronic throttle body or "ETB" by word boundary: 4,544, received from January 2015 to September 2026. We read 30 at random in full: 21 describe a throttle body failure diagnosed or replaced, one a cleaning for rough idle, two a pipe at the throttle body inlet, one a broken mechanical throttle cable, one a motorcycle, and four mention the throttle body only in a list of other work.

The risk is a car that stops going, not one that crashes. The crash and fire flags run well below the complaint file's average. What the throttle body complaints describe instead is a car that drops to a crawl in traffic — "it slowed down to a crawl," "barely made it," "8 mph" — which is dangerous on a highway and merely inconvenient on a side street.

The codes owners name. P2112 in 96 complaints, P2111 in 72, P2135 in 30, P2138 in 21 — a pedal code, not a throttle body code — P2119 in 20, P2101 in 12 and P0101 in 11.

The file is getting quieter. Complaints mentioning a throttle body peaked at 878 received in 2016 and have fallen every few years since, to 161 in 2025. The older Ford designs are leaving the road, and newer throttle bodies appear less often in the file — with the 2024-2025 Rogue as the notable exception. Complaint set summary.

Stellantis: owners who think there is a recall

Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Chrysler together account for 1,037 of the complaints. The Jeep Patriot and Compass alone have 281, concentrated on 2014-2016 models, with the Dodge Avenger, Caliber and Journey and the Chrysler 200 and Sebring behind them — cars that shared four-cylinder engines of the same family.

The recall that is not there. 74 of the 281 Patriot and Compass throttle body complaints mention a recall. Owners write that "2014 Jeep Patriots have this recall," that it "has had recalls on certain ones," or that a dealer said their VIN was not included. We searched every recall in NHTSA's file since 2010 whose defect text mentions a throttle for Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and Ram: there is none for a throttle body on these models. The only Stellantis throttle body action we found is the narrow September 2019 build batch in RRT 20-012, on 2019-2020 models. If a forum or a service writer says a recall covers your Patriot's throttle body, ask for the campaign number and look it up; we could not find one.

What Patriot and Compass owners report paying. $533 to $1,000 across the paid bills and quotes in the file, including $716.63 on a 2014 Patriot for the throttle body and gasket and $1,000 quoted on a 2016. A 2014 Patriot owner lists a dealer throttle body at $385, a warranty replacement, and then an aftermarket unit at $494.88 — three throttle bodies in fifteen months.

The one recall: 2024-2025 Nissan Rogue 1.5L

🟢 Recall 26V-081 is the newest throttle body document in the federal file and the only safety recall since 2010 in which the throttle body itself is the failing passenger-car part. It covers certain 2024-2025 Rogue models with the 1.5L three-cylinder VC-Turbo engine: broken gears in the throttle body can cause a loss of drive power. The remedy is an engine computer reprogram and inspection, with the throttle body replaced as necessary.

The complaints show the early-adopter problem. One owner's throttle body "failed, throwing code P1226." Another describes two dealer appointments at which the car was not inspected on the scheduled day. Two describe paying before the recall existed and being refused reimbursement. If you own one: check the VIN on NHTSA's site, book the recall, and if you paid for a throttle body before February 2026, submit the invoice in writing.

How long throttle bodies last, by what the file shows

Of the 4,544 complaints, 3,479 report a mileage. The median is 70,180 miles, and the middle half of the reports fall between 43,000 and 105,585 miles. That is not a lifespan — complaints come from the cars that failed, not the ones that did not — but it is a useful picture of when owners meet the problem.

Two practical readings. One complaint in five came from a car at or below 36,000 miles, the point where many bumper-to-bumper warranties end. If your car is near that line, the throttle body is usually covered by the basic warranty; get an intermittent symptom written on a repair order before the warranty ends. And the Ford and Jeep medians sit well below GM's, which is consistent with the documents: the Ford motor-contact problem and the Stellantis four-cylinder complaints appear early, while the GM complaints lean toward carbon and sensor wear at higher mileage.

Clean or replace? What the documents and the owners say

The single most useful decision in this article is whether your throttle body needs a can of cleaner or a new part, and the documents answer it more clearly than most forums.

Cleaning is the manufacturers' own first step for idle problems. Nissan's Sentra bulletin, Kia's Forte bulletin and Ford's 12N03 all clean the throttle as part of the repair. Replacement is the answer for motor and sensor failures. Ford's contamination programs, the 18B34 spring, the 26V-081 gears and GM's position-sensor coverages all replace a part or fit a sensor kit. Software sits under both. Ford paired its cleaning with an idle-control update and its replacements with a motor-cleaning cycle at key-on, and NHTSA's own report on the 2005-2007 Fords records that cleaning or replacing alone brought "only temporary correction."

Is throttle body cleaning worth trying before a replacement? Usually yes, when the symptoms are idle trouble rather than limp mode: a rough or hunting idle, a dip when the air conditioning cycles, or a stall coming to a stop on a car past about 60,000 miles. A can of cleaner is about $15 and a shop cleaning $80 to $150 in our guides, against $300 to $800 for a replacement. In PulsCar's reading of the documents, manufacturers clean the throttle themselves in several idle and airflow bulletins, and replace it when a motor or sensor inside has failed — the codes for that are P2111, P2112, P2100, P2101 and P2135 with a fail-safe mode. Either way, ask for the relearn afterwards and the current engine software, because one federal investigation found that cleaning or replacing alone gave only temporary relief without the update.

Older cars: cable throttles, deposits and the stuck-throttle history

Owners of cars from before about 2008 meet a different throttle body: many still have a mechanical cable from the pedal, and the documented failures are about the plate sticking rather than a motor failing.

🟢 GM trucks, 1999-2002. NHTSA's engineering analysis EA02-015 looked at throttle bodies on Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Suburban, Avalanche and Yukon with 4.8L, 5.3L and 6.0L engines, whose throttle valve could "intermittently stick in a closed position." It named two causes — manufacturing problems and "accumulation of deposits (a PCV system by-product)" — found the throttle body defective, recorded 59 alleged crashes, mostly minor and at low speed, and closed without a recall because the valve did not stick open and the force needed to free it was negligible.

🟢 Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute 3.0L V6, 2001-2008. Recalls 12V-353 (529,719 Escapes) and 12V-357 (217,500 Tributes) addressed a speed control cable connector that could catch on the engine cover and cause "a stuck throttle when the accelerator pedal is fully or almost-fully depressed." Dealers increased the clearance. If you own one of these and the throttle has ever hung open, the VIN lookup is the first thing to do.

🟢 Chevrolet Aveo, 2004-2005. Investigation PE07-051 examined stuck throttles caused by ice forming in the intake in winter, following a Canadian recall; GM's U.S. fix came through service bulletins that eventually revised the throttle body, intake manifold and PCV system.

The thread through all three is the same one that runs through the newer documents: crankcase vapor, water and ice are the throttle body's enemies as often as wear is.

What owners say they paid, by lane

We pulled every dollar figure in the same passage as a throttle body in the 4,544 complaints and read each one by hand. 98 figures belong to throttle body work; the rest were other repairs, towing, loans and purchase prices.

Two of the paid replacements did not fix the problem: $1,400 on a 2009 Corolla and $300 on a 2012 Malibu. These are owners' reports, not invoices, and complaints over-represent bad outcomes. All 98, with ODI numbers.

Can you drive with a bad throttle body?

It depends on what the car is doing, and the file draws the line clearly.

Limp mode — a crawl, a fixed engine speed, a wrench light. Get off fast roads. On Ford's documented design, the most severe mode holds the engine near 900 rpm while steering and brakes keep working; the car will move, slowly. A restart often clears it for a while, which is why so many owners drive on it. It will come back, and the next time may be on a highway.

Stalling at stops or a surging idle, no limp mode. Usually carbon or a relearn. Drivable with care in the short term; have it cleaned and relearned soon.

The engine revs on its own or does not return to idle. Stop somewhere safe, shift to neutral, turn the engine off, and have it towed. That is not a throttle body you drive to the shop.

On a 2024-2025 Rogue 1.5L. Treat any loss of power as the recall until the dealer says otherwise.

Can you drive with a bad throttle body, and for how long? For a short, careful trip to a shop, usually yes; for normal driving, no. A failing electronic throttle body typically puts the engine into a fail-safe mode with reduced power, and on Ford's documented design a fixed engine speed around 900 rpm. In PulsCar's reading of the federal complaint file, 40 percent of the 4,544 complaints that mention a throttle body describe a loss of power and about one in five mentions a stall, while crash and fire flags run below the file's average: the risk is a car that slows to a crawl in traffic. If it happens, get off fast roads, restart once, and have the codes read before a highway trip. If the engine races or will not return to idle, turn it off and have it towed.

Should you buy a used car with a throttle body history?

Usually yes; this is rarely an expensive problem on its own. Three things change the price. A 2009-2016 Ford with repeated throttle body replacements should come with proof that the current engine software is installed, or the next one is coming. A 2024-2025 Rogue 1.5L should come with recall 26V-081 completed — check it on NHTSA's site, not only on the seller's word. And any car whose throttle body has been replaced more than once should have its wiring and connector inspected before purchase, because the part was probably not the problem. On the test drive, let the engine idle with the air conditioning cycling, and scan it cold and warm.

Throttle trouble before an inspection

A throttle code will usually fail an emissions inspection, and clearing it before the test does not help: the readiness monitors reset with it. A cleaned or replaced throttle body also needs its relearn and a few drive cycles before the monitors report ready. If the inspection date is close, fix the cause, do the relearn, then drive a mix of city and highway for several days before testing. And if the inspection is in a hard freeze on a Ranger or Bronco, look for the ice Ford's message describes before blaming the part.

What a shop actually does with a throttle problem, checkpoint by checkpoint

1. Reads every code, separating throttle codes from pedal codes, and reads the freeze-frame data.
2. Checks recalls, coverages and programs on the VIN, and the current software level.
3. Inspects the intake pipe and clip at the throttle inlet, especially on turbo engines.
4. Tests the battery and charging system.
5. Inspects the throttle bore and cleans it if carbon is visible, then performs the relearn.
6. Tests the throttle motor circuit and sensor wiring with a meter or scope, not only with scan-tool readings.
7. Replaces the throttle body only when the part itself fails the test — with a sensor kit where one exists.

Three throttle body traps that cost owners the most

Trap 1: the pedal code treated as a throttle code. P2138 is the accelerator pedal, not the throttle body. Lesson: ask which component the code names before any part is quoted.

Trap 2: the second throttle body. The file has owners on their third, fourth and fifth. Lesson: when a new throttle body fails the same way, the next money goes to a wiring test and the software, not another part.

Trap 3: the recall that isn't. Patriot and Compass owners cite a recall that does not exist in NHTSA's file, and Ford owners cite programs that expired years ago. Lesson: ask for the campaign number and check its dates yourself.

Three throttle body quotes, decoded

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

Scenario 1: 2015 F-150, 95,000 miles, wrench light and a crawl on the highway, P2112, quoted $780. The owner asks whether the current engine software is installed. It is not; the reprogram and a new OE throttle body are done together at an independent shop for about $520. Lesson: on Fords of this era, the software is part of the fix.

Scenario 2: 2012 Traverse, 120,000 miles, idle hunting and a stall at a light, quoted $610 for a throttle body. A second shop cleans the bore, performs the relearn and finds the idle airflow back in range. $140. Lesson: no limp mode and no motor code usually means carbon.

Scenario 3: 2025 Rogue 1.5L, 22,000 miles, loss of power, independent shop quotes $1,050. The owner runs the VIN, finds recall 26V-081 open, and the dealer reprograms the computer and replaces the throttle body free. Lesson: on a new car, the recall search comes before the quote.

The throttle body plan: 10 minutes, today, this week

In the next 10 minutes: read every code, note whether it is a throttle code or a pedal code, and check the intake pipe at the throttle body.

Today: run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and on the manufacturer's owner site; get the battery tested; if it is freezing, consider ice.

This week: if there is no limp mode, ask for a cleaning and a relearn first. If there is, ask for the software level and a wiring test before a part. If the part is needed, compare the quote with a one-hour job and an OE part — and keep the invoice, in case a recall or coverage follows.

If you are not sure whether a noise you hear is related, PulsCar's free sound check screens a 30-second recording of your engine. It does not read codes; it is a second opinion on what the engine sounds like.

Sources and documents

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

1. NHTSA recall 26V-081, 11 February 2026: 2024-2025 Nissan Rogue 1.5L VC-Turbo, broken gears in the electronic throttle body, loss of drive power; about 318,782 vehicles.
2. GM special coverage N242445290, August 2024: 2021 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon 2.8L diesel, throttle body; 15 years or 150,000 miles; 0.6-hour replacement. NHTSA document 11006323.
3. NHTSA recall 14V-583: 2013-2015 Infiniti hybrids, throttle chamber software.
4. NHTSA investigation PE13-003 and defect petition DP12-006: 2009-2013 Escape, Fusion, Mariner, Milan; 59,807 warranty claims; Ford program 13N03, 10 years or 150,000 miles.
5. NHTSA investigation PE11-018 and Ford program 12N03: 2005-2007 Five Hundred, Freestyle, Montego; throttle deposits; cleaning plus software.
6. Ford customer satisfaction programs 16B23, 16B32, 17B28 and 18B34, 2016-2019: electronic throttle body replacement or reprogram; labor 0.3 to 0.6 hours. NHTSA documents 10109086, 10109085, 10119686, 10153983.
7. Ford SSM 46085, 46158 and 46266 (throttle body diagnosis and improper replacements) and SSM 50203 and 50597 (2019-2021 Ranger and 2021 Bronco, ice behind the throttle body). NHTSA documents 10109070, 10091126, 10094625, 10202632, 10209216.
8. GM emission recall N192271200 and bulletin 22-NA-224: 1.5L Equinox, Malibu, Terrain, charge air cooler duct at the throttle body. NHTSA documents 10171241, 10226122.
9. GM special coverages 11273A, 14582 and 14582A: 2008-2012 GM throttle position sensor; Bosch throttle body or Hitachi sensor kit. NHTSA documents 10114175, 10123500, 10126406 (summaries).
10. Stellantis 09-003-20 Rev. C / RRT 20-012, May 2020: September 2019 throttle body batch, P2100. Stellantis 0901123: loose turbo-to-cooler quick connect. NHTSA documents 10176584, 10241072.
11. Mazda SSP95: 2009-2011 Tribute throttle body, 10 years or 150,000 miles. Nissan NTB16-027d and NTB21-049: throttle chamber cleaning and idle air volume learning. Kia FUE047: throttle cleaning. NHTSA documents 10117771, 10141436, 10199172, 10179236.
12. PulsCar analysis of NHTSA public data, September 2026: 4,544 throttle body complaints, 30 read in full, 98 owner-reported amounts, recalls since 2010, programs and investigations. Data and method.

For the codes and symptoms around it: P0101 airflow, car won't accelerate, losing power going uphill, car stalls while driving, car starts then dies and rough idle. For the Fords: F-150, Fusion, Escape, Edge and Explorer. For the Nissan: the Rogue guide. For money: warranty extensions owners don't know about.

Methodology. Complaint counts come from NHTSA's public complaint file with case-insensitive, word-boundary matching; 30 complaints were read in full at random, and every dollar figure in the same sentence as a throttle body was read by hand. Recall searches cover NHTSA's recall file from 2010. Price ranges marked ⚪ are US estimates carried from our repair guides. Owner figures are published with ODI numbers; they are not invoices. Nothing here is a failure rate.

Prices verified July to September 2026 in the repair guides they are carried from, and reviewed quarterly — nothing on this page was re-priced this pass, because the estimator pages we would use refused automated checks in September 2026. Technical documents verified September 2026: Ford programs 16B23, 16B32, 17B28 and 18B34, Ford SSM 46085, GM coverage N242445290, GM N192271200 and 22-NA-224, Stellantis 09-003-20 and Nissan NTB21-049 were downloaded from static.nhtsa.gov and read in full on 23 September 2026; recall 26V-081 and the investigation closing reports were read in NHTSA's published record the same day, and the complaint, recall and bulletin files behind our analysis were queried then.

Had a throttle body replaced, refused or reimbursed — especially on a 2024-2025 Rogue? Email [email protected] with the vehicle, mileage and outcome.