NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 46 owner complaints for the 2023 Kia Seltos.
One recall for this model year tells owners not to drive or to park outside until repaired:Powertrain, park outside (23V-531). Check your VIN below to see whether yours is affected.
2Safety recalls
46Owner complaints
4Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Recalled components: powertrain and engine and cooling. Most-described problems: stalling or shutting off while driving and the check engine light coming on (6 complaints, 13% each). Most-reported area: engine (17 complaints, 37%).
2 safety recalls for the 2023 Kia Seltos
Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat.
Risk: An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles.
The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
Risk: Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Dealers will also install piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC336.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SELTOS. Kia campaign SC336.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
Owners have filed 46 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Seltos. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Stalling or shutting off while driving6 · 13%
Check engine light6 · 13%
Smoke or a burning smell5 · 11%
Engine failure or replacement4 · 9%
Jerking, lurching or harsh shifting3 · 7%
Auto start-stop problems3 · 7%
Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these.
Areas named in complaints
Engine17 · 37%
Electrical system15 · 33%
Forward collision avoidance4 · 9%
Most named: warnings (3)
Powertrain4 · 9%
Visibility4 · 9%
Body structure3 · 7%
Brakes3 · 7%
Unknown or other17 · 37%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Kia Seltos recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2023 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2021 Seltos drew the most (128) and the 2023 drew 35.
Owner complaints
2023: 46 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Seltos
Model year
Complaints
2021
369
2022
72
2023
46
2024
45
2025
13
2026
4
Safety recalls
2023: 2 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Seltos
Model year
Recalls
2021
2
2022
1
2023
2
2024
2
2025
0
2026
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Kia Seltos SUV AWD
Rollover risk 15.1%
Kia Seltos SUV FWD
Rollover risk 16.9%
Questions
What are the most common 2023 Seltos problems?
In the 46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2023 Kia Seltos, the problems described most are stalling or shutting off while driving (6), the check engine light coming on (6), and smoke or a burning smell (5). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2023 Kia Seltos safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2023 Kia Seltos earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Seltos has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 29, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 28, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: SELTOS.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.