Kia Seltos Complaints

532 consumer complaints on file.

#11463698May 6, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
2021 KIA SELTOS S - ISSUES 1. The engine was stalled in the road without notice. When I started the engine again, it is vibrating and shaking (05-04-2022) 2. Engine has strange knocking sounds. Car has struggle to move when pressing the pedal accelerator (05-05-2022). 3. Loss power on engine, brake was not working. Car run very slow 4. Engine light is blinking while driving from work to home. When I arrived home, car is not started (Laguardia Airport New York to Home in Hazlet NJ - 53miles) - (05-05-2022) 5. Car has only 19000miles. 6. Please note, the car has a recall on the piston ring that is not done. Vehicle Owner / Driver: [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462925May 1, 2022
POWER TRAIN
I drove my car less than a mile when the check engine light illuminated on the dashboard and issues with accelerating the vehicle started. The rpm needle moved when I pushed the gas but the car itself did not. Once the car was turned off it started but would not move or rev when the gas was pushed in any gear shift P, R, N, or drive. My car had just hit 17,880 miles when this issue occurred. This would have been a greater safety issue had I been on the road with other cars, there was no warning, or issues in the days previously with my 2021 KIA SELTOS. I’ve personally only driven it for about 8,000 miles as it was just recently purchased from a Hyundai-Kia dealership. The car was towed to Kia Service center and has been serviced for 32 days and counting. The manufacturer and dealership service center initially took majority of the time for diagnosis which included completing an oil change which was due, performing a technical service bulletin, and then a transmission tear down. About a week ago they ordered a clutch actuator. I was advised just recently this did not fix the issue so they’re now discussing a transmission replacement.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462740April 29, 2022
SEAT BELTS
Seatbelt fastened and while driving seat belt light will start flashing and beeping. Sometimes unfastening and refastening turns it off, other times it keeps flashing/beeping. Does not happen every time I am driving
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462402April 27, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact leased a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while his son was driving in traffic, he heard an abnormal banging noise and noticed smoke emerging from the engine compartment. The driver was able to pull off the road and exit the vehicle. The vehicle spontaneously caught fire and was engulfed in flames. The fire department was on the scene to extinguish the fire. The driver did not sustain any injuries. There were no police reports filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent lot. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 21,000. VIN was not available. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number 21V259000 (Engine).
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11461606April 21, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
I would like to express that in December 11 they gave me the vehicle at the car dealer and I had not been driving for even 20 minutes, when I heard a noise and looked and my glass had shattered. I turned to the dealer and they replaced him on March 11. Today April 21st I am driving on the highway with no car near me and I come back I hear a noise and I look and again my glass is broken. It is incredible that it is already twice in less than 5 months that in different scenarios that the glass shatters. I am very worried and I fear that in an accident my glass will not be strong enough.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11460398April 11, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the horn was inoperable and inaudible. The contact indicated that the failure was discovered while driving on the freeway when a commercial vehicle drove into the contact’s lane and the contact was unable to alert the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11458784March 29, 2022
ENGINE
My 2021 Kia Seltos lost pick up pulling out of parking lot at work. Limped it to a parking lot and had it towed to Kia. Spoke to service guy at Kia dealership today. He claims that my oil was low and dirty and needs to be changed every 4000 miles (manual says 7500). I told him this and he said thats only if I use full synthetic...says it on the sticker in window and receipt. Full synthetic was used. They will change the oil but they feel its an engine issue and since the shop that did my oil change did something wrong (according to them), it wont be covered by warranty. This is a 2021 with about 11000 miles. Oil change was done about 4500 miles ago. He claims that my warranty would not cover this due to low oil. Oh and not one warning light came on. NO OIL LIGHT, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I was reading about a recall that I never got a recall letter on because according to VIN # my car isn't included regarding improperly heat treated piston oil rings that causes engine damage and excessive oil consumption. Sounds like exactly what is going on with my car. I certainly cant afford a new engine out of pocket and don't believe I did anything that my warranty should be voided over. I need help!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11456106March 10, 2022
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This car was recalled for issues with oil piston rings receiving incorrect "coating" when made. Our car passed inspection to verify the recall issue didn't exist however the car was two quarts of oil LOW. After going through Kia's required oil consumption testing (no oil on ground by the way), we await Kia's decision on a full engine replacement on our 2021 car. Before bringing the car in it stalled unexpectedly in various scenarios, on freeway, going up hills, parking, and coming to a stop. Also the engine was making major noises, clicking, sounds like a diesel, and screeching noises when stopping. The safety issue of stopping was explained by service manager as due to lack of oil.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11455435March 6, 2022
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I was coming to a stop sign and I started hearing a knocking sound. My car flashed the check engine sign and then shut off with the battery and engine oil light flashing. It smelled like something was burning. I started drifting back so I had to pull the parking brake, put on my hazards and turn off my car. I tried to start it 2x without it turning over. On the third try, the car started and the lights on the dash resolved except the engine malfunction. I was unable to accelerate above 45 MPH on a busy highway and it eventually stalled out again for a second time in the middle of a highway. I was almost rear-ended twice. Same lights came on- engine oil, battery and check engine light. I turned it off and turned it back on- it reluctantly started and was shuttering the whole time. I was able to get it into a parking lot before calling KIA road side assistance. I had it towed to the nearest dealership who was supposed to look at it the next day, Di d not hear anything back until the 3rd day when I called. I was informed that they would not be able to look at it until the following week. I was able to get it towed to the dealership closest to home, where I purchased the vehicle. They looked at it and informed my that there was no oil in the engine and the the engine would need to be repaired. I never had an oil light come on until the vehicle stalled out. They are saying that because there was no oil in it, I was not keeping up with the maintenance and that it voids the warranty. So now I have to come up with $10,200 to replace the engine block. My car only had 25,516 miles on it and had 3 oil changes prior to it shutting down. The last oil change, I was informed that my car was using more oil than it should but that this was not cause for concern. I am beyond frustrated. I have been a loyal kia customer for years and am disheartened for being accused of not caring for my vehicle, despite having provided receipts from oil changes and no am without a car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11455432March 6, 2022
ENGINE
Car was put into park and the car kept moving,turned car off to stop This has happened 2 times.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11454406February 28, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
For the second time in the past month the car would not start. Appears to be due to a dead battery however the dealership has been unable to locate a problem. Looking online and it appears to be a issue that Kia is aware of but not owning up to. This is my wife's car and should she get stranded her personal safety could be at risk. The dealership did admit that there could be something like an electrical component that stays on and is causing the drain but they said it could take a long time to find it or they might never find it. The car has only 8700 miles on it. We recently saw a recall on other kias that are catching fire. Could this be a similar component that is draining our car battery?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11453352February 22, 2022
ENGINE
The contact leased a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, the vehicle stalled with the engine oil warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that with each failure, the oil level was low before the next scheduled oil changed. When the first failure occurred, the contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer and oil was added. After the second failure, the dealer informed that contact that oil was discovered on the spark plugs and that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced however, the failure occurred for a third time. After the third failure the contact took the vehicle to Gary Lang Kia (1121 State Route 31, Building 3, McHenry, IL 60050) and he was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact made multiple attempts to reach the manufacturer but had yet to be receive a response. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the last dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11450214February 3, 2022
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2021 Kia Seltos shut off while I was driving it. This happened once in July 2021, I was at a stop sign and I attributed it to not driving it in a while and the extreme summer heat. But on January 31st, I had turned my car on, I let it “warm up” and then I started to drive. To my surprise, as I was driving my car shut off. It first felt like the gas pedal was hardly working then the car began to slow down and I had no control over the acceleration or breaks. Then, the check engine light, battery light, and oil light all appeared on my dashboard and the car came to a complete stop. And all functions on the car were not functioning. Fortunately, no other cars were around and I wasn’t injured. I was able to restart my car and drive back to a driveway with the engine sounding louder than normal and the only the check engine light on. From there, Kia towed my car to the dealership, ran a diagnostic check on the engine, checked the sparks plugs, drove it 25 miles. Since the problem didn’t occur while they had it, I have been informed “nothing is wrong with my car”. I called Kia customer service and was informed that despite the similar claims on this website, no recall or issue had been formally filed for kia to take care of. I questioned what the next steps would be and as of now I am left to continue to drive a car that shut off on me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11448413January 21, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I pulled up to a busy intersection which had a stoplight that had just turned red. As I was waiting there, all of a sudden my car just died. The engine stopped and no electrical was working either. There were no warning lights or messages at all. I tried to start it, but to no avail. The cars shifter was also locked in the drive position. I turned the hazard lights on as I was trying to figure out what was going on. My safety and the safety of my children, who were in the car at the time, was put at risk as drivers behind me were growing impatient as light turned green and I couldn’t move.There were no warning lights that went on prior to the car failing, or after i got the car started again. On about my fifth try of trying to start it, the car slowly started up again and I was able to pull into a nearby parking lot.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11448189January 20, 2022
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while stopped, the fuel-saving system would turn off the engine however, whenever the brake pedal was released, the engine failed to immediately restart. The contact then had to turn off and restart the vehicle. The failure had occurred on multiple occasions. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 2,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447466January 14, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Along with hundreds of others who have had their KIAS stolen, my 2021 Kia Seltos S was stolen on January 11th at approximately 3:30 p.m. from a busy Walgreens parking lot in Milwaukee Wisconsin. In under 5 minutes of being in the store, the back passenger small window was smashed and the car was accessed. My two kids backpacks and school laptops and my son's cell phone were in the vehicle as well when it was stolen.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446471January 6, 2022
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Altos. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic several times, he was informed that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact also stated that the vehicle was making abnormal rattling sounds while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the piston-ring noise sensing software would be installed. The contact declined the installation of the software and advised the dealer that the piston rings or the engine should be replaced instead. The recall repair was not completed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance and referred the contact to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446209January 4, 2022
STEERING
Safety System Failure. MY CAR WAS STOLEN TODAY. Even with a Club on the steering wheel. it was gone in minutes. Why do thieves look for Kia's? Because they know they can steal them fast. Shame on you for not putting better practices in place to help prevent this, or deter them at least or slow down the process at minimal. My car is a 2021 with less than 5000 mi on it. How am I going to replace this with the money I will need down and the deductible if I need repaired? you should be held somewhtat repsonsible for your lack of theft precautions put in place.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11445627December 30, 2021
ENGINE
Im on my 2nd kia and im so over it. I have a 2021 kia seltos and i took it in for the recall and my scheduled maintenance for july 9th 2021, I scheduled my app a week out and i had been noticing my engine running strange off and on for awhile but its a new car so i thought i was being paranoid until i saw the recall. Then the day before my appointment the check engine light comes on. I checked the oil and it didnt even register on the stick, had my dad also check it to confirm! He added 2 quarts to it just to get me to the next day. Take it in and tell them my light has come on now and that its been running rough. When they call they say nothing, pick up my car they tell me nothing! The notes say the piston oil ring was performed? What was performed? It passed the recall test? What are they looking for? Why was my check engine light on?! And then i read in the notes that the oil was dirty and 3/4 of a quart below fill mark. It also says .i have a maintenance package on a new car..i take it in when im supposed to and only to kia. It also said cel is not on at this time and ran fault code "p0011- intake timing over advanced" stored as history and that they cleared dtc reset adaptive values and further diag will bbe required if dtc returns..no one seems concerened why i have a code stored in history or why the light was on one day and off another. It still sounds terrible most of the time and the oil level is magically decreasing and no signs of a leak took it in 10/6/21 and they say they check it out and that nothing is wrong and send me on my way. 12/6/21 go in for oil change multi point inspectionand winterization and they tell me they also need to check a recall...all good again. 12/30/21 driving my car and my check engine light starts flashing while im driving about 55. Its at the shop now! Im beyond stressed and heated over this. I have 2 toddlers i drive around in this car. I need it to be SAFE and RELIABLE! Im paying way to much for this car to be dealing with
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11445378December 29, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The entire electrical system (display, gauges, exterior lights, etc.) resets while driving. This may be a one off or may happen several times in a few minutes. The engine never stops running, which is good as this happened in the interstate. In the dark, this could be dangerous as the headlights and taillights go out for a moment. I am not aware if this is easily replicated or if this poses issues to other systems.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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