P0131 – Oxygen sensor voltage stays low (bank 1, sensor 1)
O2 sensor circuit low voltage (Bank 1 Sensor 1)
Fuel and air · generic OBD-II code
You can drive it, but take it easy and get it looked at soon – waiting usually makes the repair bigger.
Check this first
Check for exhaust leaks before the sensor – they let in air and fool it.
What usually fixes it
In the order a good shop checks them. Typical total: $98–$464 at $130 an hour.
Exhaust leak before the sensor
Extra air makes the sensor read lean all the time.
Upstream oxygen sensor
Sensors slow down and drift after about 100,000 miles.
Wiring to the sensor
Heat-damaged wires or a bad plug break the signal.
What the vehicle can tell you itself
A stored code is a headline, not the story. The vehicle also holds the conditions when it happened, how close the part is to the limit it fails at, what the fuel trims are doing, and whether the fault is still happening right now. Drive DTC reads all of it with a USB adapter and a Windows PC – and it can't change a single setting on the vehicle.
See what your vehicle says about P0131
Codes in plain English, what usually causes them, what the repair costs, and whether it's safe to drive.