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The 2021 Kia Seltos has 367 NHTSA owner complaints and 2 active recall campaigns on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2021 Kia Seltos has 367 NHTSA owner complaints and 2 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of September 2026). The most-reported system is engine at 196 complaints (~$3,100 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Seltos (this page) | 367 | 2 |
| 2022 Seltos | 72 | 1 |
| 2023 Seltos | 46 | 2 |
| 2024 Seltos | 44 | 2 |
Average for the segment. Some recurring trouble spots worth knowing about.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Driver-assist features on the tested model: Electronic stability control: Standard · Forward collision warning: Optional · Lane departure warning: Optional
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program — tested configuration: 2021 Kia SELTOS SUV FWD. Stars rate crash protection in NHTSA's tests, not overall reliability — see the owner-complaint data below for what actually goes wrong.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: electrical is flagged severe on this model . Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 2 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 6.8/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
My 2021 Kia seltos has a flashing engine light and when put on a code reader it indicates a misfire/ piston. This has been going for two weeks . My engine is a 2.0 and the recall for this vehicle has the same incident as mine. The engine keeps shutting off
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after every 1000-miles of driving, she had to add 1 quart of engine oil to the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an oil…
Im on my 2nd kia and im so over it. I have a 2021 kia seltos and i took it in for the recall and my scheduled maintenance for july 9th 2021, I scheduled my app a week out and i had been noticing my engine running strange off and on for awhile but its a new car so i thought i was…
2021 Kia Seltos ~50,000 miles. My horn doesn't work. I live in Tampa, so definitely need a horn. Also my infotainment center is trash. It works perfect about 30% of the time. The other 70%. Oh well where do I start? It will completely freeze, the screen turns black, when I get a…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
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.
It's got known weak points. With a reliability score of 6.8 out of 10 based on 367 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2021 Kia Seltos has a higher-than-average rate of reported issues. The areas to watch are listed above. Whether it's worth owning depends on price, condition, and how much repair exposure you can absorb.
The 2021 Kia Seltos is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Electrical system: 38 complaints, classified severe; Reliability score 6.8/10 — around the segment average; 2 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the engine first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 196 owner complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 6.8 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 367 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is engine. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is engine, with 196 complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop.
The engine is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 367 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $3,100, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.