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Executive Vehicle Verdict

The 2021 Kia Seltos is associated with 357 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 2 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database.

The most frequently reported component area is Engine, accounting for 142 reports (40% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 3 certified vehicle configurations spanning 2l 4-cyl and 1.6l 4-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 27 to 31 MPG combined.

Official Federal Record Profile
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 357 consumer reports filed
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 2 official campaigns
  • • Primary Defect Domain: Engine (142 / 40%)
  • • Field Incident Signals: 13 crash / 6 fire / 7 injury reports
  • • NCAP Crash Safety: 4 / 5 Stars Overall Laboratory Score
  • • EPA Certified Range: 27–31 MPG across 3 powertrain trims
Directly compiled from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA NCAP, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2021 Kia Seltos?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Seltos FWD 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (AV-S8) 29 MPG 34 MPG 31 MPG — $2,000 / yr
Seltos AWD 2L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (AV-S8) 27 MPG 31 MPG 29 MPG — $2,100 / yr
Seltos AWD 1.6L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (AM-S7) 25 MPG 30 MPG 27 MPG — $2,300 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2021 Kia Seltos?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
SUV FWD 16.900000000000002%
SUV AWD 15.1%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Optional and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2021 Kia Seltos models.
View complete 2021 Kia Seltos crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2021 Kia Seltos?

Summary of 357 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
357
Crash Reports
13
Fire Reports
6
Complaints w/ Injury
7
Total Injuries
8

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Engine 142 complaints (1 crash)
Engine & Cooling 40 complaints
Powertrain 27 complaints
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 18 complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 9 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2021 Kia Seltos problems & component breakdown (62 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2021 Kia Seltos?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #25V099000 Active Recall
Affected Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer 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.
NHTSA Campaign #21V259000 Active Recall
Affected Component: ENGINE

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer 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.
View all 2021 Kia Seltos recalls & campaign history (2 campaigns) →
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Key Questions Drivers Ask About the 2021 Kia Seltos

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2021 Kia Seltos

How many safety recalls does the 2021 Kia Seltos have?

The 2021 Kia Seltos is associated with 2 official NHTSA safety recall campaigns in AutoUtility's current federal records.

If your individual vehicle is affected by an open safety recall, NHTSA advises owners to contact an authorized franchised dealership for the recall remedy at no charge. Because recall campaigns apply to specific production runs and equipment batches, vehicle owners should verify their 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov.

View all 2 recall campaigns & remedy details →
Source: NHTSA Safety Recalls Database (49 U.S.C. 30118)

What are the most common problems reported for the 2021 Kia Seltos?

NHTSA records list 357 consumer defect complaints for the 2021 Kia Seltos. The most frequently referenced vehicle system is Engine, appearing in 142 filings (40% of submissions).

Consumer complaints represent unverified owner submissions filed under federal reporting guidelines and describe reported component behavior rather than audited failure rates.

Explore full 2021 Kia Seltos defect complaint breakdown →
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

What is the NHTSA safety rating for the 2021 Kia Seltos?

Under the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), the 2021 Kia Seltos earned an Overall Safety Rating of 4 out of 5 stars across 2 tested configuration(s).

Laboratory evaluations include a 35 mph frontal barrier crash, side barrier and pole impact tests, and static rollover resistance assessments.

View detailed crash test laboratory breakdown →
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)

What fuel economy (MPG) does the 2021 Kia Seltos get?

Official EPA laboratory estimates for the 2021 Kia Seltos range from 27 to 31 MPG combined (55% city / 45% highway weighted) depending on engine, transmission, and drivetrain configuration.

Using AutoUtility's standardized operating cost model (15,000 miles/year, $3.50/gal gas, $0.16/kWh electricity), annual energy expenditures range across certified configurations based on official EPA laboratory test baselines.

Compare MPG ratings across all certified trims →
Source: EPA FuelEconomy.gov Certified Database
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.