Kia Seltos engine problems, 2021–2027
350 of the 553 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Kia Seltos 2021–2027 name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). The loudest years: 2021 (272), 2022 (47), 2023 (19). Filed under the same heading across these years: 3 manufacturer bulletins, 2 recall campaigns, 1 NHTSA investigation. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.
Kia Seltos engine problems by model year
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsOne row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.
| Model year | Complaints naming the engine | Share of the year’s | Typically at | On file under the heading | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 0 | — | — | — | the year → |
| 2026 | 1 | 25% | — | 2 TSBs | the year → |
| 2025 | 1 | 8% | — | — | the year → |
| 2024 | 10 | 22% | — | 1 TSB | the year → |
| 2023 | 19 | 41% | — | 5 TSBs · 1 recall · 1 investigation | the year → |
| 2022 | 47 | 64% | — | 21 TSBs · 1 recall · 1 investigation | the year → |
| 2021 in depth | 272 | 73% | 55k | 26 TSBs · 2 recalls · 1 investigation | the record → |
Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the engine. Nothing here is a rate.
When the engine complaints were filed, and at what mileage
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled per calendar year, every model year together: 2020: 7 · 2021: 11 · 2022: 24 · 2023: 36 · 2024: 26 · 2025: 138 · 2026: 108
Across the model years, half of the 75 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 25,000 and 84,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine, from the model years with the most to say. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
My locked Kia Seltos was stolen from my driveway while I was home. No alarm went off despite a broken window. This is a major problem with Kia/hyundai vehicles in Milwaukee where thieves are plugging in USB devices that start the car. Kia knows about the issue (look up news reports in Milwaukee) but is doing nothing to solve it.
on June 21st I took my car to be inspected for a recall on the engine. I was told it would take 1-2 hours, it took a total of 6. When I picked up the car not one person explained to me what was done, if my car passed the inspection or if work was done. On July 11th my car stalled on a main street with my child in the car.
Recieved a recall notice in the mail early april 2025, scheduled an appointment for the recall of my Seltos at the westside Kia dealership in katy tx on april 14th 2025 the vehicle was dropped off.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine keeps stalling and there’s a recall on the engines and I had to wait a month for dealership to say the recall isn’t the problem! How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was stopped, and the contact became aware of smoke coming from the engine compartment. A dealer was contacted.
What is on file about the engine, across the years
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall campaigns filed under this heading, any model year
- 25V099000 HighFeb 17, 2025 · 137,256 vehicles
- 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.
- 21V259000 HighApr 13, 2021 · 147,249 vehicles
- 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.
NHTSA investigation
- AQ25001 Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectivenessopened Aug 6, 2025 · closed Dec 18, 2025
- 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. This AQ was opened in response to consumer complaints alleging of an ineffective remedy, in…
3 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading, any model year
- Feb 10, 2026
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DATA COLLECTION: EXTRACT CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS DATA FROM ECU (DC26) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information related to extracting “in use monitoring performance tracking” emissions data from the Engine Control Unit (ECU) of
- Sep 4, 2025
- This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published under SC336 titled “Engine Inspection/Replacement and ECM Logic Improvement”.
- Sep 4, 2025
- This bulletin provides instructions to perform an engine vibration inspection using the Kia Diagnostic System (KDS) tablet on certain Kia engine/model vehicles. The piston oil ring(s) in certain Kia engines may, over time, damage the surface of the engine cylinder wall. This may lead to increased oil consumption which will eventually result in abnormal noise from the engine and/or illumination of
Every one filed under the heading is listed. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Other systems with a record on the Kia Seltos
Source: the same filesEvery system, every model year: Kia Seltos problems by year →
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsWhich Kia Seltos years have the most engine complaints?
2021, 272; 2022, 47; 2023, 19. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2021 (73%).
Is there a recall for the engine on the Kia Seltos?
Yes — 2 campaigns are filed under this heading across these model years: 25V099000 (2023), 21V259000 (2021). A recall is matched by VIN, and applies to specific years; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do engine problems show up on the Kia Seltos?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 55,000 miles across the model years; half of them between 25,000 and 84,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.