2021 Kia Seltos Complaint Log

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 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.

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.

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 while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the oil warning light illuminated. The contact pulled into a gas station and inspected the vehicle. The contact stated that during the inspection, the dip stick was dry, and the contact added 1 1/2 quart of oil to the engine. The contact stated that after driving 150 miles, 1 1/12 quart of oil needed to be added to the vehicle each time. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to parts not being 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 67,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

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.

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 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 owned a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving at slow speeds and approaching a stop sign, the engine seized. The contact was unable to coast to the side of the road and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the dealer refused to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to the residence. A mobile mechanic arrived at the residence and diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was repossessed. After some investigation, the contact related the failed to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised contact that there would be an email from the manufacturer. The contact stated that the manufacturer had reached out via email; however, no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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)

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.

My car is burning through oil.

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 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 contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that the engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds and while turning, the vehicle made an abnormally loud whining sound and experienced reduced motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated as needed while continuing to drive. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing an excessive oil consumption. The contact later 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 failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.

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 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.

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

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 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.

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

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.

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

Car stalled when at complete stop (at lights or stop signs) The auto restart feature seems to fail. Then it progressed to stuttering while driving and unable to drive above certain speeds (more than 40 mph). Service engine light on. Code by dealer P0017.

My wife went to work 11/23/23 and the car died in the intersection, she would have been going 5 to 10 mph, the engine light came on. She was able to start it and return home. I made the appointment at Bob Lanpheres Beaverton Kia and the inspected the issue. It is reported to me that, “Boroscoped cylinders and found vertical scoring on the cylinders. Performed compression test and all cylinders are under spec” They replaced the engine, The total costs was 6486.65$. My research has shown me that a recall was issued for Seltos engines from this year and after talking to Kia and online my engine is not qualified for engine reimbursement because the manufacturer date was beyond the range of the recall. I feel this is wrong as the description from the repair shop and recall notice are identical and that the recall should be expanded. This page will not let me upload photos, I have a copy of the dealers findings.

My 2021 Kia Seltos EX is eating oil.......... 1/2 quart a week at least and I have read online that it can lead to the engine overheating, stalling, etc. So far my car is not listed on the piston recall or any other recall, but how can Kia state it can go 7,000 miles between oil changes when it only holds 4 1/2 quarts of oil and goes through it so fast? I change my oil every 3,500 miles because of it but am still afraid of something bad happening to my car.

While driving I noticed my Seltos felt like it was shifting hard. I then attempted to put it in reverse. There was NO reverse. I had to get bystanders to push me off the road. This is a safety risk because there were no warning signs that reverse would fail to engage. Kia states there is no recall, but several of same instances were found in forums. My car is scheduled at dealership next week. No rental, no recall, no warranty. I will have to pay out of pocket for something that has been known to fail. Supposedly an actuator of some sort. This repair will be costly and I feel it is a manufacturer responsibility. This is not normal wear and tear item. I bought this used, it was practically new. Now I know why someone traded it in. Kia should disclose their warranty limitations when they advertise. The 10 year, 100,000 mile is not a true representation.

2021 Kia Seltos possibly already had the recall work done in Florida before purchasing it used with only 18000 miles. It has stalled, once dying completely. Trouble gaining acceleration. Losing oil. Multiple oil consumption testing visits to dealership of 1000 miles each to continue showing Kia it loses over 1 quart per period. Now the glow relay engine and misfire engine codes are pulling which indicates engine damage after dealership has just last week replaced new spark plugs and oil change. It has been rough idle and ticking - knocking sound the entire time, which they denied the morning after purchase.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated while driving 78-80 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated depressed the accelerator pedal to the floorboard however, the vehicle failed to respond. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine threw a rod through the oil pan, which drained the oil, and caused the engine to seize. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced under warranty; however, the part was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the part to repair the vehicle was not available. The failure mileage was approximately 49,281.

See attached document for complaint

bought as certified pre-owned from a very large dealership in Clearwater. Driving off the lot there was a bad wobble and shake from corner to corner of vehichle. Took in day 2 of ownership to dealer to have them reinspect it and they let me drive away home too come back the next day after service manager started the car was completely safe to drive because there was no loaner car for me the day they promised me one ..five days in service and not hearing a word from the service department I stopped in and asked about my car. to have the tech say it ended needing and entire front CV axle and bearing because the bearing and axle had a lot of play in it! I've emailed multiple times and no one yet has called or emailed me back! bought on 9/02/2023 serviced 09/03/2023 to 09/15/2023 .. . then on the ride home it still feels like there is a wobble from somewhere in the front of the car

My vehicle appeared to restart itself (dashboard lights turned off and immediately turned back on as if the car had been started up) as I was a approaching a red stop light toward the end of a 1 hour/60 mile commute. This is the 3rd time since I've had my vehicle (purchased in October of 2020) that I've had an event like this occur while driving. Currently waiting service appointment, 2 weeks away 1st incident, within the 1st 6 months of ownership, cant remember the exact date: Vehicle appeared to restart as I turned left at a green light. 2nd incident: Vehicle appeared to restart itself whilst driving on highway (thankfully no traffic/other cars on the road at this time, but I was doing 70+mph at the time). Shortly after this incident, I called the local dealer to setup a service appointment about this issue. Service was unable to to replicate issue. They looked for whatever codes that might lead them to the source of the problem, but none found. Was told to monitor bring vehicle back in if it happened again. It's seems to look like some sort of electrical/computer glitch that causes the car to do this. It happens inconsistently (different driving conditons) and infrequently, but is a major safety issue.

Engine began knocking and would stall on turns. Check oil light briefly flashed. No oil visible on dipstick about 2000 miles after oil change. Placed 4 quarts at home and was full. Stalling and knocking resolved. Brought to dealer and they said nothing wrong. Changed oil and did 1000 mile return to dealer to check oil consumption rate. The oil was about a quart or less low and they said this was normal, nothing to do. After 2000 miles oil level again checked and no oil visible on dipstick. Took photos of oil level each of these times. Called dealer and they towed it in. They confirmed that it is burning excessive oil and said it’s several quarts low. They say that they will now try to perhaps “soak” the engine? They have to check with Kia for approval. Not sure what this means. It is now with the dealer and we have no car to drive. They are not sure how long they will have it and have no loaner. We are obviously concerned about the safety of this engine/car which has just over 30000 miles and is running out of oil prior to recommended oil changes and was stalling intermittently when this was first discovered. Obviously concerned that engine will seize and be ruined at some point in essentially a brand new vehicle. The dealer (Preston Kia) denied any issue initially. I have read about ring issues in seltos engines requiring engine replacement. It seems that a similar problem is occurring here and I hope that Kia will do the right thing and repair/replace the faulty parts/engine. There are many similar complaints on line.

My kia engine light came on during a drive and the vehicle would not shift gears (it would stay stuck on 1st). I manage to park and realize that it was not shifting to reverse either. I check the temperature and it was 4 lines below the middle which is normal. My car has proper maintenance and just came out of the 30,000 miles maintenance and is less than 3 years old.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the engine seized. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated when the accelerator pedal was depressed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the crankshaft had cracked, causing oil to leak from the vehicle. Additionally, there was an unknown sensor that was faulty. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 9,800.

The vehicle was sputtering and then shut off and would not start. I called KIA and had it towed to Dealership. They called several days later stating there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. Then several weeks later getting on the turnpike it sputter and shut off. I was able to get it started again and repeated the same sputter and shutting off an additonal 2 times on the turnpike. I was able to get the vehicle home to my drive way. The tow truck came and could not get it to start. He towed it back to the dealership. This time they replaced the fuel injector. The mechanic advised KIA that this issued caused scoring on the cylinders. KIA authorized replacing the fuel injector. KIA claimed scoring on the cylinders is normal. You don't have to be a mechanic to know this is. not normal and over time will lead to engine failure. KIA will not replace the engine. My case # is 15929784

3 Teenagers were able to break a window, enter the car, Start the car without use of a key, and drive the vehicle. Rear Windows breaking do not trigger anti-theft alarm. Car is able to be started with out use of the key. Car is able to be driven with out use of a key. Was able to catch the incident of film and it took only 5 minutes for it to be stolen.

MY VEHICLE HAS SHOUT OFF ON ME 4 TIMES EITHER WHILE STOPPED AT THE LIGHT/ STOP SIGN . APPROACHING A LIGHT AND OR STOP SIGN WHILE SLOWING TO STOP. IT APPEARS TO BE THAT PART OF THE SYSTEM THAT SHUTS DOWN OR OFF THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO CONSERVE GAS IS MALFUNCTIONING THIS CLEARLY BECOMES A SAFETY RISK DEPENDING ON WHERE THE CAR IS POSITIONED AT THE TIME OF THE SHUT DOWN, SLOWING TO MAKE TURN OR STOP AT AN INTERSECTION. AT THIS TIME I WILL BE REPORTING THIS ISSUE TO THE DESALERSHIP, THE ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY ANYONE AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT HERE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LAMPS ACTIVATED PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE SHUTTING OFF. At the time I did not think to copy the dates,times , mph or mileage of the vehicle but the information on the screen instructed me to put the vehicle in park to restart. this a very scary situation in traffic .

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer but was informed by the dealer that the manufacturer had placed a hold on the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the vehicle had been consuming engine oil and required monthly oil top offs. The contact also stated that the engine was making an abnormal ticking sound. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

5/18/23 My car shut off with the stop/go feature and would not turn back on. Was able to start once I removed the key and tried again after a few minutes. This again happened to me once I got to a gas station resulting in the same issue today 5/19/23

My 2021 Kia Seltos S was not a part of the original recall on Seltos & Soul vehicles. My check engine light came on and now my car has been at the dealership for 3 weeks waiting for a new engine. The front collision will randomly activate when there are NO other cars around. It applies the brakes when you are driving at speed on the highway. Luckily no cars were behind me. My seat belt has also malfunctioned. I connect it and the warning light keeps beeping & flashing even after I try repeating the process. This KIA is a keyed Kia. And although Kia has recently created an Anti-theft software update, that comes about 14 months too late. My car was stolen in Jan 2022. This morning I hear that Kia is having exploding air bag issues. Don't know which models are affected yet, but it would not surprise me if my car is included. I do not feel safe driving this car with all of the safety issues I have.

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.

When driving the vehicle the motor will randomly shut off. This is a safety hazard and has been happening more and more. I thought it was supposed to do this but only when stopped. It now is doing it while driving and I have almost been rear ended 3 times now. The car is not drivable.

My car was stolen 4 times due to KIA not installing an immobilizer into my car. My Window was broken all 4 times to get to the car and never did my car alarm sound during this time.