2021 Kia Seltos complaints

My car was checked for a recall regarding the vehicle burning oil and the piston rings. The fix for it was a new engine. When my car was checked for the recall, it was determined to be unaffected by the issue mentioned. However, I got an oil change approx. 1.5 months ago and at this point I have had to add oil to the car on two different occasions since due to the oil burning so quickly. The oil is also very, very dark. This indicates that the oil is burning significantly regardless of the recall status. I find myself checking the oil weekly due to the worry that it will be empty. The recommended mileage in between oil changes for my car is 7,500. I have not been able to wait that long since obtaining the car 2 years ago.

I brought my vehicle to the dealership due to serious safety concerns, including the engine randomly shutting off while driving, sudden unintended acceleration, unresponsiveness when pressing the gas, difficulty turning the key to start the engine, loud noises while running, and the engine, battery, and oil lights coming on. This is the second time I’ve brought the vehicle to the Kia dealership for the same issue. The first time, I was told the transmission had been replaced and the problem was resolved. However, the same issue resumed shortly after I got the car back. I called the dealership that day but they were already closed, so I dropped the vehicle off the next morning when they opened. At drop-off, I was told no repairs could begin until the recall was “officially” announced, but that they would look into the issue and keep me updated. Unfortunately, I never received any updates and had to reach out myself multiple times. This morning, I was told the sensor lights showing were “old codes” and that everything seemed fine. They said they’d take the car for a test drive and that I’d have it back by the end of the day. No one called me back. I followed up around 4:30–5:00 PM and was told the service department had closed, but the notes said that after the test drive, more codes appeared and the vehicle would require additional work. When I first dropped the car off, I was told I’d have it back the next morning, and if not, I’d be provided with a rental. Neither happened.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving at 55 MPH, the transmission would shift gear; however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact merged to the side of the road, and the vehicle was then moved to the curb. The contact waited for the engine to cool down before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer and diagnostic test was pending. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact, that due to maintenance service records inconsistency and maintenance service not performed at the dealer, the vehicle would not be repaired under the recall. The contact was informed there was no oil in the engine and an oil change was performed. The dealer informed the contact that an assessment by the engineers on the cause of the failure was not yet provided. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

Decrease of power when pushing on gas peddle, a smell of burnt oil coming through vent. And since risk is very high on this engine component of possibly setting fire to car, and or ceasing thay may cause a crash. I would not like my wife to drive this vehicle knowing it could be a neglegent hazard that could cause injury or bodily harm to owner or other drivers near the vehicle. Very unsafe dont want to play russian roulette with my life or the life of others. There is already a remedy set forth by the company so why now is there none?

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while switching gears from reverse to drive, the vehicle had inadvertently accelerated and crashed into an unoccupied parked vehicle before coming to a stop. Both vehicles had damage to the front bumper. No warning light illuminated. The contact sustained minor injuries to both her knees; however, she did not seek medical attention. The air bags did not deploy, and the vehicle was not deemed a total loss. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a local independent service shop, and the contact was asked to take the vehicle to the local dealer. The vehicle was repaired for the front bumper by the local independent mechanic. The local dealer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated while driving at approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and Battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 55,547. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving and decelerating to 10 MPH on several occasions, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart and was driven to the residence, where it was parked. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The failure intermittently occurred while idling at a stop light. While attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated or lagged before accelerating. While driving out of a gas station, the check engine warning light illuminated, the vehicle stalled, and lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the oil piston rings had failed, and oil was leaking into the engine, causing the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact there were no parts for the recall repair available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was 70,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

On Monday Jan 13 when I was merging onto the interstate the car lost power and started smoking; I almost lost control of the car. I steered the car to the side of the interstate and I had it towed to Brakes Plus (where it had just had an oil change on Jan 6) at my expense for an immediate diagnostic, where they found that there is evidence of oil passing into the combustion chamber through the piston rings that caused engine failure. I asked the dealership repeatedly through email for an inspection report and an explanation as to why the engine failed.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, 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 restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); the VIN was included, and parts were available, but the vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

I was driving down the highway going 65mph when my car would not accelerate any more in the middle of the highway where the speed limit is 65. At one point I could not get it to go above 30mph. I pulled off to the side and when I tried driving off again my car would not accelerate. Towed to Kia, they did a software update thinking it was fixed. Picked my car up and drove 10 miles before it broke down on me again. Towed to a second Kia dealership, new transmission was put in. Picked it up 4 days ago, and it is stalling, and jolting when accelerating and the check engine light is on. It is at the 3rd Kia dealership, where I was just told I may need ANOTHER transmission replacement. I asked about the engine recall after getting an email from Kelly Blue Book about it. Kia said they did not know how to fix the recall yet and there was nothing they could do about it right now. I have been without my car for almost 2 months, and this is the 3rd Kia dealership trying to fix the issue at hand and not getting anywhere.

Kia has been serviced like clock work since drove off showroom floor. Nothing but trouble since hit 10k miles. It uses oil. I am having to put at least 1/2 quart between oil changes. The engine knocks and pings like it's no oil or thin oil. No oil leaks visible. I should not be having to add oil let alone the sounds the engine makes.

The car constantly thumps or bangs. Since 15,000 miles. I have had Kia dealer investigate but nothing. The suspension is horrible.

I own a kia seltos 2021 with 2.0 engine wich is 4 cylinders, but my vehicle from las 70k miles is been burning oil to the point that I have to keep checking oil level every 1000miles otherwise my engine is turns super hot and burn oil when I try filling up also make a loud sound on the exhaust and smell like burning oil.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the vehicle had received an oil change in October and the contact was informed that there was an oil leak underneath the vehicle and that the low oil level was a concern. The contact checked the dipstick, and the oil level was low. The vehicle was taken to an Auto Body Shop and an oil change was performed. The vehicle was driven to the dealer who checked for an oil leak, replaced the oil filter, and performed an oil change. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that parts would be available in April. The failure mileage was 35,200. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop light, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The contact had to excessively depress the accelerator pedal to continue driving. No warning lights were illuminated. After turning off the vehicle there was an abnormally strong burning oil odor coming from the vehicle. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shut off while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the check engine warning light was displayed on the instrument panel; however, the check engine warning light was reset after the initial failure. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at 80 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine block had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 66,000.

Transmission failed at 37k miles..noticed when the car was sluggish. Open the hood and the coolant reservoir was black. Kia replaced transmission but thinking about trading it in

My car has an issue holding oil. I have had to put quarts of oil in often and it makes my engine knock. It also makes my car lose power while I am driving. I know this is a common issue with these make and models.

Horn stopped working. This puts me and passengers at a safety risk as I am unable to alert other drivers and/or pedestrians to potential dangers that could result in reducing the chance of a crash. I am also unable to use the horn to ensure proper security of my car. As the horn also works for my alarm systems to indicate the vehicles locked status. I also cannot utilize the horn as an emergency warning when the panic button is pressed on a key fob. The problem was inspected and determined at my local shop. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure. The horn stopped working on Jan 29, 2025

The Seltos started losing power driving on interstate, started smoking and then lost all power and would not start. We had the car towed to Brakes plus where we had an oil change as of recent, they confirmed it was piston ring failure and the engine was done for. The car has just over 28,000 miles on it. Kia dealership and warranty is avoiding to state that it was indeed the piston rings failing. They simply said it needs a new engine and are demanding maintenance records and receipts. My veteran father has performed most of my oil changes, he was a military mechanic and ASE certified mechanic for over 20 years. Since I didn’t personally purchase the oil used, I don’t have the hard copy receipts they are demanding. Kia refuses to acknowledge that the engine failure is that of the same issue with many other 2021 Seltos that had piston ring issues during manufacturing.

When the auto engine start/stop button is on and I’m stopped at a light, the infotainment system will constantly restart as will the engine once I let go of the brakes. It usually happens when it is cold outside. This is a safety issue bc a lot of the time I am using the navigation and since the infotainment system just restarted I am waiting for the navigation to reboot and I am now driving without knowing where I am going. It doesn’t seem to happen when I turn off the auto engine start/stop button. Sometimes, I’ll be in an intersection, and the engine will restart bc the infotainment system restarted. Last time I almost got into an accident bc I was trying to accelerate but the car hesitated bc it restarted the engine and radio. There seems like there is a sudden loss of power. The dealer supposedly updated the software for the infotainment system but it did not correct the issue. There is no warning lamps or messages when this occurs

While driving at low speeds, the vehicle would stall, no engine lights or warnings would appear on the dashboard. After turning it off and back on, it would run but stall again shortly later. An unfamiliar foul odor appeared from the dipstick as I checked the oil. Car only has 60k miles on it. Engine is throwing codes for cylinder 1, cylinder 2 and crankshaft.

My 2021 Kia seltos has a flashing engine light and when put on a code reader it indicates a misfire/ piston. This has been going for two weeks . My engine is a 2.0 and the recall for this vehicle has the same incident as mine. The engine keeps shutting off

Came to a stop at an intersection on a busy highway, went to accelerate and turn left when the transmission locked without warning. Vehicle would not shift into gear.

Transmission unreliable. While crossing a 4 lane highway the engine revved but would not engage.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an audible pinging sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and an oil change was performed. The contact was informed that the oil level was low; however, there was no indication of an oil leak. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. In addition, the contact stated that the oil consumption was unusually high and again there was no indication of an oil leak. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 65-70 MPH on the highway, the engine was revving but the vehicle failed to respond as needed before shutting down. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, but provided no additional assistance. The contact called the SAG Office and was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

I was at a stop light and when the light turned green the car i took my foot off the brake and placed it on the gas pedal, but the car wouldn't move. Almost like it shut down. I had to restart it to make it go. It ran but not the same.

Hello, I received the anti theft software update on my Kia last year part of the nationwide recall. Today, I had to use my steel key to open the car door and when I did, it started ringing the alarm. The car was unable to start without pressing the open button in my key fob. I had to replace the key fob battery in order for me to get into my car and drive it. I have a steel key, not push to start.

Engine oil burning to quickly. Have replaced two quarts between oil changes.

The Engine. No? The engine blew up at night in the middle of a busy highway. Leaving the vehicle powerless and overheating. Yes. No, there was no immediate indication of an issue until it occurred.

The check engine light turned on and my 2021 Kia Seltos stalled as I exited the highway. With seconds, my vehicle turned off, and I was unable to restart it for a bit.

This happens everyday while I’m driving. The vehicle hesitates and grinds when you try to accelerate and prevents you from going forward. It pulls the car back in yanking motion. Which is extremely dangerous.

Two times in the last week, my engine shut off/stalled while driving in traffic. The check engine, battery and oil lights came on because the key was still turned. I had no other warning, I just couldn’t accelerate and had to coast to safety. Both times I was able to safely pull over and turn the key to restart the car and get home. I am currently at 63k miles and just got an oil change. My last oil change was in March 2024 at 58k miles.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly jerked before returning to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The contact also stated that the transmission had been replaced 5 times; however, the failure had not been resolved. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 19,000.

I’m not really sure what the problem was. I feel like the car may have lost power and I lost function of the car / brakes. I’m assuming it’s either an engine or electrical. Warning lights came on. Prior to losing function, the vehicle felt like it was sorta puttering. I’d give it the gas and there was a delayed, and then jerk forward. There’s a vibration sound that happens when I go around 15-30 miles an hour. Not sure if it’s related. It’s being looked at on June 24. I had to turn off the car and restart to gain control.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle started shuddering. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing to replace a piston ring in a cylinder. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was told the engine needed to be repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 16,927.

The engine stalls and or dies when breaks are applied. Yes, it was confirmed by dealer. Engine light came on. Has been in shop. Car only has 97,000 miles. They are refusing to honor extended warranty even though other Kia Seltos engines have the exact same problem that are under recall. These are engine sensor problems ... they have nothing to do with "oil changes" that they claim were made late (One)

My car is burning through oil.

You are driving with all windows up in Florida with the temperature outside from 70's to 90's Degrees with AC on cold and running and suddenly car displays the temperature outside -39 Degrees and the car starts blowing very hot air that fogs all windows within seconds and daughter is unable to see. Car has been taken to Kia of Leesburg, FL more than 5 times. Dealer has changed the temperature sensor and checked the wiring, but the vehicle is still doing the same. Daughter almost had 3 major accidents because of this with 3 year old in the car. Need NHTSA to investigate this and push KIA of America for resolution. Has happened multiple times and we have it on video.

The car initially had electrical and engine issues since may of 2022. The engine would fail mid drive and the car would turn of in the middle of driving and would lock up until engine would restart on its own. It stayed at the dealership for repairs until march of 2023. After many modifications and alterations and several new engines and transmission changes they returned the car to me on march of 2023 assuring me it was fixed and there would be no issues. Several weeks later while driving on the highway, the engine turned off mid drive, I lost control of the car entirely. Brakes wouldn’t brake. Car crashed into highway median. And upon impact none of the airbags deployed. The car continuously put myself and passengers at risk at the beginning of its failing. The car of April 2023 severely injured me. I was the only passenger at the times thankfully. Since the airbag never deployed my face, chest, ribs, arm, and neck were severely injured. It’s been almost a year and im still physically affected by the crash.

See attached document for complaint

The contact's daughter owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that his daughter was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that his daughter was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated during the failure. The contact stated that his daughter drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine piston oil rings had failed and damaged the engine. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,736.

My Transmission Temp light goes on when I am in slow traffic going on an uphill road. I need to pull over and let it cool down, This has happen in Mountains in Colorado , So it is cold outside. Both times i need to get a tow due to the fact there are no places to pull over on single lane road. it takes approx. 1 hour to cool down and i can only drive 100 yards before light comes back on. I have brought to Dealership twice in last several months and they tell me there is nothing they can do about it. This is a Major safety hazard.

Car cannot operate in reverse. Error code P060194. Forward gears are questionable.

Car is burning oil to the point the engine light comes on between oil changes. This is the second engine they have put in this car and still doing it. They did engine oil consumption test and say it's not burning over a quart every 1000 miles. I've never in my life had a car burn oil like this. They said Kia won't do anything about it.

After about a hour and a half of driving the car began to surge between 2,000 and 3,000 RPM. This has happen and few times but the last time the transmission lost high gear. The car had to be towed to the dealerships. The dealership is stating there is nothing wrong. I feel this is a safety issue.