Kia service campaign SC297_QA
What it saysVOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: 4WD ECU INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (SC297) - This bulletin provides information to inspect and, if necessary, replace/repair the 4WD Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and wire harness and also… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a service campaign dated Apr 2, 2025, received Apr 3, 2024, about the power train — 4 documents under this number: SC297_OWNR_201, SC297_TSB, SC297_OWNR and 1 more. It names 3 model years (2021–2023). A service campaign 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.
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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: VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: 4WD ECU INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (SC297) - This bulletin provides information to inspect and, if necessary, replace/repair the 4WD Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and wire harness and also to install a protective cover over the 4WD ECU on certain 2021-2023MY Seltos (SP2) All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicles produced from November 20, 2019 through March 2, 2023 that were originally sold or are currently registered in one of 36 states and the District of Columbia with significant snowfall (AK, CO, CT, DC, DE, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OR, OH, PA, RI, SD, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, and WY). In the 36 states and District of Columbia with significant snowfall, snow may be tracked into the driverâs footwell area. Meltwater from this snow may enter the 4WD ECU located under the driverâs seat and, over time, damage the 4WD ECU circuit board components. This can lead to the illumination of the 4WD Warning Light and deactivation of the vehicleâs 4WD feature. If this occurs, the vehicle can continue to be driven in the front-wheel drive mode. This service campaign is to improve protection of the 4WD ECU against water intrusion.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC297_OWNR_201 | Service campaign | Apr 2, 2025 | 11016935 | PDF, 139 KB |
| SC297_TSB | Service bulletin | Apr 17, 2024 | 10253539 | PDF, 1,322 KB |
| SC297_OWNR | Service bulletin | Apr 2, 2024 | 10252798 | PDF, 108 KB |
| SC297_QA | Service bulletin | Mar 28, 2024 | 10252090 | PDF, 69 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 504 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 155 of them name Power Train, 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 2021 Kia Seltos, the 16 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 7,400 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
On 05/03/21 approx. 2:40 PM ct I was excelling to enter highway mopac north; austin, tx; when my car became sluggish; I pulled over, to shoulder, ironically tx roadside assitance pulled in behind me - we couldn't determine the issue - I was exiting the next exit driving to jiffy lube on anderson/spicewood; dialogue screen stating issue…
2021 Kia Seltos · Power Train · filed with NHTSA May 13, 2021 · ODI 11416394
Engine seized while driving on vacation in florida. Put the driver and 3 passengers at major risk for an accident and/or fire! Had to push vehicle back to a safe spot. Had noticed sluggish acceleration on and off and some smoke coming from exhaust, engine knocking was very present, oil looked dirty and gritty.
2022 Kia Seltos · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Mar 29, 2025 · ODI 11651473
Car has stalled 3 times after driving short or long distances in hot weather (near Great Lakes, not even southern heat). Twice in 2024 and once in 2025. It is 2023 Kia Seltos with only 10,000 miles. Dealer inspected it 2024 (possibly not knowing of other recalls) and said nothing wrong.
2023 Kia Seltos · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 9, 2025 · ODI 11679495
In depth: 2021 Kia Seltos transmission and drivetrain problems →
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… |
| SA605 | Service bulletin | May 21, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AWD COUPLING ACTUATOR LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA605) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the 4-Wheel Driv… |
| 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… |
| 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 SC297_QA a recall?
No. A service campaign 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 SC297_QA repair free?
A service campaign 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 SC297_QA cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2023 Kia Seltos, 2022 Kia Seltos, 2021 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: Seltos (SP2): built 20 Nov 2019 – 2 Mar 2023 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.