2021 Kia Seltos · symptom sheet

Engine stalls or loses power while driving

133owner reports
40,000median miles
$1,304median quote
0involved a crash

Newest report Sep 1, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

320 of the 365 complaints on this car are about the engine. 133 of those describe stalling, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2021 Seltos.

Tick what matches of 133 reports

it stalled while driving

it stalled at idle or a stop

warning lights came on

it restarted right away

no code was stored

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the engine (11 reports), the battery (10 reports) and the ignition coil or plugs (5 reports).

Recalls and investigations

2 recalls on the engine cover the 2021 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

25V-099Feb 17, 2025

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.

Risk and remedy

Risk: Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.

21V-259Apr 13, 2021

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.

Risk and remedy

Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Kia will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. The recall began June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC209.

NHTSA investigations into the engine on the Seltos

AQ25-001opened Aug 6, 2025

Engine And Engine Cooling · model years 2021 to 2023

Kia 25v099 piston oil ring recall effectiveness. Closed dec 18, 2025.

NHTSA summary

On August 6, 2025, the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) opened Audit Query (AQ) 25001 to assess the implementation of Kia America, Inc.âs (Kia) remedy program for Safety Recall 25V099, involving incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings which may damage the engine causing a loss of motive power or fire. This AQ was opened in response to consumer complaints alleging of an ineffective remedy, inconsistent inspection results to determine whether an engine replacement was needed, and the unavailability of recall remedies. On August 11, 2025, an Information Request (IR) was issued to Kia requesting: 1) why the inspection test was revised from requiring a âcoldâ engine to a âwarmâ engine; 2) why the recall remedy was suspended from April 30, 2025 to May 7, 2025; 3) how Kia notified customers of the recall remedy suspension and the need to re-test engines that failed the âcoldâ engine test; 4) the number of post-recall remedy complaints alleging engine or other engine related failures; and 5) the warranty coverage Kia is offering to vehicles that passed either inspection tests. On September 10, 2025, Kia responded to NHTSAâs IR: Kia reported the change in temperature from âcoldâ to âwarmâ engine testing was done to increase accuracy. The inspection test uses diagnostic tools that detects abnormal engine vibrations to identify damaged engines. From the initial launch of the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) on April 4, 2025 through April 28, 2025, âcoldâ

What owners paid

16 of the 133 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $500 to $7,600.

$500$1,304$7,600

$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 7,000 and 66,000 miles, from the 60 reports that gave a mileage.

320

821

1422

1423

724

4625

4126

What owners wrote

“While driving at low speeds, the vehicle would stall, no engine lights or warnings would appear on the dashboard. After turning it off and back on, it would run but stall again shortly later. An unfamiliar foul odor appeared from the dipstick as I checked the oil. Car only has 60k miles on it. Engine is throwing codes for cylinder 1, cylinder 2 and crankshaft.”
Filed Jan 10, 2025 · 60,000 miles

“The engine stalls and or dies when breaks are applied. Yes, it was confirmed by dealer. Engine light came on. Has been in shop. Car only has 97,000 miles. They are refusing to honor extended warranty even though other Kia Seltos engines have the exact same problem that are under recall. These are engine sensor problems ... they have nothing to do with "oil changes" that they claim were made late (One)”
Filed Apr 26, 2024 · 97,000 miles

“My car was stolen 4 times due to KIA not installing an immobilizer into my car. My Window was broken all 4 times to get to the car and never did my car alarm sound during this time.”
Filed May 18, 2023

“When driving the vehicle the motor will randomly shut off. This is a safety hazard and has been happening more and more. I thought it was supposed to do this but only when stopped. It now is doing it while driving and I have almost been rear ended 3 times now. The car is not drivable.”
Filed May 18, 2023

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 133 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.