Kia bulletin SA605
What it saysThis bulletin provides information to upgrade the 4-Wheel Drive (“4WD”) system software on certain 2024-2025MY Seltos (SP2) vehicles equipped with All-Wheel Drive (“AWD”) produced from February 14, 2023 through October… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 21, 2025, received May 22, 2025, about the power train — 1 document under this number: TSB_ELE374. It names 2 model years (2024–2025). 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.
Get the next Kia Seltos bulletin by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
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: AWD COUPLING ACTUATOR LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA605) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the 4-Wheel Drive (“4WD”) system software on certain 2024-2025MY Seltos (SP2) vehicles equipped with All-Wheel Drive (“AWD”) produced from February 14, 2023 through October 08, 2024. The affected vehicles may experience an interruption of supplementary power to the rear wheels, while normal motive power continues to be available to the front wheels, accompanied by the warning message “Check AWD/4WD System” on the instrument cluster and with the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated with DTCs P195800 and P196000 stored.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_ELE374 | Service bulletin | May 21, 2025 | 11018536 | PDF, 431 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.
Email me new Kia bulletins for the Seltos
A weekly email, sent only in a week when Kia files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 60 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 27 of them name Electrical System, Power Train — 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 2024 Kia Seltos. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before the engine seized. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the valves.
2024 Kia Seltos · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jun 3, 2025 · ODI 11664693
Instrument cluster does not turn on upon ignition, when in cold weather. this has been a repeating incident, first of which started only 2 months after the purchase. even after 7 separate incidents, and handful dealer visits, car was deemed "okay" because they could not replicate the issue.
2025 Kia Seltos · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jan 21, 2026 · ODI 11712544
On July 9 while waiting at a red light car randomly turned off, had to put car in park and restart On July 19 while driving about 55mph on an extremely busy interstate highway car shut down completely.
2024 Kia Seltos · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 24, 2025 · ODI 11676008
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 power train
Source: same model, same component group10 other manufacturer communications filed against the Kia Seltos under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Kia list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC199_TSB_R1 | Emissions | Feb 19, 2026 | VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: IVT SOFTWARE LOGIC IMPROVEMENT AND/OR IVT REPLACEMENT (SC199) - This bulletin has been revised to incl… |
| CA2503 | Service bulletin | Jun 11, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AWD/4WD COUPLING ACTUATOR REPLACEMENT (CA2503) - This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Ser… |
| TSB_TRA046_R5 | Service bulletin | Apr 17, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/rev… |
| SC297_QA | Service campaign | Apr 2, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: 4WD ECU INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (SC297) - This bulletin provides information to inspe… |
| TSB_TRA109 | Service bulletin | Jul 11, 2024 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: IVT OIL PRESSURE SENSOR REPLACEMENT: This bulletin provides information to replace the Intelligent Variable Tran… |
| TSB_TRA046_R4 | Service bulletin | May 16, 2024 | This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush… |
| SC297_DPSM | Service bulletin | Mar 28, 2024 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: DEALER PARTS & SERVICE MANAGER MEMO (SC297) - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service… |
| SC297_DP | Service bulletin | Mar 28, 2024 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (SC297) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals that Kia is conductin… |
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 SA605 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 SA605 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 SA605 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2025 Kia Seltos, 2024 Kia Seltos. 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: 2024-2025MY Seltos (SP2): built 14 Feb 2023 – 8 Oct 2024; Seltos (SP2): built 14 Feb 2023 – 8 Oct 2024 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.