P0011: A Camshaft Position - Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance Bank 1
A generic powertrain (engine and transmission) trouble code, same meaning on every brand.
Short distances are fine; sustained driving risks accelerated timing-system wear. Check oil level today, diagnose soon.
Symptoms
- Rough idle, reduced power
- Rattle from the front of the engine, especially at startup
- Worse fuel economy
Likely causes, most common first
- Dirty or low engine oil starving the VVT system (check first)
- Stuck oil control solenoid
- Worn cam phaser
- Stretched timing chain
Read P0011 yourself before paying for diagnosis
A basic Bluetooth OBD-II scanner ($20-40) plugs into the port under the dashboard and shows this code with live sensor data on your phone - useful both for confirming the fix and for talking to a shop from an informed position.
What is going on and how it gets diagnosed
P0011 means the intake camshaft on bank 1 is more advanced than the computer commanded. Variable valve timing runs on pressurized engine oil; anything that disturbs oil pressure or cleanliness disturbs cam timing first.
Start with the dipstick, not the parts catalog: low or overdue oil causes a large share of these codes. If oil is fresh and the code persists, the solenoid is the affordable suspect; phasers and chains are the expensive tier. A startup rattle that lasts more than a second is the phaser telling you it is on borrowed time.
Repair options and cost
Typical US independent-shop ranges, parts and labor. Dealers run higher; regional labor rates vary.
Owner reports mentioning P0011
“Engine has developed a miss and has check engine code P0300 random misfires. There are subcodes pending of P0011 and P0016 indicating Crank and Cam misalignment. This has all the classic signs for a failing engine. I am taking this truck in for the GM Picoscope test, the oil was changed to 0w40 mobile one supercar oil approx. 2,800 miles ago when the truck was under Powertrain warranty. I will preform a Blackstone oil test to determine if there is abnormal engine wear. My truck is not in the vin. recall range.”2021 Chevrolet Tahoe · Apr 2026
“Said it needed a map sensor. I replaced it and it started acting g crazy. Dying at stop lights making weird noises. I finally threw cod P0011 so I bought the oil control valve before it arrived ny car died. It skipped 5 or 6 teeth. 3,900 left to pay on it. Im a single mom and need my car to provide [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”2020 Hyundai Elantra · Mar 2026
“All the specific details are unknown, but I had a mechanic work on my car and the problem that he had to fix. He stated that it should've been detected, but it was something wrong with my car, letting me know that I had the problem and also I have to keep replacing my camshaft timing Solenoid my car keeps giving me error codes P0011 and P0128”2012 Buick Lacrosse · Dec 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“Less then 47 000 miles on truck, Used for only city driving, no off road driving or rigorous travel. - engine malfunction and could have had catastrophic failure while traveling causing injury to myself or others. -Car is inoperable, dealer recommend not to drive it due to safety concerns. -I have metal shavings in the oil, misfires, and a P0011 code. These match the known GM lifter/camshaft failure pattern. Vehicle started skipping check engine light turned on for cam shaft interrupter magnet. GM has open recall for 2021-2025 engine However 2019 vehicle is still under investigation.”2019 GMC Sierra 1500 · Nov 2025
“Vehicle stalled when driven or stopped at traffic light. Abnormal noises coming from engine. When engine oil was checked, no visible oil was available in the dipstick. Inserted dipstick a couple of times to ensure correct measurement. Extremely low oil left in vehicle. Vehicle seems to be burning oil. Diagnostic trouble codes read by obd2 tool were: p0011,p0191,p228d,p0089 and p0014. When investigating online, this is a common problem with the vehicle's engine. This seems to be a design flaw being ignored by the oem.”2017 Chevrolet Equinox · Dec 2024
“Intake Camshaft, Camshaft Position Actuator Circuit and Brake Booster are the system that failed all in the same week. My safety is being put at risk because of the bad brake booster I almost rear end someone else. My car doesn't accelerate has it should initially which could cause a wreck. Problems has been confirmed by independent service center. My car has been inspected by mechanics. My engine light is on and when diagnosed the codes P0011-00 & P0010-00 pop up.”2015 Hyundai Sonata · Apr 2024
“The light that marks the low oil of the engine, never turned on and the engine's time belt was damaged as a result of this, and one of the valves too, and the car just consumed the synthetic oil in just about 7 months, and this is a factory defect because the low oil light inside the car never turned on. And I need that the company replace my engine as a result of this manufacturing defect. My car after that incident has a code P0011.”2017 Kia Forte · Apr 2024
“When I drive my car shuts off in the middle of driving in traffic I almost got into an accident with my kids in the car The dealership doesn't know what's the problem they fixed a code of p0011 can anybody help because it's a safety hazard with me and my family in the car please help feel like I'm just wasting money”2018 Hyundai Elantra · Dec 2023
“UNKNOWN FULLY Engine knocking out of the blue and then died. Car went limp while driving down the road. Starts and is loudly knocking. Throws codes P0011 and P0326 Cannot drive vehicle. I have not notified hyundai yet. There were no warning lights. Car ran perfectly fine. No issues. Then the engine just died.”2016 Hyundai Tucson · Oct 2023
“Vehicle has 53k miles. I have had the error code p0011 (camshaft, vvt bank 1 too advanced) for most of the time I've had this car. Spend thousands at a certified dealership to get this issue fixed, only for it to pop up again. I was told the solution for this code is a new engine. This was after I spend thousands and my power train warranty expired. Oil changes and Routine maintenance were all done in timely manner. This engine was built to fail.”2017 Chevrolet Sonic · Jun 2023
Cars that report P0011 most often
Based on mentions of this code in NHTSA owner complaints.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive with P0011?
Short distances are fine; sustained driving risks accelerated timing-system wear. Check oil level today, diagnose soon.
How much does it cost to fix P0011?
Typical US repair costs range from $50 for the simplest fix (oil and filter change) to $3,500 in the worst case. The right number depends on which cause your car has - see the causes list.
Definition per SAE J2012 standard nomenclature. Symptoms, causes and costs are editorial guidance - always confirm with a diagnosis of your specific vehicle.