P2112: Throttle Actuator A Control System - Stuck Closed
A generic powertrain (engine and transmission) trouble code, same meaning on every brand.
Limp home only - the engine will idle and creep, but a throttle that cannot open is no throttle for merging or climbing.
Symptoms
- Little or no response to the accelerator
- Reduced power message
- Idle-only running in severe cases
- Code often paired with other throttle actuator codes
Likely causes, most common first
- Throttle plate jammed by carbon or debris
- Failed throttle body motor
- Stripped drive gears
- Open circuit in the motor wiring
Read P2112 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
P2112 is the mirror of P2111: the computer asked the throttle to open and the plate did not move, or moved late. The safety logic here is deliberately conservative - a throttle the computer cannot trust gets its authority revoked, which is why the pedal suddenly feels disconnected. That is limp mode doing its job, not a second failure.
Diagnosis is refreshingly visual on most engines: key off, intake duct off, and you can see the plate and try its motion (gently, with the connector unplugged). Grit, a chipped plate edge, or a motor that hums without moving all show themselves. One caution - if the code appeared right after an engine wash or deep puddle, water in the throttle body connector is a five-minute fix that replaces no parts.
Repair options and cost
Typical US independent-shop ranges, parts and labor. Dealers run higher; regional labor rates vary.
Owner reports mentioning P2112
“Exited side street onto main 4 lane main road with a median. Upon pulling out wrench light appeared causing all power to engine to cease, oncoming traffic almost hit me. Upon limping into median I shut vehicle off and turned back on. Wrench light was gone, check engine light was there. Code P2112, P2004, P2009.”2014 Ford F-150 · Jul 2026
“Truck threw code P2112 Throttle body plate closed. Truck immediatly went into limp mode meaning on only poorly tried to idle, no throttle. This is the SECOND time this part has gone bad on this truck. Never mind they are 600 dollars to replace, it was a very dangerous to have the truck just die during a merge onto highway manuver. If I have to do it twice, how many hundreds of thousands of these failures exist? The first time it happened, I almost crashed. My ford dealer says he sells "alot" of this part. Part number failure is BL3Z9E926B”2013 Ford F-150 · May 2024
“1.) P2112- Throttle Actuator Control System stuck in closed position, no as I was able to get it to work again but looking at replacing the throttle body, so in the future yes. 2.) My saftey was at risk as it failed going over 70+ mph and made my vehicle shake violently. 3.)No but this is the 2nd time in 6 months this has happened. 4.) No 5.)had a power train lamp come on (2011 ford f150 wrench light) right as I lost complete throttle response going 72 MPH”2011 Ford F-150 · Apr 2024
Show 7 more owner reports
“Two issues. The first issue arose due to a leak in the "y" pipe under the air box. Upon replacing that connector, the throttle body had to be removed to get room to reinstall. Upon reinstallation of the throttle body, the truck falls into limp mode unexpectedly during normal driving, in traffic. Installed ned throttle body from parts store and still throws the p2112 code.”2014 Ford F-150 · Jan 2024
“Warning lamps come on with amessage about hill decent service advance trac. Then vehicle goes into limp mode and shakes and shutters an the truck will only drive at or below 5 mph.> You then have to shut the vehicle off and restart it to get it to drive again this has happened to my truck at least 10 times in the last month It seems to happen at different speeds I have been real lucky as it has only happened to my truck while I was on a not to busy street. The vehicle shows a code of P2112 was set which states the throttle body needs to be replaced.”2016 Ford F-150 · Aug 2023
“Code P2112 was saved in the system also referring to the throttle position sensor or wiring. Taking my truck in to get looked at this week of 7-26-23. Truck was driving normal and out of no where it loses power entering traffic like it was in limp mode. Dash displays first "see service manual" second " Service AdvanceTrac" and then finally "hill start assist not available". When it came to a stop it idled normal but would not accelerate. Had both my kids with me so suddenly stopping like it did in heavy traffic area is alarming and could've been bad outcome had someone not been paying attention. This happened twice within 10 miles. Turned truck off and on to get it to go again”2016 Ford F-150 · Jul 2023
“Truck completely lost power while driving on the highway 4 times and 4 other times during morning commute through busy streets. Dangerous circumstance to be put in while driving. Codes given at Auto Zone: P2112 U3013-16 U0401-02 U0401-00 U0131-00 U0151-00 U0100-00”2016 Ford F-150 · May 2023
“While travelling on highway uphill around 60 mph in heavy traffic, vehicle lost all power and went to idle. I had to maneuver 3 lanes to reach shoulder. Wrench icon showed on dash. Restarted engine and code cleared and had power again. It happened 4 more times over next 2 months then gave P2112 code. Research showed to replace throttle body which I did. Now doing some watchful waiting to see if it reoccurs. I believe this is a safety gap that requires a recall and a redesign of the logic to prevent the disabling the power train all the way back to idle.”2017 Ford Expedition · May 2023
“I pulled in to traffic and all of a sudden the truck went into limp mode. I barely missed being hit. I pulled up on the median strip with cars going 60 MPH past me. I parked the truck for 30 minutes. The wrench light came on. After sitting for 30 minutes the check engine light came on. I edged off the median and limped the truck to the next exit for a mechanic. The mechanic pulled the code P2112 Throttle Actuator Control System Stuck Closed. This was incredibly dangerous and I could have been hit. In checking on line, it appears to be a common problem that FORD knows about and it should be a recall!!”2013 Ford F-150 · Dec 2022
“Throttle Actuator control system error (Hill Start Assist Not Available/Service AdvanceTrac). Vehicle lost accelerator power at highway speed in traffic. Traveling at highway speed without the ability to accelerate resulted is difficulty exiting to the shoulder when vehicle lost acceleration. Computer code error P2112 was later diagnosed with subsequent check engine light. This is a known problem. As such, Ford had issued a temporary Service Bulletin 16B32B for this issue on various models. However this narrow window for repair is not adequate for the issue at hand.”2015 Ford F-150 · Aug 2022
Cars that report P2112 most often
Based on mentions of this code in NHTSA owner complaints.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive with P2112?
Limp home only - the engine will idle and creep, but a throttle that cannot open is no throttle for merging or climbing.
How much does it cost to fix P2112?
Typical US repair costs range from $80 for the simplest fix (throttle body cleaning and relearn) to $700 in the worst case. The right number depends on which cause your car has - see the causes list.
Related codes
The codes closest to P2112. 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.