Kia Seltos Complaints (2021)

380 consumer complaints on file.

#11690905October 2, 2025
ENGINE, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Was driving about 25 30 miles an hour coming to a stop and it stalled out all break power and everything cut out managed to get the car stopped and started again but looking it up not on nation recall list but it’s giving me the same problems on the recall list have replaced the battery starter they said flywheel and alternator are okey I haven’t made but one payment on the vehicle also chef oil and all that currently fine
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690771October 1, 2025
ENGINE
The engine (62K miles on it) on this vehicle is consuming oil very fast. We took this in several times to no avail but we finally received documentation from Kia stating the issue, we took it in for tests and the Kia Dealership has confirmed it needs a new engine. However Kia is denying the new motor due to missing one oil change document. This was done by my daughter's boyfriend and was done. However, they did not keep the receipt BUT we did have documentation on all other oil changes. This issue with the motor is NOT an issue of a receipt but due to Kia's poor manufacturing. It has improperly heated treated piston oil rings. Regardless of one miss receipt, this should be covered. There is also an audit with the NHSA for the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690469September 30, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
I just bought the car in July used from Honda there rates on extended warranty for the car at the time were outrageous but since buying it it’s been stalling hard starting throwing engine codes after a month and throwing all the power train warning that we’re a part of the recall with it doing that even giving me all the driving assist warnings I don’t currently have a good picture of what’s going on or video but I’ve replaced the starter and battery an it didn’t fix the issue Honda is saying take it to Kia and Kia is saying take it to Honda and I’m not getting any answers with that either I just know from people I’ve talked to that’s had the car t a point said there’s was recalled and it fixed those issues with one of them mines just also not on that list
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690381September 29, 2025
ENGINE
We received the NHTSA recall # 25VO99 letter from KIA America Corporate Headquarters, dated April 4, 2025. We called the service department at the local Kia dealership, and were told "Don't bring it in, hold off, they were not doing this at this time, KIA is doing it a different way." It seemed odd at the time, since we were following KIA's recall instructions: "In the interest of the safety of your passengers, as well as your own safety, contact your local KIA dealer to arrange for the recall to be performed." In early September, we had stopped driving the car and had it towed to the same service department because we heard a ticking noise in engine, and stalled out - no lights on the dashboard ever came on indicating an engine problem. The service center, at the Kia dealership, said that the noise had nothing to do with NHTSA Recall #25VO99 even though it is identical to the safety recall's indicators. Instead of honoring the recall they said we needed a new long block. We were told by the service center Kia had them do a borescope inspection across cylinders 1 through 4, we were told cylinder 3 was "really bad". They asked for our maintenance records and we were told that we voided our warranty by late oil changes along the way. We have brought the car to the same Kia dealership for all service when we moved here four years ago. To be clear the engine had plenty of oil in it when it started stalling out, and making noise. Kia is contending that the engine blew because the oil might have been dirty. They have given us no proof of this or no proof that the safety recall does not apply. This car was not even 5 years old and under the 60,000 miles. We still had 5 payments on our car loan with Kia. We were charged $6,679.15 for a new longblock engine. Kia took no responsibility for the faulty engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690170September 28, 2025
ENGINE
The auto stop start function of this car is very unsafe. It sometimes does not start back immediately and rolls back. It’s just very unsafe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689810September 25, 2025
SEAT BELTS
There is a defect in the passenger seat belt buckles, its extremely hard to get it to fasten and it doesn't properly lock, you have to consistently put the buckle in to get it to lock and sometimes it may just unbuckle without touching it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689442September 24, 2025
AIR BAGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
Traveling WB on SR100 approximately 60mph after picking up dinner in [XXX] , Before reaching the turn for 302, a deer jumped from the southbound side of the road to the northbound side of the road. When it jumped, the right side of the deer impacted the front of my vehicle which in turn ripped the vehicles hood up from locked down position and slammed it into the windshield. I saw the deers midsection from under the raised hood as the impact happened. I immediately put on my hazards and began to decelerate and pull off the road. I dont understand how my airbags didnt deploy with the damage that was incurred from the deer. In that instant, the side and front collision warning indicators never alerted and the airbags never deployed. The vehicle is being towed to Classic Colision in Daytona Beach FL from Roger's Towing in Bunnell FL Had this been a vehicle impacting another vehicle, my mother and I would not be here as the recalled repaired airbags did not deploy upon impact. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688319September 19, 2025
POWER TRAIN
We have a 2021 Kia Seltos. It was purchased 09/2023 as a certified pre-owned vehicle. Purchased from Putnam Chrysler Doge Jeep Kia in Putnam CT. It started using oil, about a quart a week. No oil spill on garage floor. Received notice of recall. We took it to the dealer for the recall in May of 2025. We were told it passed their inspection and the recall was entered as completed. Oil continued to run out. My wife could hear valves clicking and she new the oil was low. All this information was conveyed to the dealer and they had us bring it back in 6/2/2025. At that time an oil consumption test was performed. Die was added to the oil and was told to drive 1000 miles. Returned to dealer on 06/27/2025. Was told the test result showed no oil consumption. On [XXX] we were driving to market. The check engine light came on. I pulled over and checked oil. It was empty. Returned vehicle to dealer. Now they said the head was bad and the engine needed to be rebuilt. Called Kia customer service and was told that they would not replace the engine and my extended warranty would cover the cost to replace the head. This is my wife's car and I do not think it will be safe to drive. My email address is [XXX] . [XXX] 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
#11687631September 16, 2025
ENGINE
On [XXX], while driving my 2021 Kia Seltos (VIN: [XXX] ) on the highway at approximately 70 MPH, the engine suddenly revved slightly higher and then completely shut off without warning. This caused a loss of power, making the vehicle difficult to control and nearly resulting in a significant accident with surrounding traffic. Fortunately, I was able to coast and pull over to the shoulder safely, avoiding a collision. No warning lights illuminated prior to the incident, and there were no other noticeable symptoms beforehand. The vehicle was towed to Classic Kia in Texarkana, TX, where technicians diagnosed engine seizure with no oil present—a clear symptom of excessive oil consumption and cylinder wall damage linked to faulty piston oil rings. During a call with Kia on September 16, 2025, they confirmed two prior recall repairs in 2021 and 2022: one for Recall SC209 (NHTSA 21V-259, addressing piston oil rings in 2021 Seltos with 2.0L Nu MPI engines) and another related repair not directly tied to SC209 but addressing similar engine issues. These repairs failed to prevent the defect, as evidenced by the seizure. This matches the piston ring defect in SC209 and the expanded Recall SC336 (NHTSA 25V-099, covering 2021–2023 Seltos), which can cause seizure and fire risk. NHTSA’s 2025 audit of Kia’s engine recalls notes ineffective fixes, with owner complaints of post-repair failures. This incident posed a severe safety hazard, as engine seizure at highway speeds risks crashes, injuries, or fatalities. I urge NHTSA to investigate this as part of the audit and compel Kia to provide a permanent remedy, such as engine replacement or vehicle buyback under warranty/lemon laws. 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
#11687476September 15, 2025
ENGINE
We bought a 2021 Kia Seltos new from Spitzer Kia Cleveland (June 2020) and kept up with regular maintenance. The vehicle is subject to two NHTSA recalls for defective piston oil rings (21V259000 in 2021 and 25V099000 in 2025; Kia SC209 & SC336). Component/system: piston oil rings and related engine parts. Vehicle is at Spitzer Kia and available for inspection. Timeline: [XXX] – Check engine light illuminated (solid). Dipstick dry. Dealer said likely recall issue. [XXX] – Vehicle brought to dealer. Staff first acknowledged probable piston-ring issue and possible engine replacement. Later same day they switched to an “oil consumption test” requiring us to drive 1,000 miles—possibly three rounds (3,000 miles total)—before they will even consider replacing the engine. We must top off oil ourselves during this time. Safety risk: Driving thousands of miles in a recalled vehicle with known oil-consumption defect could cause engine seizure, stall, loss of power, or fire, endangering us and others. Inspection/confirmation: Dealer inspected the vehicle 9/12/25. Manufacturer (Kia America) also contacted and gave same response. Warning lamps/symptoms: Check engine light appeared [XXX]; low oil level, no external leaks noted. We do not feel it is safe to comply with the driving tests. Dealer threatened to tow our car if we did not pick it up. We have complete service records, recall notices, and correspondence available. 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
#11685796September 8, 2025
STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My car has stop many times in highway running 55mph or 30 mph. It will completely stop my car has almost 15000 miles a 2021 kia seltos. I turned in my car to the kia dealershop to get check and they diagnosed a lot for so many things and have me pay to replaced the car’s battery. I had my 3year olf child when that happened The dealer just pushed it that it was the battery but its not. My car has only 15000 miles. they also ordered a pad crash main even whwn there was no accident happened. It is a critical safety of my component. For a very low milage car that has so many problem i think this is not good. The engine will stop when i pressed the brake and automatically refresed all warnings will show mainly engine light. it wont turn on when i pressed the button. It happen many times
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684706September 3, 2025
ENGINE
Was driving home and vehicle started to sputter shut off. There were no warning lights or messages. Took to the dealership, who was aware that there is history of this with Kia, but my VIN was not included in recalls.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684371September 2, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle stalled but restarted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the Inspection Station for a yearly inspection, which confirmed an upcoming recall, and was unable to be repaired. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received the notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was contacted and requested the oil change records. The contact was able to provide records for a year. The manufacturer declined the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683110August 26, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
In January my husband was driving the Kia and it broke down. We took it to the mechanic and they said it was completely out of oil. Spent $5,000 on getting it fixed in a couple weeks later find out there's a recall. Took the Kia to the dealership in Ocala. They and told us there was nothing wrong with it and that they fixed it. It also makes noises when you turn the car on. to this day we still have to put oil in it almost every day. And it still makes a weird farting noise when you turn it on. I even asked mechanic in Ocala if it made that noise. He looked at me like a was stupid haha. And then I asked him what would happen if we still had to keep putting oil in it. He said we shouldn't have to.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681999August 20, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My car just stopped working while driving on the road. It wouldn’t crank up/ the engine wasn’t operating and the car wouldn’t accelerate. It’s been over a year since my car hasn’t been working. I took it to the dealer and they said the engine wasn’t consuming the oil or something of that sort. No lights came on before it’s like it just went out. It has been inoperable ever since. This was June 2024.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681948August 20, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle decelerated. A dealer was contacted. The failure had occurred on two occasions. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (ENGINE); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to cover half of the repair in January, but recently only offered to cover twenty percent of the repair cost. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681857August 20, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact's daughter owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was acknowledged that the failure was a known issue. The dealer recommended that the vehicle no longer be driven and remain with the dealer for additional diagnostic tests. The vehicle remained with the dealer unrepaired. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); which was linked to the failure. The contact stated that several attempts were made to reach the dealer and the manufacturer about the recall repair; however, an update on the repair was not yet provided. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was 33,621.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681556August 19, 2025
POWER TRAIN
In April of this year I took my 2021 Kia seltos to Ourisman Kia of Fairfax (10601 US-50 Fairfax, VA 22030 United States). I took it there to get the piston oil ring recall taken care of, or at least looked at. They said it could take a couple of days so I left my car there. They had my car perked in a lot about a mile away from the dealership for a week or so and on April 19th they called me and stated that I could come pick up my car because it did not pass the recall. They stated that the recall was not available at this moment due to how many engines were back ordered. They stated it would take 3-6 months to get the engine in and do the actual recall. 4 months pass with no word from the dealership at all, so I call them Thursday August 14th at 11:21am, and I was told by Marko that my car had passed the recall and that I no longer needed the recall done. He then told me that the engine had never been ordered. My car sat in a lot for a week, untouched. I get told I need a new engine. Then I’m told I no longer need a new engine. I’m terrified of what could happen to my car, myself, and my passengers if my engine were to catch fire like the recall says it could. The fact that I was told my car needed a new engine and then without retesting my car that dealership says that I don’t need the engine anymore is beyond unprofessional and sketchy.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680718August 14, 2025
ENGINE
I took my car in last Wednesday to have the recall remedy done I was told my engine was fine my car sat up after that until Monday when I turned it on the check engine light came on and I was told after checking that cylinder 2 was misfiring and apparently my car was in fact not okay. My car went in on Monday and has been sitting in “being inspected “ status since yesterday. I have called and texted multiple times and can not receive and answer as to what is going on nor did they give me a loaner so I have been with out a car for 4 days now. The service department does not answer nor return my calls and just keep routing me to scheduling who apparently can’t tell when what’s going on either.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679437August 8, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I pulled off the main road into the Walmart parking lot. When I did, the vehicle shut off, no power and steering was very hard. I was able to steer into a space and safely park. Vehicle was towed to Victory Kia in Victoria. Service dept said there was no oil at at all in the vehicle. Vehicle was recently taken in for the Kia engine recall about 3 months ago. Was told I needed an software update and oil change to remedy the problem. I got a full synthetic oil change. The vehicle burned all the oil off. No low oil or oil warning light ever came on. Now, Kia wants me to pay for another oil change and diagnostic and drive the vehicle for 1000 miles to see the outcome. Which, if/when the motor dies out again,then I'll be stranded again, hopefully not on a freeway this time. It's crazy I have to be a guinea pig for Kia to see if when the car dies out again, hopefully it don't catch fire this time when all the oil burns out like it did last time
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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