- Vehicles
- 137,256
- Built between
- Jul 2020 – Jul 2022
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 4 April 2025
- Repaired
- 61%
- Unrepaired
- 38,603
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between July 2020 and July 2022. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2021-2023 Kia SeltosBuilt July 2020 to July 2022
- 2021-2023 Kia SoulBuilt July 2020 to April 2022
Repair progress
38,603 of 137,256 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q2 2026.
61% repaired — 84,339 of 137,256 reported
- Owners not reachable
- 9,181
- Scrapped or exported
- 5,133
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
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.
What could happen
Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
What gets fixed
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.
Parts involved
- Piston & Pin & Snap Ring Assembly23041-2E801 / 23041-2E803 / 23041-2E811 / 23041-2E813 / 23041-2E821 / 23041-2E823Piston, Pin, and Snap Ring Assembly
Part numbers are as filed by the manufacturer and are listed for reference. Your dealer will confirm the correct part for your vehicle.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJuly 2020 to July 2022
- Recall reported to NHTSA17 February 2025
- Owners notified4 April 2025
- Latest repair reportQ2 2026 — 61% repaired
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 17 February 2025.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- SC336
- Recalling manufacturer
- Kia America, Inc.
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or go to nhtsa.gov.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.