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Kia · NHTSA safety record

2024 Kia Seltos

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

42

Complaints

4

Crashes

1

Fires

2

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2024 Kia Seltos have filed 42 safety complaints with NHTSA between August 2023 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 16 of them (38%). The typical failure was reported at 300 miles, the median across the 3 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 2 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (2)

AIR BAGS

23V830000 · December 22, 2023

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul and 2024 Seltos vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the side curtain air bags may deploy unexpectedly.
The risk
An air bag that deploys unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury or crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace both side curtain air bag modules as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 31, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC289.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 2,967 vehicles across all model years covered

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:PUMP

23V531000 · July 31, 2023

Park outside until repaired

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat.
The risk
An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
The remedy
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 28, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC275.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 39,765 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 42.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 16 38%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 9 21%
ENGINE 5 12%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4 10%
POWER TRAIN 4 10%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 7%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 7%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 2 5%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 5%
LANE DEPARTURE 2 5%
STEERING 2 5%
STRUCTURE 2 5%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 21.

2023 2025 2026
2023 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured · crash

The vehicle rolled backwards and hit a predestination with no one in the vehicle on level ground. I don't know why it rolled backwards since it has never done this before unless someone had hacked into the computer system and caused it to go backwards. I also don't know if this car has the lvl of technology that can be hacked as in the completely driverless vehicles. I only know the theory of computer science and smart technology, I don't know if my car has advanced enough technology for someone to remotely hacking into the car causing it to move backwards or not.

NHTSA complaint 11660548. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

1 injured · crash

During the incident in question, the vehicle’s lane‑assist system malfunctioned in a manner I have never previously experienced. As I approached an area with multiple lane markings, the system appeared to become confused—possibly due to low‑light conditions—and abruptly pulled the steering wheel with significant force. This deviation was severe enough that I temporarily lost control, causing the vehicle to drift toward the left-side ditch. 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

NHTSA complaint 11713766, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:SUMP/TANK:DRAIN PLUG

fire

Daughter driving back to college from home in her new 2024 Kia Seltos. We leased this vehicle for her for reliability and dependability throughout her years at college. 9 months into lease, 10,000 miles her car started smoking from engine. She immediately pulled over to notice the car had completely dumped out oil everywhere. We have pics and video to prove this. She had to wait on side of highway for 3.5 hours waiting to be towed. 6 days have passed and we have gotten zero answers and no help from corporate Kia only to be told for us to call dealerships to work it out. Now I’m working with the Kia dealership that it was towed to AND the previous Kia dealership that performed last oil

NHTSA complaint 11586993, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

crash · towed

Our vehicle was in an accident with extensive damage to the entire front end. The accident warning senors did not go off and the air bags did not deploy. The insurance adjuster said the entire engine was pushed back towards the driver area so it's surprising the air bags did not deploy. In our Kia Access app, only the "passenger turn signal" has a critical error detected. The car has been deemed totaled.

NHTSA complaint 11670573. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2024 Kia Seltos (leased, approximately 19,800 miles) received an over-the-air (OTA) software update on [07/03/2026]. The vehicle's screen prompted me to approve the update and stated it would complete with the ignition off. I approved it and exited the vehicle as instructed by Kia's on-screen directions and owner's manual. Immediately after this update, the vehicle developed an intermittent no-start condition, and the 12V battery went completely flat, accompanied by an ESC (Electronic Stability Control) warning. The vehicle had no electrical or starting problems of any kind before the update. The vehicle was disabled and could not be started without a jump start, which is a safety

NHTSA complaint 11753039, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY

crash · towed

While driving, the vehicle suddenly began handling abnormally. In response, we safely pulled over as quickly as possible. Before we could fully stop, the wheel catastrophically failed. The rim cracked around the entire circumference, the tire completely separated from the vehicle, and the vehicle lost stability and struck the guardrail. 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. Photographs taken immediately after the incident

NHTSA complaint 11744857, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Since November 2025, this vehicle has experienced repeated loss of power, severe shaking during acceleration, jerking between gear shifts, abnormal humming/grinding noises, and multiple check engine light events. The condition is most noticeable between approximately 40-70 mph and has repeatedly occurred while driving on highways. On multiple occasions, the vehicle struggled to accelerate properly and would not respond normally to throttle input. During one occurrence, the vehicle had difficulty accelerating beyond approximately 55 mph while on the expressway. The shaking became severe enough that I feared mechanical failure could occur while driving. I was forced to pull off to the

NHTSA complaint 11743542, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Under extremely cold temperatures, approx 10° the main display does not work. The MPH & other vehicle information will not display. KIA service requires the vehicle to be brought to the facility while condition exists in order to troubleshoot, however once the vehicle warms up, the non functioning display begins to operate normally and the problem does not exist. Speaking with the service advisor and service manager in charge, they are aware of the problem and know of other vehicles with this display problem.

NHTSA complaint 11735970. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Came out of work to a cracked windshield. There was no crack in my windshield prior to this. The crack spans across half of the windshield requiring a full replacement which is going to come completely out of pocket for me because I had a $1000 deductible. Had I known this was such a common issue with this year make and model, I would’ve opted for the $0 glass deductible. As many others have reported and stated, this was never an issue I’ve had with any other vehicle I’ve owned. It is clearly a manufacturing defect and SHOULD be covered by Kia. I’ve had this car for 7 months.

NHTSA complaint 11718087. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving in traffic, my 2024 Kia Seltos suddenly shut down without warning again. I lost propulsion while the vehicle was in motion with passengers inside, creating an immediate safety hazard. The issue appears electrical or powertrain-related. This occurred during normal operation and could result in a serious crash. My vehicle shutting down in active traffic with passengers is unacceptable, and there is no recall remedy in place to correct this hazard. I am requesting a manufacturer-level resolution under Ohio Lemon Law and the Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act.

NHTSA complaint 11717634. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Kia Seltos

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2023 44 2 —
2022 72 1 —
2021 355 2 —

Other 2024 Kia models

Telluride 210 EV9 205 EV6 71 Carnival 68 Sportage 66 Sorento 36 K5 28 Sportage PHEV 12

Every Kia on this site — 176 vehicles, 208 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst