The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
The risk
Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by ODI
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Kia Seltos | 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| Kia Soul | 2021, 2022, 2023 |
Components: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Seltos | 2021 | 378 | 2 |
| Kia Seltos | 2022 | 76 | 1 |
| Kia Seltos | 2023 | 47 | 2 |
| Kia Soul | 2021 | 238 | 2 |
| Kia Soul | 2022 | 94 | 1 |
| Kia Soul | 2023 | 54 | 4 |
Other engine and engine cooling recalls in 2025
28 of the 891 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2025 concerned the engine and engine cooling; Kia America, Inc. filed 73 campaigns in all.
| 25V891000 18 Dec 2025 | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) |
| 25V892000 18 Dec 2025 | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) |
| 25V825000 1 Dec 2025 | KTM North America, Inc. |
| 25V822000 28 Nov 2025 | Nova Bus (US) Inc. |
| 25V798000 18 Nov 2025 | Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. |
| 25V778000 12 Nov 2025 | Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA |
| 25V767000 6 Nov 2025 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
| 25V720000 23 Oct 2025 | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2025