Reliable Auto DB

2021 Kia Seltos reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 369 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Seltos over 6 years — 43 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 4 Seltos years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Internal engine parts and Engine.

2021 Kia Seltos
Photo by Gold Pony, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY 3.0
Complaints

369

Per year

43

Recalls

2

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (225 of 369), then Powertrain (68) and Electrical system (47). Those filings include 13 that report a crash, 6 that report a fire, and 7 that report an injury.

Next to 2022

The 2022 Seltos has 72 complaints, 8 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 Kia Seltos. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall engine and cooling, engine, internal engine parts 2025-02-17 · NHTSA campaign 25V099000
Summary 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. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.
Recall Engine 2021-04-13 · NHTSA campaign 21V259000
Summary 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. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.

Complaints by component (369 total)

Engine
225
Powertrain
68
Electrical system
47
Engine and engine cooling
43
Fuel and propulsion system
26
Speed control
10
Air bags
6
Forward collision avoidance
6
Service brakes
6
Seat belts
5
Steering
5
Suspension
4
Visibility and wipers
4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
3
Lane departure
3
Fuel system, gasoline
2
Structure
2
Exterior lighting
1
Fire-related
1
Visibility
1
Wheels
1
Show 13 more Show less
Crash-flagged

13

Fire-flagged

6

Injury reports

7

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1820203320213920223820232720241202025942026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Had the software update for piston recall in April 2025, did all the testing and getting codes p0300 all the way to p0305 being that it only has 4 cylinders a 5th cylinder misfire code leads to piston ring failure, it…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-20
  • "My check engine light went on and the vehicle was driving sluggish, was louder at higher rpms and had a rough idle. The light went on around Aug 1st, 2026 and that's when I noticed the strange driving. Brought it to my…"
    Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-09-17
  • "My 2021 Kia Seltos is experiencing engine sputtering/hesitation at approximately 3,000 RPM and the low oil pressure warning light illuminates while the vehicle is stopped or idling. The vehicle has been taken to an…"
    Electrical system, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-10
  • "Severe Safety Hazard, Corporate Negligence, and Delayed Repair: * After picking the vehicle up following the secondary service, a heavy, toxic smell of raw gasoline began pouring directly through the cabin’s HVAC vents…"
    Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-10
  • "Car began throwing a P0304 code in June of 2025. I took it to Brookshire Car Care and they ran a diagnostic, but found nothing to be wrong. In November of 2025, the car began throwing a P0304 code again and this time…"
    Powertrain, Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-09-04

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Kia SELTOS SUV AWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2021 Kia SELTOS SUV FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Seltos all-wheel drive 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) All-wheel drive 25 30 27 MPG $2400
Seltos all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S8) All-wheel drive 27 31 29 MPG $2250
Seltos front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S8) Front-wheel drive 29 34 31 MPG $2100

Specs and fitment

First generation, 2021–present
Oil 5W-20 (2.0 MPI US OM); 5W-30/5W-40 (1.6T chart); some caps corrected to 0W-20 (SC224) , 4.23 qt capacity
Tire size 215/55R17, 235/45R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

First-generation US Seltos (2021-on) pair a 2.0L with IVT or a 1.6T with dual-clutch / conventional automatics depending on trim. Owner complaint themes center on CVT/IVT shudder on the naturally aspirated path and dual-clutch hesitation on turbo trims—both familiar Kia/Hyundai patterns rather than a single campaign. Confirm open NHTSA recalls on the VIN (including any dual-clutch software campaigns that apply to your transmission code) and keep oil at the 0W-20 grade on the filler cap; leave capacity null until verified against the exact US engine code in the owner’s manual.

Compare

Next year 2022 Kia Seltos See every Kia Seltos model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Kia Seltos reliable?

Owners have filed 369 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Seltos over 6 years — 43 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 4 Seltos years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Internal engine parts and Engine.

What are common problems with a 2021 Kia Seltos?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (225 of 369), then Powertrain (68) and Electrical system (47). Those filings include 13 that report a crash, 6 that report a fire, and 7 that report an injury.

Is the 2021 Kia Seltos more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2022 Seltos has 72 complaints, 8 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Kia Seltos been recalled?

The 2021 Kia Seltos has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Kia Seltos?

Owners have filed 369 complaints about the 2021 Kia Seltos with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Kia Seltos get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Kia Seltos is 29 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Kia Seltos take?

US 2021 owner’s manual lists SAE 5W-20 for the Nu 2.0 MPI and SAE 5W-30/5W-40 for the 1.6 T-GDI viscosity chart. Kia service campaign SC224 corrected some early filler caps that incorrectly said 5W-20 when the correct marking was SAE 0W-20. Confirm the filler-cap grade and manual for your VIN.

What tire sizes does the US Kia Seltos use?

US 2021 owner’s manual lists 215/55R17 and 235/45R18 depending on trim/wheel package.

What powertrains does the first-generation US Seltos offer?

A 2.0L with IVT or a 1.6T with dual-clutch / conventional automatics depending on trim. Owner complaint themes include CVT/IVT shudder on the NA path and dual-clutch hesitation on turbo trims.