Kia Seltos is recalling more than 137,000 vehicles in the United States of America over problems reported in the engine. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, commonly abbreviated as NHTSA, reported errors in the manufacturing of Kia Seltos. These errors reportedly increase the risk of engine failures. If you are someone who wants to know more about the Kia Seltos Recalls In the USA, this article is for you. It brings you all the must-know details for Kia Seltos owners. The following article includes the reason for the recalls, the models affected, and what to do if your car comes under the list of recalled vehicles.
Kia Seltos Recalls In USA: Main Reason For The Recalls
Kia Seltos is recalling around 137,256 vehicles in the United States of America. The main reason for the recalls is reportedly an error in the manufacturing of the cars. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, popularly known as NHTSA, posted on its online platform on Tuesday. The post expressed concerns over the piston rings of Kia Seltos that are manufactured incorrectly. The issue can potentially cause engine failures and fires. This may increase the risks of crashes and injuries to the users of defective vehicles.
What Models Are Affected?
The Kia Seltos recalls this time, is estimated to affect around 1% of vehicles manufactured under the Kia label. This means Kia has recalled 137,256 of the Seltos models. The models that the recalls have affected are the Kia Seltos, manufactured in 2021-2023, as well as the Kia Soul, manufactured in 2021-2023. The MSRP of the 2023 Kia Seltos model was $22,490. It came with a 2.0L Inline-4 Gas engine and 146 hp horsepower. The fuel economy of the 2023 Seltos model was 27/31 MPG. On the other hand, the MSRP of the 2023 Kia Soul model was $19,890. It came with a 2.0L Inline-4 Gas engine and 147 hp horsepower. The fuel economy of the 2023 Soul model was 29/31 MPG.
How Will The Manufacturing Defect Affect Your Car?
According to the official statement from the officials at Kia USA, the manufacturing defect is a result of a “quality deviation.” This deviation reportedly happened in the Kia Autoland Hwaseong plant located in South Korea. The plant manufactured the piston rings for the vehicles recalled. The defective piston rings can reportedly cause major damage to the cylinder wall. This might lead to excessive oil consumption as well as an abnormal noise and a low oil pressure warning light. If the car owners keep operating the car with the light or fail to fill up their oil, the defect may cause failure of the engines or even fire. This increases the threat of crashes and potentially fatal injuries tenfold.
How To Check If Your Car Is Under The Recall List?
If you are someone who wants to know if your car model is under the recall list, then we have your back. The easiest way to check if your model is under the recall list is to visit the NHTSA recall check. You will have to follow the following three simple steps to check the status of your car.
- The first thing you will have to do is to check the 17-character VIN number. You may find this number on the lower left of your windshield or on the inside of the driver-side doorjamb.
- You will then have to visit the official NHTSA recall check website and enter the VIN number.
- You can then run a search and check if your vehicle is under an open safety recall list.
What To Do If You Own The Recalled Vehicle?
If you own the recalled models of Kia Seltos or Kia Soul, then fixing this defect will require a visit to your dealer. The dealers at all the Kia stores across the United States are instructed to replace the engines if they find a defect during inspection. They will also install a “Piston-ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS)” to detect any noises.
In case the PNSS software detects the noise of the defective piston rings and sets a check engine light, you will have your engine replaced. Kia has announced reimbursement for any car owners who have to pay anything out of their own pocket for a new engine before the recall. The Kia dealers were notified about the recall last week and the customers will have their informing letters in April. This return letter is with the NHTSA 25V-099 and Kia’s internal recall code SC336.
Engine Issues In Kia Models Are Not New
This is not the first time Kia has issued a recall notice for its vehicles due to a defective engine. The engine issues with Kia models have been going on for years now. In the month of September last year similar engine issues came into the knowledge of Kia. It conducted teardowns in the month of December of the defective engines collected. They identified and fixed the issues. However, the issue reportedly caused 809 potential engine failures and 4 fires as well.
If we go even back to the year 2021, Kia issued a recall notice of vehicles that is pretty similar to the one issued this year. The Soul and Seltos models of the car manufactured in 2020-2021 had a potential oil ring issue as well. It was reportedly because of improper heat treatment. Many car owners in 2021 received new engines and a ring noise monitoring system too.
