Kia bulletin SA618 / SA626
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a over-the-air update dated Oct 1, 2025, received Oct 2, 2025, about the power train — 1 document under this number: OTA_SA618_SA626. It names 1 model year (2024). A over-the-air update 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.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationRELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SERVICE ACTION: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR SHIFT-BY-WIRE AND WIRELESS PHONE CHARGER (SA618-SA626) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Shift-By-Wire (SBW) and Wireless Phone Charger (WPC) logic of certain 2024 EV9 vehicles. This update is designed to improve shift control logic for smoother shifts into Reverse as well as the Digital Key 2 feature to better detect the NFC Card Key.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTA_SA618_SA626 | Over-the-air update | Oct 1, 2025 | 11023485 | not yet checked |
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.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Kia SA618 / SA626 a recall?
No. A over-the-air update 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 SA618 / SA626 repair free?
A over-the-air update 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 SA618 / SA626 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2024 Kia EV9. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.