Hyundai service campaign SERVICE CAMPAIGN 966
What it saysHyundai is conducting a campaign to enhance the knock sensor software to detect abnormal engine bearing noise before potentially severe engine damage occurs. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Hyundai filed this with NHTSA as a service campaign dated Aug 19, 2024, received Sep 3, 2024, about the engine — 1 document under this number: 24-01-068H. It names 17 model years (2016–2021). A service campaign is not a safety recall — there is no NHTSA campaign number and no federal requirement — but it is usually work the manufacturer pays for on the vehicles it names; the dealer checks the VIN against the manufacturer’s list.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationHyundai is conducting a campaign to enhance the knock sensor software to detect abnormal engine bearing noise before potentially severe engine damage occurs. If abnormal engine bearing noise is detected, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) will blink continuously, and the vehicle will be placed in Engine Protection Mode allowing the customer to drive to the nearest Hyundai dealer for diagnosis and repair. In addition, DTC P132600 will be recorded in the ECM. The vehicle can continue to be operated for a limited time in Engine Protection Mode, but it will accelerate slower and have a reduced maximum speed. Engine RPMs will be limited to approximately 1800-2000 RPM.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24-01-068H | Service campaign | Aug 19, 2024 | 11006829 | PDF, 459 KB |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 17 model years this bulletin names have filed 8,327 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 4,044 of them name Engine — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2017 Hyundai Tucson, the 196 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 60,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
While Driving on the freeway my CEL came on and started blinking i loss power and slowly got to the first exit on the freeway. A week later i brought the vehicle to the Patriot Hyundai in Elmonte CA., i mentioned the extended powertrain warranty Ref# TXXM and the dealer held on to my vehicle for 40 days giving me excuses and not calling…
2017 Hyundai Veloster · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jan 10, 2022 · ODI 11446956
The Engine stalled completely at highway speeds. It was then towed to the dealership and was diagnosed with engine rod bearing failure. Hyundai is denying the warranty extension for this engine failure based on an incomplete 'Service Campaign 966' that does not appear on the NHTSA public recall database, leaving consumers unnotified of…
2017 Hyundai Elantra · Engine · filed with NHTSA Aug 8, 2026 · ODI 11755675
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle stalled without any warning. The contact mentioned that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure.
2016 Hyundai Tucson · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jun 1, 2016 · ODI 10871758
In depth: 2020 Hyundai Elantra engine problems → · 2019 Hyundai Elantra engine problems → · 2018 Hyundai Elantra engine problems → · 2017 Hyundai Elantra engine problems →
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the engine
Source: same model, same component group39 other manufacturer communications filed against these Hyundai models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Hyundai list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9C7 | Service campaign | Oct 9, 2026 | Certain Santa Fe Hybrid (TM HEV), Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid (TM PHEV), Tucson Hybrid (NX4 HEV), and Tucson Plug-in Hybrid (NX4 PHEV) vehicles… |
| 26-EM-016H | Service bulletin | Oct 8, 2026 | Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin outlines the… |
| 26-EM-015H | Service bulletin | Oct 7, 2026 | Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin provides t… |
| 9D3 | Service campaign | Sep 11, 2026 | Certain Elantra (ADA) vehicles may have been incorrectly updated with Cylinder Noise Detection System (CNDS) software that can set DTC P1327… |
| 9C2 | Service campaign | May 21, 2026 | Certain 2019 – 2020 model year Santa Fe, 2017 – 2018 model year Santa Fe Sport, 2015 – 2019 model year Sonata, and 2018 – 2021 model year Tu… |
| 26-EE-003H | Service bulletin | Apr 18, 2026 | Some vehicles may exhibit difficulty starting in cold weather. This bulletin provides the procedure to perform an inspection on the starter… |
| T6G | Warranty extension | Mar 26, 2026 | This TSB references the Op codes to use for claim submission and the Parts required based on the vehicle’s inspection results from TSB 22-01… |
| T6G TXXM | Warranty extension | Mar 26, 2026 | This TSB references the Op codes to use for claim submission and the Parts required based on the vehicle’s inspection results from TSB 22-01… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Hyundai, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Hyundai SERVICE CAMPAIGN 966 a recall?
No. A service campaign is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the SERVICE CAMPAIGN 966 repair free?
A service campaign is usually paid by the manufacturer on the vehicles it names, within the terms and time limit the document sets; the dealer checks the VIN against the manufacturer’s list.
Which vehicles does SERVICE CAMPAIGN 966 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 17 model years: 2020 Hyundai Elantra, 2019 Hyundai Elantra, 2018 Hyundai Elantra, 2017 Hyundai Elantra, 2016 Hyundai Elantra, 2019 Hyundai Sonata and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.