Kia Recall: Class Action Lawsuit Says Alleged Oil Ring Defect in 2021-2023 Soul, Seltos Poses Fire Risk

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A proposed class action lawsuit has been filed in the wake of the February 2025 recall of certain Kia Soul and Seltos vehicle models allegedly plagued by an oil ring defect, which poses the risk of engine damage and fire.

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The 26-page Kia lawsuit shares that the automaker last month recalled more than 137,000 2021-2023 Soul and Seltos vehicles due to “incorrectly manufactured” piston oil rings, which can lead to engine failure, necessitating complete engine replacement, or cause a fire. The class action suit alleges the piston ring problems in affected Soul and Seltos models stem from defendant Kia America’s “improper engineering, design, or manufacturing.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), notification letters about the Soul and Seltos recall are expected to be mailed to impacted Kia drivers on April 4, 2025. The NHTSA says Kia dealers will inspect and replace an impacted vehicle’s engine “as necessary, free of charge,” and install piston ring noise sensing software, also at no cost. 

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According to Car and Driver, symptoms of the Kia Soul and Seltos piston ring problem can include increased oil consumption, abnormal engine noise and the illumination of the dashboard oil pressure light. 

The filing charges that Kia America failed to deliver on what Soul and Seltos drivers paid for, a vehicle free from defects. The recalled Kia Soul and Seltos models are “simply not worth as much” as proposed class members paid, and the cars’ market and resale values have dropped due to the apparent oil ring defect, the case says. 

The complaint also says that the replace-and-repair aspect of the Kia recall will cost consumers hours of their time, and the initiative comes with no guarantee that the oil ring problem will go away permanently, the suit adds. 

“Rather, the Recall mentions replacing the engine,” the case reads. “The Recall only mentions the possibility of improper manufacturing concerns.” 

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All told, the Kia recall does not completely compensate affected drivers for all damages they’ve incurred, despite the promise of free repairs, the filing says. 

“Defendant’s Recall is no more than a repeatedly ineffective waste of time,” the suit argues, alleging the Kia recall “leaves more questions than answers” as to the Soul and Seltos’ safety. 

The Kia Soul and Seltos class action lawsuit looks to cover all persons in the United States who bought or leased any 2021-2023 Kia Soul or 2021-2023 Kia Seltos. 

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