2026 Kia Seltos

Routine

Owners filed 4 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic2
000
Fuel/Propulsion System1
000
Air Bags1
102

What owners reported

Newest filings
Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Aug 6, 2026ID

I purchased this new 2026 Kia Seltos with approximately 32 miles. The vehicle now has fewer than 600 miles and has experienced two incidents of sudden, intermittent, complete loss of accelerator response. During one incident in highway traffic, the vehicle unexpectedly began decelerating and pressing the accelerator pedal produced no acceleration or meaningful propulsion. I could not maintain speed or accelerate to move out of surrounding traffic. The vehicle became unable to move normally until it was turned off and restarted. An oil-pressure warning light illuminated during the failure. There was no meaningful warning before the loss of acceleration. After the first incident, an authorized Kia dealer found diagnostic code U200300 only in the vehicle’s history. The dealer attributed the condition to a loose right battery cable, repaired or tightened the connection, and returned the vehicle as fixed. The same loss-of-acceleration condition occurred again after that repair. On July 13, 2026, an authorized Kia dealership technician personally reproduced the failure during a 30-mile test drive. The technician documented that the vehicle felt as though it died during acceleration and that pressing the accelerator would not make the vehicle go anywhere. No diagnostic trouble codes were generated or found during this dealer-confirmed failure. The dealer and Kia Techline inspected the vehicle. The dealer documented proper oil level, no obstruction in the air filter or throttle body,

Air BagsCrash2 injured
Filed May 28, 2026FL

The contact owns a 2026 Kia Seltos. While driving across an intersection, another vehicle ran a stop sign and collided with the contact's vehicle. The impact occurred on the driver-side door, causing extensive damage to the vehicle. No property damage reported. The vehicle came to a complete stop after being struck. The contact stated no air bags were deployed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard but was than brought to the residence. No warning lights were illuminated before the crash. A police report was filed. The vehicle will be fixed. The contact stated she was the driver and had a passenger (son) in the front. The contact sustained a severe head impact and was knocked unconscious. The head trauma caused total numbness across the right side of her face and directly impaired her peripheral vision. Additionally, the contact sustained deep contusions to her neck and severe structural disc damage to her lower back. The contact's son, who was also an occupant in the vehicle, experienced acute head pain following the crash. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Apr 17, 20261,322 milesNC

The contact owns a 2026 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH and depressing the brake pedal to make a right turn, the brake pedal went to the floorboard and the vehicle accelerated independently. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the brake line needed to be tightened and the brake fluid reservoir needed to be topped off. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed that there was no warranty for the repair. The manufacturer denied the buyback request. The approximate failure mileage was 1,322.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Mar 9, 20261,200 milesNC

The contact owns a 2026 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that the heating system was inoperable and was blowing cold air. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the radiator cap was not tightened, causing air to build up in the system. The dealer tightened the radiator, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the sound was likely coming from the fuel injectors. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop on several occasions, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown part was disconnected. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH and making a turn on a bypass, the brake pedal travelled down to the floorboard while depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond, causing the contact to panic. The contact shifted to park(P) and drove over a grassy area, but the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually rolled to a stop. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the driver's side rear brake line was loose and leaking, and there was air in the brake line. The vehicle was repaired. No further information was available. The failure mileage was approximately 1,200.

4 of 4 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2021
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2026 — this page4000Routine
202512000Routine
202445210Routine
202346200Routine
202272130Routine
2021368260Above average

Compare every Seltos year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.