2021 KIA Seltos Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 68 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2021 KIA Seltos, 18% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 6,700 miles. The words owners use most often: “piston oil” (13% of reports).
- 68power train complaints
- 6,700median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 54%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Piston oil: mentioned in 9 of 68 complaints (13%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 16 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 68 complaints, 1 mention a crash.
KIA Seltos power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Seltos | 6 | 13% | — |
| 2023 Seltos | 4 | 9% | — |
| 2022 Seltos | 10 | 14% | — |
| 2021 Seltos | 68 | 18% | 6,700 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2021 KIA Seltos. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My check engine light went on and the vehicle was driving sluggish, was louder at higher rpms and had a rough idle. The light went on around Aug 1st, 2026 and that's when I noticed the strange driving. Brought it to my mechanic that week and they got the following codes: p0017, p0014 and p0013. My…
Car began throwing a P0304 code in June of 2025. I took it to Brookshire Car Care and they ran a diagnostic, but found nothing to be wrong. In November of 2025, the car began throwing a P0304 code again and this time also had a P0303 code and P0335. The car was taken to Christian Brothers as it was…
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact became aware several years ago that the transmission was not shifting properly and the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the technicians found no failure. The contact stated that on another occasion while in…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2021 KIA Seltoss have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 68 owner complaints about power train for the 2021 KIA Seltos (18% of the 376 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2021 KIA Seltos power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 6,700 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2021 KIA Seltos?
The most frequent phrase is “piston oil”, in 9 of 68 complaints.
Other 2021 KIA Seltos problems
- Engine problems (231)
See all 2021 KIA Seltos problems.