2021 KIA SELTOS Complaints

The contact's daughter owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was acknowledged that the failure was a known issue. The dealer recommended that the vehicle no longer be driven and remain with the dealer for additional diagnostic tests. The vehicle remained with the dealer unrepaired. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); which was linked to the failure. The contact stated that several attempts were made to reach the dealer and the manufacturer about the recall repair; however, an update on the repair was not yet provided. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was 33,621.

In April of this year I took my 2021 Kia seltos to Ourisman Kia of Fairfax (10601 US-50 Fairfax, VA 22030 United States). I took it there to get the piston oil ring recall taken care of, or at least looked at. They said it could take a couple of days so I left my car there. They had my car perked in a lot about a mile away from the dealership for a week or so and on April 19th they called me and stated that I could come pick up my car because it did not pass the recall. They stated that the recall was not available at this moment due to how many engines were back ordered. They stated it would take 3-6 months to get the engine in and do the actual recall. 4 months pass with no word from the dealership at all, so I call them Thursday August 14th at 11:21am, and I was told by Marko that my car had passed the recall and that I no longer needed the recall done. He then told me that the engine had never been ordered. My car sat in a lot for a week, untouched. I get told I need a new engine. Then I’m told I no longer need a new engine. I’m terrified of what could happen to my car, myself, and my passengers if my engine were to catch fire like the recall says it could. The fact that I was told my car needed a new engine and then without retesting my car that dealership says that I don’t need the engine anymore is beyond unprofessional and sketchy.

I took my car in last Wednesday to have the recall remedy done I was told my engine was fine my car sat up after that until Monday when I turned it on the check engine light came on and I was told after checking that cylinder 2 was misfiring and apparently my car was in fact not okay. My car went in on Monday and has been sitting in “being inspected “ status since yesterday. I have called and texted multiple times and can not receive and answer as to what is going on nor did they give me a loaner so I have been with out a car for 4 days now. The service department does not answer nor return my calls and just keep routing me to scheduling who apparently can’t tell when what’s going on either.

I pulled off the main road into the Walmart parking lot. When I did, the vehicle shut off, no power and steering was very hard. I was able to steer into a space and safely park. Vehicle was towed to Victory Kia in Victoria. Service dept said there was no oil at at all in the vehicle. Vehicle was recently taken in for the Kia engine recall about 3 months ago. Was told I needed an software update and oil change to remedy the problem. I got a full synthetic oil change. The vehicle burned all the oil off. No low oil or oil warning light ever came on. Now, Kia wants me to pay for another oil change and diagnostic and drive the vehicle for 1000 miles to see the outcome. Which, if/when the motor dies out again,then I'll be stranded again, hopefully not on a freeway this time. It's crazy I have to be a guinea pig for Kia to see if when the car dies out again, hopefully it don't catch fire this time when all the oil burns out like it did last time

Kia replaced a recalled part on my vehicle related to the engine — specifically tied to the known piston oil ring defect. Before this recall repair, my vehicle was running ok with a couple time the car had completely shut off while Driving. This was back in 2023 and 2024 and was told to just add oil by the service dept. Immediately after the recall service was performed like drove it off the lot and place was already closed, the engine light came on and will not shut off, I also noticed a strange engine noise and the car leaches and can not go past 55mph. I advised the Kia dealership, and they informed me that it has nothing to do with the recall fix they did even though i did not have these issues before bringing it in and e to look it and said they would charge me over $100 to diagnose and then it would all be out of my pocket.The recall letter explicitly stated that if these symptoms were present — including excessive oil consumption or engine stalling which i have both and have been told in the past and documented to just keep adding oil in between oil changes — Kia would replace the engine at no cost to the customer. I even called kia and explained this to them to no avail and no help. Despite this, Kia is now refusing to uphold that promise and is not replacing the engine, even though the vehicle now displays all the symptoms outlined in their own recall documentation. This is both a serious safety concern and a failure by Kia to comply with recall obligations. The vehicle is unsafe to drive and could potentially cause a serious accident due to unexpected engine shutdowns at speed. I am requesting an immediate investigation into Kia’s handling of this recall and their failure to fulfill the engine replacement they promised in writing as part of the recall terms.

On June 5, 2025, Kia replaced a recalled part on my vehicle related to the engine — specifically tied to the known piston oil ring defect. Before this recall repair, my vehicle was running smoothly with no issues. Immediately after the recall service was performed, the vehicle began shutting off while I was driving, and I also noticed a strange engine noise. I returned to the Kia dealership, and they informed me that the engine is now consuming oil — a known symptom directly linked to the same recall issue involving oil ring failure. The recall letter explicitly stated that if these symptoms were present — including excessive oil consumption or engine stalling — Kia would replace the engine at no cost to the customer. Despite this, Kia is now refusing to uphold that promise and is not replacing the engine, even though the vehicle now displays all the symptoms outlined in their own recall documentation. This is both a serious safety concern and a failure by Kia to comply with recall obligations. The vehicle is unsafe to drive and could potentially cause a serious accident due to unexpected engine shutdowns at speed. I am requesting an immediate investigation into Kia’s handling of this recall and their failure to fulfill the engine replacement they promised in writing as part of the recall terms.

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.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the RPM fluctuated erratically before 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 be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular failure. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 42,000.

The engine on my 2021 Kia Seltos failed due to a jumped timing chain shortly after having the piston rings replaced under recall SC209. The vehicle is at a Kia dealership and available for inspection. On July 14, 2025, I contacted Kia Consumer Affairs to follow up on a GoodWill request I sent on June 25th, 2025 and KIA verbally stated the engine had been approved for replacement. When I followed up on July 21 due to lack of communication, I was told the approval no longer appeared in the system. Since then, I have received no return calls, voicemails, or emails despite explicitly requesting that a supervisor contact me directly. I was also promised a 48-hour follow-up, which never happened. This failure occurred at approximately 110,000 miles, well before a modern engine should suffer a critical mechanical breakdown. The dealership confirmed the timing chain was the cause and that the prior piston ring recall repair did not resolve the issue. The failure was sudden and puts safety at risk—if this had occurred at highway speeds, it could have caused total loss of power while driving. I rely on this vehicle as a single mother and have no alternative transportation. There were no warning lamps or dashboard alerts before the engine failed. Performance issues were present, but no early system diagnostics caught the problem. Kia’s inconsistent communication, lack of follow-through, and refusal to take responsibility after their own recall repair failed is unacceptable. I am filing this complaint to document the failure of the recall to prevent engine malfunction and the ongoing safety risk associated with this engine design.

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.