[DoonDude]

Hello Everyone!

I recently had an extremely strange experience with the new Kia Seltos and wished to share the same with fellow Team-BHPians to have their views on it.

I live in Dehradun and recently booked the new Kia Seltos GTX+ Petrol White. The same was available for delivery on 31.08.2023. Me along with my family went to take its delivery in the afternoon at approx. 3 pm, filled with excitement.

As we drove off, I immediately had the car topped up at a petrol pump opposite the dealership and proceeded to take the car to a temple.

On the way I started experiencing heavy strain in my eyes and had to actively try to focus on the vehicles and the road ahead. However, I kept mum about it attributing the same to the afternoon heat and the excitement of a new car!

However, after 10 - 15 minutes, my wife complained about the exact same symptoms to me !! Eye strain, difficulty in focusing through the windshield etc.

We got the Pooja done and went back to the dealership to talk to them about it.Naturally, no one agreed about the same. The SA took a test drive with me and even them they laughed it off and suggested I try the car for a few days.

On the way back home, the eye strain increased to such a point that I had to return to the dealership to actually RETURN the car since it was creating a safety issue. I was adamant about getting the car replaced.

Thankfully, the dealership agreed and they arranged for a new car just today i.e. 12.09.2023.
I took the test drive with my father today evening and alas !!! The SAME issue with this car also !! Eye strain, distortion in the wind shield etc. I'm at my wits end !!

100% payment is with the dealer since past 12 days, all the excitement is gone and this is something I have never experienced in my life - ever. I have driven over 5L kms over the past 25 years in 40 - 50 different cars but this is something totally new.

The dealership staff had the audacity to suggest me that I get my eyes checked - if there was an issue in my eyes, I would have got the eye strain in other cars also that I drive or the taxis I travel in sometimes.

Please let me have your inputs on this windshield distortion issue and tell if anyone else has experienced the same?

Thanks in advance!

----------------------------------------------

EDIT: Additional information added on 15th Sept:

I did a thorough PDI. No damage. Immaculate condition!

Focus on the blue scooty in the centre.

Video link: WhatsApp Video 2023-08-31 at 18.35.34.mp4.zip

Animated GIF (Eg. look at the rear grab-handle of the blue scooter):


RTO wasn't done yet. They simply cancelled the invoice and sold the vehicle to another customer. ODO reading was less than 60 at time of return. I put the insurance at hold.

My full payment is stuck with them though!

I returned the 1st car on the same day itself within 3 hours and ODO less than 60 kms. They got the next car on 12th Sept. which I again drove and faced the same problems. Haven't taken delivery of the same yet hence no pictures of any car yet.

I have however a small video I took of the 1st car's windshield. You can clearly see the distortion in the centre.

Also, I have noticed that ALL the cars standing at the dealers showroom had significant distortion in the BOTTOM 2 inches of the entire windshield.

I feel that Kia's glass supplier chain is at fault since I have not noticed similar distortion in any of other brand cars during the past 2 weeks - Maruti, Hyundai, Tata, Mahindra, MG.

Originally Posted by Torque123

1. Did you not face this issue with the TD vehicle?

2. Did you face the issue even after getting a through cleansing of the windshield?

3. The 2nd new car delivered to you on 12th Sep, is it manufactured in the same month & year as the 1st new car you had the issue with?

4. Are you sure that the windshield on both the cars are OEM?

5. Please do not take any offence but kindly get a comprehensive eye checkup done.

6. Last but not the least (very critical point), how did the dealership agree & deliver to your request of replacing a brand new car for a windshield issue (if there is one)?

1. Surprisingly I did not face this issue on the TD 1 month back!
2. Windshield was not cleaned. I missed on this point.
3. Different months.
4. Yes. Definitely OEM.
5. If I had an eye issue, I would have faced similar issues in other cars I drive! And my wife also experienced the same symptoms!
6. I wrote an e-mail and complained to Kia directly on 31.08.23. They called up next day and agreed to replaced. They cancelled the invoice. RTO was not done yet.

[2000rpm]

Wierdest post I have read on teambhp. Strange observation honestly.

Check if the car met an accident during transit and the windshield was repaired by dealership. Maybe they used cheap glass to replace the original one.

[PaddleShifter]

I am reading this for the first time.

What age group do you belong to (early 40s, late 50s etc.)?
Do you wear glasses?
Do you have a contact who owns a Sonet or the Seltos (preferably previous pre-facelift model and could let you drive their car for around half an hour?

When I started working on a binocular microscope (in 2012), I had trouble using it properly for the first two weeks. I was, thus, trying to see through only one of the eye piece until one day my eyes adjusted to it and I could have binocular vision as a result of being able to see properly through both the eye piece.

I would say that give it time and you will get adjusted to it soon. Drive short distances till then (15-20 minutes drive once or twice a day).

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

Check if the car met an accident during transit and the windshield was repaired by dealership. Maybe they used cheap glass to replace the original one.

It is unlikely that windshield of multiple cars got damaged during transit/ at stockyard without damaging the body parts (pillars etc). The OP has already replaced his car once and is experiencing it in both cars.

Still, the Kia logo on the windshield will confirm that its an OEM glass.

[libranof1987]

With new cars, dealerships often try to polish every surface (internal / external) of the vehicle they can find to ensure it is all shiny for the customer. It is possible that the cleaners (who tend to use the same cloth for multiple types of surfaces) rubbed polish / some other chemical used for one surface (say, dashboard or tyre) and continued to clean the windshield with it.

Have the windshield thoroughly cleaned and check if the problem persists.

[audioholic]

What sort of distortion is it? If you move your head does the outside image swim around,? Or do you face some sort of obstacle or layer that is blocking your view of the front? If you hold a torchlight from outside of the glass how does it look inside?

[Sufficient_shop]

Craziest post I have read for a long time.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

With new cars, dealership often try to polish every surface (internal / external) of the vehicle they can find to ensure it is all shiny for the customer. It is possible that they cleaners (who tend to use the same cloth for multiple types of surfaces) rubbed polish / some other chemical used for one surface (say, dashboard or tyre) and continued to clean the windshield with it.

Have the windshield thoroughly cleaned and check if the problem persists.

This seems plausible. Why don't you try taking out the test drive vehicle at the dealership and see if you experience the exact same thing?

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by DoonDude

I had to return to the dealership to actually RETURN the car since it was creating a safety issue. I was adamant about getting the car replaced.
Thankfully, the dealership agreed and they arranged for a new car just today i.e. 12.09.2023.

That's something unheard of, apart from your original complaint. Why & how will the dealership take back a car that's invoiced and registered and give you a new Car? What happens to the registration, insurance and the loss in value? If anything is incorrect in the windshield, the most they could have offered you is a replacement of the windshield but a brand new car?

[Raghu M]

Sir, I think the dealer has a responsibility if something doesn't work or is broken. This is a strange case. If you drive any other car, are you facing the same issue? I know all questions may seem very basic and stupid but you need to get to the root of the cause as it's indeed something that no one has heard of. Are you fine while driving in the morning? I had issues in my old 800 as the windshield was aging and had light passing through in literally every direction. Once the windshield was changed, the problem was gone.

[ani_meher]

This is the first time I am reading that cars can be exchanged off the shelf, even after driving post delivery and doing pooja. Usually it involves courts and takes months. Whole saga seems bizzare.

[Malyaj]

Originally Posted by DoonDude

....On the way I started experiencing heavy strain in my eyes and had to actively try to focus on the vehicles and the road ahead. ....

Does the new Seltos have a speaker on the dash? When I took delivery of my 2022 Seltos the large panel on the dash was causing a horrible glare on the windshield when the sun was in front. It was especially bad when I passed through tree lined areas. This can appear like a distorted windshield but is not. Eventually my eyes got used to it. Are you having problems during all times of the day in all degrees of sunlight?

Ask some friends or family to drive and check if they find the same discomfort.

If nothing else works, check if the windshield from the old Seltos is compatible with the facelift. There were no complaints in the pre facelift model. Some dealers may have old models in stock. A new one will cost about 6-7K. But I strongly recommend looking through the replacement before installation. I know this is an additional cost, but it is not much to tide over the constant agony you are facing. You may get some exchange bonus on the replacement too.

Also check with the dealer if the replacement will cause any issues with the warranty. It shouldn't, but best to check.

Normally I wouldn't recommend compromising on a new car, but this is a peculiar issue where the dealer can conveniently deny that there is any problem. So go with the replacement only if you feel there is no other way out, esp as the dealer has already replaced the car once.

[GTO]

Very weird, I must say.

I know it will be difficult to travel from Dehradun, but try driving another '23 Kia Seltos from another dealer and see if you face the same problem?

Else, get the windscreen swapped with one from the pre-facelift model, or a 3rd-party expert like Windscreen Experts. Easier to change the windscreen than changing the car .

Go for a comprehensive eye checkup too. Never know what that might unearth.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by DoonDude

Hello Everyone!

I recently had an extremely strange experience with the new Kia Seltos and wished to share the same with fellow Team-BHPians to have their views on it.

Please let me have your inputs on this windshield distortion issue and tell if anyone else has experienced the same?

Thanks in advance!

I would start with getting the windshield cleaned thoroughly with shampoo. Also use a glass cleaner to wipe the inside the windshield. Remember a smudged windshield is a bigger pain at night than in the morning sunlight. If you are not facing issue driving at night then it is likely not the windshield.

Did the car dealer apply any polish on the dashboard? A shiny dashboard or any object kept on the dashboard can cause a lot of glare and reflection onto the windshield. And this happens in sunlight and not at night.

A video or picture can help understand what the issue is.

PS: I am curious to know, did the dealer indeed replace the old car and give you an all new one? Was the previous registered already?

[noopster]

Like others here have mentioned, this just sounds weird!

I've driven a Kia Seltos for nearly 3 years now, with no visibility issues. I have a history of severe myopia, Lasik-corrected in my early 20s, and now in my 40s need progressive lenses to account for age-induced hypermetropia. As such I am quite sensitive to anything that impedes visibility including scratches on the windshield, defective wipers, cracking sunfilm etc. Trust me the Seltos stock windshield is not the problem here (am talking pre-facelift but how different can it be really!)

Have you got new eyeglasses made recently? I've found that using polarised sunglasses can cause some eye strain- they definitely take getting used to. Or, in case you don't habitually wear glasses, perhaps get your eyes checked? You are 41 as per your bio and it's possible you may need progressives now.

All I can say is that you should have test driven a couple of other demo/TD vehicles *before* demanding (and miraculously getting) your vehicle replaced. Now I guess you are stuck with it.

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by DoonDude

Please let me have your inputs on this windshield distortion issue and tell if anyone else has experienced the same?

I haven’t experienced it myself, but once I have heard about this, when a guy raised his concerns during a safety automotive discussion/presentation (his issue was night driving and concentrating on the side vehicles which appeared to be wavy while crossing or overtaking) and the instructor told it must be related to something “cross-car distortion” ! Just google it a bit more and see if it’s the same condition.

[Shashankjk]

Is it possible for you to upload a picture or video of the distortion?