Kia bulletin SA512
What it saysINVERTER COOLANT/DEBRIS FLUSHING/REPLACEMENT FOR CLUSTER MESSAGE “REFILL INVERTER COOLANT” (SA512) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Mar 3, 2025, received Mar 8, 2025, about the fuel/propulsion system — 1 document under this number: TSB_ELE270_R3. It names 4 model years (2019–2022). A service bulletin 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: SERVICE ACTION: INVERTER COOLANT/DEBRIS FLUSHING/REPLACEMENT FOR CLUSTER MESSAGE “REFILL INVERTER COOLANT” (SA512) - 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 to flush out the inverter low-conductivity coolant (BSC-1) on certain 2019-2022MY Niro EV (DE EV) vehicles produced from May 10, 2019 through October 4, 2021, which may exhibit a “Refill inverter coolant” message displayed on the instrument cluster due to poor flow of coolant/antifreeze inside the coolant pipes. In most cases, the inverter reservoir tank coolant may be filled to normal level and no DTC’s are stored due to an increase operation of the electric water pump (EWP) that is 2,450 RPMs or more when checked.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_ELE270_R3 | Service bulletin | Mar 3, 2025 | 11015367 | PDF, 1,638 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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 251 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 74 of them name Electrical System, Fuel/Propulsion 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
My 2019 Kia Niro EV, with approximately 75,000 miles, continuously displays a “Refill inverter coolant” warning. While driving, the vehicle intermittently displays the turtle-shaped reduced-power warning and experiences a significant loss of acceleration. The vehicle does not respond normally to accelerator input.
2019 Kia Niro · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 12, 2026 · ODI 11770708
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
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 fuel/propulsion system
Source: same model, same component group3 other manufacturer communications filed against the Kia Niro under the same component group (fuel/propulsion system), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC338 | Emissions | Sep 12, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: BMS S/W LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR DTC P1BB2 (SC338) - This bulletin has been r… |
| SC323 | Service campaign | Oct 31, 2024 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: VCMC LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC323) - This bulletin provides information to improve the s… |
| TSB_ELE298 | Service bulletin | Sep 18, 2023 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EV BATTERY POOR/NO CHARGING CONCERN ICCU REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides information regarding a poor EV ba… |
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 SA512 a recall?
No. A service bulletin 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 SA512 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 SA512 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2022 Kia Niro, 2021 Kia Niro, 2020 Kia Niro, 2019 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: 2019-2022MY Niro EV (DE EV): built 10 May 2019 – 4 Oct 2021; Niro EV (DE EV): built 7 May 2019 – 29 Sep 2021 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.