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Kia powertrain recalls: fire, drive power loss and rollaway risks
⚠ 1 carries a park-outside (fire risk) advisory.
Kia's powertrain recalls sort into three recurring problems. Two are fire risks: the Idle Stop & Go electric oil pump controller on 2023 Soul and Sportage and 2023-2024 Seltos, the only recall here where owners are told to park outside, and fluid leaking onto the hydraulic clutch actuator circuit board on 2017-2022 Niro and 2018-2022 Niro Plug-in Hybrid. Four involve losing drive power: driveshafts that were not properly heat-treated on the 2019 Forte and on 2023-2024 Niro EV and 2023 EV6, loose differential gear bolts on 2023 Niro EV and 2024 EV9, and an impaired fail-safe mode on 2021-2022 Sorento and 2021-2023 K5. Two are rollaway risks: 2015-2019 Soul EV and 2020-2024 Telluride.
Warning signs to watch for
- Sudden loss of drive power, or the car dropping into a limited-mobility fail-safe mode
- The vehicle moving after being shifted into Park when the parking brake is not applied, on Soul EV and Telluride
- Overheating, smoke or fire from the engine compartment on Soul, Sportage, Seltos and Niro
- The differential locking up on a Niro EV or EV9
- Several of these failures are described as happening suddenly, with no advance warning to the driver
Is it safe to keep driving?
No recall in this group tells owners to stop driving, but two carry specific instructions. For the 2023 Soul and Sportage and 2023-2024 Seltos oil pump controller, Kia advises parking outside and away from structures until the repair is done. For the 2020-2024 Telluride, manually set the emergency parking brake before leaving the vehicle, and do the same with a 2015-2019 Soul EV. The power-loss recalls on Forte, K5, Sorento, EV6, Niro EV and EV9 allow continued driving, but power can disappear suddenly, so do not delay the repair.
What the free repair involves
Remedies vary by defect. Dealers replace the electric oil pump controller, the hydraulic clutch actuator plus a new fuse, the gear drive unit, or the drive shaft, depending on the recall. The 2019 Forte gets its left front axle driveshaft inspected for a heat treatment code and replaced if missing. Software is part of three fixes: transmission control unit, Soul EV electronic control unit, and Telluride electronic parking brake. All free of charge.
Severity at a glance
| Severity | Recalls |
|---|---|
| critical | 3 |
| high | 5 |
Models affected most
Every recall in this group
| Date | Recall | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-16 | Kia EV9 and Niro EV may lose drive power | critical |
| 2024-03-20 | Kia Telluride can roll away while in park | high |
| 2024-01-31 | Kia EV6 and Niro EV drive shaft may break | high |
| 2023-10-26 | Kia Soul EV May Roll Away When Parked | high |
| 2023-07-31 | Kia Soul, Sportage and Seltos oil pump may overheat · park outside | critical |
| 2023-07-31 | Kia Niro clutch part leak can cause engine fire | critical |
| 2022-10-11 | Kia K5 and Sorento can lose drive power | high |
| 2020-08-05 | Kia Forte front driveshaft can break and lose power | high |
Common questions
Why does Kia want me to park my Soul, Sportage or Seltos outside?
The Idle Stop & Go oil pump controller may contain damaged electrical components that can make the pump overheat and set the vehicle on fire. Parking outside and away from structures limits what a fire could reach until the controller is inspected and replaced.
My Telluride has never rolled. Do I still need the recall done?
Yes. The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged, which can allow rollaway in PARK. Until the parking brake software update and any shaft replacement is done, manually set the parking brake every time you exit.
Can the EV recalls be fixed over the air?
No. The notices for the EV6, Niro EV, EV9 and Soul EV all describe dealer work: replacing a drive shaft, replacing the gear drive unit, or updating the electronic control unit at the dealership. None of these recalls is delivered over the air.
A recall applies only to specific vehicles. Check your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.