Ensuring consistent Kubernetes container versions is crucial due to the potential risks associated with deploying multiple container versions simultaneously, which can lead to reliability issues and user-facing errors. This occurs when updates are rolled out gradually, and new updates are released before the previous ones are fully deployed, resulting in different versions running side-by-side. To avoid these pitfalls, it is recommended to specify container images using digests rather than tags, especially the "latest" tag, which can point to different image versions over time. The use of digests ensures that deployments are locked to a specific version, preventing version mismatches during updates. Alternative deployment strategies, like blue/green deployments, can also help mitigate these risks by allowing traffic to continue to the old version until the new one is fully ready. Regular checks using Kubernetes commands can help identify mismatched container versions, allowing teams to adjust their manifests and redeploy as necessary. The discussion also points to additional resources and tools, like Gremlin's automated reliability platform, to identify and address Kubernetes reliability risks.