AI DamageKIA Seltos: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the KIA Seltos across 7 model years: 561 owner complaints and 170 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 53% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 16% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 5% of all complaints
- 6 Forward collision avoidance 4% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 3% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 2% of all complaints
- Engine: 298 complaints (53% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 16.
- Electrical system: 93 complaints (17% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 194.
- Powertrain: 89 complaints (16% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 81.
- Engine and cooling: 58 complaints (10% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 38.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 30 complaints (5% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl 2021–2027named in 5 complaints
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cyl 2021–2027named in 12 complaints
- automatic, 8-speed 2024–2027
- CVT 2021–2027
- dual-clutch (DCT), 7-speed 2021–2023named in 6 complaints
Drive: AWD, FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 561 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 298 | 5 | 16 |
| Electrical system | 93 | 3 | 194 |
| Powertrain | 89 | 2 | 81 |
| Engine and cooling | 58 | 0 | 38 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 20 | 6 | 7 |
| Visibility | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 12 | 2 | 4 |
| Lane departure | 11 | 3 | 7 |
| Air bags | 11 | 10 | 0 |
| Structure | 10 | 1 | 18 |
| Steering | 9 | 1 | 8 |
| Suspension | 7 | 1 | 16 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
There were no warning lights or symptoms prior to the failure. The vehicle is currently being held at a recovery yard and is fully available for inspection upon request.
While being placed on the tow truck, the vehicle violently jerked. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the collision center for repair, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated while being moved.
As a result of this incident, the vehicle sustained substantial damage, including but not limited to: •Complete destruction of the wheel/rim; •Tire separation; •Axle and suspension damage; •Body damage to the driver-side front and rear panels; and •Additional mechanical damage that is still being assessed.
The engine started to fail when I'm driving and on the highway it suddenly loses strength, the oil goes down and I don't know where it's going, the engine starts to make noises and burning smell, the ignition light turns on and minutes later goes out, a triangle signal also sometimes appears for 6 seconds and…
The Kia was traveling approximately 45 - 50 mph and struck another vehicle that had pulled out from a stop sign. I had my hand on the horn and the airbags did not deploy on impact.
When the steering suddenly released and became limp, I attempted to correct the trajectory, but the response window was too narrow to avoid impact. The vehicle struck a wooden signpost, resulting in damage to the right headlight assembly and the complete detachment of the right fog light.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- This Pitstop provides information related to the smart key fob programming procedure on certain 2027MY~…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
- VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
- CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
- PITSTOP
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
- 2021 Kia Seltos Salvage Rebuild, Part 1amount per author: 1,000 UNSPECIFIED_DOLLAR
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.