Overview
- The audit query covers Kia’s February recall of over 137,000 2021–2023 Soul and Seltos models for piston oil rings that may have been improperly manufactured
- NHTSA’s Recall Management Division reviewed 47 complaints filed between April and June alleging the recall fix was ineffective or inaccessible
- Kia’s remedy program has included free engine inspections, piston-ring sensing noise software installation and engine replacements under revised procedures issued in May
- The defective rings have been linked to cylinder wall damage, increased oil consumption, engine stalling and a handful of fires documented in the company’s records
- If the audit finds Kia’s current remedy inadequate, regulators could require broader inspections, boost parts supply or mandate additional recalls