Kia bulletin TSB_ELE417
What it saysThis bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infotainment software updates and preparing USB for installation on applicable Kia vehicles. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 14, 2026, received May 1, 2026, about the electrical system. It names 45 model years (2018–2027). 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: INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infotainment software updates and preparing USB for installation on applicable Kia vehicles. The software downloads and USB preparation process is similar across all supported platforms; however, in‑vehicle installation procedures vary by head unit type.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_ELE417 | Service bulletin | Apr 14, 2026 | 11031906 | PDF, 1,575 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 5 more on this site: 2021 Kia Stinger, 2020 Kia Stinger, 2019 Kia Stinger, 2018 Kia Stinger, 2027 Kia Telluride.
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 45 model years this bulletin names have filed 3,892 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,281 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.
My 205 EV9 Wind with 24500 Miles left me stranded, the standard battery simbol that in ICE cards refers to the alternator, came on, I tried to get to the dealer about 20 miles in the way home, less that 3 miles after that the car lost power with just enough to move to the shoulder, I stopped, power the car off and tried turning it back…
2025 Kia EV9 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 1, 2026 · ODI 11768404
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
I recently purchased a used 2018 Kia Stinger premium. I was notified online that my vehicle had an outstanding recall, sc196a with a fire hazard from the fuse box. I made an appointment with garden grove Kia and ask numerous times if the part could be ordered ahead of time before I took it in so I don't have to be inconvenienced twice.
2018 Kia Stinger · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 25, 2021 · ODI 11404923
In depth: 2025 Kia Carnival electrical problems → · 2024 Kia EV6 electrical problems → · 2023 Kia EV6 electrical problems → · 2022 Kia EV6 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 group180 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA656 | Service bulletin | Sep 28, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: FRONT VIEW CAMERA REPLACEMENT (SA656) - This bulletin provides information to replace the front… |
| SC330 | Service campaign | Sep 25, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH REPAIR (SC330) - This bulletin provides information to repair… |
| TSB_ELE328_R1 | Service bulletin | Sep 16, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CLUSTER SOFTWARE LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR LOWER THAN ACTUAL FUEL LEVEL INDICATION - This bulletin has been revised… |
| SA652/SA653/SA658 | Over-the-air update | Sep 16, 2026 | RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SERVICE ACTION SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR RCM, UWB AND SBCM (SA652/SA653/SA658) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software upd… |
| PI2606 | Other | Sep 4, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: This bulletin provides information to upgrade the 12-volt battery… |
| PI2605 | Other | Sep 2, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: BMU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (PI2605) - This bulletin provides information regarding a Ba… |
| PI2601B | Other | Sep 1, 2026 | PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO (PI2601B) - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Se… |
| OTA_ELE431_432_434_NOTES | Over-the-air update | Aug 29, 2026 | RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR ROOF CONTROL MODULE (RCM), ULTRA-WIDEBAND (UWB) and SIDE BODY CONTROL MODULE (SBCM) - This… |
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_ELE417 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_ELE417 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_ELE417 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 45 model years: 2026 Kia Carnival, 2025 Kia Carnival, 2024 Kia Carnival, 2023 Kia Carnival, 2022 Kia Carnival, 2026 Kia EV6 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.