2025 Kia Seltos problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 13 owner complaints about the 2025 Kia Seltos, or 7.3 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.18, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 86 model-year 2025 vehicles we track, it ranks #14 of 86 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Kia models its rate is 79% lower; against other Subcompact SUVs it is 68% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Limited data: fewer than 30 complaints, so shares and indexes are unstable.
Complaints filed between 2024-11-10 and 2026-09-19. Median delay from incident to filing: 3 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2024) drew 16.5 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2026) drew 4.0 per year, fewer than this one.
The most common problem area is Electrical (23.1% of complaints), followed by Driver-assist systems (15.4%) and Lighting (15.4%). 1 report (7.7%) describes a crash or fire; owners mention 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 6 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (62% of incidents). 6 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.18
- vs. other Kia models0.21
- vs. other 2025 models0.15
- vs. other Subcompact SUVs0.32
- #14 of 86 · 2025Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Engine · Electrical · Transmission / powertrain · Unspecified or other
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 1
- Fires reported: 0
- Injuries: 0
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 6 months
What owners report
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The braking system appears to have failed.
I am reporting multiple safety concerns involving my leased 2025 Kia Seltos, which currently has approximately 22,000 miles. I first reported an unusual smell coming from the vehicle in June 2025.
The camber bolts in front struts moved from original location causing uneven tire wear and steering issues. When replacing tires mechanic showed me marks where bolts were originally and where they are now.
KiA started a system update while I was driving on a busy road which caused complete loss of engine power and all electrical. This is nuts. What if you’re on the highway driving 70 mph and this happens?
While driving at night with the Headlights on Low Beam the light that is projected onto the road is a dull yellowish color, not a bright white color. When the High Beam Lights are turned on there is no difference of the light being projected onto the road.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2025 · Subcompact SUVs
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Kia Seltos | 13 | 7.3 | 0.18 |
| 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross | 21 | 11.7 | 0.29 |
| 2025 Mazda CX-30 | 26 | 14.5 | 0.36 |
| 2025 Hyundai Kona | 29 | 16.2 | 0.4 |
| 2025 Subaru Crosstrek | 44 | 24.6 | 0.61 |
| 2025 Honda HR-V | 47 | 26.3 | 0.65 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.