Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2021 Kia Seltos owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact leased a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while his son was driving in traffic, he heard an abnormal banging noise and noticed smoke emerging from the engine compartment. The driver was able to pull off the road and exit the vehicle. The vehicle spontaneously caught fire and was engulfed in flames. The fire department was on the scene to extinguish the fire. The driver did not sustain any injuries. There were no police reports filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent lot. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 21,000. VIN was not available. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number 21V259000 (Engine).
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, there was white smoke coming from the engine, before the engine caught on fire. After the failure, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to pull over safely. The fire was extinguished independently. There were no reported injuries. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine was scorched and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
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 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 contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH up a slight hill, the vehicle shuddered significantly and failed to accelerate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light then started flashing. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to Hamlin Automotive on several occasions. The mechanic replaced 4 spark plugs, oil piston rings, and the camshaft; however, the failure persisted. The mechanic advised the contact that the failure might be related to the fuel injectors. Additionally, the mechanic had informed the contact that the vehicle might be experiencing excessive oil consumption. …
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. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed the contact a week later that the vehicle was operable. Upon retrieving the vehicle, the check engine warning light was still illuminated, and the vehicle was barely operational and made abnormal sounds. The contact informed the dealer of the issues, and the vehicle remained at the dealer and was diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with camshaft failure. …
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 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 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 contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (ENGINE). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle vibrated, and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and failed an inspection. The contact was informed that a new engine would be ordered. The contact picked up the vehicle and was informed that the manufacturer had placed a hold on the recall repair. However, an update to the piston ring noise sensing system (PNSS) was performed. The contact was informed that the vehicle then passed the inspection. The dealer refused to replace the engine and the vehicle was removed from the recall list. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle then failed the inspection. …
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Hard parts internal/mechanical
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2025.
Engine
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Soul, and 2021 Seltos vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021.
NHTSA investigations
Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness
On August 6, 2025, the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) opened Audit Query (AQ) 25001 to assess the implementation of Kia America, Inc.'s (Kia) remedy program for Safety Recall 25V099, involving incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings which may damage the engine causing a loss of motive power or fire.
Engine complaints in other Seltos years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2021 Kia Seltos?
NHTSA has 272 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2021 Kia Seltos, 72% of the model year's 378 complaints. The component named most often is engine › oil/lubrication (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2021 Kia Seltos engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 25V-099 (hard parts internal/mechanical, Feb 17, 2025); NHTSA recall 21V-259 (engine, Apr 13, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2021 Kia Seltos engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 5 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.