Last updated: 2026-10-10
2022 Kia Seltos Reliability Report
The 2022 KIA Seltos rates good for reliability, but engines that burn oil and stall around 44,000 to 54,000 miles are the main risk.
Recalls
1
Complaints
69
Complaint Rate
15.4per 10,000 sold
Est. Repair Cost
N/A
Detailed Score Breakdown
Component-weighted complaints normalized by sales volume
Independent repair cost ratings
Recall count weighted by severity
Breadth of reported problem categories
The Verdict
Middle of the pack among Seltos years: far fewer complaints than the 2021, but oil loss and engine stalls show up around 44,000 to 54,000 miles.
Top Issues to Watch
- ENGINE (23)
- POWER TRAIN (10)
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (8)
Generation & Refresh (US)
2022 received a first facelift update for the First generation (SP2).
- Changes: Updated Kia badge; Introduction of Nightfall Edition.
- Year 2 in this generation (2021–2026).
- 1st generation Seltos (US).
What this means for buyers
Refresh years bring updates but can also introduce new issues. Check early recall data before buying.
2021: First generation (SP2) Launch
Generation start — new platform.
2022: This Model Year (Refresh)
2022 received a first facelift update for the First generation (SP2).
2024: Mid-Cycle Refresh
Updated features and styling tweaks.
Should You Buy the 2022 Kia Seltos?
Good, with one serious catch. Among 2022 compact SUVs this one rates above average, and within the Seltos line it lands in the middle of six scored years. The 2021 rates worse and drew far more complaints. The 2023 rates about the same, with fewer complaints so far.
The engine is the problem to watch. Owners describe oil disappearing between changes with no leak, smoke, or low-oil warning, sometimes up to 3 quarts. Then the engine loses power, stalls, or shuts off at highway speed and at red lights. Failures cluster between 44,000 and 54,000 miles. Some dealers find metal in the oil and call for a new engine. Others report the dual-clutch transmission overheating in stop-and-go traffic. Federal recall records list one recall, in engine and engine cooling, and owners say repairs were put on hold.
Ask for proof the recall work was done and for every oil-change receipt. Several owners say coverage was denied without receipts. A 2023 is worth comparing.
Compared to the 2023 Kia Seltos, which scored the same. See also the 2021 Kia Seltos for an earlier comparison.
Pros
- +Acceptable reliability score
- +Low recall count
- +Below-average complaint rate for SUV
Cons
- −ENGINE: Oil drops between changes with no visible leak, smoke, or low-oil warning,... (23 complaints)
- −UNKNOWN OR OTHER: Sudden stalls are the most common complaint here (12 complaints)
Compare 2022 Kia Seltos With
Common Problem Categories
Safety
LOW RISK- 1 manufacturer recall issued
Other
HIGH RISK- ENGINE (23)
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER (12)
Recall Overview
1
recall on record
The 2022 Kia Seltos carries 1 recall — a low count. Authorized dealers repair any open recall free of charge, regardless of warranty status.
NHTSA.gov →Complaint Breakdown
15.4
per 10,000 soldSegment avg: 13.5
Safety Incidents
6
Crashes
3
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
NHTSA 4/5 Stars
Data sourced from NHTSA complaint filings and manufacturer recall notices. Complaint narratives are owner-reported.
2022 Kia Seltos Recall Details
1 recall has been issued for the 2022 Kia Seltos. All recall repairs are performed free of charge at authorized dealerships.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Kia 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.
Consequence
Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy
Dealers 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.
Buying a used 2022 Kia Seltos? Check its history first
Engine problems lead owner complaints about the 2022 Kia Seltos, and 1 recall was issued for it. A VIN check shows whether this car's recall work was done, plus accident, title, and odometer history.
- Accidents
- Open Recalls
- Title History
- Odometer Rollback
2022 Kia Seltos NHTSA Safety Ratings
Overall Safety Rating
Crash Test Results by Configuration (expand)
Gas Powertrain
Rollover risk: 16.9%
Safety Technologies
Kia SeltosRepair Costs & Maintenance
Maintenance Rating
3.5Maintenance rating: 3.5 out of 5Based on NHTSA complaint patterns, recall severity, and publicly available cost benchmarks.
Category-level averages derived from publicly available industry reports (AAA, CarMD). Model-level estimates produced by Auto Reliability Index.
Used Buying Checklist
Key things to inspect or verify before purchasing a 2022 Kia Seltos.
Pull the dipstick before the test drive and walk away if the oil is low, dirty, or gritty.
Ask for every oil-change receipt, since dealers deny engine claims when records are missing.
Run the VIN for open recalls and get dealer paperwork showing which recall work was finished.
Listen at idle and under acceleration for ticking, clicking, or knocking from the engine.
Watch the exhaust at cold start for white smoke or oil droplets.
Sit in stop-and-go traffic for a long stretch and watch for a transmission temperature warning.
Let Idle Stop & Go shut the engine off at several stops and confirm it restarts smoothly every time.
2022 Kia Seltos Common Problems by Component
69 owner complaints grouped by vehicle system.
ENGINE
23 complaintsOil drops between changes with no visible leak, smoke, or low-oil warning, sometimes by as much as 3 quarts. Engines then lose power, stall, or shut off at highway speed, during turns, and at red lights. Ticking or clicking noises are common. Some dealers find metal in the oil and call for a new engine. Several owners say coverage was denied because they lacked oil-change receipts or because the car had passed a recall inspection. Failures cluster around 44,000 to 54,000 miles, with others near 84,000.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
12 complaintsSafety-relatedSudden stalls are the most common complaint here. Engines shut off at red lights or while driving, sometimes with a battery discharge warning, and can take many tries or up to 20 minutes to restart. One car went into limp mode and would not go past 40 mph at about 2,000 miles. Other reports describe oil loss with jolting, an engine fire with black smoke and sparks, and a car left running in park that rolled into a garage door. A shattered sunroof and wireless CarPlay dropouts also come up.
POWER TRAIN
10 complaintsSafety-relatedTwo problems dominate. The first is the dual-clutch transmission overheating in stop-and-go traffic. A warning tells the driver to pull over, and power can drop in busy traffic, sometimes within weeks of purchase. The second is heavy oil burning that continues after a recall inspection, along with knocking, smoke from the exhaust, gritty oil, and in some cases a seized engine. Repeated stalling, a coolant leak dealers could not locate, and a timing chain diagnosis also appear. Dealers often say they cannot find a fault.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (8 complaints)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
8 complaintsSafety-relatedEngines shut off at stoplights and during turns, and one owner describes a near collision while turning left. With Idle Stop & Go engaged, the engine can fail to restart when the driver presses the accelerator, showing a "Press Ignition Button" message. One fire report describes smoke, lost power and braking, then flames in the engine bay. Another car was found backed into a ditch with every warning light on. Smaller complaints cover an erratic instrument panel, stability control and lane keeping fault codes, and a horn that works only some of the time.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING (8 complaints)
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
8 complaintsMost of these reports are about delays, not new failures. Owners receive recall notices, then dealers tell them the recall is on hold, parts are unavailable, or the manufacturer has told them not to do the repair. Several owners say the wait has gone on too long. Where failures do occur, they include stalling at low speeds with the check engine light on, hesitation on hills, a quart of oil needed every 2 to 3 days, and white exhaust smoke with oil droplets. In some cases dealers diagnose failed piston rings and say the engine needs replacing.
AIR BAGS (3 complaints)
AIR BAGS
3 complaintsSafety-relatedAirbags fail to deploy in frontal crashes. One report involves a collision with a deer at 55 mph and the other a crash that left the driver with a severe concussion. Both drivers were injured, and neither saw a warning beforehand. A separate report describes every safety warning light coming on at once while the power steering and air conditioning cut out and the shifter sometimes locks in park. A dealer repair did not stop it.
SUSPENSION (1 complaints)
SUSPENSION
1 complaintWhen the car goes 75-80mph on the highway, there is a metallic "ticking" noise coming from the front two sides of the car, around the area where the tires are. KIA is refusing to do anything about it because they claim they cannot drive the car that fast due to speed limits. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? --unknown How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? It is unknown what is causing the issue since KIA is refusing to look further into the issue. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? - There is audio and video recording of the noise. However, the dealer is refusing to reproduce the issue. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? - No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - No
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE (1 complaints)
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaintSafety-relatedSummary: Failure of Vision system causes unpredictable computer behavior, and such failure may not be known by vehicle operator. 3 Separate Incidents on same car . Occurance 1, 10/22: Brakes locked (with smoke) and stalled in heavy traffic; fortunately traveling only 5MPH so no accident. Restart allowed car to run, although rough. NOTE: Front collision Avoidance turned OFF but computer reset system anyway on camera failure. Kia towed to nearest dealer, admitting that it is NOT SAFE to drive. Once computer went blind, the front vision system reset defaults-including braking control. The Camera system was replaced, seamingly fixing situation. *Occurance 2, 12/29/22 HOA cruise control set at 65, traffic moving 50- car started to accelerate, not seeing car in advance. Braking put up a dashboard message "HOA Disabled, Radar blocked", then "Conditions not met, radar blocked". I also discovered that Front Collision Avoidance was not functional. NOTE THERE IS NO CONSISTANT WARNING TO OPERATOR, only periodically, a "FCA disabled, Radar Blocked" message appeared, but would disappear within 5-10 minutes (but system was still offline). visit 1, 1/10 > No problem found, reset default settings visit 2, 1/17 > took back to dealer again- problem replicated, camera ordered visit 3, 1/24 > vehicle dropped off for camera replacement *Occurance 3, 1/24, System failed on test drive after repair. Dealer did not provide details. Dealer arranged rental "This car is not safe to drive"
WHEELS (1 complaints)
WHEELS
1 complaintI had a flat tire and replaced it with the spare tire that came with the car. Because the vehicle is AWD, the tires need to be the same size, however, the spare tire was smaller. As a result, the car started smoking and driving very rough within 10 miles of the spare being put on. It turns out that the differential went out because the spare tire was rotating faster than the others.
BACK OVER PREVENTION (1 complaints)
BACK OVER PREVENTION
1 complaintThe backup camera has failed twice in two months. When vehicle was put in reverse the camera would flash off and on and stated no signal for the backup camera. The problem clears when next trip is made. Dealer said they are not aware of this problem and cannot diagnose unless it is happening. This is a fairly common problem as a number of others have reported this on the Facebook Seltos owner's page. This creates a hazard when in reverse.
When Do 2022 Kia Seltos Problems Start?
Based on owner complaint patterns, here's when common issues tend to appear.
Best & Worst Kia Seltos Years
Best Kia Seltos Years to Buy
Based on reliability index score2024
2023
2022
(Current Model)
Kia Seltos Years to Avoid
Kia Seltos Reliability Score Trend
Scores 0–100. Higher is better. Current year highlighted.
| Year | Score | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 59/100 | Mixed |
| 2022 | 72/100 | Good |
| 2023 | 72/100 | Good |
| 2024 | 73/100 | Good |
| 2025 | 79/100 | Good |
| 2026 | 82/100 | Excellent |
Kia Seltos Reliability Compared to Other Years
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 2022 KIA Seltos reliable?
What are the most common problems with the 2022 KIA Seltos?
Does the 2022 KIA Seltos burn oil?
Has the 2022 KIA Seltos been recalled?
Is the 2022 KIA Seltos better than the 2021 or 2023?
Don’t buy a 2022 Kia Seltos without checking its VIN first — hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls could cost you thousands.
How we score the 2022 Kia Seltos
Of the four inputs behind this score, the 2022 Kia Seltos does best on recall impact (88/100) and worst on complaint severity (57/100). Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.
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