Kia Seltos Complaints (2021)

380 consumer complaints on file.

#11712117January 20, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Piston oil ring recall update complete in July 20 25. A month later key fob battery dies. Replaced key fob battery every other month since recall. September 20 25 had brakes and rotors changed at dealership since then anti-slip alert has triggered twice on dry roads. Light comes on then immediately goes off. Remote car starter stopped working in December. Dealership had no resolution for key fob issues and has not been able to replicate anti-slip issue. Dealership currently has vehicle to attempt to replicate issue and to look into the remote car starter issue. This is unsafe because the car automatically shutters and feels uncontrolled slip comes on also causes issues when key fob consistently dies every other month and get alert, letting me know that the key fob has died. And while the remote car starter is not a safety issue, it is all tied in with the electrical issues that are happening. The issues started after the recall was added to my vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711359January 16, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the engine started making an abnormal loud knocking sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact stated that the failure worsened while attempting to drive the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine), which included the VIN. The dealer informed the contact that a claim could not be submitted to the manufacturer for the engine replacement approval because the contact did not have oil change receipts. The contact stated that the residence had previously caught on fire, and the contact no longer had the receipts. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the case could be escalated to an unknown department. The contact had a follow up call with the manufacturer, but no further assistance had been provided. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710935January 14, 2026
ENGINE
. Over consumption of oil causing engine failure
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710528January 12, 2026
ENGINE
I have a KIA Seltos 2021 2.0L, Odom 90288, the engine has failed. I was driving when the engine failed and refused to turn over, start. I was on my way to work at approximately [XXX] when in the middle of a left hand turn at the intersection of [XXX] and [XXX] the engine failed, car shout off which left me in the middle of the street (it was still dark outside, and I was stranded in the middle of the street). Prior to this engine failure I received an email directly from KIA stating that there was a recall on my engine and the car needed to be serviced, however I was unable to make my scheduled appointment because the engine failed, prior to. I recently took my car into Bayside KIA of Waldorf however they are refusing to cover the car and the repairs in correlations to the engine recall. Prior to have the car diagnosed by Bayside KIA the car was inspected by JJ Auto Service of Waldorf, who confirmed that the engine failure may be in correlation to the open recalls on my 2021 Seltos. Three days prior to the engine going out the check engine light came on, and I heard knocking under the engine which is the leading reason I scheduled the service inspection with KIA. I believe my engine failed in correlation to recall #21 V259000 (KIA Recall #SC209). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709746January 8, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
my sensor does not work and does not detect the gas in tank car wont start or turn on
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705460December 16, 2025
ENGINE
This 2021 Kia Seltos car’s engine has randomly seized up 4 times over the last year causing very serious safety concern. Fortunately, these 4 seize-ups happened when the powerless Seltos car could be safely directed to the shoulder of the road while driving in slower paced traffic. Each time this occurred, our 2021 Kia Seltos had to be towed; towed twice to a mechanic shop and twice to directly to the dealer. The mechanic diagnosed the problem as the vehicle using excessive oil resulting in the vehicle safety sensors shutting the engine down. However, in those instances when we towed the vehicle to the dealer, the dealership always obfuscated and gave us the impression that they were not taking our safety concerns seriously. They never adequately addressed our concerns and often conducted some minor repairs seemingly to placate us to get us down the road. None of their minor repairs worked or solved the problem. In each instance after their repair the problem repeated. We expressed our extreme frustration and concern for our life safety. We communicated to them that this vehicle’s engine has proven unsafe and that has randomly seize-up several times We have researched the 2021 Seltos and found that these Kia models have many serious recalls for multiple items including the problem that we have experiences with excess oil usage. It is our experience that our KIA dealership will not adequately address our concerns and will not take necessary measures to adequately address our very serious safety issues. We believe that our 2021 Seltos is a "Lemmon" and needs to be replaced, or at least its engine replaced. We hope this complaint results in serious action and that I'm not writing again indicating that this 2021 Seltos “Lemmon" vehicle has again seized up and has resulted in a life-threatening safety issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705286December 16, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Can smell gas fumes in and around car. Afraid to drive. Took to dealer. Fuel pump and associated gaskets fittings needed to be replaced. Not cover under 10 yr, 100K warranty even though the vehicle only has 83K miles. Just to right.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705022December 15, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
THE CAR WAS MAKING A GRINDING SOUND, VIBRATES, SLOWS DOWN. GRINDING SOUND IS LIKE GRINDING GEARS OR A SNOWPLOW SCRAPING PAVEMENT. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED IN APRIL BECAUSE OF RECALL. I ONLY HAVE 23765 MILES ON IT BUT ORIGINAL 5 YEAR WARRANTY EXPIRED ON 12/09/2025. THE SAME NOISE STARTED AGAIN ON 12/10/2025 AND IT WAS TOWED TO DEALER I BOUGHT FROM ON 12/10/25. The master warning light came on 12/10/25 incident and some text. There was traffic so unable to read it and light went off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704844December 13, 2025
ENGINE
Car had 59,522 miles when I purchased it (now has 64,320), and after driving 1,500 miles, it began hot-idle stall with oil light indicator lit. Restarted and drove OK, but when slowing, it kept stalling. This also happened on the roads when slowing for a light or for traffic, posing a risk to myself and others. After 6-7 times and doing some research, this problem exactly matches the symptoms in Kia’s TSB ENG222 Rev 6. I had it towed to a KIA service center due to the concern that it can throw a bearing during stall (as well as be unsafe). Dealer performed combustion chamber cleaning and replaced the PCV valve ($1,000!). They asked me to keep a close eye on oil consumption. Over the next less-than-1,000 miles of driving, engine consumed 3 quarts, well in excess of Kia’s expectation of no more than 1 quart per 1,000 miles. The dealer contacted Kia’s technical assistance for help and was denied an engine replacement due to me being the second owner, out of power train warranty and just purchasing the vehicle, as well as indicating that the engine had previously been “fixed” pursuant to the TSB; however, clearly it is not fixed. I now unfortunately know that this problem is associated with the poor design of the engine and up to 20% of the owners who have had the problem “fixed” continue to have the same problem recur. The engine has barely more than 60,000 miles on it and was maintained, according to CarFax, rather flawlessly by the previous (and only other) owner. There is no way that properly built and appropriately maintained engine should fail with less than 60,000 miles on it unless there is something inherently wrong with the design or build of the engine. It also seems like a huge copout on Kia’s part to not honor their 100,000 mile, 10 year powertrain warranty simply because the car transferred owners (once), especially with the history of known appropriate servicing AND that the car’s engine has already failed the repair directed by TSB ENG222 Rev 6.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704626December 11, 2025
ENGINE
I took my car to the dealership for the recall fix on its engine where they put the noise sensors in. I told them my car was burning oil and my car check engine light came on so I took it back in. Just before going in the light went off, but the code was for a misfire in cylinder 2. They did could not recreate the misfire and sealed my engine and told me to bring it back in 1000 miles. During this time the check engine light came on and went off again for the same code. When I brought it back at 1000 miles they could not recreate the misfire and said my car burned 0.77 quarts of oil in 1000 miles and in order for the engine to be bad that it needed to burn 1.0 quarts in that timeframe. They resealed the engine and I am to bring it back again in 1000 miles. A car should burn next to nothing for oil in 1000 miles. So my engine could burn out almost all its oil before a regular oil change and burn up the engine unless I keep adding oil. I am betting the cylinder misfire is because of oil fouling the plug. I could be on the highway and my motor could stall or blowup from lack of oil. Their recall fix is a joke and saying a regular gas enginecan burn up to 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles is ridiculous. This and every car with this engine problem should have the engine properly repaired or replaced
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702377December 1, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
I am writing regarding my vehicle, a 2021 Kia Seltos LX - VIN Number [XXX] , which is subject to a recall NHTSA #25V099, Manufacturer Recall Number SC336. I was informed of the recall April 2025 and have since experienced engine stalling while driving on the highway with my young children with me, abnormal engine noise, complete oil loss and eventually complete engine failure. Unfortunately, this defect caused my vehicle to become unsafe and completely inoperable for the last 8 weeks. Kia said "We have completed the SC336 Piston Oil Ring recall, and your vehicle did pass. This means that the failure of the engine is not covered within the scope of that recall. This vehicle also does not have Kia warranty coverage active now due to age and miles. At this stage, Metro Kia does not have any further recourse for warranty coverage." My kia was stalling on the highway, complete oil loss where it was bone dry which led to engine failure. How did the vehicle "PASS" when EVERYTHING from the description of the recall is EXACTLY what happened to me? This is absolutely wild that Kia is refusing to do anything about this vehicle. It is a 2021, with 65,000 miles on it. The repairs are over 13K and I am being told I would get nothing for the car if I traded it in because it is worth nothing. Because of this situation, I have experienced a complete loss of transportation and have been relying on other methods of transportation and emptying my bank account for numerous towing visits to and from the dealership. Kia has not fixed the recall and instead quoted me over $13,000 to repair the car. I have enclosed copies of relevant documents, including the recall notice, service records, and any related correspondence. I messaged the BBB and attached Kia's response to that, as well as an email with the service advisor at Kia. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701824November 27, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
My 2021 Kia Seltos is experiencing engine problems that match the piston-ring defect involved in Kia Recall SC336. I first took the vehicle to the dealership in August 2025 for excessive oil consumption and engine knocking. The dealer documented the engine was 1 quart low and stated the oil was “most likely being used internally getting past the piston rings.” However, they only performed the software update from SC336 and did not perform any internal engine inspection. Since that visit, the condition has significantly worsened. The vehicle is now consuming more oil than before, the knocking/ticking noises have become louder and more frequent, and fuel economy has declined. I am adding oil between changes to keep the engine from running dangerously low. There are no external leaks, so the oil is being burned internally, which is consistent with piston-ring failure. These symptoms are identical to other Seltos vehicles already included in the recall, yet my VIN is not currently part of it. The progression of engine noise and oil consumption raises serious safety concerns, including potential engine failure, loss of power, or stalling while driving. The dealer acknowledges the internal oil use but refuses further diagnostic work without direction from Kia. I am reporting this because the defect is worsening and poses a safety risk, and the vehicle appears to have the same failure pattern as recalled engines.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701384November 25, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
DEATH TRAP! Point blank~Engine will STILL Jerk, Skip, Not Do Anything Or even Shut Off Without Warning!!! The Driver's Screen will still Flash and go out but only once in a while now. Dealership didn't understand that. They told me Radio was Fine Now. I told them Screen Directly in Front of Driver's with Speedometer on it. IT'S HARD TO FIND GOOD HELP. EVEN HARDER, to FIND a SAFE RELIABLE VEHICLE that YOUR KIDS CAN BE IN!!! 💯% 🎯 RUST {definitely} up under Near the License Plate Bracket. ALSO, the Windshield WIPERS STOP WORKING WHENEVER THEY CHOOSE!!! The Best part is, the Dealership CAN'T DO ANYTHING about ANY OF THIS. Why? Pretty much because KIA REDID the TEST so that ALL the Vehicles PASS Now. It makes it LOOK like the Engines are OK, when in Reality they are 💩. I bought this Vehicle 12-30-24 with 44,068 miles on it. My Daughter and I thought we were going to Die in it on 4-26-25. We didn't even have it a full 4 months Before We Found Out WE HAVE A LEMON from KIA. There were 3,310 Miles put on it. Come on... I was told there was No Way to NOTE My Account at the Dealership for the Different Times {Everytime} this NEGLIGENT 💩 STUFF Kept and Still Does Happening. That's OK. I just Hope and Pray for KIA's sake, that Nothing Ever Seriously Happens to Anyone because of How THIS 2021 KIA SELTOS VEHICLE Operates DEFECTIVELY in So MANY DIFFERENT WAYS that ARE SAFETY HAZARDS. IF they were Smart, they would REPLACE ALL OF THEM with a Brand New Vehicle to AVOID A POSSIBLE SERIOUS FATALITY. I only say this because that's what WE experienced more than once. We fear this Daily. We ended up with this Vehicle after our Honda CRV-EXL was Totaled by Someone running a Red Light. It was the OTHER PERSON'S FAULT, but after paying off car... Kia was all in could afford. I had NO Choice but to get this KIA. Being a Single Mom on Low Social Security Disability Income, I did what I had to do! I have to have a GOOD RELIABLE AWD VEHICLE to get to Doctors Appointments. THIS ISN'T ONE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11699015November 12, 2025
ENGINE
My 2021 Kia Seltos with the 1.6L turbo engine is burning an excessive amount of oil — about one quart every 800–1000 miles — and is showing blue smoke from the exhaust. A certified technician indicated that the likely cause is faulty piston rings, which is a known issue on this engine and has led to engine replacements in other Kia vehicles. The vehicle was purchased as a Certified Pre-Owned Kia, and I have maintained it properly. Despite this, Kia and the dealership and the certified preowned warranty company have denied warranty coverage, calling it "oil consumption," even though the oil loss is clearly excessive and mechanical in nature. This defect poses a potential safety hazard, as engine failure or oil-related fires could occur if the engine runs low on oil while driving. There are many similar reports online from 2021 Kia Seltos owners experiencing the same problem. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue and require Kia to address these engine defects, as they appear to be widespread and potentially dangerous.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698827November 11, 2025
ENGINE
Recall was initiated for my 2021 Kia Seltos for potential defective engine piston rings which could lead to increased oil consumption and lead to damage/fire to engine compartment. My vehicle has been burning through oil to the point i have to add it weekly to keep it from running out before next scheduled oil changes. Two separate local mechanics confirmed this is highly indicative of bad piston rings and should definitely be covered for repair/replacement by Kia dealer under recall. I took car in for recall assessment, they stated they performed an oil consumption test and engine knocking test to which they deemed it passed. I spoke with lead mechanic explaining that the car is burning through oil so quickly it would be completely empty by next scheduled oil changes if i wasnt continuously adding it - to which they replied they were aware and to "just keep adding oil". I stated this didnt seem right as it we know it is burning up oil at an alarming rate inside engine and was told unless it is pretty much spewing oil on the floor in front of us, it will pass the consumption test and you just have to continue adding oil. The piston rings would not even be checked unless you "failed the oil consumption test first". This is very concerning to drive now since there are reports of this issue leading to engine fires.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698188November 7, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE
I bought this vehicle brand new in 2021. I noticed at the beginning that when I accelerated that the car would delay in acceleration. This would happen sporadically. Now it is happening all the time and has almost caused me to get into several accidents because of the delay in acceleration. This is a major safety risk. I've had the car inspected at Kia Dealers and they just say yeah, we hear that a lot with this model but there is no recall. There are no warning lamps or messages.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11696766October 31, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that unknown warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that there was less than one-quarter of oil in the engine. The contact stated that an oil change was performed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for further services. The contact was advised that the vehicle should not consume 3.5 quarts of oil within 5,000 miles. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected. The dealer was informed that the vehicle was consuming 3.5 quarts of oil within 5,000 miles. The contact was informed that it was not an issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694528October 20, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an oil change. After leaving the mechanic, the vehicle started smoking, and the engine seized in traffic. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who determined that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that there were no oil change records for the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693253October 14, 2025
AIR BAGS
I was traveling at approximately 50mph straight through an intersection. The opposing car made a left turn directly in front of me and I T-boned the other vehicle (gray Kia Optima). There was sufficient front end damage that my car was totaled. The airbags on my vehicle failed to deploy.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11693088October 13, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
After being stopped while driving when the car turns off, when re-starting sometimes the car will turn off, I have to put my car into park in the middle of the street to restart the engine. Other times, it will start alerting me to "push the start button" as if my car isn't on already. This causes me to come to a complete stop in the middle of the intersections and puts me at risk.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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