The 2022 Kia Seltos has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 137,256 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 95 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING25V0990002025-02-17137,256 affected
Defect
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.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“My 2022 kia seltos is equipped with idle stop & go (isg), which shuts the engine off when stopped and restarts it when the driver releases the brake/presses the accelerator. Isg stopped functioning about a year ago (the engine stayed running at stops). I didn't think anything of it because the isg…”
“My 2022 kia seltos is equipped with idle stop & go (isg), which shuts the engine off when stopped and restarts it when the driver releases the brake/presses the accelerator. Isg stopped functioning about a year ago (the engine stayed running at stops). I didn't think anything of it because the isg…”
“My 2022 kia seltos is equipped with idle stop & go (isg), which shuts the engine off when stopped and restarts it when the driver releases the brake/presses the accelerator. Isg stopped functioning about a year ago (the engine stayed running at stops). I didn't think anything of it because the isg…”
“My 2022 kia seltos out of nowhere started smoking, losing power, total control and braking. There were no lights on the dashboard warning of any kind complete stall than a little bit of power hesitation stall no brakes. I managed to coast it into a parking space at a hotel with it smoking so bad I…”
“My 2022 kia seltos out of nowhere started smoking, losing power, total control and braking. There were no lights on the dashboard warning of any kind complete stall than a little bit of power hesitation stall no brakes. I managed to coast it into a parking space at a hotel with it smoking so bad I…”
“My 2022 kia seltos out of nowhere started smoking, losing power, total control and braking. There were no lights on the dashboard warning of any kind complete stall than a little bit of power hesitation stall no brakes. I managed to coast it into a parking space at a hotel with it smoking so bad I…”
“The engine started to fail when I'm driving and on the highway it suddenly loses strength, the oil goes down and I don't know where it's going, the engine starts to make noises and burning smell, the ignition light turns on and minutes later goes out, a triangle signal also sometimes appears for 6…”
“The engine started to fail when I'm driving and on the highway it suddenly loses strength, the oil goes down and I don't know where it's going, the engine starts to make noises and burning smell, the ignition light turns on and minutes later goes out, a triangle signal also sometimes appears for 6…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationAQ25001 Opened 2025-08-06 · closed 2025-12-18
Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness
On August 6, 2025, the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) opened Audit Query (AQ) 25001 to assess the implementation of Kia America, Inc.’s (Kia) remedy program for Safety Recall 25V099, involving incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings which may damage the engine causing a loss of motive power or fire. This AQ…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2022 Kia Seltos as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.