EngineLightCodes
Powertrain code

P0087 Fuel Rail/System Pressure - Too Low

Severity
Stop soon
Typical repair cost
$60–$2,750
Do it yourself
Shop job
Shop time
0.5–4 hours

Fuel pressure in the fuel rail is lower than the engine needs. You may feel hesitation, loss of power or stalling. It's common on direct-injection gasoline and diesel engines, where a weak pump or clogged filter is often the cause.

How the engine computer detects it

On common-rail diesel and gasoline direct-injection engines, a high-pressure pump feeds the fuel rail, a sensor measures rail pressure, and the engine control module regulates it towards a target from its maps. P0087 is set when the actual pressure stays below the target by more than a threshold for some time. It is a system code: it does not say which component is at fault. Typical causes are a weak low-pressure supply, a worn high-pressure pump, a sticking control valve, a leak or a drifting pressure sensor; the engine usually goes into reduced power.

Written from public technical sources and not yet checked by a mechanic. How we write these pages

Symptoms

  • Check engine light on
  • Loss of power or reduced power mode
  • Hard starting or stalling
  • Jerking under load

Common causes

  1. Low-pressure supply too weak: lift pump, clogged filter, low tank level or waxing Most likely
  2. High-pressure pump worn Most likely
  3. Pressure control or metering valve sticking Possible
  4. High-pressure leak or excessive injector return flow Possible
  5. Rail pressure sensor drifting Possible

How to diagnose P0087

  1. Make sure there's enough fuel in the tank. Very low levels can cause this code on some cars.
  2. Replace the fuel filter if it's due. On diesels, check for water or waxed fuel in cold weather.
  3. Have the low-pressure supply measured. A weak in-tank pump starves the high-pressure pump.
  4. Compare actual and desired rail pressure on a scanner. If supply is fine but rail pressure stays low, the high-pressure pump or pressure regulator is suspect.
  5. Check for software updates and recalls; several makes have had high-pressure fuel pump campaigns.

Vehicles that report P0087 most

VehicleYearsReportsMedian miles
Volkswagen Jetta2009–20141668k
Honda CR-V2016–20211697k
Honda Pilot2016–202114165k
Honda Accord2013–202213—
Ford Escape2013–20199106k
Honda Odyssey2018–20209—
Volkswagen Passat2007–2013736k
Hyundai Sonata2012579k
Ram 15002014–20215—
Ford Fusion2013–2016463k

Counts of owner complaints to the NHTSA that mention P0087 (211 in total), not failure rates: popular models get more complaints simply because more of them are on the road. Models with fewer than 3 complaints are left out.

Reading the code

P
Powertrain
0
Generic (SAE) code
0
Fuel and air metering, auxiliary emission controls
87
Specific fault

Questions drivers ask

Can I drive with code P0087?

Drive only as far as needed. Low fuel pressure can make the engine stall in traffic and puts the car into reduced power.

Will my car pass an emissions inspection with P0087?

Probably not in states that test vehicles with an OBD-II scan: an emissions-related code that keeps the check engine light on is usually an automatic fail. Rules differ by state and county, so check yours.

Will P0087 clear by itself?

The light can go off after several drive cycles without the fault, but the code returns if the cause is still there. After a repair, the readiness monitors need a full drive cycle before an inspection.

Often reported together

Codes that owners mention in the same NHTSA complaints as P0087. They can point to a shared cause, so it's worth checking them together.

This page is general information, not a substitute for a professional diagnosis. Repair costs are rough estimates for parts and labor and vary by vehicle and region.