Kia’s brand-new Seltos SUV and the Soul are the latest cars involved in a fire risk recall. According to documents Kia filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last week, the 2020-2021 model year vehicles may feature improperly heat-treated piston rings.
The automaker is recalling 147,249 Soul and Seltos vehicles for the issue, which could cause a fire or cause the engine to stall while driving. Cars equipped with the 2.0-liter naturally aspirated inline-four engine are specifically affected. During manufacturing, the supplier didn’t apply the correct heat treatment, which created harder piston oil rings in the affected cars. In turn, the ring may scuff the cylinder bore and increase oil consumption.
Oil may leak onto surrounding exhaust components and ignite, and owners may see the oil pressure warning light illuminate if the vehicle experiences this issue. Abnormal noises from the engine and increased oil consumption are also signs of the problem.
Kia said it’s not aware of any fires or injuries related to the problem and estimates just 1% of the recalled cars are actually affected by the issue.
Owners of affected vehicles will start to receive notices in early June.
