P0087: Fuel Rail/System Pressure - Too Low Bank 1
A generic powertrain (engine and transmission) trouble code, same meaning on every brand.
Drive gently to a shop - low rail pressure can leave you stranded and, on diesels, damage the pump.
Symptoms
- Hard starting or no start
- Loss of power under load
- Rough running and stalling
Likely causes, most common first
- Fuel filter clogged
- Weak lift pump or in-tank pump
- High pressure pump worn
- Pressure regulator or injector leaking back
Read P0087 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
P0087 means fuel rail pressure fell below what the computer commanded. It appears on direct injection petrol engines and on nearly every modern diesel, both of which run rail pressures measured in thousands of pounds per square inch.
Start with the filter and the low pressure supply. A high pressure pump cannot make pressure it is not being fed, and a neglected filter or a tiring in-tank pump explains a large share of these codes at a fraction of the cost. On diesels in particular, continuing to drive with poor supply pressure risks the high pressure pump itself, which is the expensive part of the system.
Repair options and cost
Typical US independent-shop ranges, parts and labor. Dealers run higher; regional labor rates vary.
Owner reports mentioning P0087
“Vehicle stalled twice within a week. All lights on dash showed up. P0087 code. Honda dealer confirmed low fuel pressure pump needed to be replaced. It was happened on 8/13 and again on 8/22/26. Lucky, I was exiting the fwy. Almost lost control of steering wheel.”2017 Honda Pilot · Aug 2026
“The car had several warnings lights come on and immediately stalled out and stoped right in the middle of the road. The engine would turn over but would sputter like it was out of gas and would die after a few seconds. It stoped in the middle of a busy state highway in a curve. Luckily no one got hurt. I towed it to an auto service center. The 2020 Acura MDX suffered an in-tank fuel pump failure causing a low fuel pressure code (P0087). This model year is under a massive 2.6-million vehicle safety recall, but my specific VIN was omitted. It likely should be included before someone gets hurt.”2020 Acura MDX · Jul 2026
“Driving car and suddenly all the lights on the dash light up and car goes into "limp" mode. Upon pulling over turning car off and turning back on lights are all still lit up. Plug car into obd2 scanner and car is showing code p0087 low fuel rail pressure. This is extremely dangerous as the car will randomly do this and will go into limp mode which can easily cause me to get into an accident. No active recalls on this but I'm seeing this is a common issue with these Acura tlx models. Why hasn't this issue been addressed yet Acura?! For reference I drive a 2018 Acura tlx base model 2.4 cylinder”2018 Acura TLX · May 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“low pressure fuel pump in fuel tank failed. This part was already repaired from previous recall and failed again. Error code P0087. Vehicle shuttered and stopped in traffic. Broken bits of fuel pump were left in gas tank.”2019 Toyota Tacoma · May 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop and driving approximately 10-15 MPH, the vehicle shut off, but it was restarted. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that DTC: P0087 was retrieved and associated with the failure. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,550.”2016 Honda Pilot · Apr 2026 · 150,550 mi
“Hesitant and sluggish acceleration caused check engine light and activated limp mode. Code P0087 - fuel rail/system pressure too low. My VIN isn't included on the major fuel pump recall, but I'm experiencing issue and being told it's going to cost thousands to repair.”2020 Toyota Camry · Feb 2026
“At highway speed (60-65mph), in 6th gear, cruise control activated, the car began to surge and stall and loose power. Applying more throttle to maintain speed did not help. Pulled to roadside and engine stalled. No check engine light at that time. Re-started with rough idle, check engine light illuminated, attempted to drive again but there was no power, vehicle stalled again. Tried to crank again with crank-no start, check engine light on. Car had approx. 1/4 tank fuel and range of 80 miles to empty. Had to tow. After towing home about 2 hours post-incident, car is still crank-no start. Scanned for codes: P0087:00- 64, P008A:00-EC, P00C6:00-26, P008A:00 fuel pressure low codes.”2021 Ford Mustang · Feb 2026
“My vehicle was involved in the Z46 High Pressure Fuel Pump recall. I recently had multiple error codes: P1290, P0087, P1292, P1290. I delivered the truck to the dealer at the end of December and the truck has been grounded for 60 days waiting for the redesigned filter. The ETA for the part keeps changing.”2018 Ram 1500 · Dec 2025
“Lost power without any warning while taking an exit on the highway. Fortunately, I was able to pull over without an incident. Mechanic scanned : P0087. Replaced high pressure fuel pump assembly and associated parts. Honda had a recall on 2013-2014 models. Extremely likely this problem persisted in the 2015 model but Honda did not include this model year in the recall. Very expensive repair.”2015 Honda Accord · Dec 2025
“I was driving on a highway going at 65 - 70 MPH when the car completely stalled causing me to try to move across 3 lanes with the engine shut down. I could not start. Almost got rear ended by a semi. this happed a few times. I checked the trouble code and it pointed to fuel rail pressure too low. which means problem with the fuel pump. For some reason my VIN does not show a fuel pump recall. please help. VIN: [XXX] the trouble code fuel rail pressure too low p0087. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”2019 Acura RDX · Sep 2025
Cars that report P0087 most often
Based on mentions of this code in NHTSA owner complaints.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive with P0087?
Drive gently to a shop - low rail pressure can leave you stranded and, on diesels, damage the pump.
How much does it cost to fix P0087?
Typical US repair costs range from $60 for the simplest fix (fuel filter) to $2,500 in the worst case. The right number depends on which cause your car has - see the causes list.
Related codes
The codes closest to P0087. They often appear together, and telling them apart is usually what narrows the diagnosis.
Definition per SAE J2012 standard nomenclature. Symptoms, causes and costs are editorial guidance - always confirm with a diagnosis of your specific vehicle.