Kia
Seltos

My 2021 Kia Seltos is experiencing engine problems that match the piston-ring defect involved in Kia Recall SC336. I first took the vehicle to the dealership in August 2025 for excessive oil consumption and engine knocking. The dealer documented the engine was 1 quart low and stated the oil was “most likely being used internally getting past the piston rings.” However, they only performed the software update from SC336 and did not perform any internal engine inspection. Since that visit, the condition has significantly worsened. The vehicle is now consuming more oil than before, the knocking/ticking noises have become louder and more frequent, and fuel economy has declined. I am adding oil between changes to keep the engine from running dangerously low. There are no external leaks, so the oil is being burned internally, which is consistent with piston-ring failure. These symptoms are identical to other Seltos vehicles already included in the recall, yet my VIN is not currently part of it. The progression of engine noise and oil consumption raises serious safety concerns, including potential engine failure, loss of power, or stalling while driving. The dealer acknowledges the internal oil use but refuses further diagnostic work without direction from Kia. I am reporting this because the defect is worsening and poses a safety risk, and the vehicle appears to have the same failure pattern as recalled engines.

DEATH TRAP! Point blank~Engine will STILL Jerk, Skip, Not Do Anything Or even Shut Off Without Warning!!! The Driver's Screen will still Flash and go out but only once in a while now. Dealership didn't understand that. They told me Radio was Fine Now. I told them Screen Directly in Front of Driver's with Speedometer on it. IT'S HARD TO FIND GOOD HELP. EVEN HARDER, to FIND a SAFE RELIABLE VEHICLE that YOUR KIDS CAN BE IN!!! % RUST {definitely} up under Near the License Plate Bracket. ALSO, the Windshield WIPERS STOP WORKING WHENEVER THEY CHOOSE!!! The Best part is, the Dealership CAN'T DO ANYTHING about ANY OF THIS. Why? Pretty much because KIA REDID the TEST so that ALL the Vehicles PASS Now. It makes it LOOK like the Engines are OK, when in Reality they are . I bought this Vehicle 12-30-24 with 44,068 miles on it. My Daughter and I thought we were going to Die in it on 4-26-25. We didn't even have it a full 4 months Before We Found Out WE HAVE A LEMON from KIA. There were 3,310 Miles put on it. Come on... I was told there was No Way to NOTE My Account at the Dealership for the Different Times {Everytime} this NEGLIGENT STUFF Kept and Still Does Happening. That's OK. I just Hope and Pray for KIA's sake, that Nothing Ever Seriously Happens to Anyone because of How THIS 2021 KIA SELTOS VEHICLE Operates DEFECTIVELY in So MANY DIFFERENT WAYS that ARE SAFETY HAZARDS. IF they were Smart, they would REPLACE ALL OF THEM with a Brand New Vehicle to AVOID A POSSIBLE SERIOUS FATALITY. I only say this because that's what WE experienced more than once. We fear this Daily. We ended up with this Vehicle after our Honda CRV-EXL was Totaled by Someone running a Red Light. It was the OTHER PERSON'S FAULT, but after paying off car... Kia was all in could afford. I had NO Choice but to get this KIA. Being a Single Mom on Low Social Security Disability Income, I did what I had to do! I have to have a GOOD RELIABLE AWD VEHICLE to get to Doctors Appointments. THIS ISN'T ONE.

My 2021 Kia Seltos with the 1.6L turbo engine is burning an excessive amount of oil — about one quart every 800–1000 miles — and is showing blue smoke from the exhaust. A certified technician indicated that the likely cause is faulty piston rings, which is a known issue on this engine and has led to engine replacements in other Kia vehicles. The vehicle was purchased as a Certified Pre-Owned Kia, and I have maintained it properly. Despite this, Kia and the dealership and the certified preowned warranty company have denied warranty coverage, calling it "oil consumption," even though the oil loss is clearly excessive and mechanical in nature. This defect poses a potential safety hazard, as engine failure or oil-related fires could occur if the engine runs low on oil while driving. There are many similar reports online from 2021 Kia Seltos owners experiencing the same problem. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue and require Kia to address these engine defects, as they appear to be widespread and potentially dangerous.

Recall was initiated for my 2021 Kia Seltos for potential defective engine piston rings which could lead to increased oil consumption and lead to damage/fire to engine compartment. My vehicle has been burning through oil to the point i have to add it weekly to keep it from running out before next scheduled oil changes. Two separate local mechanics confirmed this is highly indicative of bad piston rings and should definitely be covered for repair/replacement by Kia dealer under recall. I took car in for recall assessment, they stated they performed an oil consumption test and engine knocking test to which they deemed it passed. I spoke with lead mechanic explaining that the car is burning through oil so quickly it would be completely empty by next scheduled oil changes if i wasnt continuously adding it - to which they replied they were aware and to "just keep adding oil". I stated this didnt seem right as it we know it is burning up oil at an alarming rate inside engine and was told unless it is pretty much spewing oil on the floor in front of us, it will pass the consumption test and you just have to continue adding oil. The piston rings would not even be checked unless you "failed the oil consumption test first". This is very concerning to drive now since there are reports of this issue leading to engine fires.

I bought this vehicle brand new in 2021. I noticed at the beginning that when I accelerated that the car would delay in acceleration. This would happen sporadically. Now it is happening all the time and has almost caused me to get into several accidents because of the delay in acceleration. This is a major safety risk. I've had the car inspected at Kia Dealers and they just say yeah, we hear that a lot with this model but there is no recall. There are no warning lamps or messages.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that unknown warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that there was less than one-quarter of oil in the engine. The contact stated that an oil change was performed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for further services. The contact was advised that the vehicle should not consume 3.5 quarts of oil within 5,000 miles. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected. The dealer was informed that the vehicle was consuming 3.5 quarts of oil within 5,000 miles. The contact was informed that it was not an issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an oil change. After leaving the mechanic, the vehicle started smoking, and the engine seized in traffic. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who determined that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that there were no oil change records for the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

I was traveling at approximately 50mph straight through an intersection. The opposing car made a left turn directly in front of me and I T-boned the other vehicle (gray Kia Optima). There was sufficient front end damage that my car was totaled. The airbags on my vehicle failed to deploy.