AI Damage2021 KIA Seltos: common problems
Owners of the 2021 KIA Seltos filed 378 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and powertrain. The maker issued 134 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 378
- involving a crash
- 13
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 134
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 61% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 18% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 7% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 3% of all complaints
- 7 Forward collision avoidance 2% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 2% of all complaints
- Engine: 231 complaints (61% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 8.
- Powertrain: 69 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 38.
- Electrical system: 48 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 82.
- Engine and cooling: 45 complaints (12% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 18.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 26 complaints (7% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cylnamed in 4 complaints
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 11 complaints
- CVT
- dual-clutch (DCT), 7-speednamed in 4 complaints
Drive: AWD, FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 378 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 231 | 2 | 8 |
| Powertrain | 69 | 1 | 38 |
| Electrical system | 48 | 1 | 82 |
| Engine and cooling | 45 | 0 | 18 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 6 | 2 | 5 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Air bags | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Visibility | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Lane departure | 3 | 1 | 5 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
There were no warning lights or symptoms prior to the failure. The vehicle is currently being held at a recovery yard and is fully available for inspection upon request.
While being placed on the tow truck, the vehicle violently jerked. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the collision center for repair, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated while being moved.
The Kia was traveling approximately 45 - 50 mph and struck another vehicle that had pulled out from a stop sign. I had my hand on the horn and the airbags did not deploy on impact.
I dont understand how my airbags didnt deploy with the damage that was incurred from the deer. In that instant, the side and front collision warning indicators never alerted and the airbags never deployed.
I was going to park my car the second I went to change gears my car accelerated forward through a bakery I stepped on the brakes as fast as I could but it was too late
No warning light illuminated. The contact sustained minor injuries to both her knees; however, she did not seek medical attention. The air bags did not deploy, and the vehicle was not deemed a total loss. A police report was filed.
Since the airbag never deployed my face, chest, ribs, arm, and neck were severely injured. It’s been almost a year and im still physically affected by the crash.
The collision warning did not alarm, however after the collision, the light was illuminated. The airbags did not deploy. The front end damage was estimated at nearly $11,000 but no airbags deployed with this high rate of speed and impact.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 163 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Seltos has 80 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 378, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE.KIA.COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the Kia Navigation Updater…
- VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN
OWNER RENOTIFICATION (SC199 FL301) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting Voluntary Service Campaign to update the software programming on the Transmission Control Module (TCM) and…
- CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN
OWNER NOTIFICATION (CS2312) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting Customer Satisfaction Campaign. A software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method has been made…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY…
- PITSTOP
TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver…
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: HORN ASSEMBLY INSPECTION/REPLACEMEN (WTY038) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
IBU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT: 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 to…
- This bulletin provides instructions to perform an engine vibration inspection using the Kia Diagnostic…
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…
- This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published under…
This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published under SC336 titled “Engine Inspection/Replacement and ECM Logic Improvement”.
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
IBU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) software on some 2021-2025MY Seltos (SP2) vehicles produced from November 20, 2019 through January 13. 2025…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - 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…
NHTSA lists 134 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
- 2021 Kia Seltos Salvage Rebuild, Part 1amount per author: 1,000 UNSPECIFIED_DOLLAR
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2021 KIA Seltos?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, powertrain, electrical system. Total complaints: 378. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (34%), stalls while driving (26%), oil leak or consumption (18%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2021 KIA Seltos?
NHTSA lists 134 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2021 KIA Seltos from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2021 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.