KustomCode Logo

Powertrain fault code

P0500: Vehicle Speed Sensor "A"

Fix soon

The speedometer, gear changes or cruise control may misbehave.

What P0500 means

The road speed signal is missing or doesn't make sense.

Common causes

  • Faulty speed sensor
  • Faulty ABS wheel sensor (on cars that use it for speed)
  • Damaged wiring

What to check first

  1. Check whether the speedometer works.
  2. Scan the ABS module for wheel speed codes.

Get P0500 explained for your car: $2.99

  • P0500 explained in full for your make and model: meaning, how urgent, likely causes and what to check, in order.
  • A short personal note from us within 24 hours, or your money back.
  • Your own private report page you can save as a PDF or show your mechanic.

Read your car's codes yourself, free

Plug a cheap ELM327 OBD-II adapter into the port under the dashboard and open the scan tool: Chrome or Edge on a computer with a USB adapter, or Chrome on Android with a Bluetooth LE adapter. It reads and clears codes and shows emissions readiness. It does not work on iPhone.

Open the free scan tool

Need help with P0500?

Tell us your car and what it is doing with P0500. We reply by email with what to check first, in plain words. Free.

General guidance only, not a diagnosis. A qualified mechanic should confirm the cause before you replace parts.