2023 Kia Seltos: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
45 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 45 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 15.0
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I had two incidents with the Kia listed above involving the feature where the engine stops when at a light, and then turns back on when foot is removed from brake. The first instance happened in a parking lot while I was maneuvering into a spot. The accelerator sensor sent my car forward at a high rate of speed, and I missed a brick wall by inches. The second incident was much the same, maneuvering into a parking …
The gages fall all the way down, I’m not able to accelerate, engine light, traction light, tire pressure light, crash detection light, and other lights come on and prevents me from being able to drive. This happened on the interstate and almost caused an accident.
Car burns/ consumes oil constantly having to top off 2-3 quarts every 1,000 miles maybe even less I do my oil change every 3,000 miles Kia auto contract state I need to do oil change every 5,000
Recalls: 2 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 25V099000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. |
| 23V531000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Fluid/Lubricant:Pump | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 27 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,300
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Unknown Or Other17 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine16 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System15 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Forward Collision Avoidance4 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Power Train4 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Visibility4 complaints · typical job: Glass, wiper or defogger repair (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
Other Kia Seltos years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2023 Kia Seltos?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Unknown Or Other (17 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2023 Kia Seltos a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 86/100, computed from 45 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2023 Kia Seltos's most common problem?
17 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2023 Kia Seltos sit in the Unknown Or Other group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is diagnosis and mixed repair: about 2.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $360–$940 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2023 Kia Seltos cost to run per year?
About $3,675 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $18,375 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2023 Kia Seltos have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2023 Kia Seltos, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 17/02/2025. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other compact suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2023 Kia Seltos really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 45 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 45 NHTSA complaints on record (15.0/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (18.0/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality