Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the
exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (2)
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
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.
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
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.
Canadian recalls (4)
Show 4 Canadian recalls
Engine
2025-02-18 · campaign 2025-083
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the piston oil rings may not have been manufactured properly and could damage the cylinder walls. As a result, the engine could make abnormal noises, and a warning light may turn on. If you continue to drive the vehicle with these symptoms, the engine could fail.
Note: This recall only affects certain vehicles equipped with a 2.0L MPI engine.
Safety Risk:
An engine failure could cause a sudden loss of power to the wheels and/or increase the risk of a vehicle fire. Both issues could increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine. The dealer will also install a software that will monitor the engine and warn you if it detects a problem. If you see this warning, you should contact a dealership to arrange replacement of the engine.
Label
2024-08-15 · campaign 2024-549
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" appear in English only, when they should be listed as "Tires/Pneus", "Rims/Jantes", "Front/Avant" and "Rear/Arriere". Canadian regulations require this information to be listed on the label in both English and French.
Safety Risk:
These small errors do not affect vehicle safety.
Corrective Actions:
This is not a recall. Kia has corrected the compliance label for all new vehicles.
Electrical
2024-02-14 · campaign 2024-093
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the 4WD control unit under the driver's seat may become contaminated by a mixture of salt and moisture inside the vehicle. Over time, this can lead to corrosion that could cause a short circuit.
Note: This recall only affects vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive.
Safety Risk:
A short circuit can create a fire risk, even while the vehicle is parked and turned off.
Corrective actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect the 4WD control unit. The control unit and other components will be replaced as necessary. The dealer will also install a protective cover over the 4WD control unit. Kia advises that you should park your vehicle outdoors and away from other vehicles or structures until the recall repairs have been completed.
Engine
2021-04-14 · campaign 2021-225
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the engine's piston oil rings may be defective. This can cause engine wear that can lead to increased oil consumption. Eventually, this can create abnormal engine noise and the oil pressure warning light may turn on. If you continue to drive the vehicle with these symptoms, the engine could fail.
Note: This only affects vehicles equipped with a 2.0 L Nu MPI engine.
Safety Risk:
A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. An engine failure could also create the risk of a fire.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the engine. The engine will be replaced, if necessary. The dealer will also install a Piston-ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software update, to alert the driver of potential damage before an engine failure occurs.
Owner complaints (377)
Owners filed 377 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Seltos (13 crashes, 6 fires, 8 injuries reported). Among 7 model years of this model, it ranks #1 for the most complaints (median 47).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Engine | 231 | |
| Power train | 68 | |
| Electrical system | 48 | |
| Unknown or other | 46 | |
| Engine and engine cooling | 45 | |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 26 | |
| Vehicle speed control | 11 | |
| Air bags | 6 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2021 Kia Seltos.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2021 Kia SELTOS SUV AWD | 4★ | 4★ | 5★ | 4★ |
| 2021 Kia SELTOS SUV FWD | 4★ | 4★ | 5★ | 4★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2021 Kia Seltos version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Seltos AWD 1.6 L Automatic (AM-S7) | 25 | 30 | 27 | $2,500 |
| Seltos AWD 2.0 L Automatic (AV-S8) | 27 | 31 | 29 | $2,300 |
| Seltos FWD 2.0 L Automatic (AV-S8) | 29 | 34 | 31 | $2,150 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-31.