kubernetes/kops · error

error deleting detached instances for autoscaling group %q:

Error message

error deleting detached instances for autoscaling group %q: %v

What it means

TerminateInstances failed while terminating the instances previously detached from the autoscaling group during cluster/IG teardown; the wrapped error is the AWS EC2 API response.

Source

Thrown at upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/awsup/aws_cloud.go:409

	template := aws.ToString(asg.LaunchConfigurationName)
	launchTemplate := ""
	if asg.LaunchTemplate != nil {
		launchTemplate = aws.ToString(asg.LaunchTemplate.LaunchTemplateName)
	}

	// Delete detached instances
	{
		detached, err := findDetachedInstances(ctx, c, asg)
		if err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("error searching for detached instances for autoscaling group %q: %v", name, err)
		}
		if len(detached) > 0 {
			klog.V(2).Infof("Deleting detached instances for autoscaling group %q", name)
			req := &ec2.TerminateInstancesInput{
				InstanceIds: detached,
			}
			if _, err := c.EC2().TerminateInstances(ctx, req); err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("error deleting detached instances for autoscaling group %q: %v", name, err)
			}
		}
	}

	// Delete ASG
	{
		klog.V(2).Infof("Deleting autoscaling group %q", name)
		request := &autoscaling.DeleteAutoScalingGroupInput{
			AutoScalingGroupName: aws.String(name),
			ForceDelete:          aws.Bool(true),
		}
		_, err := c.Autoscaling().DeleteAutoScalingGroup(ctx, request)
		if err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("error deleting autoscaling group %q: %v", name, err)
		}
	}

	// Delete LaunchConfig

View on GitHub (pinned to 4c8573c808)

Solutions

1. Check the instances still exist and ec2:TerminateInstances permission is granted
2. Retry the delete; instances may have been terminated concurrently

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/awsup/aws_cloud.go:409 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of kubernetes/kops@4c8573c808 (2026-09-05). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f6f99f7ed6f467cf. Report an issue: GitHub.