Owners have filed 64 complaints
about the 2018 KIA Sedona with NHTSA between 2018 and 2026.
The largest single group is the engine & cooling.
Across this model's run it ranks 9 of 19 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 18
Against the median year of the KIA Sedona. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 100
21.9% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 100
61% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
1,000 – 9,999 miles
527.8%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
633.3%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
15.6%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
211.1%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
15.6%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
316.7%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jun 2018peak 4Aug 2026
Recalls on the 2018 KIA Sedona
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
United States — NHTSA
22V031000
AIR BAGS
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles. The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
19V109000
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Sedona vehicles equipped with manually-adjusted front passenger seats. Over time, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) wiring harness located underneath the front passenger seat may break from the seat being occupied.
Risk: If a child is in a child seat in the front seat, a broken ODS wiring harness will not prevent the front passenger air bag from deploying in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the child.
18V338000
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Kia Sedona vehicles equipped with a power sliding door (PSD). The PSD may not auto-reverse when its closing is obstructed.
Risk: If the door closes on an occupant, there is an increased risk of an injury.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 2024549647,384 units in Canada
Label
Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" appear in English only, when they should be listed as "Tires/Pneus", "Rims/Jantes", "Front/Avant" and "Rear/Arriere". Canadian regulations require this information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: These small errors do not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. Kia has corrected the compliance label for all new vehicles.
Recall 202202358,054 units in Canada
Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, a defect in the airbag control unit could cause the airbag warning light to turn on. If this happens, the airbag system may not work properly, and the airbags may not inflate in a crash. Safety Risk: An airbag system that does not work properly could create an increased risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the airbag control unit software. If the airbag warning light is on because of diagnostic trouble code B1620, the dealer will replace the airbag control unit.
Recall 20216809,612 units in Canada
Electrical
Issue: Certain vehicles may be equipped with an accessory trailer wiring harness that could fail. Over time, water could leak into the control module and cause a short circuit. If this happens, there could be loss of the trailer lights. Note: This recall affects trailer wiring harness kits that may have been ordered at the time of a vehicle purchase, or purchased separately from a dealer as an aftermarket accessory. Safety Risk: A loss of trailer lights could make the trailer less visible. In addition, other drivers may not recognize that the vehicle ahead is braking or intends to turn. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the trailer wiring harness. If the harness is from the lot (batch) affected by this problem, the dealer will replace it. Kia recommends that you should always check to ensure that trailer lights work properly before towing.
Recall 20191035,314 units in Canada
Seats And Restraints
Issue: On certain vehicles, the wiring for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) could break. This would cause the airbag system to not turn off the airbag when an infant or child is seated in the front passenger seat. This problem only affects vehicles with a manual front-passenger seat. Safety Risk: In a crash, an airbag that deploys in front of an infant or child increases the risk of injury. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to remove a wiring harness clip. This will prevent the wire from breaking. If the wiring is found damaged, the dealer will replace the front passenger seat cushion. Note: If the wiring breaks, the SRS airbag warning light will come on and the "Passenger Airbag Off" indicator will not turn on.
Recall 20182909,578 units in Canada
Structure
On certain vehicles, the power sliding door control module may not be calibrated correctly. As a result, a closing door may not stop and reverse direction if blocked by an object, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants. Correction: Dealers will reprogram the power sliding door control module software.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Dayton, OHFire
POWER TRAIN
There was a fire under my minivan as my husband was driving it, creating smoke and flames. He lost power to the van and had to coast to the right side of the highway where he came to a stop with the flames occurring. This is the family vehicle and I have small children. We had no warning lights or any indication that there would be a fire in my vehicle as the van had been running smoothly, and I had kept up with all recommended maintenance (see Carfax report). On July 31st, I was told by Kia America that there was a fire in the engine compartment and that it was inconclusive and they could not determine what started the fire. On August 15th, my father and husband went to Castrucci Kia (where the car was) and were shown that there were holes in the engine block, and the service representative Brandon stated that the engine failure had probably thrown some of the rods causing the holes in the lower engine block sparking a fire when the leaking oil hit the catalytic converter. My insurance was involved, but I was not able to obtain a settlement from them, but I kept up on all maintenance and adherence to Kia guidelines and my engine unexpectedly failed and caught on fire. I was told I would need a new engine at an approximate cost ranging from 12,000 to 15,000 dollars. I believe that my 2018 Kia Sedona's 3.3 L gasoline direct injection engine was manufactured defectively resulting in catastrophic engine failure, APPARENTLY puncturing the engine block, causing engine oil to leak and ignite a fire. Our attempts to address this critical issue with Kia have been met with significant resistance and delays. It appears that Kia refuses to take responsibility. There has been an escalating number of safety complaints and instances directly linked to the 3.3 L Kia V6 Lambda II engine. I appreciate your assistance in resolving this issue with KIA AMERICA and the local KIA service center where my vehicle is located
NHTSA complaint #11687226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Dayton, OHFire
SUSPENSION
There was a fire under my minivan as my husband was driving it, creating smoke and flames. He lost power to the van and had to coast to the right side of the highway where he came to a stop with the flames occurring. This is the family vehicle and I have small children. We had no warning lights or any indication that there would be a fire in my vehicle as the van had been running smoothly, and I had kept up with all recommended maintenance (see Carfax report). On July 31st, I was told by Kia America that there was a fire in the engine compartment and that it was inconclusive and they could not determine what started the fire. On August 15th, my father and husband went to Castrucci Kia (where the car was) and were shown that there were holes in the engine block, and the service representative Brandon stated that the engine failure had probably thrown some of the rods causing the holes in the lower engine block sparking a fire when the leaking oil hit the catalytic converter. My insurance was involved, but I was not able to obtain a settlement from them, but I kept up on all maintenance and adherence to Kia guidelines and my engine unexpectedly failed and caught on fire. I was told I would need a new engine at an approximate cost ranging from 12,000 to 15,000 dollars. I believe that my 2018 Kia Sedona's 3.3 L gasoline direct injection engine was manufactured defectively resulting in catastrophic engine failure, APPARENTLY puncturing the engine block, causing engine oil to leak and ignite a fire. Our attempts to address this critical issue with Kia have been met with significant resistance and delays. It appears that Kia refuses to take responsibility. There has been an escalating number of safety complaints and instances directly linked to the 3.3 L Kia V6 Lambda II engine. I appreciate your assistance in resolving this issue with KIA AMERICA and the local KIA service center where my vehicle is located
NHTSA complaint #11687226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Dayton, OHFire
ENGINE
There was a fire under my minivan as my husband was driving it, creating smoke and flames. He lost power to the van and had to coast to the right side of the highway where he came to a stop with the flames occurring. This is the family vehicle and I have small children. We had no warning lights or any indication that there would be a fire in my vehicle as the van had been running smoothly, and I had kept up with all recommended maintenance (see Carfax report). On July 31st, I was told by Kia America that there was a fire in the engine compartment and that it was inconclusive and they could not determine what started the fire. On August 15th, my father and husband went to Castrucci Kia (where the car was) and were shown that there were holes in the engine block, and the service representative Brandon stated that the engine failure had probably thrown some of the rods causing the holes in the lower engine block sparking a fire when the leaking oil hit the catalytic converter. My insurance was involved, but I was not able to obtain a settlement from them, but I kept up on all maintenance and adherence to Kia guidelines and my engine unexpectedly failed and caught on fire. I was told I would need a new engine at an approximate cost ranging from 12,000 to 15,000 dollars. I believe that my 2018 Kia Sedona's 3.3 L gasoline direct injection engine was manufactured defectively resulting in catastrophic engine failure, APPARENTLY puncturing the engine block, causing engine oil to leak and ignite a fire. Our attempts to address this critical issue with Kia have been met with significant resistance and delays. It appears that Kia refuses to take responsibility. There has been an escalating number of safety complaints and instances directly linked to the 3.3 L Kia V6 Lambda II engine. I appreciate your assistance in resolving this issue with KIA AMERICA and the local KIA service center where my vehicle is located
NHTSA complaint #11687226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rosman, NCFire
ENGINE
10 mile drive to town. On return home, smoke began pouring from the engine compartment. Within 3-4 minutes flames came from grill area, and within 15 minutes entire car was engulfed in flames.
NHTSA complaint #11595189 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Portsmouth, NHFire
ENGINE
Vehicle was idling when smoke and fire started presumably from the engine causing a car fire. We are the insurance company that paid for the car and Clearcover Insurance is now the owner.
NHTSA complaint #11589582 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bountiful, UTCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
My Daughter was driving my Kia Sedona Van - distracted and on wet roads ran into a firehydrant and pole. During the accident, the Air Bags did not employ. The Passenger fell forward and broke the windshield with her head, leading to a Concucussion. We are thankful for two Children who are alive after this accident. We are disappointed tho that the airbags didnt protect our child more.
NHTSA complaint #11506536 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Wahiawa, HI
ENGINE
2018 Kia Sedona lx stalled while my wife was driving on the highway. No warning lights were on until the vehicle lost all power. Luckily my wife was able to pull the car safely to the side. The vehicle only has 36960 miles. Brought vehicle to the dealer and they said engine was seized. That Kia would not attempt a repair unless I gave copies of oil/oil filters from oil changes that I performed. I did not have these so Kia is not honoring the warranty. I changed the oil every year regardless of the miles. Did not miss. The oil is clean as I just changed the oil a couple months ago. Someone could have been killed. We got that van for our disabled adult son. Thankfully he wasn’t in the vehicle. We’ve been ripped off but at least my family is safe.
NHTSA complaint #11754333 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 90,000 milesEast Moline, IL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that the air bag and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to start and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with alternator failure; however, the battery was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that after his wife had pulled into the driveway, the instrument panel turned blank, and the driver noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The driver turned off the vehicle, and the vehicle cooled down. The contact stated that upon attempting to restart the vehicle later in the evening, the vehicle failed to start. The contact opened the hood and noticed that unknown parts had melted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed the contact that the battery terminals and an unknown control module had melted due to an electrical failure; however, the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
NHTSA complaint #11747931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 63,000 milesStockbridge, GA
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Check Auto Emergency System" was displayed and the brake warning light illuminated. Additionally, an unknown fluid was leaking near the front passenger’s side wheel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and an oil change was performed but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was about 63,000.
NHTSA complaint #11731469 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
St. Thomas, PA
ENGINE
The vehicle is a 2018 Kia Sedona with approximately 122,000 miles that experienced a catastrophic engine failure resulting in complete engine seizure. The failure has been identified by an independent mechanic as a rod bearing issue. The engine remains intact and is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle is currently not operational and the battery has been disconnected. This vehicle is a family vehicle that regularly transports our four children. At the time of the incident, our [XXX] child was in the vehicle with us. The failure created a serious safety risk. While traveling on the highway, the vehicle suddenly lost power without warning, creating a hazardous situation in active traffic and increasing the risk of a collision. The presence of a young child in the vehicle further heightened the severity of the safety risk. The issue was preceded by a light tapping noise that began approximately 10 miles prior to the failure. Within about one minute before total failure, a loud squealing noise occurred, followed immediately by complete engine shutdown and loss of power. There were no meaningful warnings that would indicate imminent catastrophic failure in time to safely prevent the incident. The problem has been confirmed by an independent repair facility, which diagnosed the engine as seized due to internal failure consistent with rod bearing damage. A Kia dealership and Kia America have both been contacted and declined responsibility for repair. The vehicle has been regularly maintained, with routine oil changes performed as expected. The most recent oil change was completed approximately 2,000 miles prior to the failure. Insurance has confirmed this incident is not covered, as it is a mechanical failure and not the result of an accident or external damage. The vehicle has not been physically inspected by the manufacturer. Police were not involved. This type of failure is consistent with widely reported engine defects across Kia vehicles i INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFOR
NHTSA complaint #11727513 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Arecibo, PR
SEAT BELTS
My [XXX] son pulled the seatbelt so tight it got wrapped around his neck. When I pulled over to unbuckle it, it was stuck. I turned the car off and on again to try and loosen it, but it didn't work. In the emergency, I had to cut the seatbelt with scissors. It's the passenger seatbelt in the second row, next to the window. I reported the incident to Kia in Puerto Rico by phone. They never called me back. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11702065 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Saint Paul, MN
AIR BAGS
In 2022, our airbag light came on. On 5/10/2022 am Airbag recall was issued and it was fixed. The airbag computer/module was fixed. We got into an accident in August of 2022, and our airbags never went off. And the airbag light has never shut off since it was “fixed” May 2022. It’s now October 2025. They said nothing was wrong with it, after bringing the vehicle in multiple times. And now after bringing it in, again in August 2025, they said the entire passenger airbag unit needs to be replace and isn’t related to the airbag recall. It’s $800+ and Kia won’t do it since the warranty has expired and it’s “not related”. Still fighting with them over it. As the airbags recall in 2022 included a defect where the Airbag Control Unit (ACU) cover can contact a memory chip, potentially deactivating the airbags. This issue affects a range of models manufactured between July 2016 and January 2019 and can result in the airbags failing to deploy in an accident. Worst customer service and vehicle I’ve ever owned.
NHTSA complaint #11695448 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Amite, LA
ENGINE
While driving under normal conditions and normal operation, the engine lost power, began using excessive fuel, the inside of the vehicle smelled like fuel and white smoke began pouring out of the exhaust.
NHTSA complaint #11693717 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lakewood, OH
STRUCTURE:BODY
Driver Side door stuck in the closed position. Electric Motor does not work.
NHTSA complaint #11688733 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Dayton, OHFire
POWER TRAIN
There was a fire under my minivan as my husband was driving it, creating smoke and flames. He lost power to the van and had to coast to the right side of the highway where he came to a stop with the flames occurring. This is the family vehicle and I have small children. We had no warning lights or any indication that there would be a fire in my vehicle as the van had been running smoothly, and I had kept up with all recommended maintenance (see Carfax report). On July 31st, I was told by Kia America that there was a fire in the engine compartment and that it was inconclusive and they could not determine what started the fire. On August 15th, my father and husband went to Castrucci Kia (where the car was) and were shown that there were holes in the engine block, and the service representative Brandon stated that the engine failure had probably thrown some of the rods causing the holes in the lower engine block sparking a fire when the leaking oil hit the catalytic converter. My insurance was involved, but I was not able to obtain a settlement from them, but I kept up on all maintenance and adherence to Kia guidelines and my engine unexpectedly failed and caught on fire. I was told I would need a new engine at an approximate cost ranging from 12,000 to 15,000 dollars. I believe that my 2018 Kia Sedona's 3.3 L gasoline direct injection engine was manufactured defectively resulting in catastrophic engine failure, APPARENTLY puncturing the engine block, causing engine oil to leak and ignite a fire. Our attempts to address this critical issue with Kia have been met with significant resistance and delays. It appears that Kia refuses to take responsibility. There has been an escalating number of safety complaints and instances directly linked to the 3.3 L Kia V6 Lambda II engine. I appreciate your assistance in resolving this issue with KIA AMERICA and the local KIA service center where my vehicle is located
NHTSA complaint #11687226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Dayton, OHFire
SUSPENSION
There was a fire under my minivan as my husband was driving it, creating smoke and flames. He lost power to the van and had to coast to the right side of the highway where he came to a stop with the flames occurring. This is the family vehicle and I have small children. We had no warning lights or any indication that there would be a fire in my vehicle as the van had been running smoothly, and I had kept up with all recommended maintenance (see Carfax report). On July 31st, I was told by Kia America that there was a fire in the engine compartment and that it was inconclusive and they could not determine what started the fire. On August 15th, my father and husband went to Castrucci Kia (where the car was) and were shown that there were holes in the engine block, and the service representative Brandon stated that the engine failure had probably thrown some of the rods causing the holes in the lower engine block sparking a fire when the leaking oil hit the catalytic converter. My insurance was involved, but I was not able to obtain a settlement from them, but I kept up on all maintenance and adherence to Kia guidelines and my engine unexpectedly failed and caught on fire. I was told I would need a new engine at an approximate cost ranging from 12,000 to 15,000 dollars. I believe that my 2018 Kia Sedona's 3.3 L gasoline direct injection engine was manufactured defectively resulting in catastrophic engine failure, APPARENTLY puncturing the engine block, causing engine oil to leak and ignite a fire. Our attempts to address this critical issue with Kia have been met with significant resistance and delays. It appears that Kia refuses to take responsibility. There has been an escalating number of safety complaints and instances directly linked to the 3.3 L Kia V6 Lambda II engine. I appreciate your assistance in resolving this issue with KIA AMERICA and the local KIA service center where my vehicle is located
NHTSA complaint #11687226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Dayton, OHFire
ENGINE
There was a fire under my minivan as my husband was driving it, creating smoke and flames. He lost power to the van and had to coast to the right side of the highway where he came to a stop with the flames occurring. This is the family vehicle and I have small children. We had no warning lights or any indication that there would be a fire in my vehicle as the van had been running smoothly, and I had kept up with all recommended maintenance (see Carfax report). On July 31st, I was told by Kia America that there was a fire in the engine compartment and that it was inconclusive and they could not determine what started the fire. On August 15th, my father and husband went to Castrucci Kia (where the car was) and were shown that there were holes in the engine block, and the service representative Brandon stated that the engine failure had probably thrown some of the rods causing the holes in the lower engine block sparking a fire when the leaking oil hit the catalytic converter. My insurance was involved, but I was not able to obtain a settlement from them, but I kept up on all maintenance and adherence to Kia guidelines and my engine unexpectedly failed and caught on fire. I was told I would need a new engine at an approximate cost ranging from 12,000 to 15,000 dollars. I believe that my 2018 Kia Sedona's 3.3 L gasoline direct injection engine was manufactured defectively resulting in catastrophic engine failure, APPARENTLY puncturing the engine block, causing engine oil to leak and ignite a fire. Our attempts to address this critical issue with Kia have been met with significant resistance and delays. It appears that Kia refuses to take responsibility. There has been an escalating number of safety complaints and instances directly linked to the 3.3 L Kia V6 Lambda II engine. I appreciate your assistance in resolving this issue with KIA AMERICA and the local KIA service center where my vehicle is located
NHTSA complaint #11687226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Morganton, NC
ENGINE
Engine failed…driving down the road with five small children and without warning all the lights came on and started smoking, leaking fuel, power doors failed, steering, acceleration and more. We had to have the car towed to a shop. A when looking into what’s happening apparently many others are having to spend thousands to fix this issue and I’m afraid that’s where we are. An investigation needs to be opened as this is clearly an ongoing issue for many families
NHTSA complaint #11679912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Morganton, NC
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Engine failed…driving down the road with five small children and without warning all the lights came on and started smoking, leaking fuel, power doors failed, steering, acceleration and more. We had to have the car towed to a shop. A when looking into what’s happening apparently many others are having to spend thousands to fix this issue and I’m afraid that’s where we are. An investigation needs to be opened as this is clearly an ongoing issue for many families
NHTSA complaint #11679912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Zanesville, OH
ENGINE
While driving on the interstate, about an hour into the trip, there was a banging/tinging sound coming from the front of the van. Immediately the van was pulled off the road to assess the situation as there were NO WARNING MESSAGES OR LIGHTS that came on to alert of any problem. Immediately before hearing the noise, the van had a major loss of power going up a slight incline on the interstate. The van threw a rod and had I not noticed the sound and pulled over, this could have been potentially a deadly situation had I kept driving and the engine completely seized up in the middle of the interstate.
NHTSA complaint #11675165 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tulsa, OK
ENGINE
ENGINE - blown head gasket, cracked block. Vehicle is at dealership service center in for repairs.vehicle has been inspected by the warranty company. No engine light or warnings or messages came up on the car. Approximately 64000.00 miles smelling antifreeze. Took it in to have it checked for leaks no apparent leaks. Took in at approximately 72000.00 miles now has a blown head gasket and cracked block. The safety of a breakdown is obvious.
NHTSA complaint #11657885 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Orem, UT
ENGINE
While returning from a road trip to the Phoenix Arizona area I was driving my family in the Kia Sedona van. We were driving on highway [XXX] going over [XXX] accelerating up hill. Without warning the car started to have high rpms and the sensor for the check oil along with the check engine light began to flash. Steering felt difficult. Safety was a concern having to try to use a dying vehicle to pull from the left lane across traffic of the busy highway on a mountain pass. I was able to pull to the right shoulder of the highway and park the van. I shut the van off and went to check the oil, the dip stick showed empty. I was trapped on the side of the highway with my wife and 5 small kids. I was uncertain that the tow truck would be able to transport my family off the highway. I was not willing walk my family along the highway so I called the local police dispatch for possible aid. The tow truck was able to get us off the highway to a place we could order a Lyft. The van was towed to a mechanic shop. The van was inspected by a mechanic shop. The shop confirmed that the engine had seized and would have to be completely replaced. We had been on this road trip for the past couple with no issues prior to this event. After being told our engine had seized we started to do some research on the internet and found this is a common issue with Kia and there is a current class action lawsuit. We intend to file a claim, but are uncertain if we qualify based on the dates of the suit. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11643830 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Westfield, IN
ENGINE
We have a 2018 KIA Sedona SXL that started to have a knock the beginning of the year. We noticed it was dry on oil even though we faithfully get our oil serviced. I took it in for an oil change right away and they were also surprised as I have always went there for my oil services. They informed me that my Kia engine is notorious for burning through oil and maybe just try coming in more frequently than what KIA recommends so we figured that was the answer, as the knock sound had gone away immediately after having oil. That was on [XXX]. A little over 3 weeks later on [XXX], my husband and kids were heading home on the interstate and the car completely shut off and died without a single light on the dashboard. No ding warning sound, check engine light, oil light, nothing. After such a scary experience the only common fix that made sense was maybe an alternator issue so we towed it home. The next day we had a licensed mobile mechanic come out to diagnosis the situation. After trying a new battery he did not think it was the alternator. He manually tried to start it by cranking the crankshaft and he sadly informed up that it was seized up around the piston and it would need a completely new engine. A new engine that not only was discontinued but also for a vehicle that only has 107k miles. Unacceptable as there are many many others out there experiencing this with their KIA engine that also have the 3.3L V6 Lambda II GDI. I’m hoping the the safety of consumers and their families that NHTSA looks seriously into this engine manufacturered in Geangmyeong, Korea INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11643043 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Grantville, GA
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.
NHTSA complaint #11630950 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pittsburgh, PA
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.
NHTSA complaint #11627705 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vancouver, WA
ENGINE
Blown engine at 108,000. Known issues with 3.3-liter V6 engine . Kia refises to repair.
NHTSA complaint #11626070 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Estero, FL
STRUCTURE:BODY
Paint peeling
NHTSA complaint #11625669 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Catawba, NC
ENGINE
Engine failed. Replacement is required. Currently at dealership where auto was purchased. Dropped off 30 JUL '24. Waitng for replacement.
NHTSA complaint #11623832 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bakersfield, CA
ENGINE
I took the vehicle to get serviced to check the engine light coming on. The Kia dealership stated that the CVVT Assembly and Oil Control Valve had to be replaced. The entire engine would have to be replaced if there was engine damage. The check engine would turn off for a couple of days and then turn back on. When the light would turn off, there was a lack of power, causing a lag in the throttle control.
NHTSA complaint #11617981 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vancouver, WA
ENGINE
108,000 miles failed engine due to know rod issues with this engine
NHTSA complaint #11608711 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rockwall, TX
ENGINE
While driving at highway speed all the dashboard lights came on and the engine instantly quit. I managed to pull the wheel and coast to the side of the road, which was difficult with no power steering. I tried restarting the engine, but it would not stay running. I had to have the car towed to the mechanic who, upon inspection, found the engine seized due to no oil. An engine replacement was required. All routine maintenance performed on this engine and records were provided. The dealership where I purchased the vehicle refused to replace the engine under warranty, 92330 miles, stating the engine showed "sludge" and was not maintained, this despite my providing maintenance records. This catastrophic engine failure was caused by a manufacturing/engineering defect in the GDI engine causing the engine to burn oil excessively. There was no indication of a problem prior to the failure. The failure at highway speed could have easily caused serious injury or death.
NHTSA complaint #11608210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.