Kia service campaign DC26
What it saysDATA COLLECTION: EXTRACT CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS DATA FROM ECU (DC26) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a service campaign dated Feb 10, 2026, received Jan 28, 2026, about the engine — 2 documents under this number: TSB_ENG261_R1, TSB_ENG261. It names 7 model years (2026). 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 communicationTECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DATA COLLECTION: EXTRACT CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS DATA FROM ECU (DC26) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information related to extracting “in use monitoring performance tracking” emissions data from the Engine Control Unit (ECU) of certain vehicles sold in California. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) requires the emissions data from vehicles with a minimum of 3,000 accumulated miles without reprogramming or resetting.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_ENG261_R1 | Service campaign | Feb 10, 2026 | 11028738 | PDF, 1,040 KB |
| TSB_ENG261 | Service bulletin | Jan 28, 2026 | 11027858 | PDF, 980 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 7 model years this bulletin names have filed 140 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 20 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.
The display is shows a "Check Oil Level" error. It comes on then goes off regularly. I have verified that the oil level is OK. Took it into the dealer and he said that this is a common issue and a software fix is coming. The car only has less than 2K miles. I depend on the engine displaying error messages, but they need to be real ones.
2026 Kia K5 · Engine · filed with NHTSA Apr 13, 2026 · ODI 11730905
While I was driving, the car's engine shut off, and I could no longer accelerate. The car went into neutral and the brakes felt harder to press; the steering wheel did, too. Luckily, it happened after I turned into a mall parking lot. Since the car came to a stop and I couldn't accelerate, I turned it off and back on.
2026 Kia Carnival · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 20, 2026 · ODI 11772300
The contact owns a 2026 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the check engine warning light started flashing and the vehicle entered LIMP Mode. The contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as intended while driving to the residence.
2026 Kia Sorento · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jun 29, 2026 · ODI 11747249
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 group32 other manufacturer communications filed against these Kia models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Kia list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC365 | Emissions | Sep 10, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: This bulletin provides the procedure to update the emissions‑related logic… |
| SC340 | Emissions | Apr 4, 2026 | VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS: ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340 REVISION 5) - This bulletin has been revised… |
| CA2516 | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER ACTION: ECU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR DTC P2B59F0 (CA2516) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade… |
| WTY026_QA | Service bulletin | Mar 18, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: OIL PRESSURE SWITCH (OPS) REPLACEMENT - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/re… |
| SA642 | Service bulletin | Mar 13, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: THETA III 2.5 GDI ECM SW LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA642) - This bulletin provides information to upgra… |
| SC325 | Emissions | Feb 20, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: AEWP INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT (SC325) - This bulletin has been revised t… |
| CA2508 | Service bulletin | Dec 8, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: ITM REPLACEMENT AND ECM & TCM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (CA2508) - This bulletin provides information to replace the Int… |
| SA621 | Over-the-air update | Dec 2, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: ECM JUDGEMENT LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR DTC P218100 (SA621) - This bulletin provides information to… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Kia, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Kia DC26 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 DC26 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 DC26 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 7 model years: 2026 Kia Carnival, 2026 Kia K4, 2026 Kia K5, 2026 Kia Niro, 2026 Kia Seltos, 2026 Kia Sorento and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.