2021 Kia Seltos: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
363 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 363 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 72.6
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Was driving and power steering became difficult to steer and a red steering wheel icon with a exclamation mark came on in the dashboard.
My 2021 Kia Seltos stalled twice while driving and failed to restart, creating a severe safety hazard. The vehicle was previously inspected twice at a Kia dealer for the Piston Ring Recall (SC209). The dealer diagnosis now shows timing failure codes P0014 and P0017 with misfires. The technician notes that the engine oil is entirely 'metalized' and the oil control valves are contaminated with metal debris. Kia is atte…
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and turning into the driveway, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and there was no oil in the engine, and metal flakes were found in the camshaft. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); h…
Recalls: 2 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V259000 | 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. |
| 25V099000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 27 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,300
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine220 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train66 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Electrical System46 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other44 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine And Engine Cooling43 complaints · typical job: Water pump, thermostat and coolant service (3.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,040
- Fuel/Propulsion System24 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
Other Kia Seltos years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Kia Seltos?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (220 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Kia Seltos a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 45/100, computed from 363 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Kia Seltos's most common problem?
220 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Kia Seltos sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2021 Kia Seltos cost to run per year?
About $5,049 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $25,245 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2021 Kia Seltos have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Kia Seltos, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 13/04/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other compact suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2021 Kia Seltos really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 363 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 363 NHTSA complaints on record (72.6/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (18.0/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems