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Kia America, Inc.
Corporate Headquarters
111 Peters Canyon Road, Irvine, CA 92606-1790 USA
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN
May 22, 2023
Dear Kia Forte Vehicle Owner:
Kia America, Inc. is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to apply anti-corrosion material to the underbody components
of certain 2017-2018 MY Forte vehicles that were originally sold in or are currently registered in one of the 28 states with high
road salt usage.
Why is Kia Conducting This Service Campaign?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a Safety Advisory and consumer video on preventing
vehicle undercarriage corrosion. NHTSA’s safety advisory urges owners of vehicles that are more than seven (7) years old to:
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Maintain their vehicle and prevent corrosion by washing the undercarriage regularly throughout the winter and
giving it a thorough washing in the spring to remove road salt and other de-icing chemicals that can lead to
corrosion.
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Monitor the brake system for signs of corrosion by having regular professional inspections and watching for signs of
problems, including loss of brake fluid, unusual leaks and a soft or spongy feel in the brake pedal.
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Address severe corrosion, marked by flaking or scaling of the metal brake pipes, by having the full assembly
replaced.
As a further preventive measure that is meant to complement these maintenance recommendations, Kia is conducting this
service campaign to improve corrosion resistance.
What Will Kia Do
Kia dealers will apply additional anti-corrosion material to the underbody components of your vehicle. This campaign will
be performed free of charge at no cost to you.
What Should You Do?
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Please contact your Kia dealer to schedule a service appointment at your earliest convenience. The time required to
perform the repair can vary depending on the dealer’s work schedule, so a service appointment is an important way of
minimizing your inconvenience.
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Read the information and follow the instructions provided in your owner’s manual in the section titled “Maintenance
Section – Underbody Maintenance” regarding the ongoing maintenance and cleaning of the underbody of your vehicle
to limit the effects of road salt conditions in the future. If proper underbody maintenance is not followed, accelerated
rusting can occur on underbody parts such as the fuel lines, frame, floor pan, and suspension and driveline components,
as well as to the steering, brake, and exhaust systems.
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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):
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.
What If You Have Other Questions?
Should you have any questions regarding this Voluntary Service Campaign, or 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 (Monday through Friday,
5AM to 6PM, Pacific Time), or through the owner’s section of www.kia.com.
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this situation may cause you.
Sincerely,
Consumer Care Department
QR Code Use:
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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.
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With a mobile device, download a QR Code Reader App. With many devices, you can do this through an app store or marketplace.
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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.
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