Service bulletin CS1604DEALERP

A bulletin is a manufacturer's communication to its dealers, as NHTSA indexes it. The summary is NHTSA's. The document is the manufacturer's: read it at NHTSA. A bulletin is not a recall, and listing a model year does not mean every vehicle of it is concerned.

The communication, as NHTSA indexes it (as of 2026-10-19)
Type	Service bulletin
NHTSA id	10090052
Published by NHTSA	2017-02-01
Manufacturer's number	CS1604DEALERP
Manufacturer's date	2016-08-12
NHTSA component	STEERING

NHTSA's summary

DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO: CS1604 - KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC. IS CONDUCTING A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION / WARRANTY EXTENSION PROGRAM REGARDING THE MOTOR DRIVEN POWER STEERING (MDPS) ON ALL 2011-2013 MY AND SOME 2014 MY KIA OPTIMA VEHICLES. THE MDPS UNIT MAY EXPERIENCE NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT, ESPECIALLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED. KIA’S ANALYSIS HAS IDENTIFIED THAT THIS CONDITION OCCURS MAINLY IN EXTREMELY HIGH HUMIDITY STATES ADJACENT TO WARM OCEAN WATERS DUE TO THE WEAR OF THE FLEXIBLE COUPLING IN THE MDPS, AFTER EXTENDED USAGE OVER YEARS. THE EXTREMELY HIGH HUMIDITY STATES ADJACENT TO WARM OCEAN WATERS INCLUDE: ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, HAWAII, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND TEXAS. • FOR VEHICLES SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN EXTREMELY HIGH HUMIDITY STATES ADJACENT TO WARM OCEAN WATERS, THE FLEXIBLE COUPLING WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE IF IT HAD NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. • FOR VEHICLES SOLD OR REGISTERED IN ALL OTHER STATES, KIA IS EXTENDING THE WARRANTY ON THE FLEXIBLE COUPLING IN THE MDPS FROM 5 YEARS/60,000 MILES TO 10 YEARS/UNLIMITED MILEAGE, STARTING FROM THE FIRST DATE OF SERVICE IN ORDER TO ENSURE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.

The document

No address for NHTSA's copy can be built for this communication. Ask the dealer for it by the manufacturer's number.

Components

Steering

Vehicles listed
KIA OPTIMA	2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
KIA OPTIMA HYBRID	2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 (the catalog's model; the bulletin names a series or trim of it)

Listing a model year does not mean every vehicle of it is concerned: the document says which.

Other bulletins for the same vehicles and component
TSB_CHA084_R8	2021-10-22. Service bulletin. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR OF C-MDPS MOTOR, ECU, WORM GEAR AND/OR STEERING COLUMN HOUSING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding the partial repair of the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) Motor, Electronic Control Unit (ECU), Steering Column Housing, or Worm Gear Assembly. When the steering wheel is rotated a scraping noise can be heard originating from the lower bearing on the Worm Gear Assembly on some 2010MY~ Kia models listed on page 8, equipped with a Column Motor Driven Power Steering (C-MDPS) unit. On some vehicles when the steering wheel is rotated a scraping noise can be heard originating from the lower bearing on the Worm Gear Assembly and does not affect the steering effort.
TSB_CHA084_R7	2021-04-06. Service bulletin. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR OF C-MDPS MOTOR, ECU, WORM GEAR AND/OR STEERING COLUMN HOUSING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding the partial repair of the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) Motor, Electronic Control Unit (ECU), Steering Column Housing, or Worm Gear Assembly. When the steering wheel is rotated a scraping noise can be heard originating from the lower bearing on the Worm Gear Assembly on some 2010MY~ Kia models listed on page 8, equipped with a Column Motor Driven Power Steering (C-MDPS) unit.
TSB_CHA084_R6	2020-12-02. Service bulletin. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR OF C-MDPS MOTOR, ECU, WORM GEAR AND/OR STEERING COLUMN HOUSING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding the partial repair of the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) Motor, Electronic Control Unit (ECU), Worm Gear Assembly or Steering Column Housing on some 2010MY~ Kia models listed on page 8, equipped with a Column Motor Driven Power Steering (C-MDPS) unit.
TSB_CHA084_R5	2020-12-02. Service bulletin. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR OF C-MDPS MOTOR, ECU, WORM GEAR AND/OR STEERING COLUMN HOUSING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding the partial repair of the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) Motor, Electronic Control Unit (ECU), Worm Gear Assembly or Steering Column Housing on some 2010MY~ Kia models listed on page 8, equipped with a Column Motor Driven Power Steering (C-MDPS) unit.
TSB_CHA091_R2	2020-05-05. Service bulletin. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: STEERING GEAR YOKE PLUG AND ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. This bulletin provides the procedure to replace the steering gear box yoke plug and assembly on some models listed below, which may exhibit a ticking noise while turning the steering wheel with the vehicle stopped. This condition is caused by a worn lining on the steering gear box yoke assembly.
TSB_CHA091_R1	2020-02-04. Service bulletin. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: STEERING GEAR YOKE PLUG AND ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. This bulletin provides the procedure to replace the steering gear box yoke plug and assembly on some models listed below, which may exhibit a ticking noise while turning the steering wheel with the vehicle stopped. This condition is caused by a worn lining on the steering gear box yoke assembly. Follow the procedure outlined in this bulletin to replace the steering gear box yoke plug and assembly with updated parts.
TSBCHA084_R4	2019-12-09. Service bulletin. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR OF C-MDPS MOTOR, ECU AND/OR STEERING COLUMN HOUSING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information.This bulletin provides information regarding the partial repair of the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) Motor, Electronic Control Unit (ECU) or Steering Column Housing on some 2010MY~ Kia models listed on page 5 equipped with a Column Motor Driven Power Steering (C-MDPS) unit. Follow the MDPS Flowchart (page 2) along with the MDPS DTC Table (page 3) procedure outlined in this bulletin before replacing the C-MDPS Motor, ECU or Steering Column Housing.
TSBCHA084_R3	2019-11-07. Service bulletin. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TSB084_R3: PARTIAL REPAIR OF C-MDPS MOTOR, ECU AND/OR STEERING COLUMN HOUSING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information.This bulletin provides information regarding the partial repair of the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) Motor, Electronic Control Unit (ECU) or Steering Column Housing on some 2010MY~ Kia models listed on page 5 equipped with a Column Motor Driven Power Steering (C-MDPS) unit.
TSBCHA060_R5	2019-08-07. Service bulletin. TSB: ECU UPGRADE - STEERING LOGIC IMPROVEMENT - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. This bulletin provides information related to the MDPS ECU software upgrade for some 2012-2014MY Optima (QF), produced from August 2, 2010 through July 27, 2014, and 2016-2018MY Sorento (UMa) vehicles, produced from October 27, 2014 through August 22, 2017, which may experience a notchy feel in the steering wheel. To correct this condition, the vehicle should be evaluated using the MDPS Effort Measurement Software detailed in the repair procedure starting on page 2 to determine whether an improved steering logic should be installed in the MDPS ECU, or if the Steering Column and Housing Assembly replacement is required.
TSBCHA084_R2	2019-07-04. Service bulletin. TSB: REPLACEMENT OF C-MDPS MOTOR, ECU AND/OR STEERING COLUMN HOUSING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. This bulletin provides information regarding the partial repair of the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) Motor, Electronic Control Unit (ECU) or Steering Column Housing on the Kia models listed on the chart below with a column mounted C-MDPS unit.