Kia Soul and Seltos engines may fail or catch fire
critical How serious is it? About this label
This is the most serious one here — a stall in traffic can cause a crash and leaking oil can start a fire; the notice does not tell owners to park the car, but get it inspected promptly and don't ignore new knocking or ticking engine noises.
What's wrong, in plain English
Parts inside the 2.0-liter engine — the rings around the pistons — may not have been hardened properly when they were made. Over time that can damage the engine. A damaged engine can stall, leaving you without power in traffic, and it can leak oil onto hot exhaust parts, which can start a fire. Dealers inspect the engine and replace it if needed, free, and add software that listens for the warning noise.
What you should do
2. Call a Kia dealer and ask for recall SC209 (Kia customer service: 1-800-333-4542) for the inspection and the noise-detection software.
3. Inspection, software, and an engine replacement if needed are all free.
Affected vehicles (3)
Who to contact
Kia — official Kia recall lookup
Customer service: 1-800-333-4542
Official notice
- Component
- ENGINE
- Summary
- Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.
- Safety risk
- A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.
Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.