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Kia SeltosModel year report

2021 Kia Seltos Problems

Compared with other Kia Seltos years

More complaints than typical for this model

100/100 5.5× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with a typical complaint level and no open NHTSA investigation: 2022, 2023

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
378filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
42,000miles, 91 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
4 / 5stars overall, 2 rated versions
EPA fuel economy
31 mpgcombined, 2.0L 4-cyl FWD · 29 city / 34 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2021 Kia Seltos (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Most complaints from owners of this model year center on the 2.0L engine: oil that disappears between changes, low-oil or check-engine warnings, knocking, stalling, and in some cases engine replacement. Transmission trouble is the second theme and tends to appear very early, often within the first few thousand miles. Many complaints mention recall 25V099000 or 21V259000 and note that parts for the recall repair were not yet available.

  1. Engine

    Engine knocking, stalling or seizure; engine replacement

    • 181 complaints (48%)
    • median 55,547 mi at 4.5 yrs old (45 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $5,000 (median of 13 quotes)
    • filed 2020–2026

    Complaints describe loud knocking or pinging, sudden loss of power, stalling at stops or while driving, and in some cases a seized engine that would not restart. Owners say dealers diagnosed internal engine damage, sometimes tied to the piston oil rings, and quoted engine replacement; several note that recall parts were unavailable or that the repair was placed on hold. Spread from under 10,000 miles to over 100,000 miles, with many reports in the 50,000-100,000 mile range.

    Recall 25V099000Recall 21V2590003 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether recalls 25V099000 and 21V259000 were completed and request the repair order. Listen for knocking at cold start and at idle, and check that the engine has not been replaced without documentation.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with an engine misfire and low oil. The contact stated that the vehicle was scheduled for a service appointment for the following week, however the contact experienced the failure prior to the scheduled appointment date. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11657919, filed 2025-04, 53,745 miles

    “The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), but the failure occurred. While the contact's wife was stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle stalled. While the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle lunged forward and then stalled. The contact's wife was able to coast to the side of the road. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11715923, filed 2026-02, 110,000 miles
  2. Engine

    Excessive oil consumption and low oil level

    • 158 complaints (42%)
    • median 53,745 mi at 4.4 yrs old (35 state mileage)
    • owner-quoted repair $6,679 (median of 11 quotes)
    • filed 2021–2026

    Owners describe adding oil between scheduled changes, sometimes a quart every 1,000 miles, or finding the dipstick dry despite a recent oil change. Dealers performed oil consumption tests and, according to complaints, in several cases recommended piston ring replacement or a new engine. Some owners report the low oil warning or check-engine light appearing only after the level was already very low. Reported across a wide mileage range, from under 10,000 miles to well past 100,000 miles, often noticed shortly after an oil change.

    Recall 25V099000Recall 21V2590002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check the oil level on the dipstick at the inspection and ask for records of oil consumption tests or top-offs. A maintenance history showing frequent oil additions is worth knowing before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The contact owns a 2021 Kia Altos. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic several times, he was informed that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact also stated that the vehicle was making abnormal rattling sounds while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine). …”

    NHTSA complaint #11446471, filed 2022-01, 45,000 miles

    “The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. While driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power in the middle of the highway and came to a stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and an abnormal burning odor was coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road with the assistance of a bystander. The vehicle was able to restart but was undrivable. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11767831, filed 2026-09, 158,000 miles
  3. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission failure and rough shifting

    • 83 complaints (22%)
    • median 8,000 mi at 0.4 yrs old (25 state mileage)
    • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2020–2026

    Owners describe jerking, hesitation, erratic RPM, failure to engage a gear when leaving a stop, and in some cases a grinding noise with the vehicle losing power. Complaints state dealers diagnosed transmission failure and replaced the unit, with a few noting the replacement also had problems. Mostly reported at very low mileage, often under 10,000 miles, with some cases later in life.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Test drive from a stop and at highway speed, watching for hesitation or harsh shifts, and ask whether the transmission or its oil pressure sensor has been serviced or replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Car has 3000 miles,car had been surging when accelerating, it revved up when in drive, wouldn't go as I was exiting off of interstate. Was towed to dealer, they couldn't find anything wrong, sent me home. I made it 47 miles when it stopped accelerating and stopped going. Was towed back to dealer, where it has been for over 2 weeks. They are putting in a new transmission.”

    NHTSA complaint #11376017, filed 2020-11, 3,400 miles

    “On 05/03/21 approx. 2:40 pm ct I was excelling to enter highway mopac north; austin, tx; when my car became sluggish; I pulled over, to shoulder, ironically tx roadside assitance pulled in behind me - we couldn't determine the issue - I was exiting the next exit driving to jiffy lube on anderson/spicewood; dialogue screen stating issue re: diagnostic computer; gave two options schedule appt. Or call roadside assistance. Turning into jiffy lube, the car became sluggish, the car wouldn't reverse from the jiffy lube bay. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11416394, filed 2021-05, 10,900 miles
  4. Electrical system

    Stalling or no-restart after idle stop

    • 75 complaints (20%)
    • median 55,000 mi at 4.4 yrs old (17 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $4,339 (median of 8 quotes)
    • filed 2020–2026

    Owners report the engine cutting off when pulling away from a stop or when releasing the brake during an idle-stop event, sometimes requiring a restart. Complaints mention the dealer finding no fault, or pointing to engine control unit or body control software, and a few describe intermittent horn failure as well. Mostly reported under about 10,000 miles, often in stop-and-go driving.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the body control unit and idle-stop related software updates were applied, and confirm the horn works. Try several stop-and-go starts during the test drive.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My Kia Seltos with only 900 miles has done the following twice: when at a stop and I step on the gas the car turns off. The first time it happened I was at a stop light and when I stepped on the gas the car turned off and took a couple of minutes before I was able to turn the car back on. The second time it happened I put the car in reverse and stepped on the gas and it turned off. I was told by the dealer that it appears to be a problem with the engine control unit. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11361711, filed 2020-09, 900 miles

    “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.”

    NHTSA complaint #11644792, filed 2025-02, 72,000 miles

Buying note. Given how often owners describe oil loss, knocking and stalling on this model year, a pre-purchase inspection that includes an oil level check and a scan for stored engine codes is worth the cost. Confirm whether recalls 25V099000 and 21V259000 were performed and keep documentation of any engine or transmission work.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 378 consumer complaints for the 2021 Kia Seltos. 91 of the complaints include a mileage, and 56% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 42,000 miles. Of all complaints, 13 involved a crash, 6 a fire, 8 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 134 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 2 Kia Seltos model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 100 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (6), Seat belts (5), Steering (5), Suspension (4), Electronic stability control (3), Lane departure (3), Body and structure (2), Exterior lighting (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Engine: “Hvac blower would not blow. Dealer found melted relays. One week after replacing the entire engine wiring harness I started to get a burnt electrical smell through the vents. I looked in the engine fuse box and there were melted relays again.”

NHTSA complaint #11374712, filed 2020-11, 9,500 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “At 5,800 miles, my Seltos suddenly stopped accelerating while in motion. Rpms shot up to 7 and 8, and the car would not go above 35 MPH. The engine was grinding. I got the car to the dealership and was told the transmission needs to be replaced. I was also told there is no transmission in the country so one has been ordered.”

NHTSA complaint #11378371, filed 2020-12, 5,800 miles

Electrical system: “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.”

NHTSA complaint #11677788, filed 2025-08, 69,014 miles

Other or unknown: “The driver side mirror is distorted. I drove it home from the dealership after having the dealer replace the mirror before we left the lot (we noticed it when before drove off the lot) then just drove and it was still warped. I was scared to switch lanes. The distortion happens when the car is both stationary and in motion, on highway and on the streets.”

NHTSA complaint #11395493, filed 2021-02, 41 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

56% of the 91 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 8,261 and 71,707 miles.

30%0–1011%10–2515%25–5022%50–7511%75–10010%100–1501%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (91 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 42,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

2020202120222023202420251202026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2021 Kia Seltos. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Seltos · SUV AWD★★★★☆5 / 4554 · 15.1% risk
Seltos · SUV FWD★★★★☆5 / 4554 · 16.9% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2021 model year: forward collision warning optional, lane departure warning optional, automatic emergency braking optional.

Neighbouring years: 2022: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2021 Kia Seltos version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Seltos AWD1.6L 4-cyl7-speed automatic253027$2,500
Seltos AWD2.0L 4-cylCVT273129$2,300
Seltos FWD2.0L 4-cylCVT293431$2,150

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2021 Kia Seltos → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 134 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 134 bulletins →

Other model years of the Kia Seltos

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2025138,0000531—Too new
2024473002531Too new to compareToo new
20234750,656243150 · TypicalToo new
20227644,170143145 · TypicalRising
202137842,0002431100 · MoreRising

All Kia Seltos model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2021 Kia Seltos?

Most complaints from owners of this model year center on the 2.0L engine: oil that disappears between changes, low-oil or check-engine warnings, knocking, stalling, and in some cases engine replacement. The issues reported most often: Engine knocking, stalling or seizure; engine replacement; Excessive oil consumption and low oil level; Transmission failure and rough shifting.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2021 Kia Seltos have?

NHTSA recorded 378 consumer complaints for the 2021 Kia Seltos as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2021 Kia Seltos is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 231 complaints (61% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain with 69.

Has the 2021 Kia Seltos been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2021 Kia Seltos do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2021 Kia Seltos 4 out of 5 stars overall, across 2 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2021 Kia Seltos get?

The EPA rates the 2021 Kia Seltos (Seltos FWD, 2.0L 4-cyl) at 31 mpg combined, 29 city and 34 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,150 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2021 Kia Seltos reported?

Among the 91 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 42,000 miles and the middle half falls between 8,261 and 71,707 miles; 56% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.