What does this cost in your state?
California is the costliest state and Arkansas the cheapest; each square shows that state's midpoint of the estimate.
Lower-cost states ($248)MiddleHigher-cost states ($316)
What it shows: CA is the highest at $316 and AR the lowest at $248, across 51 states.
Counts below are complaints filed with NHTSA, not failure rates: a longer bar means more owners reported it.
Is your car affected?
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 50,000-100,000 (59%), against 29% for all complaints: the biggest difference between the two.
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 3-5 years (48%). The biggest difference from all complaints is under 3 years old: 14% against 40%.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
118 owner complaints name this part.
Owners say the dealer could not fix or repeat the problem. If it comes back after a repair, ask what was tested before you pay again.
Which trouble codes do owners report?
P0101 Mass or Volume Air Flow Circuit Range/Performance leads at 15.
Trouble codes owners quote in complaints about this part. P0101: Mass or Volume Air Flow Circuit Range/Performance: 15 complaints (13%).
How fast were owners driving when it happened?
55 mph or faster leads at 36%.
Owners reported it most often at highway speed. Tell the shop what speed it happens at, because that narrows the diagnosis.
How serious did it get for owners?
Among the 118 owner complaints naming this part, being towed is the outcome owners report most often.
Outcomes owners reported in complaints about this part. Towed: 7; Crash reported: 2.
Which model years show up most in the complaints?
Among the 118 owner complaints naming this part that state a model year, complaints cluster in a few model years instead of spreading evenly.
What it shows: 2015 is the largest at 28 (24%), followed by 2016 at 13 (11%); the smallest shown is 2025 at 2 (2%).
Is this repair covered by an emissions warranty?
Federal rules require carmakers to cover the catalytic converter, the emissions computer and the onboard diagnostic system for 8 years or 80,000 miles, and any part whose failure fails an emissions test for 2 years or 24,000 miles; California requires 3 years or 50,000 miles on every emission part.
| Warranty | Covers | Length |
|---|---|---|
| California, all emission parts | All emissions-related parts | 3 years or 50,000 miles |
| California, high-cost parts | Specific high-cost emission parts listed in the owner manual | 7 years or 70,000 miles |
| Federal, basic | Any part that causes an emissions failure | 2 years or 24,000 miles |
| Federal, extended | Catalytic converters, electronic emissions control unit (ECU), onboard emissions diagnostic device or computer (OBD) | 8 years or 80,000 miles |
What do emissions repairs cost?
Among 46,033 California vehicles repaired to pass a Smog Check in 2025, 39.1% cost over $650 to fix and the average bill was $757.
What it shows: Over $650 is the largest at 39.1%, followed by $1 to $100 at 13.1%; the smallest shown is $501 to $650 at 8.4%.
Are the parts for this repair getting more expensive, or only the labor?
The federal producer price index for new electrical and electronic engine equipment parts rose 57.0% from December 2019 to August 2026, while the consumer price index for motor vehicle repair, labor and parts together, rose 55.2% (BLS, national).
Prices of new electrical and electronic engine equipment parts, as shops buy them from makers, since December 2019, against consumer prices for motor vehicle repair. New electrical and electronic engine equipment parts: +57.0%; All motor vehicle parts: +17.4%; Motor vehicle repair, labor and parts together: +55.2%.
Has this part been recalled abroad on cars that may share it?
Manufacturers filed 1 foreign recall campaigns that name mass airflow with NHTSA since 2015 (matched by the filing text); the latest, from Toyota Motor Corporation in 2026-03.
| Filed | Manufacturer | Foreign recall no. | What the filing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03 | Toyota Motor Corporation | 032 | Date: March 2, 2026 Foreign Safety Recall / Other Safety Campaign Report Subject: RAV4 Mass Air Flow sensor issue on certain Toyota vehicles 1. |
Which fuel delivery does a car of my age have?
EPA's Automotive Trends data show direct fuel injection (which spares the intake valves a fuel wash and can build carbon deposits) in 79.5% of new cars in model year 2024 against 8.3% in 2010 (sales-weighted national shares).
| Model year | Port injection | Direct injection | Dual direct and port injection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 99.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2005 | 99.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2010 | 91.0% | 8.3% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 60.9% | 37.4% | 0.4% |
| 2018 | 37.7% | 50.2% | 10.3% |
| 2021 | 23.6% | 53.4% | 18.7% |
| 2024 | 12.5% | 56.2% | 23.3% |
Has the maker published a fix?
A bulletin is a repair procedure a maker sends its dealers, not a safety defect: if your maker is listed, ask the dealer whether one covers your car and quote its number.
| Maker | Vehicles | Bulletin number | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | Trailblazer 2021–2022 | 22-NA-008 | May 25, 2022 | This bulletin provides a procedure to locate a possible short in the wiring harness near the MAF sensor. |
| Nissan | Versa 2020–2021; Kicks 2018–2021 | NTB21-049 | Jun 8, 2021 | Mil on with dtc P0101 AND/OR P0507 stored in the ecm if you confirm The MIL is ON and DTC P0101 (MAF SENSOR) and/or P0507 (ISC SYSTEM) is stored in the ECM. |
Check your car
A mass airflow sensor replacement costs $133 to $438 with an aftermarket sensor at a dealer. The sensor grade moves the price most: an OEM sensor runs $335 to $1,005, and a remanufactured one runs $173 to $533.
22.1% (44 of the 199 complaints that named a model and year) came from a model year that has a manufacturer service bulletin for this problem. Ask the shop whether a bulletin covers your car before you pay for a new sensor.
Nissan bulletin NTB21-049 covers the P0101 MAF code on the Kicks and Versa
Nissan's service bulletin NTB21-049 covers a lit check-engine light with code P0101 (MAF sensor) and/or P0507 (idle speed control) stored in the engine computer. It applies to the Kicks for 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 and to the Versa for 2020 and 2021. Owners filed more MAF complaints about the Kicks than any other model, and its peak complaint years, 2018 to 2020, fall inside that bulletin's range.
If you own one of these cars and have that code, bring the bulletin number to a Nissan dealer before paying for a new sensor. The bulletin gives the dealer a set repair procedure for that code, and that procedure may not match a standard sensor swap.
GM MAF bulletins point to wiring and calibration, not the sensor itself
Three GM bulletins address problems around the MAF sensor rather than a failed sensor:
- 22-NA-008 (2021-2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer, 2020-2022 Buick Encore GX): a procedure to find a possible short in the wiring harness near the MAF sensor.
- N222358700 (2020-2022 Cadillac XT4): a service update because the engine computer may not detect when the MAF signal drifts, so the check-engine light may not come on.
On these models, a MAF code can come from a wiring short or a software calibration issue. Ask the shop to rule both out before you pay for a new sensor.
Nearly a third of MAF complaints say the dealer could not fix it on the first try
In 31% of complaints, owners said the dealer could not fix the problem or had to repeat the repair. A warning light was the most common symptom, in half of the reports. Owners reported stalling or loss of power in 37% of complaints.
One Nissan Altima owner told NHTSA they went back to a mechanic "to make sure it was not the Mass Air Flow Sensor that I had to pay him to replace a few months back which cost me $600." (NHTSA complaint #11420608) Before you approve a second MAF sensor, ask whether the first one was actually the cause.
Throttle body and air filter problems often come with MAF complaints
The throttle body appears in 15% of MAF complaints and the air filter in 11%. Air filters are named far more often in these complaints than in complaints overall. One Volkswagen Touareg owner said the "dealer replaced air filter and mass airflow sensor and charged $500+ for the repair." (NHTSA complaint #11338397) That bill is above the calculator's $133–$438 dealer range for an aftermarket sensor alone.
A Ford Fusion owner took a cheaper route: "I cleaned the throttle body and MAF sensor with a $10 two pack of spray cleaner." (NHTSA complaint #11417597) A dirty sensor next to a clogged filter is a different repair from a dead sensor.
If the quote adds a throttle body, the throttle body is named in 15% (29) of the 199 mass airflow sensor complaints, so price the throttle body to see what that line should cost.
Owners whose shop also swapped the filter are not alone: the air filter is named in 11% (22) of the 199 mass airflow sensor complaints, and you can price an air filter replacement separately.
A third of MAF failures happen at 55 mph or faster, and few owners need a tow
The median speed at failure was 45 mph, and 33% of complaints happened at 55 mph or faster. None happened while parked. Only 5% of owners needed a tow, so most cars could still be driven to a shop. Owners filed 3 crash reports, although a report does not prove the MAF sensor caused the crash.
MAF complaints cluster between 44,246 and 79,700 miles
The middle half of owners who gave a mileage reported failure between 44,246 and 79,700 miles. By model year, 2015 cars failed later (median 73,000 miles) than 2016 cars (54,000). Chevrolet Cruze complaints had the highest model median at 78,000 miles, and Nissan Pathfinder complaints the lowest at 38,500.
An independent shop saves little on a MAF job, but the part grade changes the bill
Labor is only 0.5–1.5 hours, so choosing an independent shop at $100/hr drops the aftermarket estimate only to $118–$393, from $133–$438 at a dealer.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to clean or replace a mass air flow sensor?
Owner reports show both approaches. A Ford Fusion owner cleaned the throttle body and MAF sensor with a $10 two-pack of spray cleaner, while a Volkswagen Touareg owner was charged $500+ for a new air filter and mass airflow sensor.
How long do mass air flow sensors last?
Chevrolet Cruze complaints had the highest model median at 78,000 miles and Nissan Pathfinder the lowest at 38,500.
Sources
Data shown on this page
- NHTSA owner complaint file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA service bulletin file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- CalcScrape calculator model scaled by BEA Regional Price Parities data from 2024
- U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 40 CFR 85.2103, and the California Air Resources Board warranty fact sheet file downloaded 2026-10-05
- California Bureau of Automotive Repair, Smog Check Executive Summary Report 2025 data from 2025
- BLS Producer Price Index, commodity data for motor vehicle parts (series WPU1412051424); BLS Consumer Price Index item SETD for the repair row file downloaded August 2026
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, Foreign Campaigns (filings under 49 CFR 579.11, public API) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- U.S. EPA, The 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report (EPA-420-R-26-001) file downloaded 2026-10
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates. Modeled: our estimate, not a quote. Rule: a published legal rule, not a measurement; whether it covers a given repair depends on the car and the facts.
Owner complaints quoted
What is our own estimate
The price range comes from our calculator's formula. Its parts prices, labor hours per job and shop-rate tiers are CalcScrape estimates, not a published price dataset. Checked against RepairPal's range ($274–$381) on 2026-10-06: our default's midpoint is 13% below the middle of that range. Methodology