2021 Kia Seltos · symptom sheet
Burns oil or oil level rises
- 61owner reports
- 24,000median miles
- $878median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Sep 28, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
276 of the 371 complaints on this car are about the engine. 61 of those describe oil consumption.
Tick what matches of 61 reports
Oil consumption on other Seltos years
No other Seltos model year has enough reports of oil consumption for a sheet of its own. See every Seltos year.
What this problem usually is
Two different complaints land here. The more common one is an engine that uses oil: owners add a quart between changes, get a low-oil warning, or are told by the dealer that the rate is normal. The other is the opposite, where the oil level climbs and the oil smells of gasoline. Both deserve a proper test, and both are easier to argue with records in hand.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the piston rings (40 reports) and the engine (3 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.
The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which may result in engine damage.
All 2 recalls on the 2021 Kia Seltos, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the engine on the Seltos
Kia 25v099 piston oil ring recall effectiveness. Closed dec 18, 2025.
What owners paid
6 of the 61 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $190 to $900.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 2,000 and 60,000 miles, from the 32 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 4 service bulletins or notices for the 2021 Kia Seltos that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
This bulletin provides instructions to perform an engine vibration inspection using the Kia Diagnostic System (KDS) tablet on certain Kia engine/model vehicles.
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2024MY vehicles (refer to the table on pages 9 and 10 for applicable models and engine), which may exhibit a symptom of excessive oil consumption.
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2021MY vehicles (refer to the tables on pages 8-9 for applicable models and engine), which may exhibit a symptom of excessive oil consumption.
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2019MY vehicles (refer to table below for applicable model and engine), which may exhibit a symptom of excessive oil consumption.
What owners wrote
“Kia Dealership did nothing with engine recall in 2025 they said nothing was wrong despite the oil consumption and engine noise that could be heard without using any tools, and then in March they would not honor the 10 year 100,000 mile warranty when both VVT solenoids failed, we had to replace them ourselves. It's a good thing my boyfriend is a mechanic!!!”
Filed May 29, 2026
“Car is burning oil to the point the engine light comes on between oil changes. This is the second engine they have put in this car and still doing it. They did engine oil consumption test and say it's not burning over a quart every 1000 miles. I've never in my life had a car burn oil like this. They said Kia won't do anything about it.”
Filed Jan 27, 2024 · 1,000 miles
“Bought vehicle new. At 30,000 miles, oil change came up off the stick. KIA did oil consumption test. Said it was within industry standard. Just had another oil change at 36,000 miles. Off the stick again.”
Filed Apr 15, 2023 · 30,000 miles
“Excessive oil consumption. Oil level is below the dipstick before 3000 miles since last oil change. This issue can lead to engine seizure and vehicle stopping ing traffic. This issue has been identified and recalled in Canada but not yet in the United States.”
Filed Jan 11, 2023 · 3,000 miles
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 61 reports involved a crash. 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. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 136 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 97 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 75 reports
- Engine rattles or ticks 26 reports