2021 Kia Seltos POWER TRAIN,ENGINE

My Seltos had a recall in 2021 (recall number SC209) because the piston oil rings were not property heated which can result in engine damage. The problem was supposedly repaired in 2021, yet in 2026 at 50,000 miles I am having piston notice problems and the engine light is constantly lit. The car has stalled on several occasions. I am being told that my vehicle with only 50,000 miles needs a brand new engine block and transmission. The recall was a safety recall to prevent the engine from stalling, risk of a crash and increased risk of fire. Although the issues with my vehicle are clearly as a result of the piston issue which were supposed to have been fixed they obviously were not and I am now experiencing all issues of the recall and bad engine. Kia of Round Rock is refusing to make this repair correctly and are asking me to pay for the new engine and transmission because they say it is out of warranty. That being said, had the recall problem been correctly resolved in 2021 I would not be having these same problems will fall directly in line with the issues resulting in the recall.

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.

Oil pressure light illuminated, extreme engine knocking, failed acceleration power and engine stalling while driving. Towed to dealership. Was told the vehicle "passed" the oil piston ring recall test and refusal of Kia to replace engine.

Got to engine light error codes: P030100 and P030000. Happened 3 times: 1st time had loss of power and engine light flashed, could not accelerate, and vehicle shuttered. Took to world kia north San Antonio. They cleared the code. It ran fine for a while and same problem occurred. Took back to world Kia north. They had it quiet few weeks, finally got it back, they said they took it on a 60 mile road test no problems so gave it back. I drove it maybe less 2 hours after getting it back and the same problem happened loss power would not accelerate and engine light flashed but did not come on. Called Kia right when happened and brought it right back world Kia North and the service manager said to keep it running so they can see what going on, and they finally noticed the same thing. So it been at dealership since then.about month has past and it not been repaired yet. It been serviced every 5000 miles and been taken care of since I owned it! I have looked up how lot people with the S/X models have had same problems and many recalls on seltos and souls due to same problems. I’m a 100 disabled vet and having a vehicle get me to the hospital reg important. I was given a loaner car which was great so wanted to share this.

My car was checked for a recall regarding the vehicle burning oil and the piston rings. The fix for it was a new engine. When my car was checked for the recall, it was determined to be unaffected by the issue mentioned. However, I got an oil change approx. 1.5 months ago and at this point I have had to add oil to the car on two different occasions since due to the oil burning so quickly. The oil is also very, very dark. This indicates that the oil is burning significantly regardless of the recall status. I find myself checking the oil weekly due to the worry that it will be empty. The recommended mileage in between oil changes for my car is 7,500. I have not been able to wait that long since obtaining the car 2 years ago.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shut off while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the check engine warning light was displayed on the instrument panel; however, the check engine warning light was reset after the initial failure. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

I was at a stop light and when the light turned green the car i took my foot off the brake and placed it on the gas pedal, but the car wouldn't move. Almost like it shut down. I had to restart it to make it go. It ran but not the same.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 65-70 MPH on the highway, the engine was revving but the vehicle failed to respond as needed before shutting down. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, but provided no additional assistance. The contact called the SAG Office and was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

esta quemando aceite de motor muy rapido y antes de tiempo. mientras se utiliza esta lento y cuando sube cuestas muy pesado tiene que hacer mucha fuerza.

2021 Kia Seltos possibly already had the recall work done in Florida before purchasing it used with only 18000 miles. It has stalled, once dying completely. Trouble gaining acceleration. Losing oil. Multiple oil consumption testing visits to dealership of 1000 miles each to continue showing Kia it loses over 1 quart per period. Now the glow relay engine and misfire engine codes are pulling which indicates engine damage after dealership has just last week replaced new spark plugs and oil change. It has been rough idle and ticking - knocking sound the entire time, which they denied the morning after purchase.

My kia engine light came on during a drive and the vehicle would not shift gears (it would stay stuck on 1st). I manage to park and realize that it was not shifting to reverse either. I check the temperature and it was 4 lines below the middle which is normal. My car has proper maintenance and just came out of the 30,000 miles maintenance and is less than 3 years old.

VEHICLE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS, UNTIL ONE TIME IT DID NOT SWITCH FROM AUTOMATIC OFF AT STOPLIGHT BACK INTO GEAR. HAD TO TURN CAR OFF/ON TO GET IT INTO GEAR. LATER ON THE HIGHWAY AT ~60MPH, AS IT WAS TRYING TO DOWNSHIFT TO GO UP A HILL, IT FAILED TO ENGAGE A GEAR. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND HAD TO COAST INTO SHOULDER TO AWAIT IT BEING TOWED. DEALERSHIP SAID IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION, WAS BAD FROM FACTORY - CAR HAS ~2K MILES ON IT. TECHNICIAN SAID IT'S NOT THE FIRST HE'S SEEN LIKE THIS.