P0141 means the heater inside the downstream oxygen sensor (bank 1 sensor 2, behind the catalytic converter) is not drawing the current the engine computer expects. The engine runs normally. Check the heater fuse first - on several makes one fuse feeds both heaters, so P0141 with P0135 points at the fuse - then measure the heater: an open circuit means replace the sensor.
Also written as PO141 or P141.
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P0141 means the heater circuit in the downstream (post-catalyst) oxygen sensor on bank 1 has failed. The downstream sensor monitors how well the catalytic converter is working, and its heater brings it up to temperature quickly. The fix is almost always replacing that rear oxygen sensor, though a blown fuse or damaged wiring can produce the same code.
Yes. Just like P0135, a failed oxygen sensor heater does not affect how the engine runs or performs. There is no driving risk here. Fix it when convenient; the main downside of waiting is a slightly higher chance of failing an emissions test.
Listed roughly most-likely first. Confirm with a scan tool and the freeze-frame data before replacing parts.
| Fix | DIY parts | At a shop |
|---|---|---|
| Replace the downstream (bank 1 sensor 2) oxygen sensor | $40 - $150 | $150 - $400 |
| Replace the blown heater fuse | $2 - $10 | $20 - $60 |
| Repair the wiring or connector to the sensor | $10 - $40 | $100 - $250 |
Ranges are rounded and for the US market only - actual price depends on region, shop labor rates, and the exact make and model.
What a new oxygen sensor costs, if testing points to it
These open an Amazon search - add your year, make and model, because most of these parts are fitment-specific.
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P0141 is a heater circuit fault on the downstream oxygen sensor - the one behind the catalytic converter. Read that carefully: it is not saying the sensor is reading wrong, it is saying the built-in heating element that brings the sensor up to operating temperature is not drawing the current the PCM expects. Downstream sensors sit far enough back in the exhaust that they never get hot enough to work on exhaust heat alone, so without the heater the sensor stays blind and the PCM cannot run its catalyst monitor. The engine drives fine. You will still fail an emissions test.
The O2 sensor heater exists because the sensor only works hot. NTK, an original-equipment sensor maker, says a zirconia sensor becomes operational at approximately 350 C (650 F); Bosch describes a separate heater that brings the element above that temperature, with extra current at first "to ensure quick operational readiness." CARB's OBD II rules require the computer to "monitor the heater for proper performance," and NTK notes it watches "heater light-off time and heater resistance." P0141 is that check failing on bank 1 sensor 2 - the sensor behind the catalytic converter.
The full guide: Fuel trims and O2 sensor live data: what P0171, P0141 and P0420 look like on a scanner.
Sources: NGK Spark Plugs (NTK), Oxygen Sensors technical guide; Bosch, Lambda sensors: quick and easy testing and replacement; CCR title 13, section 1968.2 (CARB OBD II requirements), via Cornell LII; Subaru of America, Service Bulletin 09-115-24 (via NHTSA)
People see an oxygen sensor code and start chasing fuel trim, vacuum leaks, and catalytic converters. P0141 is an electrical circuit fault, not a mixture fault. If the heater resistance is out of spec, replace the sensor and stop diagnosing.
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Difficulty: Moderate. Time: 0.5 - 1.5 hours. DIY parts: $50 - $160. Shop total: $180 - $350.
The diagnosis is easy with a meter and the part is not expensive. The entire difficulty of this job is whether the sensor comes out of the bung. On a rust-belt car budget for a seized sensor, heat, and possibly a bung repair - that is the scenario where a shop earns its money.
Keep upstream fuel and air maintenance current. Downstream sensors get poisoned and cooked early by long-running rich conditions - a clogged air filter, a leaking injector, or a misfire dumping raw fuel into the exhaust. The sensor is usually the victim, not the culprit. Track your air filter and spark plug intervals in ServiceSage so the rich condition never gets long enough to take out a sensor that costs five times more. Track this maintenance free.
The downstream sensor on Corollas and Camrys lives under the car near the catalytic converter, exposed to heat cycles and road spray - heater failure at higher mileage is normal wear. It is a direct-fit Denso part and does not affect fueling, so the car drives normally while you schedule the fix. Toyota maintenance schedule
On Civics and CR-Vs, P0141 is usually the rear sensor itself, but heat-damaged or rodent-chewed wiring near the connector is common enough to check first - the harness runs close to the exhaust heat shield. Honda maintenance schedule
Silverado downstream sensors and their pigtails sit in the path of winter road salt; corroded connectors set P0141 about as often as failed heater elements do. Inspect the connector before paying for a sensor. Chevrolet maintenance schedule
On the Altima, P0141 is almost always a straightforward heater-element failure inside the bank 1 sensor 2 (downstream) sensor rather than a wiring fault. Check the heater fuse and connector first, then confirm with a resistance test against the spec in your service information before replacing the sensor.
Typical US independent-shop repair cost for P0141 runs about $150 - $400, depending on the root cause. Common fixes: Replace the downstream (bank 1 sensor 2) oxygen sensor (about $150 - $400 at a shop); Replace the blown heater fuse (about $20 - $60 at a shop); Repair the wiring or connector to the sensor (about $100 - $250 at a shop).
No, not on its own. P0141 will keep coming back every time the relevant monitor re-runs until the underlying cause is actually repaired - clearing it with a scan tool without fixing what triggered it only delays the light coming back on.
Both are oxygen sensor heater circuit faults on bank 1. P0135 is sensor 1, the upstream sensor ahead of the catalytic converter that the computer uses for fueling; P0141 is sensor 2, the downstream sensor behind the converter that checks how well the converter works. The checks are the same - fuse, heater resistance, supply voltage, ground - but they are different sensors, so replace the one the code names.
Yes. P0141 is a generic code from the SAE J2012 list that every OBD-II vehicle uses, so on any make it means a fault in the heater circuit of the bank 1, sensor 2 oxygen sensor - the one behind the catalytic converter. What changes by make is the wording and the parts: Ford's service bulletins call that sensor the catalyst monitor sensor and Nissan's call it the rear O2 sensor, the heater fuse sits in a different place, and the part number depends on the engine. Ford and Nissan have bulletins that name P0141 for particular models, covered on their own pages linked here. For any other make, the checks on this page apply as written.
Related trouble codes: P0135 - O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1, Sensor 1), P0420 - Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 1), P0430 - Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 2), P0133 - O2 Sensor Circuit Slow Response (Bank 1, Sensor 1)
DIY reinstall reference: O2 sensor torque specs for the reinstall on WhatSizeBolt, our sister site.
P0141 on a Ford: causes and fixes