The Lemon IndexThe two gas pedal position signals disagree, so the car may go into reduced power or not respond to the pedal.
Fix soon. Book a shop visit this week. Stop driving if the car slips, shakes, overheats or warns you.
Failing accelerator pedal sensor. Then: wiring or connector fault; throttle body fault.
Owners named P2138 in 267 complaints to the U.S. government, most often on the Subaru Outback.
Models that report it most
Complaints that name P2138, by model. Raw counts, not a failure rate: popular models get more complaints. Tap a model for its years, mileage and what owners say fixed it.
P2138 by model: P2138 Subaru Outback (77) · P2138 Chevrolet Malibu (51) · P2138 Chevrolet Impala (18) · P2138 Subaru Legacy (18)
Years owners report it on most: 2006 Subaru Outback · 2016 Chevrolet Malibu · 2017 Chevrolet Malibu · 2005 Subaru Outback · 2018 Chevrolet Malibu · 2008 Chevrolet Impala
The details
What P2138 means
The two gas pedal position signals disagree, so the car may go into reduced power or not respond to the pedal.
Can I drive with P2138?
Fix soon. Book a shop visit this week. Stop driving if the car slips, shakes, overheats or warns you.
30% of the owner complaints that name P2138 also say the car loses power or goes into limp mode. A complaint can describe more than one problem, so this doesn't prove the code caused it.
Common causes of P2138
- Failing accelerator pedal sensor
- Wiring or connector fault
- Throttle body fault
A shop should confirm the cause with a scan and tests before replacing parts.
What owners describe
- Loses power or goes into limp mode: 30% of complaints
- Warning lights and electrical faults: 11% of complaints
- Stalls or shuts off: 10% of complaints
- Brakes or ABS act up: 4% of complaints
Share of complaints naming the code whose text also mentions each problem.
Model years that report P2138 most
2006 Subaru Outback (59), 2016 Chevrolet Malibu (18), 2017 Chevrolet Malibu (15), 2005 Subaru Outback (13), 2018 Chevrolet Malibu (13), 2008 Chevrolet Impala (5).
Related codes
P2135 P2128 P2127 P2122 P2121 P2119 P2118 P2112
Quick answers
What does P2138 mean?
Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch D/E Voltage Correlation. The two gas pedal position signals disagree, so the car may go into reduced power or not respond to the pedal.
Can I drive with P2138?
Fix soon. Book a shop visit this week. Stop driving if the car slips, shakes, overheats or warns you.
What causes P2138?
Failing accelerator pedal sensor; Wiring or connector fault; Throttle body fault.
Counts: NHTSA owner complaints whose text names P2138. A complaint is an owner's report, not a diagnosis. Meanings: the standard SAE J2012 definitions in our own words; manufacturer codes only where verified for that make. General information, not repair advice for your car.