2023 Kia Seltos Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 18, 2026 · Filed: October 19, 2026

My 2024 Kia Seltos, with approximately 50,000 miles, experienced a sudden shutdown while traveling at highway speed, cannot accelerate. The dashboard warning appeared as no key not detected and the brake pedal became extremely hard, making the vehicle difficult to stop. The vehicle subsequently restarted normally. This is a serious safety concern. I am requesting a thorough investigation into the cause of the shutdown, including the main electrical system, power distribution, engine controls, and brake-assist system. Please document this as a highway-speed shutdown with loss of normal braking assistance and provide a written diagnostic report before releasing the vehicle.

Incident: August 2, 2026 · Filed: September 4, 2026

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.

Incident: July 28, 2026 · Filed: August 23, 2026

I had two incidents with the Kia listed above involving the feature where the engine stops when at a light, and then turns back on when foot is removed from brake. The first instance happened in a parking lot while I was maneuvering into a spot. The accelerator sensor sent my car forward at a high rate of speed, and I missed a brick wall by inches. The second incident was much the same, maneuvering into a parking spot in my apartment building. Spaces are very tight and there is a lot of stopping, reversing, going forward. Again, I took my foot off the brake and the accelerator sensor sent my car speeding into the car parked in front of me. I did serious damage to my neighbor's car and go mine. I can turn off this feature, which I now do.

Incident: June 25, 2026 · Filed: June 26, 2026

To the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), I am writing to formally submit a safety complaint regarding my 2023 Kia Seltos, which exhibits a recurring, dangerous defect involving the engine stalling without warning. This defect results in a total loss of power while the vehicle is in operation or attempting to accelerate, posing a critical safety risk. The failure manifests in two primary scenarios: * **Remote Start Failure:** The vehicle frequently stalls immediately after utilizing the remote start feature when shifting into drive. * **Auto Start/Stop Instability:** The Auto Start/Stop system contributes to the engine shutting down unexpectedly when lifting off the brake or attempting to accelerate from a stop. When this occurs, the dashboard illuminates multiple warning lights (e.g., battery, oil, "key not in vehicle"), and the vehicle loses all forward propulsion. On inclines, this defect causes the vehicle to roll backward, forcing the driver to rely solely on emergency braking to prevent a collision. ### Evidence of Widespread Concern My research indicates this is not an isolated incident; numerous Kia owners report identical, dangerous symptoms: * Drivers across various models report the engine shutting down and the vehicle rolling backward on hills, requiring a full power cycle to resume operation. * Some owners report losing all ability to accelerate at traffic lights, accompanied by critical dashboard warnings. * Others report the vehicle shutting off on its own while driving or refusing to start despite the dashboard indicating it is running. I have attached evidence documenting these experiences: **image.png**, **image_2.png**, **image_3.png**, **image_4.png**, and **image_5.png**. Given the frequency of these reports, I urge the NHTSA to launch a formal investigation into this apparent software or engineering failure. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: February 28, 2026 · Filed: June 22, 2026

Paint bubbling and chipping off. Dull blotches

Incident: March 16, 2026 · Filed: March 28, 2026

The gages fall all the way down, I’m not able to accelerate, engine light, traction light, tire pressure light, crash detection light, and other lights come on and prevents me from being able to drive. This happened on the interstate and almost caused an accident.

Incident: March 13, 2026 · Filed: March 14, 2026

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)

Incident: March 13, 2026 · Filed: March 14, 2026

Car burns/ consumes oil constantly having to top off 2-3 quarts every 1,000 miles maybe even less I do my oil change every 3,000 miles Kia auto contract state I need to do oil change every 5,000

Incident: January 3, 2026 · Filed: March 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was stopped, and the contact became aware of smoke coming from the engine compartment. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the catalytic converter, turbo, and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 62,000.

Incident: February 17, 2026 · Filed: February 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the tachometer went to zero and remained at zero while the vehicle was still accelerating. The contact stated that the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into a lower gear. There was an unknown message displayed. The contact stated that the screen was black while operating, and the passenger’s side air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 39,313.