Kia bulletin TSB_ELE254
What it saysThis bulletin provides information associated with the "Warranty Extension Program" (WTY027) to inspect and, if necessary, replace the Airbag Control Unit (ACU) with a new one on 2017MY Cadenza (YG) produced from June… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 20, 2022, received Jun 3, 2022, about the electrical system. It names 2 model years (2017). 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: AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT (ACU) INSPECTION & REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides information associated with the "Warranty Extension Program" (WTY027) to inspect and, if necessary, replace the Airbag Control Unit (ACU) with a new one on 2017MY Cadenza (YG) produced from June 2, 2016 through July 12, 2017 and Sportage (QL) vehicles produced from December 10, 2015 through April 11, 2017. If these vehicles exhibit an MIL "ON" and one or more of the DTCs listed in the table below are stored, the ACU is to be replaced. Follow the procedure outlined in this publication for the inspection of DTCs and ACU replacement.
Trouble codes it names: B1348 B1483 all 2 read from the document itself; NHTSA’s summary names none
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_ELE254 | Service bulletin | May 20, 2022 | 10212197 | PDF, 276 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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 437 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 69 of them name 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 2017 Kia Sportage, the 28 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 60,304 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The vehicle harness is burned and under recall sc206 for HECU fuses that was allegedly repaired which should have required a check of the harness connections . part number 91223f6632 is for the wire harness during engine replacement for campaign wty039 I was told the harness was melted and needed replacing , dealer put the car back…
2017 Kia Cadenza · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 29, 2026 · ODI 11727779
With only 6762 miles on the odometer, going 79-80 MPH on cruise control, the following happened all at once without warning: (1) loud thunk under the hood (2) engine stopped (3) electrical system shut down, including audio, dashboard, and headlights (4) rapid deceleration, as if I had slammed on the brakes (though I had not).
2017 Kia Sportage · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jan 1, 2018 · ODI 11057847
I am submitting a complaint regarding my 2017 Kia Cadenza related to an ongoing airbag system failure and Kia’s refusal to cover the repair under their existing airbag warranty extension.
2017 Kia Cadenza · Air Bags · filed with NHTSA Oct 2, 2025 · ODI 11691010
In depth: 2017 Kia Sportage electrical 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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group37 other manufacturer communications filed against these Kia models 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_CLI049_R2 | Service bulletin | Aug 28, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR – ELECTRICAL A/C COMPRESSOR - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. N… |
| TSB_ELE426 | Service bulletin | Aug 19, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN GEN 5.0 WIDE SOFTWARE UPDATE - This bulletin provides information on the Audio Video Navigation (AVN) system… |
| CA2606 | Service bulletin | Jul 25, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER ACTION: UPPER ACTIVE AIR FLAP DUCT ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT (CA2606) - This bulletin provides information t… |
| SA644 | Service bulletin | Jul 2, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: ON-BOARD CHARGER INSPECTION AND REPLACMENT (SA644) - This bulletin provides information related to charging syst… |
| 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… |
| TSB_ELE394 | Service bulletin | Mar 26, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN5.0W DTC P17A000 DAIGNOSTIC PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information regarding a potential illuminated… |
| SA635 | Over-the-air update | Feb 10, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: DCU OPERATIONSOFTWARE LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA635) - This bulletin has been revised to include addi… |
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_ELE254 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_ELE254 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_ELE254 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2017 Kia Cadenza, 2017 Kia Sportage. 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: Cadenza (YG): built 2 Jun 2016 – 12 Jul 2017; Sportage (QL): built 10 Dec 2015 – 11 Apr 2017 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.