P0305: Cylinder 5 Misfire Detected
A generic powertrain (engine and transmission) trouble code, same meaning on every brand.
Short careful trips only - raw fuel is reaching the catalytic converter.
Symptoms
- Flashing check engine light
- Vibration at idle
- Noticeable power loss
Likely causes, most common first
- Coil or plug on cylinder 5
- Injector fault
- Vacuum leak
- Compression loss
Read P0305 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
P0305 can only appear on an engine with at least five cylinders, which in the US market usually means a V6, a V8, or one of the inline-five engines Volkswagen and Volvo built. That alone narrows the search - there is no cylinder 5 on a four-cylinder engine.
On V6 engines cylinder 5 is normally a middle or rear position on one bank. Pull the freeze frame data before touching anything: engine speed, load and coolant temperature at the moment of the fault tell you whether this is a cold-start ignition problem or a fuelling fault that only shows up under load.
Repair options and cost
Typical US independent-shop ranges, parts and labor. Dealers run higher; regional labor rates vary.
Owner reports mentioning P0305
“Began with a misfire on cylinder 5 code P0305. Replaced spark plugs, wires, and coil pack. Misfire still existed. Fuel injector on cylinder 5 was stuck open and had to be replaced. Misfire still existed. No spark from new coil pack on cylinder 5, replaced coil pack connector. Misfire still existed, but lifter tick became present. Removed cylinder head and found exhaust lifter on cylinder 5 was bad and needed replaced. Currently awaiting parts delivery (only available through GM dealer). Have been without vehicle for 7 weeks now. Was told this was most likely related to Active Fuel Management.”2021 GMC Sierra 1500 · Feb 2026
“There are several issues with the truck, the worst being misfire issues while driving at highway speeds. Several times now I have been on the interstate at speeds and the truck will all of a sudden lose speed and shutter. The engine light will blink, and this will happen for a couple miles and then it goes back to normal. If you pull the codes on the truck, you get P0300, P0301, and P0305. This is in the dealership again now. The previous two times the dealership has done nothing because they can not duplicate the issue, but they do pull the codes.”2022 Ford F-150 · Mar 2025
“Truck decelerates while on incline. Engine light did come on. Took Car to Bill Brown Ford dealership. has been at dealer since 2/12/25. Code P0305 due to low compression on cylinder #5 110 PSI, #4 121psi all others at 145-150 psi. was informed necessary to replace long block. The truck was purchased with extended service warranty thru Ford ESP. warranty lists engine replacement is covered. however, ESP not covering it. Research on internet states frequent issues with 2.7 liter ecoboost 2019 Ford F150 has common issues with the cylinders requiring engine replacement”2019 Ford F-150 · Feb 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“This vehicle, only 4 years old, experienced lifter/engine failure during normal operation, which required unsafe driving conditions and a roadside emergency. The vehicle was towed to the service location, where a complete engine disassembly took place, and required a 3 week repair period. The truck experienced a rough idle/shudder at a stoplight, then proceeded to show a flashing check engine light (P0305), a service emergency brake warning, and a service traction control warning.”2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 · Nov 2024
“I own a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica with just 53k miles. Recently, after starting the vehicle, the dash board displayed a check engine light. When I took it to the dealership, they informed me the code was a P0305, which indicated a misfire in cylinder 5, caused by a blown head gasket and a coolant leak into the cylinder. AT 53,000 MILES! Their quote to repair the engine (which just sets the ticking time-bomb back to zero) is $5,000.”2018 Chrysler Pacifica · May 2024
“The contact owns a 2019 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, or while the vehicle was idling, the Auto START/STOP system light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone to be diagnosed. The mechanic retrieved DTC codes: P0205 and P0305. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the main wiring harness, ignition coil, and other unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,419.”2019 Chrysler Pacifica · Jul 2023 · 121,419 mi
“I kept having a check engine light come on with the code P0305 for a cylinder 5 missfire. It turns out the cylinder is broke and leaking.”2018 Chrysler Pacifica · Feb 2023
“Stalling and loss of power, the car computer reader code is P0305. 5th cylinder misfire, and a P0300 cylinder misfire. 2017 pacifica with 62,000 miles and there are tons of people with the same issue around the same mileage. Funny how the drivetrain warranty ends at 55,000 miles and all of these Pacificas are failing at 60,000 - 80,000 with blown headgaskets or bad cylinders. $2000-$12000 depending on what blew.”2017 Chrysler Pacifica · Jul 2022
“Hydraulic lifters seize up causing the vehicle to lose power. The check engine light comes on with code P0305 meaning the number five cylinder is misfiring this is due to not having enough oil going to the hydraulic lifter. I have mentioned this to the dealership and they said there is no recall on it but they have had a lot of issues and have parts readily available to fix this problem. The safety problem I am having is I do not have enough power to accelerate into traffic or highway entrances”2014 Ram 1500 · May 2021
“On two occasions, I was driving at freeway speeds in a cold climate for about an hour. I decelerated onto an off ramp. Upon acceleration, I received a flashing check engine light and reduced power. I was able to limp home at decreased speeds. I was able to pull codes p0304 - cylinder 4 misfire, p0305 - cylinder 5 misfire, c342d - manufacturer control. The problem went away after restarting the vehicle. I took the vehicle to the dealer, but they were unable to see any codes or reproduce the issue.”2020 Honda Ridgeline · Jan 2021 · 4,700 mi
Cars that report P0305 most often
Based on mentions of this code in NHTSA owner complaints.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive with P0305?
Short careful trips only - raw fuel is reaching the catalytic converter.
How much does it cost to fix P0305?
Typical US repair costs range from $20 for the simplest fix (spark plug) to $600 in the worst case. The right number depends on which cause your car has - see the causes list.
Related codes
The codes closest to P0305. 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.