Kia Engine Settlement: Two Closed Deals and One Live Lawsuit
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There is no Kia engine settlement taking claims as of October 2026. The two big U.S. settlements — one for 2011–2019 Optima, Sorento and Sportage, one for Forte, Soul, Optima Hybrid and older Sorento and Sportage models — closed their claim windows in 2021 and 2024. Their warranty extensions still run. The Kia engine lawsuit in the news now is a proposed class action over 2021–2023 Soul and Seltos piston oil rings, which a federal judge let proceed on May 20, 2026. It has no settlement, no claim form and no deadline.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Kia Engine Lawsuits Allege
Three separate cases share the label “Kia engine class action.”
Engine I (Theta II GDI). The lawsuit alleged that 2011–2018 and certain 2019 Kia Optima, 2012–2018 and certain 2019 Sorento and 2011–2018 and certain 2019 Sportage vehicles have a defect that can cause engine seizure, stalling, engine failure and engine fire, and that some owners were wrongly denied warranty repairs.
Engine II (Theta II MPI, Nu, Gamma). The lawsuit alleged a defect in the connecting rod bearing that can cause seizure, stalling, failure and fire, again with warranty denials.
Soul and Seltos piston rings. In early 2025 Kia recalled up to 137,256 2021–2023 Soul and Seltos vehicles with the 2.0-liter Nu MPI engine (NHTSA 25V-099, Kia SC336) because piston oil rings may have been made incorrectly, which can lead to oil consumption, engine damage and, in rare cases, fire. Kia knew of four engine fires at the time. The lawsuit alleges the recall fix — noise-sensing software, and a new engine only if damage is detected — does not cure the defect and that the cars lost value. Kia has not been found liable in any of these cases.
Case Details
Engine I: In re: Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation, No. 8:17-cv-00838-JLS-JDE, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Final approval May 10, 2021; judgment June 10, 2021, with no appeals. Official site: kiaenginesettlement.com.
Engine II: In re: Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation II, Case No. 8:18-cv-02223-JLS-JDE, same court. Fairness hearing September 8, 2023; final approval April 29, 2024.
Soul/Seltos: Jasinski v. Kia America, Inc., No. 2:25-cv-01234, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, filed March 7, 2025, before Judge John Milton Younge. The named plaintiff owns a 2021 Kia Soul and seeks more than $5 million for a proposed class.
Status: Settlements Closed, One Kia Engine Lawsuit Active
Engine I: the main claim deadline was August 9, 2021. The official site says the claims administrator handled claims through November 30, 2021; for anything later it directs owners to Kia America (1-888-952-4827). The lifetime warranty applies once the Knock Sensor Detection System update is installed — no claim form needed.
Engine II: the claim deadline for most benefits was moved from April 5, 2024 to July 8, 2024, and has passed. Warranty benefits did not require a claim.
Soul/Seltos (Jasinski): active, early stage. On May 20, 2026 the court rejected Kia's bid to dismiss. That only means the allegations are plausible enough to continue — nothing has been proven, no class is certified, and there is no settlement, no fund, no claim form and no deadline.
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Which Kia Owners Are Covered
Engine I: 2011–2019 Optima, 2012–2019 Sorento and 2011–2019 Sportage (2019 only for certain vehicles).
Engine II (Kia models): 2011–2016 Optima Hybrid (Theta II); 2017–2020 Optima Hybrid and Plug-in (Nu); 2011–2013 Sorento and Sportage (Theta II); 2010–2013 Forte and Forte Koup (Theta II); 2014–2018 Forte and 2014–2016 Forte Koup (Nu); 2012–2016 Soul (Gamma); 2014–2019 Soul (Nu). Hyundai models were covered too.
Soul/Seltos lawsuit (proposed class): 2021–2023 Soul and Seltos with the base 2.0-liter Nu MPI engine — 83,621 Souls and 53,635 Seltos in the recall. The 1.6-liter turbo Seltos does not appear to be affected. You do not need to sign up; if a class is ever certified or a settlement reached, notice goes to class members.
Not an engine case: the Kia/Hyundai anti-theft settlement and the airbag settlement are separate.
What Owners Got — and What Is Available Now
Engine II paid out-of-pocket repair costs, towing, rental and lodging after a failure, payments for some trade-ins and sales, compensation for vehicles destroyed by fire plus a $150 goodwill payment, and rebates. The Powertrain Limited Warranty was extended to 15 years or 150,000 miles for vehicles that got the knock-sensor update by November 4, 2023. Fire claims had to be filed within 90 days of the fire.
Engine I paid approved claims from August 10, 2021 and gives a lifetime warranty after the software update.
Soul/Seltos: no settlement, no fund, no claim form. Separately from the lawsuit, the recall replaces damaged engines for free and Kia says it reimburses repair costs tied to the piston ring problem — that is the route that pays today.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 123,245 other contract casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2025, 5.8% of them filed as class actions:
- 30.9% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 20.2% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 30.9% and 51.1%.
- 7.6% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 71 reached a trial (1.4%), after a median of 29.3 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 7.6 months.
- Only 7,369 of them (6%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $402,000.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal other contract cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Kia Engine Class Action Timeline
- 1
May 10, 2021 — Engine I Approved
The Central District of California grants final approval for 2011–2019 Optima, Sorento and Sportage. Main claim deadline: August 9, 2021.
- 2
April 29, 2024 — Engine II Approved
Final approval for Theta II MPI, Nu and Gamma vehicles. The claim deadline for most benefits closes July 8, 2024.
- 3
February 2025 — Soul and Seltos Recall
Recall 25V-099 covers up to 137,256 2021–2023 Soul and Seltos over piston oil rings. Owner letters mail April 4, 2025.
- 4
March 7, 2025 — Jasinski Filed
A 2021 Soul owner files a proposed class action in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleging the recall does not fix the defect.
- 5
May 20, 2026 — Motion to Dismiss Rejected
Judge John Milton Younge lets the case proceed. Kia had argued the plaintiff suffered no injury and the recall remedy works.
- 6
October 2026 — No Open Engine Settlement
Both settlements are closed to new class claims; warranty extensions continue. The Soul/Seltos case is pending with no settlement.
Three Things to Watch For
A high-search name with two closed settlements and one pending lawsuit invites confusion:
“File your Kia engine settlement claim” ads
Both claim windows closed — August 9, 2021 and July 8, 2024. A site taking new claims, asking for your VIN plus bank details, or charging a filing fee is not the settlement. Warranty repairs go through a Kia dealer.
“Join the Soul/Seltos settlement”
There is no Soul or Seltos engine settlement. Jasinski is a pending case; anyone promising a payout amount from it is guessing or selling something. A retainer is not a class registration — read before you sign.
Kia “settlement payment” texts
Unexpected texts about a Kia payment may be phishing. The Kia/Hyundai theft settlement had no payment date as of August 2026. No administrator texts you a link asking for a fee or your Social Security number to release engine money.
Kia Engine Settlement — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there a Kia engine settlement I can still file a claim in?
No, not as a class claim. As of October 2026, the Engine I deadline (August 9, 2021) and the Engine II deadline (July 8, 2024) have passed. Engine I owners with later issues are directed to Kia America at 1-888-952-4827.
Do I still have the extended engine warranty?
Probably, if your car got the knock-sensor software update. Engine I gives a lifetime warranty after the update. Engine II extended the Powertrain Limited Warranty to 15 years or 150,000 miles for cars updated by November 4, 2023. No claim form was needed for either.
What is the Kia engine lawsuit in the news right now?
Jasinski v. Kia America, No. 2:25-cv-01234 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, over 2021–2023 Soul and Seltos piston oil rings. On May 20, 2026 the judge rejected Kia's bid to dismiss. It is a proposed class action with no settlement.
Is there a new class action lawsuit Kia engine owners can join?
You do not join a class action by signing up. If the Soul/Seltos case is certified or settles, class members get an official notice. Until then there is nothing to file.
My 2021–2023 Soul or Seltos burns oil. What should I do now?
Use the recall, not the lawsuit. Under recall 25V-099 (Kia SC336), dealers install noise-sensing software and replace the engine if damage is detected, free. Kia says it reimburses repair costs tied to the defect — keep every receipt.
How much did the Kia engine class action lawsuit pay?
No total was published. Payments reimbursed documented costs — repairs, towing, rentals, lost vehicles — plus fixed items such as the Engine II $150 goodwill payment for fire-destroyed cars. There was no flat per-owner check.
Is this the same as the Kia theft settlement?
No. The anti-theft case is about missing immobilizers, and, as of our August 7, 2026 check, its payments were still on hold pending appeals — see our theft settlement update. Engine claims and theft claims are completely separate.
I missed the deadline and my engine failed. Is there anything left?
Check warranty first: the extended warranties still cover qualifying failures on updated vehicles. Then check open recalls for your VIN at NHTSA. If Kia denies coverage, keep your maintenance records — warranty denials were central to both settled cases.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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