Kia bulletin TSB_BOD212_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 Nov 2, 2023, received Dec 5, 2023, about the seats. It names 12 model years (2018–2024). 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 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: PARTIAL SEAT TRACK REPLACEMENT FOR INOPERATIVE FRONT SEAT - 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 to inspect and repair an inoperative front seat mechanism on some 2019-2024MY Forte (BDm) vehicles produced from June 18, 2018 through Present and some 2018-2023MY Rio (SC) vehicles produced from January 2, 2017 through August 16, 2023. Symptoms of an inoperative front seat include the inability of the seat to move forward and backward, which may be caused by a pin getting stuck on a rail.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_BOD212_R1 | Service bulletin | Nov 2, 2023 | 10245168 | PDF, 725 KB |
What the document itself lists
Labour operation and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| M7010 | Seat Rail from Seat Track Replacement 88650F01 | 1 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (9 pages), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Kia’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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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 12 model years this bulletin names have filed 533 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1 of them name 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.
2019 Kia Rio Hatchback trunk latch failure buzzing actuator but won't open emergency release does not work dealer says not covered under recall #21V622000 which covers the trunk for 4 door 2019 Kia Rio and this appears to be the same or similar issue with the trunk emergency release not opening creating a safety risk
2019 Kia Rio · Structure · filed with NHTSA Apr 21, 2026 · ODI 11732793
My car is a 2018 Kia Rio that has a clean history and has never been in an accident. Recently my airbag light came on and I had a diagnostic run that showed a B1448 code indicating an OCS mat defect in the passenger seat. The 2015-2018 Kia Sedona models also had the same problem and were issued safety recalls.
2018 Kia Rio · Seats · filed with NHTSA Jan 27, 2026 · ODI 11713726
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.
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_BOD212_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_BOD212_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_BOD212_R1 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 12 model years: 2024 Kia Forte, 2023 Kia Forte, 2022 Kia Forte, 2021 Kia Forte, 2020 Kia Forte, 2019 Kia Forte and more. 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: 2019 -2024MY Forte (BDm): built on or after 18 Jun 2018; 2018 -2023MY Rio (SC): built 2 Jan 2017 – 16 Aug 2023; Rio (SC): built 2 Jan 2017 – 16 Aug 2023 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.