[@ppy.tbhp]

Originally Posted by blogslogger

Our GTX completed 1 year on November 1st. The DRL's have yellowed in the headlights. Since I've taken both Extended Warranty and My Convenience packaged, I thought it would be a convenient warranty approval process. Oh, how wrong I was.

Originally Posted by ashis89

I believe the service centre(s) might not be maintaining certain parts inventories as there are no demand for it(yet), for the Seltos facelift. As more cases of warranty or replacement come in, they will keep those stocked up.

Originally Posted by kgt.v8

The DRLs on previous gen Seltos had smaller LED bulb arranged to look like a line. The facelift Seltos DRL look like LED strip.

Originally Posted by blogslogger

Pre FL Seltos had multiple LEDs in the DRL. So each LED was smaller and had less heat. The FL version has just a few LEDs in the edge and an optical fiber pipe. The pipe gets hot and yellows over time. The same pipe is used by Skoda, VW and Audi. Hence the yellowing. I've seen a few very old XUV 700s DRL yellowing so it seems Mahindra is using a similar setup.

Originally Posted by blogslogger

Thank you for the response. The dealership being one of the biggest in Telangana, I was surprised at the lack of parts. And more so with the attitude of the staff.

Originally Posted by ashis89

As far as I know, several OEMs use optical fibers for DRLs for flexibility of design and styling. Individual LEDs take up more space and manufacturers can't make those creative DRL designs! Not just Kia, you will notice yellowing of DRLs is an issue with other manufacturers as well, such as VAG, Mercedes or even BMWs.

VAG:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ml#post5565203 (The DRL Thread: Everything about daytime running lights)

https://www.team-bhp.com/news/led-dr...around-15-lakh

https://www.reddit.com/r/TaigunClub/...urning_yellow/

MG:
https://www.mgevs.com/threads/led-dr...-yellow.16811/

BMWs:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post5520412 (A GT joins a GT - Estoril Blue BMW 330i GT M-Sport comes home - EDIT: 100,000 kilometers up | SOLD)

https://g30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1725183

https://www.reddit.com/r/F30/comment...yellow%20color.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEM7uljyMnY

Hyundai:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5849121 (2023 Hyundai Verna Review)


Maruti:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/vita...2775860165405/

• This experience is all too familiar, and it’s heartbreaking to see how Kia India (KIN) continues to cheat its loyal customers. The yellowing DRLs and headlight issues are not an isolated case but a widespread design and manufacturing flaw that affects safety. KIN sold us vehicles with critical safety defects in the front lighting system, directly impacting visibility on the road and putting lives at risk. All front lights have major issue of high moisture and humidity trapped inside them, which is damaging lighting components housed inside them, it turns them yellow from white which is a clearly evident with poor light output and reduced visibility on road. Lights have completely stopped working for some users.
• What’s worse, KIN keeps lying to owners, telling each one that their case is "the first of its kind." This is nothing short of deliberate deceit to avoid accountability. Many owners, including myself, have faced the same problem in just four months of ownership since February 2024, and Kia's service centres, instead of resolving the issue promptly, delay endlessly with poor excuses, vague timelines, and a complete lack of transparency.
• KIN, has betrayed our trust as loyal customers. For a carmaker that markets itself as premium, it’s shameful to see such blatant disregard for safety and quality. Selling vehicles with flawed headlights that fail prematurely is bad enough, but refusing to stock replacement parts or take responsibility compounds the issue.
• Does KIN even care about the safety of customers? Or is it all just about making sales? We paid a premium for KIN cars, trusting the promises of reliability and quality, only to discover that we’re driving vehicles with safety hazards straight from the factory. And instead of fixing the problem, KIN hides behind lies and apologies that mean nothing without action. It’s high time KIN acknowledges these defects, stops gaslighting owners, and commits to a real solution. We deserve better than defective cars and the runaround from your service centres. Our safety is not negotiable, and neither is our trust.
• This experience is all too familiar, and it’s heartbreaking to see how Kia India (KIN) continues to cheat its loyal customers. The yellowing DRLs and yellowing headlight issues are not an isolated case but a widespread design and manufacturing flaw that affects safety. KIN sold us vehicles with critical safety defects in the front lighting system, directly impacting visibility on the road and putting lives at risk.
• All front lights have major issue of high moisture and humidity trapped inside them, which is damaging lighting components housed inside them, it turns them yellow from white which is a clearly evident with poor light output and reduced visibility on road. Lights have completely stopped working for some users.
• What’s worse, KIN keeps lying to owners, telling each one that their case is "the first of its kind." This is nothing short of deliberate deceit to avoid accountability. The headlight and fog light output in the Kia Seltos 2023 is unsatisfactory, with low intensity white light and poor light beam pattern on Road, especially for a vehicle of this class. Combined with the severe moisture condensation defect, the performance of the headlights and fog lights and DRL’s becomes highly unreliable, compromising safety and visibility.
• Severe and unacceptable levels moisture condensation forms on the inside of the light lenses in the assemblies during regular normal day and night driving conditions, particularly when the lights are switched ON for about two hours while driving in normal conditions. The faulty design and manufacturing of these light assemblies is primarily causing this recurring issue resulting in Consequential damages to sensitive electronics in light assemblies.
• The manufacturer is blatantly compromising on safety by designing headlight assemblies that trap moisture, a critical defect they've ignored from earlier variants of Kia Seltos. Even when the lights are switched ON, the moisture doesn’t dissipate, highlighting a fundamental design flaw that endangers visibility and disregards basic safety standards.
• This severe condensation reduces light output, severely affecting visibility on road — especially dangerous during rainy or foggy driving conditions. It's a recurring issue.
• As a temporary and utterly foolish solution, the manufacturer introduced desiccant pads, which fail to permanently control the relative humidity inside the light assemblies of this design. Instead of removing the moisture out of the light assembly, these pads absorb it trapping it inside light assemblies and, when the headlights are switched ON, the heat from the LED lights coupled with heat from the engine desaturates these desiccant pads, causing them to release excessive moisture back into the assemblies.
• This not only adds to the existing humidity and moisture causing severe condensation and fogging up entire light Lenses from inside, but also accelerates the damage to sensitive electronic components, making the problem even worse over time.
• Desiccant pads lose their absorption capacity over time due to saturation, physical degradation, or improper storage, requiring regeneration or replacement to restore effectiveness. These pads are never available at the dealerships when needed, it took months for the replacement pads to arrive and get replaced in my car, in the meanwhile I was compelled to drive my car with severe moisture condensation and completely saturated and hardened pads which stopped absorbing moisture and humidity completely. This caused irreversible damage to LEDs inside light assemblies and they started turning yellow with reduced light output.
• All inspected Kia Seltos, Sonet, Carens have this problem in six to seven months of ownership or 15K-20K Kms on the ODO. Undoubtedly, there's no long-term reliability for these Sealed LED light unit designs. These Sealed LED light assembly designs have very high cost of replacement post warranty period. Many owners, including myself, have faced the same problem in just four months of ownership since February 2024, and Kia's service centres, instead of resolving the issue promptly, delay endlessly with poor excuses, vague timelines, and a complete lack of transparency.
• KIN has betrayed our trust as customers. For a carmaker that markets itself as premium, it’s shameful to see such blatant disregard for safety and quality in a vehicle of this class. Selling vehicles with flawed headlights that fail prematurely is bad enough, but refusing to stock replacement parts or take responsibility compounds the issue.
• Does KIN even care about the safety of your customers? Or is it all just about making sales? We paid a premium for KIN cars, trusting the promises of reliability and quality, only to discover that we’re driving vehicles with safety hazards straight from the factory. And instead of fixing the problem, KIN hides behind lies and apologies that mean nothing without action.
• It’s high time KIN acknowledges these defects, stops gaslighting owners, and commits to a real solution. We deserve better than defective cars and the runaround from your service centers. Our safety is not negotiable, and neither is our trust.
  
• In my case, all front lights fitted from the factory were removed from car at the dealership , all lights were thoroughly checked for cracks or leaks that could allow moisture or water to enter into light assemblies, No cracks or leaks were found in Headlights, fog lights and Drl assemblies. The bumper tabs broke while removing the bumper at the dealership reflecting on poor quality manufacturing of Kia vehicles. All light assemblies Were replaced under warranty after months of delays and hassle, causing me to waste a significant amount of time and effort. Yet, within just two days, the new replacement fog lights started showing the same issue again! Other light assemblies will show this in three to four months of use again. This proves that simply replacing defective parts with the same faulty design and manufacturing defect doesn’t fix the root cause ever.This isn’t just about aesthetics or inconvenience. It’s about safety !
• Fellow BHPians dealing with similar issues, let’s join this discussion and share our experiences. The more voices we have, the stronger our case will be to get KIN to address these critical manufacturing and design defects quickly and permanently. By working together, we can push for a solution that helps all of us. Let’s make this happen.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...ety-issue.html (Manufacturing defect in Kia Seltos | Condensation in Headlights & other lights | Safety issue)

[Mariner_sky]

Onyx comes home!

Onyx is the name I have given to our new Kia Seltos X line and here is why and how I bought it.





Part 1 Why?

Last year when I was fed up of all the EPC issues my pre owned Polo threw on me, I decided to call it quits and part ways with it. Well! this is what
I always tell myself - while probably the real reason is me and my long term partner are going to tie the knot in February next year and although she learned/practiced driving with this manual car we came to the conclusion that automatic transmission will be more suited to our use case and she’ll be more comfortable driving an automatic car.

Hence, the search for our new car started and long story short, I narrowed it down to Virtus GT and Seltos GT.
I understand that you must be wondering that these are different segments altogether but both of these are very competent offerings in their segment.

Our requirements were -


Reliability - Much have been said about this topic on this forum but trust me you’ll never want to experience an engine on limp mode while you’re climbing uphill on a narrow road with cars trailing you or the car refusing to start just after slowing down at the toll gate.

Powerful Engine- While powerful is subjective but here what I mean is an engine which provides good drivability, quick overtakes and a mile muncher. Basically, I narrowed it down to turbo options only.

Automatic transmission - While 1.5 turbo with a torque convertor would be a no nonsense choice but alas no manufacturer is providing it with petrol engines so had to choose btw DCT or DSG.

Even number of cylinders- I’m all in for refinement and smoothness and a 4 cylinder engine is capable of it. So 1.0 L offerings of Skoda VW group were out of consideration.

Fit and Finish- In-cabin experience of Seltos and Virtus is miles apart although they deal in the same price range.

Safety- Virtus is a clear winner here but will wait for Seltos facelift ratings. Till then, I’ll consider it as a 3 star rated car.


For months, I was confused between Seltos and Virtus, my heart said Virtus but my mind (and my girl) was stuck at Seltos from the start. Even multiple back to back test drives were not able to help me reach a decision as difference was not night and day between them.

To conclude part 1, the tipping moment was my history of issues with VW Polo and constant niggles reported by owners in Virtus thread.
On the other hand, I never liked the interiors of GTX and maintaining matte paint of X-line was not something I wanted to sign up for. However when Kia launched X-line in aurora pearl black - THEY BOOKED ME AS A CUSTOMER! A clean and stealthy exterior with minimum chrome and exquisite sage green interiors - STUNNING!

Part 2 How?

I have shared my booking experience already - must read on how I got a decent deal after only a few rounds of negotiation (1.2 lakhs cash discount along with applicable company offers).

After booking, the car arrived in dealer stockyard within two weeks and as I was still sailing at that time, I told my SA that I’ll be sending a person for PDI and thankfully he agreed. Booked a PDI with PDI Boss and had to pay extra as the location was outside NCR region. The technician arrived on time but before he could start, the car was required to be cleaned as it was parked in the dealer’s stockyard. Cleaning took half an hour and after that the PDI started which continued for 1.5 hours. After a successful PDI, I received a comprehensive report with photographs in the evening. My fiancee and parents completed all the formalities the same day related to the purchase, insurance, RTO registration and financing.





Within the next three days, I reached India and could not wait for the next day to take delivery and bring Onyx home. My parents and fiancee’s parents accompanied us for the car delivery.

That was the first time, I had a close look at her - the moment it started to feel real. Started with offering a gift to the SA and distributing some sweets beforehand. Some more signatures and formalities before we could unveil the car from under the cover. The Kia staff made it a celebratory experience indeed involving the unveiling, followed by car key handover and cake cutting. Post this, the SA gave a brief introduction of the features of the car, handed over the manuals (hard copies) and we were ready to drive it away.

To conclude part 2, I was speechless, completely overwhelmed by the feeling of owning a brand new Seltos X-line and much excited to explore all about it (because it’s loaded with features). Could not help but admire it from all aspects- the exteriors, the interiors, the features, the luxuriousness, the convenience it offers, plus the drivability which I will cover in a separate post.


P.S. - The entire experience was smooth as planned except that I wanted the car to have the number plate at the time of delivery but got delayed
due to RTO website problems.

[sunilarkt]

It is raining daily in bangalore and I took out my seltos out yesterday. Front lights are fogging like this. Is it common ? Or should i get it checked ?

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by sunilarkt

It is raining daily in bangalore and I took out my seltos out yesterday. Front lights are fogging like this. Is it common ? Or should i get it checked ?

Attachment 2691350

The manual states that some fogging/condensation is expected and it should go away within few hours of parking the car. If it doesn't then it needs to be looked at.

[Col Mehta]

Originally Posted by Mariner_sky

Onyx comes home!

Heartiest congratulations, dear! Wishing you many happy miles with endless joy with your Onyx . Looking forward to reading more about your ownership experiences.

[Abhi_abarth]

Originally Posted by kgt.v8

Congrats on getting Bhairava home.

Seltos looks the best in white to me. The white housing around fog lamps looks good.

I have been offered discount of about 60k - 80k on HTX IVT variant by Automotive Kia and it is coming close to ₹20.8 lakh on-road to me after discounts.
Can you let me know which dealership and branch you purchased from?

What is manufacturing year and month?
If possible, please share breakup of ₹1.9 lakh discount

Mine is an October manufactured car. I was surprised to hear white was more in demand than the new Olive color.
Here are the discount details :
Total OTR @ 17% state tax : 24, 43, 551/-
Total paid : Rs.22,65,000/-
Discount : Rs.1,78,551/-
The above includes Extended warranty, cash discount and exchange bonus.
I think I have miscalculated the EW in my previous post where I mentioned the discount as 1.9 Lakh but I stand corrected now. I was assured additional 10 K for red or pewter olive color but I only wanted white.

The dealership is Mallik Kia which is at Kukatpally Y junction.

Originally Posted by santhosh_lv

We are 3 of us already and if more owners are interested, we can form a group for Hyd. In he meantime, "Black Panther" - Will IM you my number and kindly add me as well.

More the merrier as we are a dying breed in the sea of EVs, NAs & Turbo petrols. I am game for an Hyd Seltos WA group and sure more will join in. Have PMd you my number.

Originally Posted by car_guy1998

And yes, @Abhi_Abarth got a good discount on Seltos D AT and GTX+ D AT at ₹22.65L post discounts is pure VFM considering that Creta S(O) D AT costs around ₹21.5L OTR Hyd without any discounts while Seltos HTX D AT costs ₹22.5L OTR and IIRC, pre-facelift Seltos GTX+ D AT used to cost similar in 2022.

Despite the new launches, my heart still yearns for Seltos due to its looks and still my favourite. Hope I fulfill my dream getting a Seltos next year.

I am sure you will get one soon

[napster]

Has anyone faced issue with the 'Since Refuelling' meter resetting frequently even when no refuelling is done?

'Since Refuelling' meter on my GTX+ gets reset very time I turn the car on the next day or after few hours. If I am driving somewhere and park the car for an hour or two and restart again at that time the meter doesn't reset but it do when I start the car the next day. The 'Accumulated Info' meter remains intact.

I checked the settings and mileage reset is set to after refuelling only.

Anyone faced similar issue on their car?

Planning to check with ASC nearby over weekend.

[Babayaga_g007]

Originally Posted by Abhi_abarth

Mine is an October manufactured car. I was surprised to hear white was more in demand than the new Olive color.
Here are the discount details :
Total OTR @ 17% state tax : 24, 43, 551/-
Total paid : Rs.22,65,000/-
Discount : Rs.1,78,551/-
The above includes Extended warranty, cash discount and exchange bonus.
I think I have miscalculated the EW in my previous post where I mentioned the discount as 1.9 Lakh but I stand corrected now. I was assured additional 10 K for red or pewter olive color but I only wanted white.

The dealership is Mallik Kia which is at Kukatpally Y junction.


More the merrier as we are a dying breed in the sea of EVs, NAs & Turbo petrols. I am game for an Hyd Seltos WA group and sure more will join in. Have PMd you my number.


I am sure you will get one soon

Damn that's a really good price! I unfortunately could only discount 1.14 lac including everything.
So much difference across different states
Congratulations on your Purchase!!

[Babayaga_g007]

Question for Seltos Turbo petrol DCT owners- is there any run-in period associated with the engine? Should I baby it for the first 1000 kms/ first service?

TIA!

[Mariner_sky]

Originally Posted by Babayaga_g007

Question for Seltos Turbo petrol DCT owners- is there any run-in period associated with the engine? Should I baby it for the first 1000 kms/ first service?

TIA!

Yes, owner’s manual mentions about the break in of new engine and also it had been discussed in this thread previously but i was unable to find that post now so i’m posting a snippet from manual for your guidance.

Following break in guidance is necessary as when the engine liner and piston rings are new, wear rate is maximum till piston rings seat properly into the cylinder wall. That’s why low load operation is suggested to keep that initial wear down to minimum and variable load is suggested for better seating of piston rings into cylinder walls.

Normally in marine diesel engines what we do is after the overhaul of engine we keep the cylinder lubrication setting to maximum and keep measuring the Fe (ferrous) content in scrap down results to keep a check on wear rate. If wear rate is high we increase the lubrication and vice versa because over lubrication is as bad as under lubrication.

But in cars this is not possible so just below good practices can be followed diligently.

1. Maintain engine RPM between 2000 to 4000
2. Avoid sudden accelerations and sudden stops
3. Avoid same speed for longer durations, varying load is always better for better break in of engine

Hope this helps

Thanks and regards,
Mariner_sky

[Alphaseal6]

Originally Posted by @ppy.tbhp

The headlights are turning yellow due to high moisture and humidity issues damaging the LED's inside these light assemblies permanently, It's a recurring problem in All Seltos ,Sonet ,Carens front lights due to design and manufacturing defects,
Attachment 2689595

Hey, I am facing the issue just after 1 year of ownership. Will the OEM replace the same without any issue?

[Col Mehta]

4000 kms up in two months.



Absolutely enjoying the car with no niggles. Touchwood! Because of a few personal engagements, we didn't really drive it a lot in last 20 odd days and here are some more observations:

1. Performance - The engine has started to feel more refined and responsive. The shifts are ever so seamless and there is enough power on tap for those overtakes and quick maneuvers. The D AT combo works flawlessly without any jerks or lags - driving on highways or in stop and go traffic, it never disapponts. And because the torque is available from early RPMs, driving it in any conditions is absolutely enjoyable. A brilliant car in that regard!

2. No rattles - This has been a pleasant surprise really. Our 2nd gen Creta has had multiple rattles, abnormal noises and squeaks from almost day one. The Seltos has none of them so far. Even the notorious rattle from the parcel tray/rear seat locks haven't shown up either (we were ready to handle it with a newly bought black insulation tape, but thankfully didn't have to use it). The Seltos is definitely a well built car. It feels premium inside-out and makes you believe that you spent your money on a good product.

3. DPF - Our usual route has an open stretch of ~20kms (one way) which is just about perfect to manage the DPF where we ensure to drive it in the range of 2k-2.5k RPM. The car sees decent amount of slow moving traffic and short drives as well. We are confident that with our usage and driving patterns, we can effectively manage the DPF. The DEF was topped up during the first service and the level hasn't moved much:



4. Passenger Comfort - Having spent enough time with the car and experiencing the rear seat comfort, I can say that the Seltos isn't the most comfortable of the lot. The suspension setup is fairly stiff and there is something about the seats which is just not right. Everyone in our family agrees that the Creta is more comfortable and feels more accommodating. It's not a night and day difference, but it's there nonetheless. Kia should definitely work on it when they bring the next gen Seltos in a few years time.

5. Fuel Efficiency - Depending on the traffic density, the car returns ~10-15 kmpl in city. On open roads/highways where we drive with heavy foot, it gives ~15-20 kmpl, depending on number of passengers and luggage. We have seen 24 plus kmpl as well, but that's only with less to no traffic. Honestly not really concerned about the fuel efficiency as long as it's not very low, but happy with what the car is offering at the moment.

6. And of course those stunning stealthy looks -



Overall, we are happy with the car's performance and efficiency. One area where it could better is the passenger comfort. Though it has improved it a lot in comparison to the pre FL model, Kia still has some work to do to make the Seltos a perfect family alrounder.

[eragon92]

Originally Posted by Black Panther

Congratulations on your new car.

There's a Seltos WhatsApp group, but not specific to Hyderabad. If you want to get added in, pls PM me your number.

Hi, can you please add me to this WhatsApp group for Seltos owners? I will PM you my contact details.

TIA
Eragon

[Alphaseal6]

Originally Posted by Black Panther

Congratulations on your new car.

There's a Seltos WhatsApp group, but not specific to Hyderabad. If you want to get added in, pls PM me your number.

Hey, do add me as well. I have sent you my details on PM. Thanks

[eragon92]

Originally Posted by 07CR

Note- Goes without saying, the high beam can be a huge nuisance for oncoming traffic, and I plan to use it only when necessary.

Hi 07CR
After seeing your post and procrastinating a lot , I have finally decided to go ahead and get 2 inch bi-led projector fog lamps (Aes Q2M or Aozoom) installed in my Seltos as stock lights are absolutely horrible on highways.

I have a dilemma though. I would like to use both High/Low beam of fog lights. However, I am not keen on tapping Car High beam for using High beam function of fog lamps. Recently, I have come across 3 way switches which are with HIGH BEAM-OFF-LOW BEAM config but not sure how the wiring is done for the same. So, i would like to know how i can use all functions of these lights without tampering with original wiring in any shape or form.

So, could you please let me know how you have gotten it configured in your car and how has the experience been in last 6 months?

Regards
Eragon92