2021 Kia Seltos complaints

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.

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.

. Over consumption of oil causing engine failure

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)

My sensor does not work and does not detect the gas in tank car wont start or turn on

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.

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 v

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.

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

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

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 fr

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.

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 FATAL

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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)

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)

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, inju

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 (FOI

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Kia replaced a recalled part on my vehicle related to the engine — specifically tied to the known piston oil ring defect. Before this recall repair, my vehicle was running ok with a couple time the car had completely shut off while Driving. This was back in 2023 and 2024 and was told to just add oil by the service dept. Immediately after the recall service was performed like drove it off the lot and place was already closed, the engine light came on and will not shut off, I also noticed a strange engine noise and the car leaches and can not go past 55mph. I advised the Kia dealership, and they informed me that it has nothing to do with the recall fix they did even though i did not have these issues before bringing it in and e to look it and said they would charge me over $100 to diagnose and then it would all be out of my pocket.The recall letter explicitly stated that if these symptoms were present — including excessive oil consumption or engine stalling which i have both and have been told in the past and documented to just keep adding oil in between oil changes — Kia would replace the engine at no cost to the customer. I even called kia and explained this to them to no avail and no help. Despite this, Kia is now refusing to uphold that promise and is not replacing the engine, even though the vehicle now displays all the symptoms outlined in their own recall documentation. This is both a serious safety concern and a failure by Kia to comply with recall obligations. The vehi

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

On June 5, 2025, Kia replaced a recalled part on my vehicle related to the engine — specifically tied to the known piston oil ring defect. Before this recall repair, my vehicle was running smoothly with no issues. Immediately after the recall service was performed, the vehicle began shutting off while I was driving, and I also noticed a strange engine noise. I returned to the Kia dealership, and they informed me that the engine is now consuming oil — a known symptom directly linked to the same recall issue involving oil ring failure. The recall letter explicitly stated that if these symptoms were present — including excessive oil consumption or engine stalling — Kia would replace the engine at no cost to the customer. Despite this, Kia is now refusing to uphold that promise and is not replacing the engine, even though the vehicle now displays all the symptoms outlined in their own recall documentation. This is both a serious safety concern and a failure by Kia to comply with recall obligations. The vehicle is unsafe to drive and could potentially cause a serious accident due to unexpected engine shutdowns at speed. I am requesting an immediate investigation into Kia’s handling of this recall and their failure to fulfill the engine replacement they promised in writing as part of the recall terms.

Odometer Fraud. The contact stated that the used car dealer had provided a 2021 Kia Seltos loaner vehicle to the contact while the contact's vehicle was being serviced. The contact stated that the loaner vehicle was returned to the used car dealer for service with an odometer reading of 111,000 miles; however, after the loaner vehicle was returned to the contact, the odometer reading was 69,014. The VIN was not available.

The engine on my 2021 Kia Seltos failed due to a jumped timing chain shortly after having the piston rings replaced under recall SC209. The vehicle is at a Kia dealership and available for inspection. On July 14, 2025, I contacted Kia Consumer Affairs to follow up on a GoodWill request I sent on June 25th, 2025 and KIA verbally stated the engine had been approved for replacement. When I followed up on July 21 due to lack of communication, I was told the approval no longer appeared in the system. Since then, I have received no return calls, voicemails, or emails despite explicitly requesting that a supervisor contact me directly. I was also promised a 48-hour follow-up, which never happened. This failure occurred at approximately 110,000 miles, well before a modern engine should suffer a critical mechanical breakdown. The dealership confirmed the timing chain was the cause and that the prior piston ring recall repair did not resolve the issue. The failure was sudden and puts safety at risk—if this had occurred at highway speeds, it could have caused total loss of power while driving. I rely on this vehicle as a single mother and have no alternative transportation. There were no warning lamps or dashboard alerts before the engine failed. Performance issues were present, but no early system diagnostics caught the problem. Kia’s inconsistent communication, lack of follow-through, and refusal to take responsibility after their own recall repair failed is unacceptable. I am filing

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the RPM fluctuated erratically before the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular failure. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 42,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer refused to perform the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled while stopped at a traffic light or stop sign. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that on another occasion, while starting the vehicle, the vehicle vibrated abnormally, and while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and an oil change was performed. The mechanic informed the contact that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with camshaft failure, which caused engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the warranty was not covered because the vehicle had not received the oil change at a KIA dealer, and that the oil used was of poor quality. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Oil pressure light illuminated, extreme engine knocking, failed acceleration power and engine stalling while driving. Towed to dealership. Was told the vehicle "passed" the oil piston ring recall test and refusal of Kia to replace engine.

In late 2024 at 45,000 miles I noticed my 2021 Kia Seltos burning oil due to an extremely low amount oil being removed during an oil change. Who knows how long it was going on. I took the vehicle to the dealership and was told an oil consumption test needed to be done. The test showed after driving 2,134 miles, the car was down 1.2 quarts of oil. That should be unheard of in a 3 year old car with low mileage. I was told it is within an acceptable amount and I should keep doing consumption tests. After month of time waiting and hours spent doing multiple consumption tests, they still will not acknowledge the clear issue with my vehicle. I then discovered there is a Kia Seltos recall which my vehicle has all the symptoms of. They performed a sc336 procedure for this recall and you guessed it, I was told nothing is wrong. Here I am a year, and a half later giving up. I now just fill the oil myself every few weeks while I wait to see what else is going to go wrong. This is TERRIBLE business practice.

KIA AMERICA, INC. IS RECALLING CERTAIN 2021-2023 SELTOS AND SOUL VEHICLES. THE PISTON OIL RINGS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED INCORRECTLY, WHICH CAN RESULT IN ENGINE DAMAGE. Safety Risk ENGINE DAMAGE CAN CAUSE A VEHICLE STALL OR FIRE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH OR INJURY. After i was told about my recall i took my car to the Vineland new jersey Kia dealer. The look at my car and find 6 more recall. After I took mt car the dealer didn’t not fix my recall. Turn off my sign on my dash board told me to drive it. The next day my car engine stop working. I bring in my paper work with my oil change. Now don’t want to fixed my engine or replace me with whole new car.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH in traffic, the vehicle started to sputter and jerk before the vehicle slowed down and stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the piston oil rings, anti-theft update, ECM, and an engine replacement were needed. The dealer informed the contact about NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 ( Engine) and requested the service records. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.