Owners have filed 45 complaints with NHTSA about the 2024 Kia Seltos over 3 years — 15 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Seltos years here — over the median of the other years, which is 12. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Air bags and Pump.
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The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (16 of 45), then Engine (8) and Powertrain (6). The most filings arrived in 2025 (21 of 45). Those filings include 4 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 2 that report an injury.
The 2023 Seltos has 46 complaints, 12 per year, and the 2025 has 13 complaints, 7 per year. The 2024 has more complaints per year than the 2023.
The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2024 Kia Seltos. How we count. Data as of .
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"Exhaust starting putting out white smoke and loss of power on accelerator while speeding up. Normally when merging onto highway or taking off after stop. Assumed head gasket with coolant in oil. Took to get oil change,…"
"The vehicle has experienced two separate episodes of severe engine/propulsion malfunction approximately two months apart. During the first incident, the vehicle began shaking and idling roughly and had very little…"
"I need to open a formal safety and warranty complaint regarding my 2024 Kia Seltos. I originally reported an acceleration problem to the dealership when the vehicle was purchased and they said they couldn’t duplicate…"
"My 2024 Kia Seltos (leased, approximately 19,800 miles) received an over-the-air (OTA) software update on [07/03/2026]. The vehicle's screen prompted me to approve the update and stated it would complete with the…"
"While driving, the vehicle suddenly began handling abnormally. In response, we safely pulled over as quickly as possible. Before we could fully stop, the wheel catastrophically failed. The rim cracked around the entire…"
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Kia Seltos SUV AWD | 5 stars | 5 stars | 5 stars | 4 stars |
| 2024 Kia Seltos SUV FWD | 5 stars | 5 stars | 5 stars | 4 stars |
Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.
| Trim | Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Combined | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seltos all-wheel drive | 2L, 4-cyl | Automatic (AV-S8) | All-wheel drive | 27 | 31 | 29 MPG | $2250 |
| Seltos all-wheel drive | 1.6L, 4-cyl | Automatic (8-speed) | All-wheel drive | 25 | 27 | 26 MPG | $2500 |
| Seltos front-wheel drive | 2L, 4-cyl | Automatic (AV-S8) | Front-wheel drive | 28 | 34 | 31 MPG | $2100 |
First-generation US Seltos (2021-on) pair a 2.0L with IVT or a 1.6T with dual-clutch / conventional automatics depending on trim. Owner complaint themes center on CVT/IVT shudder on the naturally aspirated path and dual-clutch hesitation on turbo trims—both familiar Kia/Hyundai patterns rather than a single campaign. Confirm open NHTSA recalls on the VIN (including any dual-clutch software campaigns that apply to your transmission code) and keep oil at the 0W-20 grade on the filler cap; leave capacity null until verified against the exact US engine code in the owner’s manual.
Owners have filed 45 complaints with NHTSA about the 2024 Kia Seltos over 3 years — 15 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Seltos years here — over the median of the other years, which is 12. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Air bags and Pump.
The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (16 of 45), then Engine (8) and Powertrain (6). The most filings arrived in 2025 (21 of 45). Those filings include 4 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 2 that report an injury.
The 2023 Seltos has 46 complaints, 12 per year, and the 2025 has 13 complaints, 7 per year. The 2024 has more complaints per year than the 2023.
The 2024 Kia Seltos has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.
Owners have filed 45 complaints about the 2024 Kia Seltos with NHTSA.
EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2024 Kia Seltos is 28.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.
US 2021 owner’s manual lists SAE 5W-20 for the Nu 2.0 MPI and SAE 5W-30/5W-40 for the 1.6 T-GDI viscosity chart. Kia service campaign SC224 corrected some early filler caps that incorrectly said 5W-20 when the correct marking was SAE 0W-20. Confirm the filler-cap grade and manual for your VIN.
US 2021 owner’s manual lists 215/55R17 and 235/45R18 depending on trim/wheel package.
A 2.0L with IVT or a 1.6T with dual-clutch / conventional automatics depending on trim. Owner complaint themes include CVT/IVT shudder on the NA path and dual-clutch hesitation on turbo trims.
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