Fault Code Lookup › Powertrain codes › P0218
P0218 Powertrain · generic OBD-II
Transmission Fluid Over Temperature Condition
P0218 is a standard code covering engine, transmission, fuel and emissions. It names the system that logged the fault, not the part that failed. Below: which cars owners reported it on, what happened, and recalls on those cars, from 3 complaints filed with NHTSA. Updated November 3, 2026.
- 3owner reports
- 3car models
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention a fire
- 2015–2022model years
Which cars get code P0218?
Every model whose owners mentioned P0218 in a complaint, most reports first. Each year opens that car's full problem report. Popular models collect more reports because more of them are on the road.
Where does P0218 show up?
By brand
- Ford2
- Chrysler1
Component the owner filed it under
Is there a recall for P0218?
The others concern the component owners file this code under (Power Train) on the same cars; they may or may not relate to the code. Recall repairs are free; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Power Train: Automatic Transmission Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jeep Cherokee and 2015 Chrysler 200, Jeep Renegade, RAM ProMaster, and 2016 Fiat 500X vehicles equipped with 9-speed automatic transmissions. The transmission sensor clusters may have insufficient crimps in the transmission wire…
2015 Chrysler 200. Full risk and remedy on each car's report.
Power Train: Automatic Transmission Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chrysler 200 vehicles manufactured March 9, 2014, to December 15, 2014, and equipped with a 9-speed automatic transmission. The automatic transmission parking pawl may become contaminated or the park rod may become dislodged or broken. This…
2015 Chrysler 200. Full risk and remedy on each car's report.
What happened when owners saw P0218?
3 of the 3 reports, spread across the models above, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, ENGINE TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT, AND ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. IN REVIEWING THE POTENTIAL ISSUES, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE, POTENTIALLY DUE TO A FAULTY THERMOSTAT. WHEN I HAD THE VEHICLE SCANNED AT AUTOZONE, IT PROVIDED CODES P0218 TWICE AND P2181 ONCE. *TR
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while at a stoplight, the vehicle hesitated and jerked. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle hesitated and lost motive power. The service vehicle message was displayed. There was a highlighted rectangle displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and DTC: P0218/P177S was retrieved, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Academy Ford Sales (13401 Baltimore Ave, Laurel, MD 20707); where it was diagnosed that the transmission, intermittent clutch, and shaft needed to be…
Vehicle was placed into Ford’s Neutral Tow mode according to the owner’s manual before being recreationally towed behind a motorhome. The instrument cluster displayed Ford’s confirmation that Neutral Tow was enabled and the vehicle was ready for four-wheel-down towing. The transmission failure occurred during the second day of towing. After highway travel, the transmission severely overheated, expelled transmission fluid and lost all ability to move in forward or reverse. Diagnostic code P0218, transmission over-temperature, was present. Neutral Tow was no longer enabled when the vehicle was subsequently checked. The Ford dealer states that the vehicle does not retain logs confirming whether…
P0218: questions drivers ask
What does code P0218 mean?
P0218 is a generic OBD-II powertrain code. Its standard definition is "Transmission Fluid Over Temperature Condition". The code tells you which system set the fault, not which part failed; the owner reports on this page show what it meant in practice for 3 car models.
Which cars get code P0218 most often?
In NHTSA owner complaints, P0218 is mentioned most for the Chrysler 200 (1), Ford Fusion (1), Ford Ranger (1), across 3 models and model years 2015 to 2022. Popular models collect more reports because more of them are on the road.
Is there a recall for code P0218?
No NHTSA recall text names P0218 directly. 2 recalls on the cars that report this code concern the same component owners name most (Power Train); they may or may not relate to the code. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What should I do if my car shows P0218?
Write down when the code appeared and what the car did (warning lights, loss of power, noises, speed, weather). Check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls, ask a dealer or independent workshop to read the stored freeze-frame data before anyone clears the code, and keep the repair order. If the car loses power in traffic, stop driving it. CarHooq does not diagnose: these are owner reports and official recall notices, not repair advice.
How this page was made
CarHooq read the text of every owner complaint filed with NHTSA for 19 US and European brands (model years 2012 onwards) and picked out the diagnostic trouble codes owners wrote down. This page lists every mention of P0218. The definition is the generic SAE J2012 wording; a carmaker may use the code slightly differently. Nothing here is a diagnosis. Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (public domain), retrieved November 3, 2026. How CarHooq reports are made.
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