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.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat.
I had two incidents with the Kia listed above involving the feature where the engine stops when at a light, and then turns back on when foot is removed from brake. The first instance happened in a parking lot while I was maneuvering into a spot. The accelerator sensor sent my car forward at a high rate of speed, and I missed a brick wall by inches. The second incident was much the same, maneuvering into a parking spot in my apartment building. Spaces are very tight and there is a lot of stopping, reversing, going forward. Again, I took my foot off the brake and the accelerator sensor sent my car speeding into the car parked in front of me. I did serious damage to my neighbor's car and go mine. I can turn off this feature, which I now do.
To the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), I am writing to formally submit a safety complaint regarding my 2023 Kia Seltos, which exhibits a recurring, dangerous defect involving the engine stalling without warning. This defect results in a total loss of power while the vehicle is in operation or attempting to accelerate, posing a critical safety risk. The failure manifests in two primary scenarios: * **Remote Start Failure:** The vehicle frequently stalls immediately after utilizing the remote start feature when shifting into drive. * **Auto Start/Stop Instability:** The Auto Start/Stop system contributes to the engine shutting down unexpectedly when lifting off the brake or attempting to accelerate from a stop. When this occurs, the dashboard illuminates multiple warning lights (e.g., battery, oil, "key not in vehicle"), and the vehicle loses all forward propulsion. On inclines, this defect causes the vehicle to roll backward, forcing the driver to rely solely on emergency braking to prevent a collision. ### Evidence of Widespread Concern My research indicates this is not an isolated incident; numerous Kia owners report identical, dangerous symptoms: * Drivers across various models report the engine shutting down and the vehicle rolling backward on hills, requiring a full power cycle to resume operation. * Some owners report losing all ability to accelerate at traffic lights, accompanied by critical dashboard warnings. * Others report the vehicle shutting off on its own while driving or refusing to start despite the dashboard indicating it is running. I have attached evidence documenting these experiences: **image.png**, **image_2.png**, **image_3.png**, **image_4.png**, and **image_5.png**. Given the frequency of these reports, I urge the NHTSA to launch a formal investigation into this apparent software or engineering failure. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
No injuries · No fire · No crash
Paint bubbling and chipping off. Dull blotches
No injuries · No fire · No crash
The gages fall all the way down, I’m not able to accelerate, engine light, traction light, tire pressure light, crash detection light, and other lights come on and prevents me from being able to drive. This happened on the interstate and almost caused an accident.
No injuries · No fire · No crash
Driving 65mph on [XXX] and all the lights came on flashing and alerting me causing the emergency braking to occur while driving causing me to swerve on the road and lucky I didn’t crash but i had my [XXX] old in the car and it scared the hell out of me, on top of all that my horn gave out and hasn’t worked since that incident and now all the lights are off and I don’t even get the beeping for coming to close to another car anymore it’s like I lost all safety features plan to sell the car because I’m not dealing with this and Kia’s dealer services are horrible followed along by thee corporate being terrible too INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
No injuries · No fire · No crash