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2022 Kia Seltos

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
B
Safety Signal
85 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical1
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA72
Crash ratingNHTSA overall4★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA31 mpg
2027202620252024202320222021

The 2022 Kia Seltos is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Seltos FWD, is EPA-rated at 31 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 72 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Seltos FWDGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl293531$2,000
Seltos AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl273129$2,150
Seltos AWDGasAWD1.6L 4-cyl turbo253027$2,300

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43858, 43864, 43863.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2022 Kia Seltos is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Engine And Engine Cooling

SC336
137,256 vehicles
ProblemKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Seltos and Soul vehicles. The piston oil rings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.RiskEngine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 25V099000reported Feb 17, 2025Kia America, Inc.

NHTSA defect investigations

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical — Kia 25V099 Piston Oil Ring Recall Effectiveness closed

On August 6, 2025, the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) opened Audit Query (AQ) 25001 to assess the implementation of Kia America, Inc.’s (Kia) remedy program for Safety Recall 25V099, involving incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings which may damage the engine causing a loss of motive power or fire. This AQ was opened in response to consumer complaints alleging of an ineffective remedy, inconsistent inspection results to determine whether an engine replacement was needed, and the unavailability of recall remedies. On August 11, 2025, an Information Request (IR) was issued to Kia requesting: 1) why the inspection test was revised from requiring a ‘cold’ engine to a ‘warm’ en

Opened Aug 6, 2025 · closed Dec 18, 2025 · action AQ25001

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
72complaints filed

6 involved a crash · 3 a fire · 2 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2021: 3 · 2022: 7 · 2023: 6 · 2024: 7 · 2025: 33 · 2026: 16

Most-cited components

Engine37
Unspecified17
Power Train10
Electrical System9
Engine And Engine Cooling9
Forward Collision Avoidance5

What owners describe

“The contact owns a 2022 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contac…”Mar 11, 2025 · Engine And Engine Cooling · NHTSA owner report
“I bought this car for my daughter during her second year at IU Bloomington, IN. She called in a panic, saying the car hesitated and stopped. She also shared if she turns car off, the car will restart. I advised her to take it to the nearby KIA dealership for inspection. The mechanic, after a test drive, reported no iss…”Jan 12, 2025 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“My car horn won’t work consistently. Works sometimes and other times not at all. Please help and let me know if there’s a recall for the horns because there should be always been like this. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Nov 27, 2024 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆15%
SUV FWD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆17%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning.

Other Seltos model years

A

2027 Kia Seltos

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2026 Kia Seltos

0 recalls · 4 complaints

A

2025 Kia Seltos

0 recalls · 12 complaints

C

2024 Kia Seltos

2 recalls · 43 complaints

C

2023 Kia Seltos

2 recalls · 46 complaints

C

2021 Kia Seltos

2 recalls · 365 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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