Home › Guides › Kia › Power Train
Kia Power Train Recalls Cover Power Loss, Rollaway and Fire
⚠ 1 carries a park-outside (fire risk) advisory.
Lost drive power repeats across Kia's axle, transmission, driveshaft and differential notices. Certain 2019 Fortes face front driveshaft breakage; certain 2021-2022 Sorentos and 2021-2023 K5s face impaired limited-mobility operation following transmission oil pump malfunction. Electric models recur: 2023-2024 Niro EVs and 2023 EV6s have a driveshaft notice, while 2023 Niro EVs and 2024 EV9s have a differential bolt notice. Movement in Park concerns certain 2015-2019 Soul EVs and 2020-2024 Tellurides. Fire risks involve oil pump controllers on certain 2023 Souls, Sportages and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles, and hydraulic clutch actuators on certain 2017-2022 Niros and 2018-2022 Niro Plug-in Hybrids.
Warning signs to watch for
- Forte Front Axle Shaft May Break (August 5, 2020): a broken driveshaft can cause sudden loss of drive power.
- K5 and Sorento May Lose Power (October 11, 2022), EV6 and Niro EV Drive Shaft Failure (SC295), and EV9, Niro EV Differential Gear Bolt Problem (SC308): loss of drive power.
- Soul EV Parking Mechanism May Be Damaged (SC287): unintended movement with the vehicle powered on, the selector in Park and the parking brake not applied.
- Telluride driveshaft can cause vehicle rollaway (March 20, 2024): vehicle rollaway while in Park.
- EV9, Niro EV Differential Gear Bolt Problem (SC308): the differential may lock up.
Can you keep driving? What the notices say
One notice instructs parking outside and away from structures until repaired: the July 31, 2023 oil pump controller recall for certain Soul, Sportage and Seltos vehicles. None tells owners to stop driving. The March 20, 2024 Telluride recall advises manually engaging the emergency parking brake before exiting until the remedy is performed. The Niro hydraulic clutch actuator, Forte axle, K5/Sorento transmission, Soul EV parking mechanism, EV6/Niro EV driveshaft and EV9/Niro EV differential notices do not tell owners to stop driving.
What the free repair involves
Listed remedies are free. Dealers inspect oil pump controllers and replace as necessary. SC276 inspects hydraulic clutch actuators, replaces as necessary and installs a fuse. The K5/Sorento recall inspects transmissions, replaces as necessary and updates software. SC287 updates ECU software; SC295 replaces driveshafts; SC308 replaces gear drive units. Telluride receives parking brake software and damaged shaft replacement as necessary. Forte driveshaft replacement depends on its verification code.
Severity at a glance
| Severity | Recalls |
|---|---|
| critical | 2 |
| high | 6 |
Models affected most
Where owners report power train problems most
NHTSA owner complaints filed under power train for the Kia models and years in this guide. Complaints are unverified reports and are not limited to the recalled defects.
| Vehicle | Power train complaints |
|---|---|
| 2020 Kia Telluride | 70 |
| 2022 Kia Sorento | 63 |
| 2019 Kia Forte | 47 |
| 2018 Kia Soul EV | 32 |
| 2021 Kia Telluride | 27 |
| 2023 Kia EV6 | 26 |
| 2023 Kia Telluride | 25 |
| 2022 Kia Telluride | 25 |
Every recall in this group
| Date | Recall | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 2024 | Kia EV9, Niro EV Differential Gear Bolt Problem | high |
| Mar 20, 2024 | Kia Telluride driveshaft can cause vehicle rollaway | high |
| Jan 31, 2024 | Kia EV6 and Niro EV Drive Shaft Failure | high |
| Oct 26, 2023 | Kia Soul EV Parking Mechanism May Be Damaged | high |
| Jul 31, 2023 | Kia Seltos, Soul, Sportage: Oil Pump Fire Risk · park outside | critical |
| Jul 31, 2023 | Kia Niro Engine Compartment Fire Risk | critical |
| Oct 11, 2022 | Kia K5 and Sorento May Lose Power | high |
| Aug 5, 2020 | Kia Forte Front Axle Shaft May Break | high |
Common questions
Which Kia power train recall says to park outside?
The July 31, 2023 oil pump controller notice covers certain 2023 Soul and Sportage vehicles and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. It advises parking outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete because the pump may overheat.
What does the Telluride rollaway notice tell owners to do?
The March 20, 2024 notice for certain 2020-2024 Tellurides advises manually engaging the emergency parking brake before exiting until the remedy is performed. Dealers update electronic parking brake software and replace damaged intermediate shafts as necessary, free of charge.
Why does the Niro EV appear in two power train notices?
SC295 concerns a potentially improperly heat-treated driveshaft on certain 2023-2024 Niro EVs; dealers replace the driveshaft. SC308 concerns improperly tightened differential gear bolts on certain 2023 Niro EVs; dealers replace the gear drive unit. Both remedies are free.
A recall applies only to specific vehicles. Check your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.