2025 KIA SELTOS — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
14
Owner Complaints
0
Recalls
2
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2025 KIA SELTOS
The 2025 KIA SELTOS has received a total of 14 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. 2 technical service bulletins have been issued by Kia America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Electrical System (3 complaints), Exterior Lighting (2 complaints), and Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking (2 complaints).
Recalls for the 2025 KIA SELTOS
There are no recalls on file with NHTSA for the 2025 KIA SELTOS. No Active Recalls
Owner Complaints for the 2025 KIA SELTOS
14 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2025 KIA SELTOS. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Assist | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Warning | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
Instrument cluster does not turn on upon ignition, when in cold weather. this has been a repeating incident, first of which started only 2 months after the purchase. even after 7 separate incidents, and handful dealer visits, car was deemed "okay" because they could not replicate the issue. employees at the dealership have taken pictures and videos but have yet to find a solution to fix this issue, and they further "ask" that if the incident happens again, drive as is so they can see the issue. this is a serious safety issue since nothing is visible including speedometer, rev meter and gas tank indicator, etc. the most recent incident will be dated on the report, but i will attache multiple pictures from different dates as i can recall and recollect.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The braking system appears to have failed. When I attempted to slow down for a stop sign, the brake pedal went straight to the floor and did not respond as expected. I began pumping the brakes out of panic, but they only engaged at the last moment—approximately one foot or less from the vehicle in front of me. The vehicle is currently totaled, but I believe the braking system could still be inspected upon request, pending insurance and tow yard access. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety was significantly at risk. I had no control over stopping the vehicle despite repeated brake attempts. To avoid a direct collision, I was forced to swerve at the last second, hitting the rear edge of the truck ahead and deploying my airbag. Had I not swerved, the impact could have been more severe and potentially endangered the other driver. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Not yet. My insurance is working to determine whether an inspection is possible due to the extent of the damage. I intend to have the braking system inspected to confirm the failure if it can be safely accessed. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The accident has been reported to my insurance, and they are aware that I believe the brakes failed. I’m waiting to hear whether an inspection by their representatives or a third party will be conducted. To my knowledge, the manufacturer has not inspected the vehicle. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No brake-related warning lights or messages appeared before or during the failure. However, the forward collision alert did pop up—but it only appeared a couple of seconds before the impact, far too late to help avoid.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The braking system appears to have failed. When I attempted to slow down for a stop sign, the brake pedal went straight to the floor and did not respond as expected. I began pumping the brakes out of panic, but they only engaged at the last moment—approximately one foot or less from the vehicle in front of me. The vehicle is currently totaled, but I believe the braking system could still be inspected upon request, pending insurance and tow yard access. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety was significantly at risk. I had no control over stopping the vehicle despite repeated brake attempts. To avoid a direct collision, I was forced to swerve at the last second, hitting the rear edge of the truck ahead and deploying my airbag. Had I not swerved, the impact could have been more severe and potentially endangered the other driver. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Not yet. My insurance is working to determine whether an inspection is possible due to the extent of the damage. I intend to have the braking system inspected to confirm the failure if it can be safely accessed. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The accident has been reported to my insurance, and they are aware that I believe the brakes failed. I’m waiting to hear whether an inspection by their representatives or a third party will be conducted. To my knowledge, the manufacturer has not inspected the vehicle. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No brake-related warning lights or messages appeared before or during the failure. However, the forward collision alert did pop up—but it only appeared a couple of seconds before the impact, far too late to help avoid.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The braking system appears to have failed. When I attempted to slow down for a stop sign, the brake pedal went straight to the floor and did not respond as expected. I began pumping the brakes out of panic, but they only engaged at the last moment—approximately one foot or less from the vehicle in front of me. The vehicle is currently totaled, but I believe the braking system could still be inspected upon request, pending insurance and tow yard access. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety was significantly at risk. I had no control over stopping the vehicle despite repeated brake attempts. To avoid a direct collision, I was forced to swerve at the last second, hitting the rear edge of the truck ahead and deploying my airbag. Had I not swerved, the impact could have been more severe and potentially endangered the other driver. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Not yet. My insurance is working to determine whether an inspection is possible due to the extent of the damage. I intend to have the braking system inspected to confirm the failure if it can be safely accessed. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The accident has been reported to my insurance, and they are aware that I believe the brakes failed. I’m waiting to hear whether an inspection by their representatives or a third party will be conducted. To my knowledge, the manufacturer has not inspected the vehicle. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No brake-related warning lights or messages appeared before or during the failure. However, the forward collision alert did pop up—but it only appeared a couple of seconds before the impact, far too late to help avoid.
i get my lane assist and almost wrecked bc it defaulted without warning. when i came up on a car to fast. it didn’t slow down and try to automatically brake.
Safety Rating for the 2025 KIA SELTOS
The 2025 KIA SELTOS received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2025 KIA SELTOS
Kia America, Inc. has issued 2 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2025 KIA SELTOS. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
TSB_ELE374 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AWD COUPLING ACTUATOR LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA605) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the 4-Wheel Drive (“4WD”) system software on certain 2024-2025MY Seltos (SP2) vehicles equipped with All-Wheel Drive (“AWD”) produced from February 14, 2023 through October 08, 2024. The affected vehicles may experience an interruption of...
TSB_ELE374 — POWER TRAIN
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AWD COUPLING ACTUATOR LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA605) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the 4-Wheel Drive (“4WD”) system software on certain 2024-2025MY Seltos (SP2) vehicles equipped with All-Wheel Drive (“AWD”) produced from February 14, 2023 through October 08, 2024. The affected vehicles may experience an interruption of...
NHTSA Investigations for the 2025 KIA SELTOS
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the KIA SELTOS
- 2021 KIA SELTOS — 415 complaints
- 2022 KIA SELTOS — 83 complaints
- 2023 KIA SELTOS — 59 complaints
- 2024 KIA SELTOS — 56 complaints
- 2025 KIA SELTOS (current)
- 2026 KIA SELTOS — 0 complaints
Other KIA Models
- KIA SORENTO — 13,451 total complaints
- KIA OPTIMA — 10,045 total complaints
- KIA SOUL — 7,147 total complaints
- KIA SPORTAGE — 6,540 total complaints
- KIA FORTE — 3,450 total complaints
- KIA SEDONA — 3,334 total complaints
- KIA SEPHIA — 3,080 total complaints
- KIA TELLURIDE — 2,109 total complaints