Kia bulletin PI2603
What it saysPRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: BMS BATTERY DIAGNOSTIC LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (PI2603) - This bulletin provides information regarding a Battery Management System (BMS) software update for certain 2020–2022MY Niro (DE EV)… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a manufacturer communication dated Jun 17, 2026, about the electrical system — 5 documents under this number: PI2603_OWNR, PI2603_TSB, PI2603_QA, PI2603_DPSM and 1 more. It names 3 model years (2020–2022). A manufacturer communication is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationWhat it applies to, as the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: BMS BATTERY DIAGNOSTIC LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (PI2603) - This bulletin provides information regarding a Battery Management System (BMS) software update for certain 2020–2022MY Niro (DE EV) vehicles produced from June 2, 2020, through November 8, 2021. Kia has developed improved battery health monitoring software to enhance the BMS diagnostic performance of the high-voltage battery (HVB) cells produced by a specific supplier in the subject vehicles. This improved software will enhance the long-term issue detection capabilities of the high-voltage battery in the subject vehicles.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PI2603_OWNR | Other | Jun 17, 2026 | 11033932 | PDF, 160 KB |
| PI2603_TSB | Service bulletin | Jun 15, 2026 | 11033933 | PDF, 620 KB |
| PI2603_QA | Other | Jun 15, 2026 | 11033931 | PDF, 112 KB |
| PI2603_DPSM | Other | Jun 15, 2026 | 11033930 | PDF, 82 KB |
| PI2603_DP | Other | Jun 15, 2026 | 11033929 | PDF, 108 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 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 150 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 39 of them name Electrical System — 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 contact owns a 2020 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the coolant system warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle following a charging session, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle while the coolant system warning light was illuminated.
2020 Kia Niro · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Sep 3, 2026 · ODI 11761948
Component or system that failed: High-Voltage Electrical System / High-Voltage Battery Safety Plug Assembly (specifically covered under Recall SC314 / NHTSA Campaign 24V-358). It is NOT wear and tear as falsely claimed by the dealer. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request at the owner's residence.
2022 Kia Niro · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 24, 2026 · ODI 11752715
I purchased this used 2022 Kia Niro EV on August 19, 2023, with approximately 3,042 miles. On December 22, 2023, at 24,086 miles, a Kia of Valencia service record documented a kicking/knocking sensation when releasing the brake. The cause was not identified.
2022 Kia Niro · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA Oct 6, 2026 · ODI 11769211
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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group30 other manufacturer communications filed against the Kia Niro under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Kia list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_CLI049_R2 | Service bulletin | Aug 28, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR – ELECTRICAL A/C COMPRESSOR - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. N… |
| TSB_ELE426 | Service bulletin | Aug 19, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN GEN 5.0 WIDE SOFTWARE UPDATE - This bulletin provides information on the Audio Video Navigation (AVN) system… |
| PI2603Y | Service bulletin | Jul 8, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: BSA REPLACEMENT (PI2603Y) - This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previou… |
| TSB_ELE422 | Service bulletin | May 28, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE. KIA. COM - This bulletin provides information and service proc… |
| TSB_ELE417 | Service bulletin | Apr 14, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infot… |
| TSB_ELE394 | Service bulletin | Mar 26, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN5.0W DTC P17A000 DAIGNOSTIC PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information regarding a potential illuminated… |
| SA619 | Service bulletin | Jul 29, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: AVN SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR OTA INSTALLATION (SA619) - This bulletin provides the procedure to insta… |
| SC335 | Service campaign | Jun 26, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: BMS S/W LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR DTC P1BB2 (SC335) - This bulletin provides information… |
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 PI2603 a recall?
No. A manufacturer communication 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 PI2603 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Kia warranty extension on file lists the ones Kia has filed.
Which vehicles does PI2603 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2022 Kia Niro, 2021 Kia Niro, 2020 Kia Niro. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: 2020–2022MY Niro (DE EV): built on or after 2 Jun 2020 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.