Kia bulletin SC279_QA
What it saysVOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA 2.0L T-GDI ECM SOFTWARE LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC279) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the software logic of the engine control module (ECM) with an improved… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Dec 20, 2023, received Jan 6, 2024, about the electrical system — 3 documents under this number: SC279_OWNR, SC279_TSB and 1 more. It names 4 model years (2018–2021). 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 NHTSA’s summary states it — build dates and equipment as the manufacturer filed them. The dealer checks the VIN and the build date on the door jamb; a vehicle outside the window is not covered by this bulletin.
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA 2.0L T-GDI ECM SOFTWARE LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC279) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the software logic of the engine control module (ECM) with an improved version on 2018-2021MY Stinger (CK) vehicles equipped with a Theta 2.0L T-GDI ULEV engine manufactured from September 29, 2017 through January 20, 2021. The subject vehicles may have engine calibrations that were not optimized for emissions standards under certain specific conditions, which may cause the vehicle to release air pollutants which exceed Federal and California standards (such as NMOG (Non-Methane Organic Gas) and CO (Carbon Monoxide) during IUVP (In-Use Verification Program). To ensure compliance with emissions regulations, apply the improved logic to the âENGINEâ system using the KDS ECU Upgrade function as described in this bulletin.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC279_OWNR | Service bulletin | Dec 20, 2023 | 10248085 | not found |
| SC279_TSB | Service bulletin | Dec 20, 2023 | 10248077 | not found |
| SC279_QA | Service bulletin | Dec 18, 2023 | 10247636 | not found |
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 148 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 112 of them name Engine, Fuel/Propulsion System, 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.
On the 2018 Kia Stinger, the 13 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 70,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
I recently purchased a used 2018 Kia Stinger premium. I was notified online that my vehicle had an outstanding recall, sc196a with a fire hazard from the fuse box. I made an appointment with garden grove Kia and ask numerous times if the part could be ordered ahead of time before I took it in so I don't have to be inconvenienced twice.
2018 Kia Stinger · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 25, 2021 · ODI 11404923
My car started skipping or stalling when I'd press the accelerator. Then the check engine light came on. I took it to an Independent mechanic and it showed high pressure fuel pump or system. The spark plugs were changed, but the problem remained. I checked and noticed that there was a recall for that particular problem.
2021 Kia Stinger · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA Jun 17, 2026 · ODI 11744848
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Stinger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V169000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 70-75 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond.
2020 Kia Stinger · Engine · filed with NHTSA Sep 3, 2024 · ODI 11612301
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 group11 other manufacturer communications filed against the Kia Stinger 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_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… |
| SA611 | Service bulletin | Mar 20, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: KIA CONNECT MODEM RESET (SA611) - This bulletin outlines the procedure for resetting the modem i… |
| TSB_ELE303_R3 | Service bulletin | Nov 15, 2024 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional info… |
| TSB_ELE303_R2 | Service bulletin | Feb 9, 2024 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional info… |
| SC279_STKR | Service bulletin | Dec 18, 2023 | SC279_STKR: VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN COMPLETION STICKER |
| TSB_ELE314 | Service bulletin | Oct 5, 2023 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: UNEVEN/SLIPPERY ROAD WARNING DISPLAYED ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER - This bulletin provides information to update the… |
| TSB_ELE294 | Service bulletin | Jun 1, 2023 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SHIFT LEVER POSITION INSPECTION & DETENT DAMPER REPLACEMENT FOR REMOTE START FAILURE - This bulletin provides in… |
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 SC279_QA 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 SC279_QA 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 SC279_QA cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2021 Kia Stinger, 2020 Kia Stinger, 2019 Kia Stinger, 2018 Kia Stinger. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.