Campaign 25V-099

Piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage

Defect summary

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.

Consequence

Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

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.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or go to nhtsa.gov.

Source: NHTSA ODI recalls file, campaign 25V099000. Text as published by NHTSA.

Vehicles covered

2 product lines are covered

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA about engine and cooling on these vehicles: 598, of which 18 involved a crash, fire, injury or death. Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Vehicles covered by campaign 25V-099
Make	Model	Model years	Complaints on this component
Kia	Seltos	2021 to 2023	334
Kia	Soul	2021 to 2023	264

Source: NHTSA ODI recalls and complaints files. Equipment, tire and child-seat campaigns list products, not vehicles.

Investigation

No NHTSA investigation is linked to this recall

Most recalls are started by the manufacturer. This one lists "NHTSA investigation" as its origin.

Before the recall

1 service bulletin on this component came first

Distinct manufacturer communications on the same component group, make, model and model year in the 24 months before the report date.

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications file.

Service bulletins

25V-548 Aug 25, 2025
Connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power
24V-169 Mar 1, 2024
Left turbocharger oil feed pipe and hose assembly may deteriorate and leak oil
24V-077 Feb 7, 2024
Engine valve springs may break while driving, which can result in a loss of drive power and possibly create a hole in the engine block
23V-877 Dec 21, 2023
Engine compartment fire can occur while driving
22V-202 Mar 29, 2022
Oil supply pipe to the turbocharger may crack, which could result in an oil leak in the engine compartment
21V-844 Oct 29, 2021
Connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which can result in engine damage