Kia bulletin TSB_ELE303
What it saysAVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2023MY Kia vehicles to remedy a 'non-responsive'… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 31, 2023, received Sep 6, 2023, about the equipment. It names 26 model years (2020–2023). 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: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2023MY Kia vehicles to remedy a 'non-responsive' or 'inoperative' radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc.) concern. The affected AVN unit on the vehicles may not respond when pressing the 'RADIO' hard key/button on the AVN unit or when selecting the 'RADIO' icon on the AVN menu screen. Follow the procedure outlined in this publication to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide units using the applicable USB Flash Drive A or B for the applicable vehicle.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_ELE303 | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2023 | 10241848 | PDF, 624 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 26 model years this bulletin names have filed 3,091 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 772 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 2022 Kia EV6, the 15 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 16,030 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Vehicle does not reliably handle the 12V battery well. Many times, I see it sitting at 12.8 VDC when driving the vehicle. On a ICE vehicle, the charging voltage is close to 14V when running/driving. On 3 separate occasions, when I tried to "start" the EV6, the 12V battery was too dead to allow the car to be started. Basically stranded.
2023 Kia EV6 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Apr 3, 2024 · ODI 11581040
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the coolant system warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle following a charging session, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle while the coolant system warning light was illuminated.
2020 Kia Niro · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Sep 3, 2026 · ODI 11761948
While operating and driving on a busy two lane roadway, about an hour in to a two hour trip, the vehicle displayed “check electrical system” message without warning, then quickly lost power, rendering the car only able to drive at 25 mph for a brief moment, and then, just as quickly, shut down completely and did not operate.
2022 Kia EV6 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Apr 21, 2023 · ODI 11518378
In depth: 2023 Kia EV6 electrical problems → · 2022 Kia EV6 electrical problems → · 2023 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 equipment
Source: same model, same component group11 other manufacturer communications filed against these Kia models under the same component group (equipment), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Kia list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_GEN099_R1 | Service bulletin | Apr 16, 2024 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: TIRE MOBILITY KIT INSPECTION & REPLACEMENT/REPAIR (SA556) - This bulletin has been revised to in… |
| TSB_GEN099 | Service bulletin | Feb 19, 2024 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: TIRE MOBILITY KIT INSPECTION & REPLACEMENT/REPAIR (SA556) - This bulletin provides information t… |
| SC285 | Service bulletin | Jan 16, 2024 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: VEHICLE EMISSIONS CONTROL INFORMATION (VECI) LABEL REPLACEMENT (SC285) - T… |
| SC285_DPSM | Service bulletin | Jan 16, 2024 | VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO - DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO - This document is the a… |
| SC285_HOW_TO | Service bulletin | Jan 2, 2024 | VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: HOW TO INSTRUCTIONS LABEL INSTALLATION (SC285) - This document is to guide vehicle owners on how to in… |
| SC285_DP | Service bulletin | Jan 2, 2024 | VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (SC285) - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service Mana… |
| TSB_ELE320 | Service bulletin | Dec 7, 2023 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE SCREEN FREEZING OR MAP DELAY WITH WIRED APPLE CARPLAY - This bulletin provides information to updat… |
| TSB_ELE317 | Service bulletin | Nov 27, 2023 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) This bulletin provides information to update the software o… |
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_ELE303 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_ELE303 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_ELE303 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 26 model years: 2020 Kia Cadenza, 2023 Kia Carnival, 2022 Kia Carnival, 2023 Kia EV6, 2022 Kia EV6, 2023 Kia Forte and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.