Identifying The Correct Body Repair Manual: Kia

Vehicle makers may group their body repair manuals (BRM) in several different ways. Sometimes the BRMs are grouped by a year range, some are listed as VIN specific, and others are arranged by a body code. Let’s take a look at Kia to see how they group their BRMs.

Kia uses a two or three letter code associated with a certain year range of each model. For example, a 2016-2018 Kia Optima is labeled as an Optima (JF). This is important because there is also a 2016-2020 Kia Optima that is labeled as an Optima (JFA). This means that there are two of the same models overlapping, yet they may have different procedures. Even if there are no overlapping years of the vehicle being repaired, it is always important to make sure the correct manual is being used.

Body codes are important when it comes to ordering parts, looking up repair procedures, and measuring the vehicle. This is especially true when a vehicle maker continues to build a previous generation model when the new generation model is still being produced, like the Optimas mentioned above. With different body codes comes differing procedures and precautions. Always make sure the correct BRM is selected before beginning repairs.

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