Korean automaker Kia has issued a recall campaign involving 147,249 2021 Seltos and 2020-22 Soul vehicles.
The reason for the recall is said to be a potential engine defect that could pose the threat of fire in the cars
The potential problem is with Kia’s 2.0-liter naturally aspirated straight-four unit. According to NHTSA, the engine was not fitted with the right quality piston oil rings. Notably, during manufacturing, the heat treatment for the piston oil rings was not done correctly, subsequently resulting in harder piston oil rings.
Thus, when the engine operates, harder piston rings may chip off the surface of the cylinder, causing oil seepage and can subsequently increase oil consumption. Consequences can include unusual engine noises and stalling.
Moreover, the oil could leak and come in contact with hot engine components, resulting in a fire. Although there is an oil pressure warning indicator in the instrument cluster, and the customer will see it light up if the problem occurs.
Kia aims to inspect every potentially affected engine unit and replace the faulty parts under the recall, including a whole new engine if necessary. The service will be free of cost.
All of this process will take a considerable amount of time due to the high number of units involved. The complications in the process will just add to it. After each inspection, the Kia technicians will install a new software system that will detect abnormal noises from the piston oil rings and alert the customer beforehand.
Kia says that the manufacturer of the piston rings has resolved the overhardening issue, thus eliminating such problems in the future. Affected owners are expected to get a notice from the company by June.
