System: Powertrain (P-Code)
SAE Standard (Generic)
Family: Power Steering Pressure Sensor Circuit
Code P0551: Power Steering Pressure Sensor/Switch Circuit Range/Performance
Diagnostic & Technical Explanation
Code P0551 (Power Steering Pressure Sensor/Switch Circuit Range/Performance) sets when the ECM sees an open, shorted, or implausible signal from the power steering pressure sensor/switch used to add idle load compensation during parking maneuvers. Causes are a failed sensor/switch, power steering fluid contamination fouling the sensor port, or chafed wiring near the steering rack/pump.
First-listed procedure
Rank #1
Check power steering fluid level and condition
Easy DIY
This is the first procedure in the authored
consideration order, not a measured cause likelihood. Execute it only when its prerequisites
and diagnostic findings support it. Its cost and labor estimates (where known), the step-by-step procedure and the
remaining 2 procedure(s) are in the licensed dataset. Ordering context.
Full family: Power Steering Pressure Sensor Circuit
What this page does not show
This page publishes the fault mechanism and the code index. The licensed dataset adds, for
every one of the 15,886 codes, the full authored repair set (56,729 procedures in total)
with the fields deliberately withheld here:
- Procedures 2..n after the first-listed procedure
- Aftermarket parts cost ranges in USD (
est_parts_cost_min/max_usd)
- Professional labor-hour estimates (
est_labor_hours)
- Step-by-step diagnostic and repair instructions
- Replacement-part mappings and catalog lookups
- 6,637 manufacturer-specific OEM codes across 32 makes ($149 tier)