Kia bulletin TSB_CHA122
What it saysThis bulletin provides the procedure to replace the worm gear small bearing of Motor Driver Power Steering (MDPS) unit on 2021MY Sorento (MQ4a) vehicles produced from September 30, 2020 through June 30, 2021 and 2021MY… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 25, 2024, received May 30, 2024, about the steering. It names 1 model year (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 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: MDPS SMALL BEARING REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides the procedure to replace the worm gear small bearing of Motor Driver Power Steering (MDPS) unit on 2021MY Sorento (MQ4a) vehicles produced from September 30, 2020 through June 30, 2021 and 2021MY Sorento HEV (MQ4 PHEV) vehicles produced from September 15, 2020 through June 30, 2021 which may exhibit an abnormal noise when steering left and right. This may be caused by foreign substances in the MDPS worm shaft small bearing. On some vehicles when the steering wheel is rotated, a scraping/rumbling noise can be heard originating from worm gear small bearing and does not affect the steering effort.
Trouble codes it names: P2000 all 1 read from the document itself; NHTSA’s summary names none
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_CHA122 | Service bulletin | May 25, 2024 | 11000548 | PDF, 725 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 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 276 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
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 steering
Source: same model, same component group1 other manufacturer communication filed against the Kia Sorento under the same component group (steering), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_CHA111 | Service bulletin | Oct 6, 2021 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: REPLACEMENT OF MOBIS C-MDPS SMALL BEARING - This bulletin provides the procedure to replace the small bearing of… |
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_CHA122 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_CHA122 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_CHA122 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2021 Kia Sorento. 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: 2021MY Sorento (MQ4a): built 30 Sep 2020 – 30 Jun 2021; 2021MY Sorento HEV (MQ4 PHEV): built 15 Sep 2020 – 30 Jun 2021; Sorento (MQ4a): built 30 Sep 2020 – 30 Jun 2021 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.