SC248 – Loose Alternator Battery Nut – 2023 Kia Sportage

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A printed copy is for reference only; publication information can be updated at any time. Always refer to KGIS for the latest information. After logging in kdealer.com, the newest technical publications are listed in ‘Service Releases’ and has the latest service information that has been released. GROUP MODEL Safety Recall Campaign 2023MY Sportage (NQ5a) NUMBER DATE SC248 September 2022 SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN ALTERNATOR B+ TERMINAL NUT INSPECTION AND TIGHTENING (SC248) This bulletin provides information to inspect and, if necessary, tighten the alternator battery positive (B+) terminal nut on certain 2023MY Kia Sportage (NQ5a) vehicles equipped with 2.5L Theta III engine, produced from January 12, 2022 through August 8, 2022. The alternator B+ terminal nut ensures that the electrical connection is maintained between the battery wire harness terminal plate and the alternator B+ terminal. The alternator B+ terminal nut in the affected vehicles may not have been properly tightened during the assembly. If the terminal nut is not properly tightened, it can loosen over time and may result in an engine stall while driving or a fire may occur while driving due to electrical arcing at the B+ terminal. An engine stall increases the risk of a crash, and a fire increases the risk of injury. Follow the procedure outlined in this publication to inspect and, if necessary, tighten the alternator nut to specifications. Before conducting the procedure, verify that the vehicle is included in the list of affected VINs. SUBJECT: To assure complete customer satisfaction, always remember to refer to WebDCS Warranty Coverage (validation) Inquiry Screen (Service → Warranty Coverage → Warranty Coverage Inquiry) for a list of any additional campaigns that may need to be performed on the vehicle before returning it to the customer.  NOTICE There is no charge to the vehicle owner for this repair. Under applicable law, you may not sell or otherwise deliver any affected vehicle until it has been repaired pursuant to the procedures set forth in this bulletin.  NOTICE ALTERNATOR B+ TERMINAL NUT INSPECTION & TIGHTENING (SC248) Page 2 of 3 Printed TSB copy is for reference only; information may be updated at any time. Always refer to KGIS for the latest information. TSB: SC248 Sportage (NQ5a) September 2022 SUBJECT: Inspection Procedure: 1. Open the hood. 2. Disconnect the negative (-) terminal from the battery. 3. 4. Locate the alternator (B) and pull down on the alternator “B+” terminal nut/cable cover (C). Confirm the alternator B+ terminal cable (D) is secured tight by attempting to move the terminal cable end (push/pull – left to right). 5a. 5b. 6. If the cable (D) was secured tight, then confirm that the alternator B+ terminal nut (E) is torqued to specification. • If the nut was found to be torqued to specification, then classify this condition as a Pass (OK). • If the nut was found NOT torqued to specification, then classify this condition as a Fail (NG). If the cable (D) was loose, then torque the alternator B+ terminal nut (E) to specification. Confirm cable is secured (push/pull–left to right) and classify this condition as a Fail (NG). Restore Alternator B+ terminal/nut cover and re-connect the battery negative (-) terminal. Confirm normal vehicle operation. Kia Signature Bold, 10, Justified Text box border: 1.00 pt.  IMPORTANT A B D C Tightening torque for Alternator B+ Nut: 13.7 – 18.1 lb.ft (18.6 – 24.5 N.m) E Page 3 of 3 Printed TSB copy is for reference only; information may be updated at any time. Always refer to KGIS for the latest information. TSB: SC248 Sportage (NQ5a) September 2022 ALTERNATOR B+ TERMINAL NUT INSPECTION SUBJECT: & TIGHTENING (SC248) AFFECTED VEHICLE RANGE: Model Production Date Range Sportage (NQ5a) January 12, 2022 to August 8, 2022 WARRANTY INFORMATION: N Code: N99 C Code: C99 Claim Type Causal P/N Qty. Repair Description Labor Op Code Op Time Replacement P/N Qty. R 13395 08007K 0 (SC248) Inspection of Alternator (B+) Terminal Nut and Torque Check Pass (OK) Condition 221A17I0 0.2 M/H N/A 0 (SC248) Inspection of Alternator (B+) Terminal Nut and Re-torque Fail (NG) Condition 221A17R0 VIN inquiry data for this repair is provided for tracking purposes only. Kia retailers should reference VIN inquiry data for this repair is provided for tracking purposes only. Kia retailers should reference SSCC248248 when accessing the WebDCS system.when accessing the WebDCS system.   NOTICENOTICE

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Kia America, Inc. Corporate Headquarters 111 Peters Canyon Road, Irvine, CA 92606-1790 USA IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA Recall Number: 22V651) This notice applies to your vehicle: (Insert VIN) September 23, 2022 Dear Kia Sportage Vehicle Owner: Kia has identified a defect in your vehicle which relates to motor vehicle safety. This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Kia America, Inc. has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2023 MY Sportage vehicles. The defect can result in the alternator battery positive (B+) terminal nut loosening, and it may result in an engine stall while driving and a fire. An engine stall increases the risk of a crash, and a fire increases the risk of injury. Our records indicate that you own or lease one of the potentially affected vehicles. What Is The Problem? The alternator B+ terminal nut ensures that the electrical connection is maintained between the battery wire harness terminal plate and the alternator B+ terminal. The B+ terminal nut may not have been properly tightened during assembly and may loosen, which can result in an engine stall while driving or electrical arcing at the B+ terminal and a fire. An engine stall increases the risk of a crash, and a fire, from electrical arcing, increases the risk of injury. Kia Will Inspect, And If Necessary, Properly Tighten The Terminal Nut Free of Charge At No Cost To You. Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, properly tighten the alternator B+ terminal nut. This recall will be performed free of charge at no cost to you. The estimated time required to perform the recall will be approximately one (1) hour. What Should You Do? • WARNING: If either the Charging System Warning Light is illuminated or if you notice a burning smell while driving, pull over to a safe location, turn off the engine, and do not re-start your vehicle. Contact Kia Roadside Assistance (online at kia.rsahelp.com or by phone 1-800-333-4542 available 24 hours/day, 365 days/year) to request to have your vehicle towed to the nearest authorized Kia dealership as soon as possible. • In the interest of the safety of your passengers, as well as your own safety, please immediately contact your authorized Kia dealer to arrange for the recall repair to be performed on your vehicle. • To find your nearest dealer, visit www.kia.com and click the “Find Dealer” button in the upper right corner (“Dealers” on a mobile device). You can also use the QR code below with your mobile device to access this information (see the bottom of this letter for more information about QR code use): SC248 What If You Have Already Paid To Have This Situation Corrected? If you have incurred expense to remedy this issue prior to the date of this notice, you may have the opportunity to obtain reimbursement for that expense. You may submit your receipts online to Kia via the Owners section of www.kia.com or mail your receipts with a copy of the attached Request for Reimbursement form directly to Kia for review and consideration: Kia Customer Care Center Kia America, Inc. P.O. Box 52410 Irvine, CA 92619-2410 1-800-333-4542 Pursuant to the General Reimbursement Plan issued by Kia pursuant to Federal Regulation 49 CFR 573.13, Kia will use its best efforts to respond to your claim within sixty (60) days of receipt and at that time Kia may either accept or reject that claim or it may request more information to evaluate the claim. Have You Changed Your Address Or Sold Your Kia? If you have changed your home address, sold your Kia vehicle, or no longer own your vehicle, please complete the attached prepaid “Change of Address/Ownership” card and mail it to us. You can also contact the Kia Customer Care Center phone number listed above. What If You Are A Vehicle Lessor? What If You Have Other Questions? If your dealer does not respond to your service request in a timely manner, we suggest that you call Kia’s Customer Care Center at 1-800-333-4542. This number has TTY capability. If you still are not satisfied that we have remedied this situation without charge and within a reasonable amount of time, you may submit a complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, DC 20590; or call the toll free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov. This action has been taken in the interest of your safety, and we regret any inconvenience this situation may cause you. Sincerely, Customer Care Department Federal regulation requires that any vehicle lessor receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of this notice to the lessee within ten days. QR Code Use: • A QR Code is a square, 2-dimensional barcode that can be read by mobile devices loaded with an appropriate barcode or QR Code Reader App. The app reads the barcode image and then launches/uploads the specific information the code contains, such as URLs, text, photos, videos. • With a mobile device, download a QR Code Reader App. With many devices, you can do this through an app store or marketplace. • Open the QR Code Reader App on your mobile device. The app will utilize your device’s camera. Center the code in the camera viewing area. With some apps, the URL or other information will automatically load when the code is recognized. For others, you may have to snap or take a picture of the QR code. Refer to the QR Reader Code App instructions. REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT FORM 2023 MY SPORTAGE VEHICLES – ALTERNATOR BATTERY POSITIVE TERMINAL SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN (SC248) If you have incurred expense to remedy this issue prior to the date of this notice, you may have the opportunity to obtain reimbursement for that expense. You may submit your receipts online to Kia via the Owners section of www.kia.com (MyKia>Contact Us or directly at this link: https://ksupport.kiausa.com/ConsumerAffairs). If you do not have access to a computer or prefer to submit your request by mail, please complete this Request for Reimbursement and mail it to the following address for review and consideration, along with backup documentation: Kia Customer Care Center Kia America, Inc. P. O. Box 52410 Irvine, CA 92619-2410 1-800-333-4542 Please allow at least sixty (60) days for review and response. Customer First Name: Customer Last Name: Attach the following: o Repair Order showing: o Name & address of person paying for the repair o Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of vehicle repaired o Description of the problem repaired  Date of repair, mileage at the time of repair and total cost of claimed repair expense o Evidence of Payment of Repair showing: o Date of Payment o Amount Paid (e.g., copies of cancelled check or credit card receipt) I certify that the documents attached to this Request for Reimbursement are true and accurate and should be used as the basis for a reimbursement to me under this campaign. CLAIMANT’S SIGNATURE: ____________________________________________ _________________________________________ Signature Print Name Customer Address: Customer City: State: Zip: Phone #: ( ) – Email: Vehicle Identification Number: Mileage at Time of Repair: Date of Repair: / / Amount of Reimbursement Requested $

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SC248 September 20, 2022 ATTENTION: ALL DEALER PRINCIPALS Kia America, Inc., pursuant to the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, is conducting a Safety Recall Campaign on certain 2023 model year Sportage vehicles manufactured at Kia Georgia from January 12, 2022 through August 8, 2022. The alternator battery positive (B+) terminal nut ensures that the electrical connection is maintained between the battery wire harness terminal plate and the alternator B+ terminal. The B+ terminal nut may not have been properly torqued by the supplier during assembly. If the terminal nut is not properly torqued, it can loosen over time and may result in an engine stall while driving. In the worst case, a fire a may occur while driving due to electrical arcing at the B+ terminal. A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash, and a fire increases the risk of injury. Dealers will be instructed to inspect, and if necessary, properly torque the alternator B+ terminal nut. Your Service Manager was sent a copy of the owner notification letter and a Q&A guide for recall questions both of which describe the issue and information on how to access the list of affected vehicles. Kia will start mailing notices to the affected vehicle owners beginning on September 23, 2022 What Should You Do? Please make certain the appropriate personnel in your dealership are familiar with the details of this recall campaign to ensure proper responses to customer inquiries and requests to have the campaign performed on their vehicles. NHTSA ADVISORY: It is a violation of Federal law for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle covered by this notification under a sale or lease until the defect is remedied. LEGAL PRIVACY LIABILITY NOTICE: Pursuant to the terms of the Dealer Sales and Service Agreement and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley federal consumer privacy act, you are required to keep confidential any and all information and documents provided to you by Kia America, Inc. or generated by you in the conduct of carrying out work under that Agreement regarding Kia vehicle purchasers and owners, including but not limited to warranty claim information. Kia dealers may use such owner information for the sole purpose of conducting and performing this safety recall campaign, and for no other purpose. If you have any questions, please contact your Kia District Parts & Service Manager. Sincerely, Kia Service Department Enclosures

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SC248 September 20, 2022 ATTENTION: ALL DEALER PARTS & SERVICE MANAGERS Kia America, Inc., pursuant to the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, is conducting a Safety Recall Campaign on certain 2023 model year Sportage vehicles manufactured at Kia Georgia from January 12, 2022 through August 8, 2022. The alternator battery positive (B+) terminal nut ensures that the electrical connection is maintained between the battery wire harness terminal plate and the alternator B+ terminal. The B+ terminal nut may not have been properly torqued by the supplier during assembly. If the terminal nut is not properly torqued, it can loosen over time and may result in an engine stall while driving. In the worst case, a fire a may occur while driving due to electrical arcing at the B+ terminal. A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash, and a fire increases the risk of injury. Dealers will be instructed to inspect, and if necessary, properly torque the alternator B+ terminal nut. The Technical Service Bulletin that provides vehicle inspection and repair procedures, affected VIN production range, and warranty claim information will be posted on the Kia Global Information System (KGIS) at www.kiatechinfo.com. Enclosed you will find a copy of the owner notification letter and a Q&A Guide for recall questions, both of which describe the issue. Note that any vehicle owner who has already paid for related repairs can submit a request for reimbursement online via the Owner’s Section of www.kia.com. Kia will mail notices to the affected vehicle owners beginning on September 23, 2022. Also, please make certain the appropriate personnel in your dealership are familiar with the details of this recall to ensure proper responses to customer inquiries and requests to have the recall performed on their vehicles. This Safety Recall Campaign represents an opportunity for your service department to deliver an exceptional service experience (e.g., flexible service appointment process, car wash and vacuum and timely service). NHTSA ADVISORY: It is a violation of Federal law for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle covered by this notification under a sale or lease until the defect is remedied. LEGAL PRIVACY LIABILITY NOTICE: Pursuant to the terms of the Dealer Sales and Service Agreement and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley federal consumer privacy act, you are required to keep confidential any and all information and documents provided to you by Kia America, Inc. or generated by you in the conduct of carrying out work under that Agreement regarding Kia vehicle purchasers and owners, including but not limited to warranty claim information. Kia dealers may use such owner information for the sole purpose of conducting and performing this safety recall campaign, and for no other purpose. If you have any questions, please contact your Kia District Parts and Service Manager. Sincerely, Kia Service Department Enclosures

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OMB Control No.: 2127-0004 Part 573 Safety Recall Report 22V-651 The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 Manufacturer Name : Kia America, Inc. Submission Date : AUG 29, 2022 NHTSA Recall No. : 22V-651 Manufacturer Recall No. : SC248 Manufacturer Information : Manufacturer Name : Kia America, Inc. Address : 111 Peters Canyon Road Irvine CA 92606 Company phone : 800-333-4542 Population : Number of potentially involved : 19,701 Estimated percentage with defect : 1 % Vehicle Information : Vehicle 1 : 2023-2023 Kia Sportage Vehicle Type : LIGHT VEHICLES Body Style : ALL Power Train : GAS Descriptive Information : Certain 2023 model year Sportage vehicles manufactured at Kia Georgia from January 12, 2022 through August 8, 2022. The recall population was determined by a review of vehicle production and supplier records. The vehicles subject to this recall were not produced in VIN order. Customers seeking information about their specific vehicle will be referred to Kia’s Consumer Assistance Center or their Kia dealer. Production Dates : JAN 12, 2022 – AUG 08, 2022 VIN Range 1 : Begin : NR End : NR Not sequential Description of Defect : Description of the Defect : The alternator battery positive (B+) terminal nut ensures that the electrical connection is maintained between the battery wire harness terminal plate and the alternator B+ terminal. The B+ terminal nut may not have been properly torqued by the supplier during assembly. If the terminal nut is not properly torqued, it can loosen over time and may result in an engine stall while driving. In the worst case, a fire a may occur while driving due to electrical arcing at the B+ terminal. FMVSS 1 : NR FMVSS 2 : NR Part 573 Safety Recall Report 22V-651 Page 2 The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 Description of the Safety Risk : A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash and a fire increases the risk of injury. Description of the Cause : Improperly torqued alternator B+ terminal nut by the supplier Identification of Any Warning that can Occur : Illumination of the Charging System Warning Light (e.g. battery light) Involved Components : Component Name 1 : ALTERNATOR ASSEMBLY Component Description : ALTERNATOR ASSEMBLY Component Part Number : 37300-2SGD1 Supplier Identification : Component Manufacturer Name : Mobis Alabama, LLC Address : 7001 Kia Pkwy West Point Georgia 31833 Country : United States Chronology : See attached document titled “2023MY Sportage Alternator B+ Terminal Chronology” Part 573 Safety Recall Report 22V-651 Page 3 The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 Description of Remedy : Description of Remedy Program : All owners of the subject vehicles will be notified by first class mail with instructions to bring their vehicles to a Kia dealer. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, properly torque the alternator B+ terminal nut. Kia will reimburse owners for repair expenses already incurred pursuant to Kia’s General Reimbursement Plan filed May 10, 2022. How Remedy Component Differs from Recalled Component : The remedy component is a properly torqued alternator B+ terminal nut. Identify How/When Recall Condition was Corrected in Production : Additional torque confirmation process introduced into the supplier’s production line on 6/15/22. Alternator assemblies produced through 6/15/22 were not installed in any 2023MY Sportage vehicles produced beginning 8/9/22. Recall Schedule : Description of Recall Schedule : The dealer notification mailing is scheduled to begin and end on September 20, 2022 and the owner notice is scheduled to start and end on September 23, 2022. Planned Dealer Notification Date : SEP 20, 2022 – SEP 20, 2022 Planned Owner Notification Date : SEP 23, 2022 – SEP 23, 2022 * NR – Not Reported

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