Kia Sedona Complaints

2,536 consumer complaints on file.

#11634775January 8, 2025
ENGINE
Driving at approx. 45 mph the engine locked up and failed causing the van to die and not be able to restart. There was no warnings, lights etc before failure. Luckily the road was empty to be able to navigate to the side of the road to avoid a dangerous situation. Should it have been a busy highway it would have put everyone at risk with a disabled vehicle not being able to move at speed. Kia Dealership investigated the failure and although there was lower oil and coolant level the manifold gasket test failed to meet the requirements for a Kia failure and remedy was a $9000 new engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11634804January 8, 2025
ENGINE
The engine seems to be burning oil. After my last oil change, I had to replace three quarts of oil after driving 2,500 miles. Once previously, the engine oil got dangerously low (no oil showing on dipstick) even without the vehicle giving any indication of low oil. This could lead to engine failure while operating the vehicle, which could have disastrous consequences.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11634335January 6, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while attempting to parallel park and gear in drive, the vehicle independently accelerated violently while lightly depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning light illuminated. The contact crashed the front of the vehicle into the rear of a parked vehicle where it came to a stop. No police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed however the failure was unable to be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact's wife mentioned that the failure had occasionally occurred in the past but was able to avoid a collision. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer for the previous incidents where it was confirmed that the vehicle performed as normal. The failure mileage was approximately 213,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11633769January 2, 2025
ENGINE
The engine in our 2016 3.3L GDI Sedona seized while we were driving on the freeway going approx 65MPH on 12/29/24. The vehicle was towed to the KIA dealership in our town and examined by the service dept the following morning. We were told that the engine had no oil and it had leaked into the crankshaft where it burned up. Also, the engine compartment was filled with metal shavings. The service tech told us we would need to replace the engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11633139December 30, 2024
ENGINE
Engine died in the middle of driving. After having it towed and diagnosed, there was no engine oil at all. I still had 1500 miles before the recommended mileage for my next oil change. No warning lights. Engine is totally seized and will need to be replaced. Kia dealership stated that an indicator should have told me that my oil was low and the engine should have shut off prior to running dry. We were driving with my 4 children in the car. Thankfully we were on a side road where we could push the car to safety.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632142December 23, 2024
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
My 2016 Kia Sedona developed a loud engine knocking / idling noise around 90000 miles. Had at least one oil change at a non-Kia shop around that time and was given vague warning about Kia engines as to why I was hearing the louder idling. At the time of another oil change at 99631 miles I was told there were a large number of metal shavings found in the oil, and my Check Engine light was illuminated with a message about faulty camshaft timing. After bringing to Kia dealership at that time. They first assessed that the camshafts needed to be replaced. After working for some time they eventually determined that the entire engine needed to be replaced (3.3 Liter GDI_DOHC). The engine was replaced and the car was given back to me. After 2 days of driving the car would not start up again and I had it towed back to the dealership. They needed to replace one of the already-repaired parts (CVVT ASSY / CAMSHAFT ASSY-INTAKE). These engine issues could have occurred at a more problematic time in the middle of a busy highway and could have resulted in damage / harm to human life.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11630950December 16, 2024
ENGINE
Head gasket blew and caused coolant to leak into the engine. We broke down on the side of the interstate. Our vehicle sat at the dealer for 5 months awaiting a new engine to be put in. No warnings beforehand.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11630722December 14, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY
Right power sliding door stopped closing all the way and would constantly beep. Now, power sliding door opens too far which has broken the motors causing the beeping to resume. This is an safety issue as anything hanging out the window would be crushed (such as a child's head or extremity). We have done a fuse reset as suggested by Kia, then also replaced the motor and the actuator, and it still opens too far which broke the motor again. We again brought it to Kia and they do not know what to do. Now, the left hand door is starting to have the same problem. Yesterday, the door stopped mid-way. When replacing the door actuator system, we learned that the left side door actuator was in the right side door. It was not made correctly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11630586December 13, 2024
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to immediately start and was experiencing rough driving with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact of the head gasket, head gasket bolts, fuel pump, and fuel injector failures. The vehicle was not yet repaired. Additionally, the passenger’s side electronic sliding door failed to properly latch due to a faulty electrical locking mechanism. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failures, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in an undisclosed Extend Warranty Coverage for the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11628499December 3, 2024
ENGINE
The Engine failed at 63,758 miles. Lancaster KIA in Lancaster, PA indicated the engine has metal shavings everywhere.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11628715December 3, 2024
ENGINE
I brought my 2016 Kia Sedona into a mechanic to get checked over and get some new front tires put on on 8/19/24. I was informed that the oil needed changing. So, I changed it as I have always done for years. We took off on a ~2600 mile round trip out east. Once there, I noticed that when I would travel close to a cement divider, a noise was coming from the vehicle that got louder as I accelerated. Thought is was the muffler (sounded like I was hot rodding). There were no engine lights on the dash, so I didn't think there were any major issues. A muffler could wait till I got back. This trip was end of August. There were no other issues, so I put it off. I figured a small hole in muffler or loose. We were called to go back out to New York for 11 days the end of November, and after another 2600 miles, the noise was significantly louder, but mostly noticeable when accelerating. Still idled fairly well. Still no engine lights. On 11/27/24 we took a 600+ mile trip. As of 12/2/2024, I brought the vehicle in to get the spark pugs changed and check the noise. The mechanic said that I was 4.5 quarts low and the noise was knocking in the motor itself. I had replaced the engine oil (synthetic) end of August and now find this Dec. 3rd after bringing it in. It has never burned oil, and there is no evidence of leakage on the floor or anywhere in the engine compartment or oil pan (mine and mechanics observations). Loss of 4.5 quarts in just over 2 months, when never an issue before? And no low oil engine light coming on? This was just taken on 5800 miles of primarily highways. From what I have been reading, knocking prior to engine failure has been popping up, and my family and I could have had a major problem had I gone any longer without checking it out. It is a major issue not having the low oil sensor go off, and suddenly being without 4.5 quarts in such a short time without prior issues, or warning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11627705November 27, 2024
ENGINE
Engine in my 2018 Kia has failed. This should be covered under warranty as van only has 90k miles on it but because I am the second owner they are telling me it is not covered. Several other 2018 Kia’s have already been recalled for engine failure. My car was burning oil. This is a manufacturing issue and I am very stressed about paying to get it fixed out of pocket.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11627374November 25, 2024
ENGINE
Regularly serviced vehicle (2016 Kia Sedona SXL 3.3L) within recommended intervals; most recently on 9/10/2024 at ~117k miles. Invoice indicates dealer put in full capacity of oil (6qt). Vehicle also received multipoint inspection including checking all fluids; non were reported low or in need of flush/replacement. Vehicle had begun to make extra engine noise (rattle/growl) on startup, not sure precisely when; I estimate just in the last few months, maybe September or October. Took 220 (one way, ~440 total) mile trip on 11/5-11/7/2024; vehicle performed well other than aforementioned startup noise. [XXX], vehicle noise had increased significantly and "engine control system" message with CEL was present on the dashboard which was later extinguished after an engine restart. No other warning/error indications were present before or since. Onboard vehicle diagnostics run by the owner (Kia "eServices" app) on 11/12 did not indicate any issues. It was decided we better not drive it and service was scheduled for 11/22. On the same day (11/12) we found the oil to be low by 4.5 qts. Filling the oil to "full" removed a significant amount of the engine noise but (layman's) inspection did not reveal any oil leakage and no other signs of oil burning had been noted previously. One additional trip of ~16 miles made on 11/19 and 6 miles to service on 11/22 (now at 121k miles). Dealer upon inspection stated rod bearings were bad and engine needed replaced. Retrieving the vehicle from service and driving home, it catastrophically failed losing all power in highway traffic and could not be restarted. I'm reporting this because I saw DP24-001 and PE23-019 which seem to be very similar to my issue. I see no reason why a regularly serviced engine could fail so quickly other than a possible manufacturing defect. The engine/components have not been touched since the dealer appointment on 11/22. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11627116November 24, 2024
ENGINE
Description of Incident: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine of my 2016 Kia Sedona seized due to a lack of oil. The oil pressure warning light, which is designed to alert the driver to low oil pressure or oil-related issues, did not illuminate to indicate any problem. The engine is still available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? While the engine seizure did not occur while driving, it created a potential hazard for future operation of the vehicle. Had the issue occurred during the 20-mile drive home or on future trips, it could have led to a sudden loss of power, putting the driver, passengers, and others on the road at risk. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The Kia dealership confirmed that the engine seized due to a lack of oil. However, they have not provided a detailed diagnostic report or explanation for why the oil pressure warning light failed to illuminate. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The vehicle has been inspected by Kia but has not been examined by third parties such as insurance representatives or law enforcement. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure. The oil pressure warning light, which should have alerted us to the issue, did not illuminate at any point. Best assessment: My assessment is that the oil pressure warning system failed to function as designed, leading to the engine seizing without warning. This malfunction prevented us from addressing the oil issue in time to avoid catastrophic engine damage.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11626877November 22, 2024
ENGINE
Motor has been consuming oil.all oil and maintence was done to this vehicle.on Monday the 18of November 2024 while driving too work the motor blew up putting oil everywhere.almost cause a major accident it had too be tow back to my house.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11626591November 21, 2024
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Engine seized. Purchased car on 9-16-24. One 9-17-24 I went to Valvoline and purchased a full synthetic oil change. Within 2000 miles driven since oil change mechanic advised that there was no oil and no leaks. Valvoline assisted my mechanic in the investigation and claimed the Sedona had a oil consumption issues. Manufacturing issues. Car shut off while driving. No light illuminated prior to the shut off and even with no oil there is no check engine light or oil pressure warning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11626061November 18, 2024
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Rod failure, was told there was fuel mixing with the oil and caused the oil to break down and cause complete engine failure while driving down the highway with my kids. Kia will not do anything about it. How can this be right. I know a lot of people with the same issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11626070November 18, 2024
ENGINE
Blown engine at 108,000. Known issues with 3.3-liter V6 engine . Kia refises to repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11625669November 16, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY
Paint peeling
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623997November 7, 2024
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sedona. The contact noticed a green puddle underneath the vehicle with the low coolant message displayed. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that either the head gasket or the entire engine needed to be replaced. The contact was referred to the dealer for further assistance. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where the contact was informed that leak was caused by stripped bolts inside the engine which caused coolant to leak. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The engine was replaced by the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls or warranties associated with the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the driver’s side sliding door intermittently failed to close as needed. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the door ajar warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where an estimate for the repair was provided; however, the dealer could not guarantee that the repair would fix the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 85,012.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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