Kia bulletin TSB_BOD055_R1
What it saysThis bulletin has been revised to include additional information. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 13, 2021, received Oct 2, 2021, about the exterior lighting. It names 72 model years (2016–2022). 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 communicationTECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFORMATION FOR HEADLAMP CONDENSATION AND MOISTURE - 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 relating to some Kia models that may exhibit fogging, condensation, and/or moisture inside a headlamp assembly. Generally, a fogging condition is considered normal and can be eliminated by turning on the headlamps with the engine running for up to 30 minutes or during normal driving conditions. Headlamp assembly replacement WILL NOT be necessary in most cases.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_BOD055_R1 | Service bulletin | Sep 13, 2021 | 10201529 | PDF, 465 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 themand 29 more on this site: 2016 Kia Sedona, 2021 Kia Seltos, 2021 Kia Sorento, 2020 Kia Sorento, 2019 Kia Sorento, 2018 Kia Sorento, 2017 Kia Sorento, 2016 Kia Sorento, 2021 Kia Soul, 2020 Kia Soul, 2019 Kia Soul, 2018 Kia Soul, 2017 Kia Soul, 2016 Kia Soul, 2022 Kia Sportage, 2021 Kia Sportage, 2020 Kia Sportage, 2019 Kia Sportage, 2018 Kia Sportage, 2017 Kia Sportage, 2016 Kia Sportage, 2022 Kia Stinger, 2021 Kia Stinger, 2020 Kia Stinger, 2019 Kia Stinger, 2018 Kia Stinger, 2022 Kia Telluride, 2021 Kia Telluride, 2020 Kia Telluride.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2021 Kia Cadenza; 2021 Kia K900; 2018 Kia Redundant Niro.
A 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 69 model years this bulletin names have filed 12,528 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 879 of them name Exterior Lighting, Structure — 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 2016 Kia Sorento, the 40 owners who gave an odometer reading for Exterior Lighting reported it at a median of 49,014 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Safety issue: 2017 Kia Sportage rear turn signals not integrated into the brake lights and too low to be easily seen. I've been told on multiple occasions that my rear turn signals are too small (7 7/8" wide x 1 3/4" high), too low (23" from street level, on the rear bumpers), and too far away from my brake lights (20" from turn signals…
2017 Kia Sportage · Exterior Lighting · filed with NHTSA Nov 11, 2017 · ODI 11045367
The headlights have gone out on two separate occasions, while operating the vehicle at night with the headlight control in the auto mode. The headlights completely shutdown for approximately 2 to 3 seconds during this issue and automatically came back on. Both times this occurred at highway speeds with no other light source in the area.
2017 Kia Sorento · Exterior Lighting · filed with NHTSA Nov 27, 2017 · ODI 11048772
My 2020 Kia Soul, I only have it for 2 weeks and the fog lights got wet and foggy, I took the car the dealer and spoke to service, and order new parts, to install in the car, it really concerns me that a brand new car get these fog lights wet, which can cause a safety issue, since the light will not work properly with this lights foggy…
2020 Kia Soul · Structure · filed with NHTSA Nov 11, 2019 · ODI 11279413
In depth: 2017 Kia Sorento exterior lighting problems → · 2016 Kia Sorento exterior lighting problems → · 2020 Kia Telluride exterior lighting 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 exterior lighting
Source: same model, same component group3 other manufacturer communications filed against these Kia models under the same component group (exterior lighting), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| WTY031 | Warranty extension | Jun 16, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH REPAIR - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sect… |
| PS770 | Service bulletin | Aug 9, 2024 | This Pitstop provides information regarding the disposal of the headlamp assembly desiccant/absorbent pack(s) on some 2020-2024MY Telluride… |
| WTY030_QA | Service bulletin | Oct 13, 2023 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: HALOGEN HEADLAMP REPLACEMENT - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sec… |
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 TSB_BOD055_R1 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 TSB_BOD055_R1 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 TSB_BOD055_R1 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 72 model years: 2020 Kia Cadenza, 2019 Kia Cadenza, 2018 Kia Cadenza, 2017 Kia Cadenza, 2016 Kia Cadenza, 2022 Kia Carnival and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.