2022 Kia Seltos Transmission Problems

Your car is burning through oil extremely quickly — you're losing a quart every 20 miles even after an oil change and transmission repair following your front-end collision. Your check engine and oil warning lights stay on, the car stalls at red lights, and it smells like burning oil or rubber, but the dealership hasn't found the cause and wants you to drive 1,000 miles for a diagnostic test. The issue may involve a defective engine component, possibly related to pistons, though your 2022 model year isn't currently under recall even though 2021 and 2023 models are.

Your 2022 Kia Seltos is stalling and shutting off while driving, including in traffic and at stop signs, which has left you stranded. You've also experienced electrical failures and an emergency brake malfunction. The dealership has had your vehicle for three weeks without providing a diagnosis, repair timeline, or loaner vehicle, leaving you without transportation. Resolving this will likely require the dealership to diagnose the stalling issue through electrical and engine system testing, which may involve replacing failed components once identified.

Your car's check engine light came on and started making noise and running poorly. An independent mechanic found that your timing chain and piston rings are failing, which matches a known recall issue. However, your dealership says your car passed the piston ring recall and wants to charge you $175 just to diagnose the problem and another $175 to inspect the engine further, despite the independent shop already identifying the issue. The repair is expected to cost over $2,000 and involves replacing or repairing the timing chain, piston rings, and related engine components.

Your 2022 Kia Seltos is burning through about a quart of oil every week, even though it passed a piston oil ring recall in September 2025. Two dealerships told you this wouldn't be covered under the recall because they said the recall was only for engine noise, but the recall documentation actually states that the underlying issue can cause increased oil consumption that leads to noise. Your vehicle was 5,000 miles beyond the warranty period when this problem developed. The repair will likely involve inspecting or replacing the piston oil rings and related engine components.

Your 2022 Kia Seltos has a coolant leak that the dealership has been unable to locate despite multiple visits and marking the reservoir to track the loss. The coolant level dropped consistently week to week, but mysteriously stabilized for over a year after a technician accidentally broke and replaced an unrelated part. Recently, about three months after your last check, you noticed the coolant level has dropped again below the minimum mark, suggesting the original problem has returned. Diagnosing and repairing the coolant leak will likely involve pressure testing the cooling system, inspecting hoses and connections, and potentially replacing damaged seals or gaskets.

2022 KIA SELTOS S AWD [XXX]- ENGINE FAILED, PISTON SCORING, PISTON OIL RING FAILED, OIL BURNING, KNOCKING IN ENGINE. THIS KIA'S VIN NUMBER IS PART OF THE KIA RECALL THAT WAS PUBLISHED 2/17/25 AND ANNOUNCED TO CONSUMERS VIA MAIL ON 4/4/25. My [XXX] daughter & I purchased a used 2022 Kia Seltos on [XXX] Mileage at time of purchase was little bit under 60,000 miles. On [XXX], while on vacation in Florida, my daughter noticed sluggish acceleration, smoke coming from exhaust and some from hood, a knocking sound from engine and then engine then seized in the middle of the road. If they wouldn't have stopped, this engine would've started on FIRE! This event caused SIGNIFICANT DANGER to my young daughter and her 3 passengers! My daughter and her friends had to push the vehicle back to a safe location off the road so they didn't get hit by a car. We are from Wisconsin and these kids were stranded in Florida on vacation without a vehicle. We had to have the vehicle towed to a Kia dealership in Panama City, FL on 3/28/25. Inspected and RECALL testing done by Kia in Panama City, FL. It is now 5/2/25 and we are STILL WAITING FOR KIA TO APPROVE A NEW ENGINE FROM THIS RECALL. NO ONE WILL GIVE US ANY UPDATES. These 2022 Kia Seltos engines are a complete danger! Engine needs to be REPLACED ASAP INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE SEIZED WHILE DRIVING ON VACATION IN FLORIDA. PUT THE DRIVER AND 3 PASSENGERS AT MAJOR RISK FOR AN ACCIDENT AND/OR FIRE! HAD TO PUSH VEHICLE BACK TO A SAFE SPOT. HAD NOTICED SLUGGISH ACCELERATION ON AND OFF AND SOME SMOKE COMING FROM EXHAUST, ENGINE KNOCKING WAS VERY PRESENT, OIL LOOKED DIRTY AND GRITTY. NOTICED THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS KIA- ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THIS RECALL ASAP. WE HAD TO PAY FOR PLANE TICKETS TO GET ALL 4 PEOPLE BACK HOME TO WISCONSIN, HAD TO PAY FOR TRANSPORTATION BACK AND FORTH, LOST OUT ON DAYS OF VACATION, HAD TO HAVE THIS VEHICLE TOWED TO KIA IN PANAMA CITY, FL AND WILL NOW HAVE TO HAVE IT SHIPPED BACK TO WISCONSIN, WE WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR A RENTAL VEHICLE WHILE THIS IS INSPECTED AND FIXED. KIA SHOULD REIMBURSE OR PAY FOR ALL OF THESE THINGS! MY DAUGHTER AND HER FRIENDS WERE STRANDED IN ANOTHER STATE DUE TO THIS BAD ENGINE AT ONLY 60,800 MILES!

I was stopped in traffic for about 40 minutes and the over heating transmission came on. warnned to pull over and wait to cool off.

On June 10, 2023 I was driving and in stop and go traffic. My 2022 Kia Seltos transmission over heated. I pulled over, let it cool, and cautiously drove home. I made an appointment with the dealership I purchased the car from and requested that they inspect the transmission and explained what happened. This is when I was informed that my vehicle had a "design flaw" in the dual clutch system and that if I did not put my vehicle in park or neutral while on stop and go traffic, my vehicle would overheat. I was given the all clear, but a month later I had to have my car towed to the dealership for further transmission issues.

I bought a brand new 2022 Kia Seltos a month and a half ago at Monroeville Kia dealership. On December 11, the car started manifesting a transmission temperature overheating problem in the middle of traffic. Once the transmission overheated, the engine lost power. I was driving in busy traffic and had to pull the car over to allow the engine to cool down. The police came over and made me start driving my car again, indicating that I could not pull over in such busy traffic. This is a major risk to my safety and can potentially cause a car accident. I reported this case to Kia Manufacturer and I opened a case. The case number is 14537410. The manufacturer told me to have the dealership evaluate the car. The dealership evaluated the car and said “This is a known defect and, per Kia’s engineers, there is nothing they could do to fix the car.” I need reliable vehicle, especially because my job requires me to travel. I am concerned that this issue will continue to manifest and will likely cause a serious accident. I am filing this case because I need arbitration and I need this issue to be fixed or i need a refund.