Kia Canada Recalls Seltos Vehicles Over Potential Short Circuit

As per Transport Canada, the AWD control unit may become contaminated by salt and moisture inside the vehicle. This ultimately leads to corrosion, therefore increasing the risk of a short circuit. As implied, only all-wheel-drive vehicles feature the aforementioned control unit, which is located under the driver's seat. A grand total of 44,478 Canadian-spec vehicles have been recalled.

The NHTSA has yet to publish any equivalent recall for the US market. Although this condition may be specific to cold weather and extensive use of rock salt when it's really cold, bear in mind that certain states in the United States of America use plenty of rock salt due to cold weather as well. Think Alaska, Michigan, Idaho, Maine, Vermont, Montana, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Wyoming, Minnesota.

For the time being, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's database lists only two recalls for the Seltos, which slots above the Soul and below the Sportage. For the 2021 model year, Kia recalled certain vehicles for improperly heat-treated piston oil rings. The other recall concerns 2023 models. In their case, the electric oil pump assembly may catch fire due to potentially damaged components in the stop/start system's controller.

Turning our attention back to the Canadian recall, owners are urged to schedule an appointment with the dealers of their liking to inspect the AWD control unit. For some reason or another, Transport Canada calls it 4WD control unit. As a rule of thumb, four-wheel drive usually implies a transfer case, as you might find on a truck or a Wrangler.

By comparison, the Seltos features a viscous-type coupling unit that channels torque to the rear wheels when necessary. For this application, Kia claims that up to 50 percent of peak torque can be sent to the rear wheels. Owners can easily determine whether their all-wheel-drive crossovers are recalled or not by entering the 17-digit vehicle identification number on Kia's Canadian website.

For the Canadian market, the Seltos comes in five grades: LX, EX, EX Premium, SX, and X-Line. Only the SX and X-Line boast a turbocharged engine, whereas the EX Premium and lesser trim levels make do with a naturally aspirated lump. The 2.0-liter I4 is joined by Kia's Intelligent Variable Transmission, whereas the punchier 1.6-liter I4 turbo levels up to an eight-speed automatic tranny.

The South Korean automaker quotes 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet (180 Nm) for the free-breathing mill. The force-fed lump delivers up to 195 horsepower and 195 pound-feet (265 Nm) between 1,600 and 4,500 revolutions per minute.

The most affordable spec of the bunch is the LX FWD at $28,062 CAD or $20,838 USD at current exchange rates. For reference, the automaker's US website lists it at $24,490 USD ($32,9893 CAD).