Kia bulletin TSB_ ENG256
What it saysThis bulletin provides information to replace the Continuous Variable Valve Duration (CVVD) Actuator seal on some 2021-2022MY Sorento P/HEV (MQ4 P/HEV) vehicles produced from September 02, 2020, through February 24… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 7, 2025, received Jul 9, 2025, about the engine. It names 2 model years (2021–2022). 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: CONTINUOUS VARIABLE VALVE DURATION (CVVD) ACTUATOR OIL SEAL REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides information to replace the Continuous Variable Valve Duration (CVVD) Actuator seal on some 2021-2022MY Sorento P/HEV (MQ4 P/HEV) vehicles produced from September 02, 2020, through February 24, 2022. The affected vehicles may experience a slow oil leak coming from the CVVD actuator oil seal and potentially associated oil smell due to the oil seal material degrading over time.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_ ENG256 | Service bulletin | Jul 7, 2025 | 11020593 | PDF, 394 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 504 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 139 of them name Engine — 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.
The vehicle's oil was changed at Transitowne Kia of West Seneca, NY on 10/19/24 with 19,576 on the odometer. During the oil change, a Kia multi-point inspection was performed. No leaks or other concerns were found.
2022 Kia Sorento · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 23, 2024 · ODI 11621452
Recall SA512 was previously completed on my vehicle. The problem is happening again. Since there are no open recalls, I am unable to get it fixed under the recall
2021 Kia Sorento · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jul 15, 2025 · ODI 11673619
In depth: 2022 Kia Sorento engine problems → · 2021 Kia Sorento engine 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 engine
Source: same model, same component group17 other manufacturer communications filed against the Kia Sorento under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Kia list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC365 | Emissions | Sep 10, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: This bulletin provides the procedure to update the emissions‑related logic… |
| SC340 | Emissions | Apr 4, 2026 | VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS: ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340 REVISION 5) - This bulletin has been revised… |
| CA2516 | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER ACTION: ECU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR DTC P2B59F0 (CA2516) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade… |
| WTY026_QA | Service bulletin | Mar 18, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: OIL PRESSURE SWITCH (OPS) REPLACEMENT - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/re… |
| SC325 | Emissions | Feb 20, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: AEWP INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT (SC325) - This bulletin has been revised t… |
| DC26 | Service campaign | Feb 10, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DATA COLLECTION: EXTRACT CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS DATA FROM ECU (DC26) - This bulletin has been revised to include a… |
| CA2508 | Service bulletin | Dec 8, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: ITM REPLACEMENT AND ECM & TCM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (CA2508) - This bulletin provides information to replace the Int… |
| SC353 | Service campaign | Nov 13, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: ENGINE REPLACEMENT FOR COOLANT LEAK (SC353) - This bulletin provides information to… |
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_ ENG256 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_ ENG256 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_ ENG256 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2022 Kia Sorento, 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: 2021 -2022MY Sorento P/HEV (MQ4 P/HEV): built on or after 2 Sep 2020; Sorento P/HEV (MQ4 P/HEV): built 2 Sep 2020 – 24 Feb 2022 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.