Mazda bulletin SA-012-26c
What it saysThis Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Mazda filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 7, 2026, received Sep 4, 2026, about the electrical system. It names 13 model years (2024–2026). 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.
Get the next Mazda bulletin for your model by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. SA-012/26 04/17/26, 03/04/26 and 02/26/2026 DESCRIPTION Some customers may experience a message "TCU Malfunction. Have the Vehicle Inspected" in the instrument cluster. Additional symptoms that may occur: Connected Vehicle One Time Passcode (OTP) may fail. Connected Vehicle Remote functions may fail. The following DTC's may be stored: B1252:87-8B:TCU - COMMUNICATION ERROR WITH CONNECTIVITY MASTER UNIT (CMU) U0198:00-03:CMU - COMMUNICATION ERROR WITH EMERGENCY CALL UNIT/TELEMATICS COMMUNICATION UNIT REPAIR PROCEDURE 1. Verify the concern. 2. Check if any of the following DTCs are stored: B1252:87-8B:TCU - COMMUNICATION ERROR WITH CONNECTIVITY MASTER UNIT (CMU) U0198:00-03:CMU - COMMUNICATION ERROR WITH EMERGENCY CALL UNIT/TELEMATICS COMMUNICATION UNIT
Trouble codes it names: B1252 U0198
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SA-012-26c | Service bulletin | Aug 7, 2026 | 11037017 | PDF, 158 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.
Email me new Mazda bulletins for one of these models
A weekly email, sent only in a week when Mazda files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 13 model years this bulletin names have filed 734 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 121 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.
The vehicle has major electrical issues. The ABS and all over driver safety options would shut off for days at a time. I had purchased this cx30 as new on January 02, 2026. It totally died and wouldn't start on February 03, 2026. It had to ve towed by mazda roadside assistance to Towne Mazda dealer in Orchard Park NY.
2025 Mazda CX-30 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 12, 2026 · ODI 11723758
I was denied work on a network issue recall 3 separate times at the dealership I bought the car. The first time I was told it was because of a smell. If I clean the car, they will fix it. I noticed after they were in the car my backup camera didn’t work which I also thought might be a recall but found out it wasnt.
2024 Mazda Mazda3 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 7, 2026 · ODI 11755539
While driving the vehicle, the entire instrument cluster repeatedly turns off and "reboots". All warning lights appear, gauge needles drop to zero, then it all turns back on to normal operation. This has happened intermittently since purchasing the vehicle new. Currently has 1150mi
2026 Mazda CX-90 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 30, 2026 · ODI 11774709
In depth: 2024 Mazda CX-90 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 group171 other manufacturer communications filed against these Mazda models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Mazda list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09-027-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2026 | DESCRIPTION Some CX-70 and CX-90 PHEV vehicles may fail to start (enter READY mode) in cold weather, but the vehicle can often be started su… |
| SA-012-26d | Service bulletin | Sep 18, 2026 | DESCRIPTION Some customers may experience a message "TCU Malfunction. Have the Vehicle Inspected" in the instrument cluster. Additional sym… |
| SA-042-26a | Service bulletin | Sep 17, 2026 | Mazda Connected Services - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SAs listed below. The chang… |
| SA-041-26a | Service bulletin | Sep 11, 2026 | DESCRIPTION If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer b… |
| SA-038-26b | Service bulletin | Sep 10, 2026 | This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued service alert listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-038/26 08/18/26 and 06… |
| SSPE1 | Emissions | Aug 20, 2026 | Special Service Program (SSPE1) - 2026 CX-50 Hybrid – Battery Label Concern Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct a Special Service… |
| SA-054-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued Service Alerts listed below: The changes are noted in Red. Infotainment Reboot With Nav… |
| SA-053-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 19, 2026 | This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-006/23 01/23/23 DESCRI… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Mazda, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Mazda SA-012-26c 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 SA-012-26c 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 Mazda warranty extension on file lists the ones Mazda has filed.
Which vehicles does SA-012-26c cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 13 model years: 2026 Mazda CX-30, 2025 Mazda CX-30, 2024 Mazda CX-30, 2026 Mazda CX-50, 2025 Mazda CX-50, 2026 Mazda CX-70 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.