Kia Sedona Complaints (2016)

297 consumer complaints on file.

#11769783October 8, 2026
ENGINE
In January 2026, I brought my vehicle to a Kia dealership specifically complaining that it was "burning oil." The dealership documented this exact complaint on the invoice, but only repaired external leaks. They failed to perform an oil consumption test, failed to diagnose the internal burning issue, and failed to warn me of any ongoing risk. Approximately four months later, while 400 miles from home en route to vacation and with no warning lights appearing, the engine suffered catastrophic oil starvation and seized. Forced to pay out of pocket for towing, emergency logistics, and an immediate replacement vehicle to continue the trip. An out-of-pocket engine teardown confirmed the internal failure, and my extended warranty denied coverage due to the low oil condition.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11766747September 24, 2026
ENGINE
While driving my van I had stopped to put car in reverse to park and as I was putting van back into drive to finish parking the engine quit, I was unable to restart the vehicle, just a click sound. All the lights doors everything electric worked, still purchased a new battery in case that was the issue. There were no service engine lights, oil lights or any other warning signal on the dash. My brother assisted me and checked my oil which was depleted and gummy on the tip. I reached out to a mechanic to see about an engine replacement and after telling him the issue stated I should check with Kia because there has been some issues noted with that particular engine, I have reached out to my local Kia dealership Dutch Miller in barboursville WV, however there is no answer and I’ve left two voicemails and still have heard nothing back from them. From my research for engines it stated there was issue with the oil leaking into the coolant without any indications or lights warning due to head bolts loosening over time which was a manufactured part issue, I saw also there was a campaign concerning this and wanted to include my problems with your agency.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11762875September 8, 2026
ENGINE
Total engine failure at 120k miles, no warning signs.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11762919September 8, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Both Sliding door on left and right side wouldn’t close and stayed open for a short period of time. Now the door can’t be opened because it doesn’t latch.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11762031September 3, 2026
AIR BAGS, SEATS
I purchased the minivan as a used car last year and I noticed that the airbag light turned on when a passenger would sit on the front passenger seat. I tried to get a diagnosis ever since but many shops that I brought my minivan to didn’t work with airbags. So I eventually brought my minivan to a Kia dealership, Luther Bloomington Kia in Bloomington, Minnesota, and got 2 diagnostics: the first one was on 7/9/26, and the second one was on 8/26/26. Both diagnostics found and confirmed that there is an issue with the occupant seat detector or ocs mat defect, code B149000 dtc (occupant classification system). This matches the Kia recall SC175. This issue is a serious safety concern because the airbag system might not work as it should in the event of a crash. The problem is that the dealership would not repair the issue after diagnosing it without me having to pay for the repairs at my own expense, which by the way I was charged by the dealership for the initial diagnosis. The reason they gave me for that decision is that the issue was already allegedly fixed before I took ownership of the vehicle. They advised me to contact Kia America or Kia Customer Care and ask them to consider authorizing the repair. When I contacted Kia Customer Care, they said that they would not authorize the repairs because my vehicle is out of warranty and that the cost of repairs would be on myself. I asked to speak with a supervisor and they said that there was another way to request a consideration. I later learned that the consideration is called something goodwill. After Kia’s review, I was recently informed that they denied me assistance through goodwill. I requested a denial letter from both the dealership and Kia Customer Care. I have not heard from the dealership at this moment and Kia Customer Care answered my request with an email that said that I would need to get the letter through the dealer, that they don’t give out denial letters. So I decided to escalate this issue to NHTSA.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758359August 20, 2026
ENGINE
The vehicle radiator exploded while driving on the freeway. Towed to mechanic radiator replaced and housing. Problem persosted. With a simple pressure test the coolant in the reservoir began to boil immediately meaning there's a cracked engine block.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11755797August 9, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
Pearl white paint peeling, there is an extension for a warranty through Hyundai for the same paint but not through Kia. Please advise what to do.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755233August 6, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2016 Kia Sedona with power sliding doors. Both rear power sliding doors fail to completely latch upon closing. Doors make loud clicking sounds while attempting to close and require manual pushing to latch. Kia of Attleboro diagnosed and confirmed in writing that both rear door roller arm assemblies are completely missing the roller, and that this condition is contributing to the latching failure. Both power sliding door motors and rear door latches also need replacement. This is a safety hazard as the doors may appear closed but are not fully latched, posing a serious risk of doors opening while driving, particularly with children as passengers. The condition has been confirmed in writing by a Kia dealership. Kia Motors America issued Warranty Bulletin WTY019 in March 2021 specifically extending coverage for this exact latching condition on 2015-2017 Sedona vehicles to 15 years/unlimited miles. The covered components (motors and latches) have been approved for warranty replacement. However, Kia America has denied coverage for the roller arm assemblies despite their own dealer's written confirmation that these parts are directly contributing to the covered latching failure. Components are available for inspection upon request. No warning lamps appeared prior to failure. Problem developed gradually with increasing noise before doors failed to latch completely.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750702July 15, 2026
ENGINE
Engine experienced mass, sudden oil consumption with no warning of any sort, resulting in significant engine damage. Oil had been changed apx 800 miles prior to incident, and vehicle showed no signs of leaks or oil consumption following the oil change. No oil leaks or wetness were found around oil filter or drain plug. Vehicle drove perfectly fine one day, and when started to leave a store it began horrendously knocking, despite operating as normal on the drive to the store. Dipstick was completely dry. No engine warning light was triggered, no low oil warning, etc. I contacted Kia America directly, as I had found examples of this same issue reported online and hoped for some cooperation, and was given a generic response to haul it to the nearest Kia dealership for diagnosis and repair, out of my own pocket.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749478July 10, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that the climate control panel became inoperable, failing to distribute heat and air conditioning. While the middle and third-row climate systems functioned, an abnormal burning odor was detected. The fan speed adjustment button experienced an electrical short, and upon removing the climate control panel, the wiring harness was found burnt. The contact stated that the climate control panel was previously replaced. Additionally, the power sliding door was inoperable. No warning lights illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V109000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was caused by the climate control panel. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,259.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748769July 7, 2026
Insert, Padding, Other/I am not sure
The Styrofoam is cracked in half on two sides and it's losing pieces when I contacted the manufacturer. They said they were sending me tape and I don't feel that's very safe. That is the only solution they are offering me. This has had a recall previously. They said this is what you've approved as a fix to the recall. I just wanted to check on this because I don't feel it's very safe for me to tape my child car seat back together especially since there's pieces missing chunks and the Styrofoam is completely cracked in half. I could separate the two pieces and they're telling me to tape it back together.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11746357June 25, 2026
ENGINE
Engine failure due to loud knocking as a result if high oil consumption. No warning lights ever. Needs replacement. Regular maintenance records available. Original owner with only 63900 miles in less than 10 years. Vehicle supposed to be under powertrain warranty (10 years/ 100000 miles). Kia and dealership keep denying warranty claim despite providing all records to prove regular maintenance.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735273May 2, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While driving car gas tank blew a hole and started on fire. Car then lost power while on fire while I was in traffic, luckily I was able to cut into a parking lot and people that were in traffic with me call 911. Fire department confirmed there was a hole in gas tank which sits right underneath driver side. Fire was only contained to where the gas tank and lines are. I have pictures.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733864April 26, 2026
ENGINE
Oil was changed and within a month was completely dried with no visible leak and without any warning or lights the engine shut off while driving and seized Turner Kia performed a thorough diagnostic and determined that will cost $13,508.90 to replace the engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732725April 21, 2026
AIR BAGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This concerns an unresolved airbag safety issue that went undetected due to a negligent recall inspection at a Kia dealership. On March 16, 2026, I brought my vehicle to Ed Voyles Kia of Chamblee, GA for a recall inspection to determine whether damaged wiring under the passenger seat was causing my airbag warning light to remain on. I dealt with the service advisor throughout the process. After the appointment, I was told the inspection was complete and no wiring damage was found. Upon leaving the dealership, I immediately noticed that my exterior and interior lights, radio, seatbelt indicators, and numerous other systems had stopped working, none of which were issues before my appointment. I contacted the dealership the same day and returned on March 17, 2026. The service advisor relayed the technician's position that these failures were pre-existing and unrelated to the service. After I pushed back, the manager became involved and pointed to a separate BCM recall to explain the replacement, rather than acknowledging that the BCM had failed immediately after their service. My BCM had been functioning normally before the appointment. The service advisor and manager continued to deny any wiring damage. On April 20, 2026, I personally inspected the area under the passenger seat while cleaning my vehicle I immediately found visibly damaged wires, the exact area the technician had examined during the recall. I found this damage within minutes. The damaged wiring under the passenger seat is the very issue this recall was designed to identify. The technician failed to find it, leaving a known safety hazard unresolved. My airbag warning light has been on since before the appointment and remains on today. I have been driving my family in this vehicle with a compromised airbag system. I have photo evidence of the damaged wires and request that NHTSA log this as a formal safety complaint and investigate if this reflects a broader pattern of incomplete recall inspections
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732560April 20, 2026
ENGINE
Engine has multiple engine miss fires. Loss of coolant into exhaust. Engine knocking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730877April 13, 2026
ENGINE
Since the day a bought the car I have had to constantly deal with oil leaks and burning up oil. We had to check the vehicle every Sunday for oil replacement. The vehicle on one day just stopped in the middle of the street. It had a complete engine failure. I had to pay thousands of dollars. I contacted Kia with out help. They claim my vehicle was not part of their class action settlement of engine failure. And I can’t sell the car because all mechanics know the engine is trash and the vehicle is worth nothing. And Kia won’t help at all.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729090April 3, 2026
ENGINE
I am the original owner of a 2016 Kia Sedona, purchased new from the DeMontrond Kia dealership in Houston, Texas, in August 2016. The vehicle currently has 63,400 miles and has been maintained according to standard schedules. Two weeks ago, I noticed a slight knocking sound and took the car to the dealership for an inspection. I was informed that there is sludge buildup in the engine and was told the repair would not be covered under warranty due to alleged owner neglect. The dealership quoted $10,000 for an engine replacement. Prior to this, there were no warning lights or indicators of any issues, and there have been no oil leaks. I have retained most of the records and receipts for the oil changes performed on the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727091March 25, 2026
ENGINE
Engine started knocking loosing power just like our 4cylinder GDI engine. These engines are also not safe to be operating
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726605March 24, 2026
ENGINE
Engine Failure due to rod and bearing failure
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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