Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated September 21, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.

Recalls

0 total

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

No recalls on record for this model

No safety recalls were found in this dataset. It is still worth entering the exact VIN on NHTSA before purchase, since recalls can be added at any time.

Owner complaints by system

46 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Worth reading
26

Most reports here involve sudden stalling. Of these, 2 mention a crash.

sudden stalling 11unintended acceleration 4fluid leaks 3
A recent report: Car was taken In for service and tech noted was low on oil and looked as if was burning oil and advised of a recall. My VIN for my 2023 didn’t come back as effected but clearly is having same issue…
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Car was taken In for service and tech noted was low on oil and looked as if was burning oil and advised of a recall. My VIN for my 2023 didn’t come back as effected but clearly is having same issue as the recall on the others with same year and make.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11762198 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Minor
7

Most reports here involve software faults.

software faults 4
A recent report: Driving 65mph on [XXX] and all the lights came on flashing and alerting me causing the emergency braking to occur while driving causing me to swerve on the road and lucky I didn’t crash but i had my…
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Driving 65mph on [XXX] and all the lights came on flashing and alerting me causing the emergency braking to occur while driving causing me to swerve on the road and lucky I didn’t crash but i had my [XXX] old in the car and it scared the hell out of me, on top of all that my horn gave out and hasn’t worked since that incident and now all the lights are off and I don’t even get the beeping for coming to close to another car anymore it’s like I lost all safety features plan to sell the car because I’m not dealing with this and Kia’s dealer services are horrible followed along by thee corporate being terrible too INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11724334 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
3

Most reports here involve loss of braking. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

loss of braking 2software faults 1
A recent report: Incident Date: October 26, 2025 Summary: On October 26, 2025, while merging onto a highway at high speed, the vehicle experienced a sudden and total electronic safety system failure. Without driver…
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Incident Date: October 26, 2025 Summary: On October 26, 2025, while merging onto a highway at high speed, the vehicle experienced a sudden and total electronic safety system failure. Without driver input, the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) system engaged the brakes (phantom braking), causing a dangerous, unprompted deceleration in active traffic. Simultaneously, the Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist failed, making the steering wheel extremely heavy and difficult to maneuver while trying to merge. Dashboard Alerts: The instrument cluster displayed a "Check Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist system" message, and the following warning lights illuminated: Master Warning, ABS, Traction Control (ESC), and Forward Safety. Attempted Remediation: I pulled the vehicle over and let it cool down for over an hour, but the warning lights and system failures persisted upon restarting. Per manufacturer-recommended troubleshooting found online, I thoroughly cleaned all exterior sensors and was forced to manually disable the collision-avoidance and alert systems via the vehicle's computer settings just to be able to drive the car home safely. Current Safety Concern: Since this event, the vehicle has exhibited increased skidding and inconsistent traction during normal driving conditions. This instability occurs on any road at any time, specifically when performing routine turning maneuvers, and is not limited to winter conditions. This suggests a deeper mechanical or software failure within the ABS/ESC/AWD control modules that cannot be resolved by the driver. This VIN currently shows no active recalls, but the symptoms match the known defects in the SC275 and SC336 campaigns exactly.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11720048 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Minor
1

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 1
A recent report: I was driving the car & instantly started losing air on my left front tire. No explanation. The tires on have 16000 miles on them.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11615716 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Worth reading
1

Most reports here involve other issues. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 3 mention an injury.

other issues 1
A recent report: I was in a car crash [XXX]. My 8 year old child was buckled in the backseat on the driver's side. Her seat belt failed and let her be thrown across the car into the passenger side floorboard face…
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I was in a car crash [XXX]. My 8 year old child was buckled in the backseat on the driver's side. Her seat belt failed and let her be thrown across the car into the passenger side floorboard face down. She was unconscious and lifeless, I had to pull her from the vehicle. She was life flighted to Memorial Hermann Children's in Houston, TX. She has a concussion, fractured pelvis, had a bleeding/bruised spleen, knocked her lower teeth all loose, plus bleeding and bruised gums, sore neck from whiplash and just general body pains. The police officer came to the hospital and told me they tested all the seat belts and the two back seat belts in the Kia Seltos FAILED to engage. The pediatrician physicians said this could have killed her and I need to report this to prevent more tragedies from happening. There needs to be an immediate recall done to protect the backseat passengers in these cars. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11567792 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Minor
7

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 7
A recent report: Paint bubbling and chipping off. Dull blotches

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11745820 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Minor
1

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 1
A recent report: The recall issue has not been resolved in a timely manner since first appointment was made on October 9, 2023 at Riverchase Kia Dealership located in Pelham, Alabama after being promised to…
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The recall issue has not been resolved in a timely manner since first appointment was made on October 9, 2023 at Riverchase Kia Dealership located in Pelham, Alabama after being promised to communicate via phone when part came in. Customer of vehicle contacted dealership on 10/14/24 and was informed a the part was in under recall and was instructed to schedule an appointment. Customer scheduled an appointment for 10/17/24. On 10/17/24 when customer arrived for appointment at dealership, customer was informed the part was not for a Kia Seltos and the part would have to be ordered. Riverchase Kia dealership ordered part on 10/17/24 and informed customer the part would arrive between 10/19-10/22/24. Customer contacted dealership on 10/23/24 via text message and a representative of dealership messaged back "... It is still showing on order." Customer has been waiting over a year's time to get recall part fixed.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11623269 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 46 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2022 and 2026, roughly 11 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.