P0019 on a 2012 Ford Explorer
Crank/Cam Correlation (Bank 2 Exhaust)
P0019 on a 2012 Ford Explorer indicates crank/cam correlation (bank 2 exhaust). It usually stays drivable short-term but should be diagnosed promptly. The most common cause is stretched timing chain or worn guides on the bank 2 side (typically $800–$3,500). Confirm the root cause before replacing parts.
What does P0019 mean on a 2012 Ford Explorer?
P0019 is the Bank 2 exhaust-camshaft member of the P0016–P0019 correlation family. The ECM compares the crankshaft position signal to the Bank 2 exhaust ("B") camshaft position signal and finds them more than a calibrated number of degrees out of alignment. Because Bank 2 is the cylinder bank that does NOT contain cylinder number 1, P0019 only appears on engines with two banks — V6, V8, V10, V12, and flat / boxer layouts. The three explanations are almost always the same: timing chain stretch on that bank, a cam phaser that cannot return to base position, or a position sensor feeding bad data.
The symptoms, causes, and diagnostic steps below describe P0019 itself, so they read the same on nearby Ford Explorer model years. Powertrain and trim details vary year to year — confirm the specifics against your own vehicle before buying parts.
Is it safe to drive a 2012 Ford Explorer with P0019?
In most cases a 2012 Ford Explorer stays drivable for short trips with P0019 active, but diagnose and repair it promptly. This is a high-severity code — ignoring it can lead to further damage or a failed emissions test.
What are the symptoms of P0019 on a 2012 Ford Explorer?
- Check Engine Light is illuminated
- Cold-start rattle or chirp from the timing cover
- Hard cold start with long crank times
- Loss of low-end torque
- Rough idle and reduced throttle response
- Reduced fuel economy
- Possible no-start if cam timing has slipped far enough
What causes P0019 on a 2012 Ford Explorer?
| Cause | Likelihood | Estimated repair (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Stretched timing chain or worn guides on the Bank 2 side | Most common | $800–$3,500 |
| Stuck Bank 2 exhaust cam phaser unable to return to base timing | Common | $400–$1,500 |
| Failed Bank 2 exhaust cam or crank position sensor producing offset readings | Common | $100–$400 |
| Low oil pressure preventing the phaser from holding position | Occasional | $50–$200 |
| Damaged or slipped Bank 2 exhaust reluctor / tone ring | Occasional | $300–$1,500 |
| Stuck-open Bank 2 exhaust VVT oil control valve | Occasional | $100–$450 |
| Timing chain skipped a tooth after a tensioner failure | Rare | $1,000–$4,000 |
Cost ranges are editorial estimates for parts and labor at an independent U.S. shop — not quotes. What you actually pay moves with your region, the shop's hourly rate, which engine you have, and how much diagnostic time the job takes. Dealer service departments typically sit above these ranges.
How to diagnose this on a 2012 Ford Explorer
-
Check oil level and pressure before anything else
A correlation code with low oil pressure is often the phaser unable to hold or return to its commanded position, not a worn chain. Confirm level on level ground with a warm engine, check the oil for sludge, and measure pressure with a mechanical gauge at idle and 2500 RPM. This is the cheapest test and it rules out the most expensive misdiagnosis.
Tools: Dipstick or level check procedure, Mechanical oil pressure gauge
-
Watch Bank 2 exhaust cam position against crank position
The cam-crank offset should stay fixed. An offset that drifts wider as RPM climbs is the signature of a chain stretching under load. An offset that is wrong but stable suggests the chain has already jumped a tooth, or that a sensor is reading with a constant error.
Tools: Scan tool with dual position PIDs
-
Compare Bank 2 against Bank 1
A two-bank engine gives you a reference on the same engine. If Bank 1's correlation is textbook and only Bank 2 drifts, the problem is specific to that bank's chain, phaser, or sensor. If both banks drift together, look at the primary chain, the tensioner, or oil pressure feeding the whole system.
Tools: Scan tool with multi-PID graphing
-
Listen for chain noise at cold start
Put a stethoscope on the front timing cover and start the engine cold. A healthy chain is essentially silent. A rattle lasting one to three seconds that quiets as oil pressure builds is early chain wear. A rattle that continues at idle is advanced wear, and at that point the chain needs replacing before it skips.
Tools: Mechanic's stethoscope
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Test the Bank 2 exhaust cam sensor
Scope the sensor signal and compare it to the equivalent sensor on Bank 1. A clean square wave with consistent spacing means the sensor is fine and the mechanical timing is genuinely off. Noise, missing pulses, or an irregular pattern means you may be chasing a chain that is perfectly healthy — replace the sensor first as the cheap test.
Tools: Oscilloscope, or scan tool with raw sensor PIDs, Multimeter
NHTSA complaints & recalls for the 2012 Ford Explorer
Owner-reported safety complaints and official recalls filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the 2012 Ford Explorer. Use these to gauge how common a problem is on your specific vehicle before you start chasing Ford Explorer diagnostics.
- ENGINE 79
- POWER TRAIN 55
- STEERING 355
- STRUCTURE 139
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER 103
7 active recalls
- SUSPENSION:REAR Jun 2019
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.…
NHTSA campaign 19V435000 - WHEELS:HUB Aug 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Wheel Hub Bearing assemblies, part number HB5Z-1104-C, incorrectly listed as being for installation on the rear axles of 2011-2017 Ford Explorer 4X2 vehicles. These bearings assemblies were manufactured without a self retention feat…
NHTSA campaign 17E048000 - STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR Mar 2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.…
NHTSA campaign 15V171000 - STEERING Jan 2014
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain replacement steering gears installed on model year 2011-2012 Explorers as service parts in September 2013 and January 2014. The affected gears may lock, preventing the driver from being able to steer the vehicle.…
NHTSA campaign 14E001000
How do I fix P0019 on a 2012 Ford Explorer?
- Replace timing chain, guides, tensioner, and sprockets as a complete kit
- Replace the Bank 2 exhaust cam phaser / VVT actuator
- Replace the Bank 2 exhaust cam position sensor
- Service or replace the Bank 2 exhaust-side VVT oil control valve
- Correct the underlying oil pressure or sludge problem
Engines in the 2012 Ford Explorer
The 2012 Ford Explorer was offered with the 2.0L 4-cylinder and 3.5L 6-cylinder engines. Which one you have changes where P0019 is most likely to originate, so confirm your engine before ordering parts.
Engine data: EPA fueleconomy.gov.
The four correlation codes and what each one names
P0016 through P0019 cover both banks and both camshafts. Reading the right one saves you from opening the wrong side of the engine:
| Code | Bank | Camshaft |
|---|---|---|
| P0016 | Bank 1 | ”A” — intake |
| P0017 | Bank 1 | ”B” — exhaust |
| P0018 | Bank 2 | ”A” — intake |
| P0019 | Bank 2 | ”B” — exhaust |
Two or more of these setting together is meaningful. Both banks failing at once points at something shared — the primary chain, the tensioner, or oil pressure. A single code isolates to one bank’s hardware.
This is a “cheap or very expensive” code
The causes of P0019 range from a sensor that costs less than a tank of fuel to a timing chain job that costs thousands. That spread is exactly why the testing order matters:
- Oil level and pressure — free to check, and a common cause
- The cam and crank sensors — the cheapest parts in the chain of suspects, and easy to rule in or out with a scope
- The oil control valve — often just needs cleaning
- The phaser — real money, but less than the chain
- The timing chain — the expensive answer, and the one to reach for last
Skipping to step five because a forum post said so wastes money a meaningful share of the time.
Why you should not put this off
If the underlying cause is chain stretch, the failure is progressive and it has a bad ending. The chain wears, the correlation drifts further, and eventually the chain skips a tooth. On an interference engine — which covers most modern designs — the valves then meet the pistons. The bill goes from a timing job to a rebuilt cylinder head or a replacement engine.
You do not need to stop driving today. You do need to get this diagnosed within weeks rather than filing it under “the light has been on for a while.”
Bank 2 access costs more than Bank 1
The parts are the same on either bank. The labour usually is not. On transverse V6s the Bank 2 side sits against the firewall, and reaching its phaser or sensor can require removing the intake manifold or rocking the engine on its mounts. When you get a quote that looks high compared to what a friend paid for the same repair on Bank 1, this is often why — and it is worth asking the shop to break out the labour hours so you can see it.
P0019 on a 2012 Ford Explorer: frequently asked questions
What does diagnostic trouble code P0019 mean on a 2012 Ford Explorer?
P0019 is the Bank 2 exhaust-camshaft member of the P0016–P0019 correlation family. The ECM compares the crankshaft position signal to the Bank 2 exhaust ("B") camshaft position signal and finds them more than a calibrated number of degrees out of alignment. Because Bank 2 is the cylinder bank that does NOT contain cylinder number 1, P0019 only appears on engines with two banks — V6, V8, V10, V12, and flat / boxer layouts. The three explanations are almost always the same: timing chain stretch on that bank, a cam phaser that cannot return to base position, or a position sensor feeding bad data.
What are the symptoms of P0019 on a 2012 Ford Explorer?
Check Engine Light is illuminated. Cold-start rattle or chirp from the timing cover. Hard cold start with long crank times. Loss of low-end torque. Rough idle and reduced throttle response. Reduced fuel economy. Possible no-start if cam timing has slipped far enough
What causes P0019 on a 2012 Ford Explorer?
Stretched timing chain or worn guides on the Bank 2 side (most-common). Stuck Bank 2 exhaust cam phaser unable to return to base timing (common). Failed Bank 2 exhaust cam or crank position sensor producing offset readings (common). Low oil pressure preventing the phaser from holding position (occasional). Damaged or slipped Bank 2 exhaust reluctor / tone ring (occasional). Stuck-open Bank 2 exhaust VVT oil control valve (occasional). Timing chain skipped a tooth after a tensioner failure (rare)
Is it safe to drive a 2012 Ford Explorer with P0019?
In most cases a 2012 Ford Explorer stays drivable for short trips with P0019 active, but it should be diagnosed and repaired promptly — this is a high-severity code. Ignoring it can lead to further damage or a failed emissions test.