2022 Kia Seltos: sudden loss of power

Filed Jun 27, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · CO

My 2022 Kia Seltos is equipped with Idle Stop & Go (ISG), which shuts the engine off when stopped and restarts it when the driver releases the brake/presses the accelerator. ISG stopped functioning about a year ago (the engine stayed running at stops). I didn't think anything of it because the ISG had worked sporadically from the day I bought the car. (I purchased it new.) It began working again, sporadically, about a week ago. Since then, on 3 occasions, when stopped at a red light with the engine auto-shut-off via ISG, pressing the accelerator to proceed causes the engine to fail to restart as I accelerate, and the vehicle stalls. The dashboard displays a "Press Ignition Button" message. I lose power to the engine, and the vehicle stops accelerating, coasting briefly on momentum until I manually restart it via the ignition button. I have not confirmed whether warning lights were illuminated, as my focus was on regaining control. This appears consistent with documented ISG restart failures reported by other Kia owners online, suggesting a possible pattern rather than an isolated defect. I checked my VIN on zero open recalls. Kia customer care was closed when I called (today is a weekend day). I plan to call on Monday for a diagnostic appointment. This is a safety concern because the stall occurs unpredictably at the exact moment of accelerating from a stop, particularly hazardous at intersections in traffic.

Filed May 27, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · SC · fire

My 2022 Kia Seltos out of nowhere started smoking, losing power, total control and braking. There were no lights on the dashboard warning of any kind complete stall than a little bit of power hesitation stall no brakes. I managed to coast it into a parking space at a hotel with it smoking so bad I couldn’t see. It then burst into flames and golfing the entire Engine bay and melting the front of the car about 90 seconds after I got out of the car all of the symptoms here are completely aligned with the recall on this vehicle and the soul. In fact, my son soul had all the same issues except the fire and Kia refused to replace the Engine claiming that his lack of a recent oil change caused the problem that we all see reported here this vehicle was not in the recall VIN group but failed catastrophically just as described in the recall

Filed Jan 17, 2026 · Engine · PA

Purchased my 2022 Kia Seltos new from my local dealership and stayed up to date with all scheduled service, as well as all manufacturer recalls and software updates. When driving it in January 2025, I experienced loss of power when accelerating and an engine stall. Took it to the dealer the same day and was told the vehicle was out of oil, and this caused engine damage that would not be covered by my warranty (I have approximately 44,000 miles on the car). Never had any kind of warning signs — no check engine light or any dashboard alerts. Also never had any issues with oil levels between regular oil changes at the dealership. Luckily, I’d not been driving in particularly heavy traffic when the issue emerged, or else could’ve caused an accident. And luckily I took it to the dealer when I did to prevent a more catastrophic engine failure. Seems to have burned through a ridiculous amount of oil in a relatively short period of time while giving no warning signs that it was doing so.

Filed May 2, 2025 · Engine · TX

I took my Kia to Moritz Kia Alliance, Keller TX on 4/24/25 for the current recall and letting them know that my vehicle has experienced issues outlined in the recall notice (almost all of the oil was burned and we had to add a quart to get it to the dealership, car has lost power while driving, car has stalled). They tested in 4/25/25 and called to let me know that it failed the test and would require a new engine. I called on 4/29 to inquire about a loaner vehicle and the dealership notified me that KIA halted the test due to software issues and I was required to pick up my vehicle. I messaged KIA customer service who advised that the new software would be available 5/1. I did not pick up my car due to the issues I had experienced and did not feel safe driving it. Today 5/2 the dealership said that the second test failed but KIA has halted testing for a second time stating software issues. The dealership has had no concern for the safety of my vehicle and KIA appears to be halting testing and requiring individuals to drive these vehicles exhibiting potential recall related issues with no concern for the general public.

Filed Dec 15, 2021 · Engine, Transmission · PA

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.