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Fuel systemPart report

2021 Kia Seltos Fuel system Problems

Complaints
28about this part
Share
7%of 377 total for the year
Median mileage
9,000miles
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 28 complaints about the fuel system of the 2021 Kia Seltos, 7% of the 377 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 9,000 miles.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Transmission defect , transmission over heats in stop and go traffic , also causes skipping of the gears. Kia know this is a problem and indicated that car will shut down on its own because of this.”

NHTSA complaint #11354905, filed 2020-09, 9,000 miles

“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.”

NHTSA complaint #11693088, filed 2025-10

“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.”

NHTSA complaint #11698188, filed 2025-11

“As I pulled into a busy road my car did not accelerate to speed. It got to approximately 20 mph and would not go any faster. The traffic I was pulling into was traveling at high rates of speed. There is a recall on this vehicle stating the same problem. I am being told my engine type is not listed. They are blaming lack of oil changes and low oil. There were no warning lights stating low oil. The car is equipped with such warnings.”

NHTSA complaint #11476655, filed 2022-07

“July 2021, While my son and daughter were driving the car engine shut off, the brakes, the gas pedal and steering wheel locked. The vehicle was on a slight incline and rolled backwards. My son quickly pulled the emergency brake in order to stop the vehicle from going into the vehicle behind him. The vehicle was restarted and all the problems were gone. We brought the vehicle to the dealer. They checked and found nothing wrong and could not recreate the problem. …”

NHTSA complaint #11444562, filed 2021-12

Fuel system: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202436%
202211%
2021287%

Other parts of the 2021 Kia Seltos

Engine
231 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
68 complaints
Electrical system
48 complaints
Other or unknown
47 complaints
Engine cooling
45 complaints
Vehicle speed control
11 complaints
Air bags
6 complaints
Brakes
6 complaints
Forward collision avoidance
6 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
6 complaints
Seat belts
5 complaints
Steering
5 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2021 Kia Seltos

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology