The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
Risk: Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SELTOS. Kia campaign SC336.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
Owners have filed 72 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Seltos. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Stalling or shutting off while driving18 · 25%
Engine failure or replacement15 · 21%
Smoke or a burning smell10 · 14%
Excessive oil consumption9 · 12%
Hesitation or slow acceleration8 · 11%
Loss of power or limp mode7 · 10%
Check engine light6 · 8%
Several warning lights at once3 · 4%
Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these.
Areas named in complaints
Engine37 · 51%
Powertrain10 · 14%
Engine and cooling9 · 12%
Electrical system8 · 11%
Air bags3 · 4%
Forward collision avoidance3 · 4%
Lane departure systems2 · 3%
Unknown or other17 · 24%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Kia Seltos recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2022 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2021 Seltos drew the most (128) and the 2022 drew 23.
Owner complaints
2022: 72 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Seltos
Model year
Complaints
2021
369
2022
72
2023
46
2024
45
2025
13
2026
4
Safety recalls
2022: 1 recallTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Seltos
Model year
Recalls
2021
2
2022
1
2023
2
2024
2
2025
0
2026
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Kia Seltos SUV AWD
Rollover risk 15.1%
Kia Seltos SUV FWD
Rollover risk 16.9%
Questions
What are the most common 2022 Seltos problems?
In the 72 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2022 Kia Seltos, the problems described most are stalling or shutting off while driving (18), engine failure or replacement (15), and smoke or a burning smell (10). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2022 Kia Seltos safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2022 Kia Seltos earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Seltos has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 29, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 28, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: SELTOS.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.