OBD-II Code · Sensors
P0120
Throttle Position Sensor Malfunction
Severity
medium
Worth booking. It costs fuel, emissions or comfort until it is fixed.
Can you drive it
Not for long
Driving on this one risks further damage. Get it to a shop rather than carrying on with it.
Indicative cost (USD)
$80–$300
Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
The TPS isn't reporting throttle position correctly.
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
- Check engine light
- Hesitation on acceleration
- Stalling
- Rough idle
Likely causes
- Failed TPSMost common
- Wiring issue
- Dirty throttle body
Look up another code
P0120 — frequently asked
What does a P0120 code mean?
The TPS isn't reporting throttle position correctly.
What causes a P0120 code?
Common causes: Failed TPS; Wiring issue; Dirty throttle body.
What are the symptoms of a P0120 code?
Typical symptoms: Check engine light; Hesitation on acceleration; Stalling; Rough idle.
Is it safe to drive with a P0120 code?
Not for long. Driving on this one risks further damage. Get it to a shop rather than carrying on with it. Estimated repair: $80-$300.
How do I diagnose a P0120 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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