OBD-II Code · Chassis
C0050
Right Rear Wheel Speed Sensor Circuit
Severity
high
Left alone, this one tends to take other parts with it.
Can you drive it
Only if running normally
A short trip to a shop may be reasonable if the light is steady and the car runs normally. Stop safely for a flashing light, severe shaking, overheating, loss of power, or another urgent warning. The code alone cannot confirm safety.
Indicative cost (USD)
$150–$500
Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
ABS module loses signal from RR wheel-speed sensor.
How a shop works this
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed.
Note every code that is set, not just this one.
Codes that appear together usually narrow the cause faster than any one of them read alone.
Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under.
Cold or warm, idle or load, road speed and engine speed. A fault that only appears cold is a different fault from one that only appears under load, even with the same code on the scanner.
Confirm the fault is current rather than history.
Clear the code and see whether it returns under those same conditions. A code that does not come back may have been logged during a repair, a flat battery, or a bad connection that has since been disturbed.
Then work the likely-causes list in the order shown.
That order is what a shop checks first for this code — wiring and connections before the component they run to, because a connector costs nothing to inspect and is a common answer.
If the code comes back after a repair, the underlying fault is still there. That is the point to bring in a scanner with live data and freeze-frame, or a shop that has one.
Common symptoms
- ABS light
- Cruise inop
Likely causes
- Failed sensorMost common
- Damaged tone ring
- Wiring
Read the full diagnostic procedureC0050 is the right rear wheel speed sensor circuit code and behaves identically to C0045 in nearly every respect, but it is worth its own diagnostic…
C0050 is the right rear wheel speed sensor circuit code and behaves identically to C0045 in nearly every respect, but it is worth its own diagnostic pass because rear-sensor faults are often a paired symptom of a deeper rear-axle problem (leaking pinion seal, failing differential bearing dumping metal into both sides, harness damage from a rubbing brake line).
Free first
- clear the code, drive a representative loop including a few stops from 30 mph, see what comes back — if both C0045 and C0050 set together you are looking at a shared upstream cause like a blown ABS fuse, an EBCM ground, or harness damage at a common chafe point.
- Live data: at a steady 25 mph all four wheel speeds should agree within 1 mph; if RR alone drops out above 40 mph the sensor is heat-sensitive and on its way out.
- Air-gap check with a feeler gauge on passive setups should be 0.020 to 0.050 inch; ohm spec is 1,000 to 2,500 ohms cold.
- Worst misdiagnosis: assuming the code is the sensor and ignoring a rumbling RR bearing — within 1,000 miles the bearing fails completely, takes out the hub-mounted sensor and the parking-brake actuator, and a $200 job becomes $900.
Vehicle-specific patterns2008-2012 Honda Accord — RR WSS internal winding opens at the sensor body itself, no harness damage visible.
- 2008-2012Honda Accord — RR WSS internal winding opens at the sensor body itself, no harness damage visible.
- 2007-2014Cadillac Escalade/Tahoe/Yukon — RR hub bearing failure with metal shavings contaminating the sensor magnet, GM service info recommends bearing-plus-sensor replacement as a set.
- 2010-2016Hyundai Tucson/Kia Sportage — RR harness routes inside the wheel well and gets cut by tire chains or debris.
- 2005-2010Subaru Outback/Legacy — rear differential breather fails, diff fluid pushes past axle seal and saturates the WSS connector.
Estimated repair$30 to $600.
Look up another code
C0050 — frequently asked
What does a C0050 code mean?
ABS module loses signal from RR wheel-speed sensor.
What causes a C0050 code?
Common causes: Failed sensor; Damaged tone ring; Wiring.
What are the symptoms of a C0050 code?
Typical symptoms: ABS light; Cruise inop.
Is it safe to drive with a C0050 code?
Only if running normally. A short trip to a shop may be reasonable if the light is steady and the car runs normally. Stop safely for a flashing light, severe shaking, overheating, loss of power, or another urgent warning. The code alone cannot confirm safety. Estimated repair: $150-$500.
How do I diagnose a C0050 code?
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed. 1. Note every code that is set, not just this one. 2. Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under. 3. Confirm the fault is current rather than history. 4. Then work the likely-causes list in the order shown.
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