115 of the
3,406 complaints filed about the KIA Sedona
are about the transmission —
3% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2006.
115
Complaints
3%
Share of all complaints
10
Crashes
4
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
Auto dealer fraud 8/3 2024 dealership sold me a title washed lemon with major safety hazards Defective unrepairable components Discovered later after purchase P0885 limp mode Fire hazard the vehicle may catch on fire when parked Went back to the dealership that I purchased from for a P0885 on December 4 2024 Returned Back to me march 18 2025 with a blown motor I asked the tow truck driver to be a witness to me firing up the vehicle for documentation Rey Prado of Prado towing located in Delaware he can verify my account Of events will give statement Dealership breached a bonded contract from a November 2021 purchase a 2004 ford f 250 super duty pick up truck vin# [XXX] and placed the title on the loan for the 2006 Kia Sedona without my prior knowledge the vehicle was purchased August 8 2024 with the cosign on August 21 2024 the dealer and staff purposely held the the buyer’s and purchasing agreement to pack the loan , the purchase agreement was finally given to me December 13 2024 after months of delay from the owners and staff . Owner finally told me on a march 17 2025 phone call he kept my title as a vested interest after I paid it off full in our contract agreement 8 months after the contract was signed the dealership operated in a Criminal Civil Rico fashion with me and is and has been extremely uncooperative with since I have been demanding all the original contracts for both vehicles , on February 20 while reviewing documentation that I was told was my title release forms I noticed a difference in dates they had me sign and date at the bottom 12/13/24 but the top of of the document it had a date of 12/2/2024 I didn’t realize this at first because they had me so confused about the van deal the truck title it seemed very systematic and intentional like they were purposely trying to confuse me about both contracts and my title it’s been a nightmare since then Please please please some one help my my mind and body are suffering because of this INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
NHTSA complaint #11720047 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2017 Kia Sedona has has regular oil changes about every 3000 miles. I was not due for an oil change quite yet and a ticking noise coming from the engine started to occur. I made an appointment at the Kia dealership right away. Just a few days before my appointment there was no warning light for the oil or engine until the engine failed, went limp and I lost power steering control, the brakes went stiff and all of the lights came on at once. It was very scary for me and my two children to lose that control of the vehicle. It can be inspected at Berlin City Kia where it currently sits and is in need of a replacement engine. After much research I have seen that this is a known issue for Kia engines and for some reason the 2017 Sedona is not included in any extended warranty's. Please investigate this. I did ask Kia for help in covering the replacement engine but was denied by the woman who I spoke to on the phone. I still put in a claim online anyway. It has been inspected by Berlin City Kia and they said there was "significant rod knocking". They are quoting me $9880 to replace the engine. After regular oil changes for the time that I have owned this vehicle and especially after I has the oil pressure sensor leak addressed as well over the last few years, it should not have died prematurely as it did. I am worried that the oil leaking so badly at that time may have pooled in the back of the engine which could have led to the rods wearing which in turn led to them knocking in the future. What else could cause this to happen? And so many other customers have complained about this exact issue. Please investigate this.
NHTSA complaint #11713242 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My Husband was driving my van with me and my 2 children inside the vehicle and the vehicle lost all power and stalled in the middle of the road and would not restart there was no warning light no noise from the motor or anything. The problem has been confirmed by a independent garage and a Kia dealer this happened on 12/20/25
NHTSA complaint #11712246 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
March 2024 just before hitting 100,000 miles I started having oil consumption issues. Current milage is 137,300 About 10,000 miles ago my check engine light came on. I took it to an auto parts store and it was reading bank 1 O2 sensor. I took it for an oil change and never scheduled for the sensor replacement due to life events. I took it in for another service About 5,000 miles ago. At around 2,000 miles after the service the motor started stalling and sounded horrible. I took it to the dealership and it was 4.5 quarts low on oil. Took it back at 1,200 miles after top off and it was 2.5 quarts low. Started the new motor process which wasn't covered on the extended warranty due to manufactur defect. It cost me 500.00. Before the new motor was in my van started getting me stranded places. Motor wouldn't turn over at all. Got it started went to auto parts store and it was reading 4 bad sensors in bank 1 and 2 (O2 and air intake on the motor). Finally got it to KIA for the new motor told them about they sensors they were supposed to check/replace them when they put the new crate motor in. Picked my van up 3 days ago. I asked when they called if the engine light was off. They called me back several hours later and said yes. Picked it up at 5 pm 3 days ago. By 8am the next morning the engine light was back on. It's scheduled for 9am Monday. The van has now gotten me stranded 2 times in 3 days. Auto parts store ran the computer and the same 4 sensors are still showing bad. Sensors are in bank 1 and 2. The report on the old motor showed cylinder 1 and 2 oil fouling on the spark plugs (replaced at 100,000 miles by dealer) and excessive oil leakage in cylinder 1 and 2 into the crank case due to carbon stuck piston rings. I was told before the motor replacement that the KIA cares warranty may not cover these sensors. Even though the sensors are going out because they are gunked up with 7 quarts of oil their motor used and they didn't go out until the issue started.
NHTSA complaint #11708408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed, and the gear shift lever was moved to Park(P) but failed to lock in place. The contact stated that the vehicle started to roll backwards. The contact used force to lock the gear shift lever in Park(P), and the vehicle came to a complete stop after several attempts. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a faulty automatic transmission shift lever. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. Upon investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V612000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
NHTSA complaint #11701714 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Engine replacement KIA had it for 8 months got it back and engine blew up again.. now they want service records on the first when it is the second motor. Trying to get away from replacing the motor.
NHTSA complaint #11693488 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
Unknown... So whenever it gets hot in the summertime lately. My car has an issue starting sometimes it doesn't start and I've taken it in have the mechanic look at it. They can't figure out what's going on with that. They say that it's known issue that they've had and they told me to Bang on the relay inside my vehicle. And sometimes that starts up right away and other times it takes a little bit for my car to start. They could not figure out what was causing it and sometimes all of my lights on my dashboard light up my air bag, ABS, check engine. Those will light up and I think it's something to do with the electrical or the fuel system. I don't know, i've replaced parts on it and I'm still having the issue. I don't know what is going on. I've replaced some fuses and they've blown so that's why I'm thinking it's something to do with the electrical. My mechanic couldn't figure out what it was and he says he has had many kias have the same issue.
NHTSA complaint #11678626 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There was a sudden loss of power while in the middle of the highway. Further inspection resulted in low oil and metal flakes in the oil filter. At the time of initial loss of power there was absolutely zero warning or indication of any issues at all.
NHTSA complaint #11667762 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had experienced the vehicle rolling while attempting to park the vehicle. On another occasion, while the contact was attempting to park the vehicle on an incline, the contact depressed the brake pedal however, the vehicle started to roll away. The contact believed that the vehicle should have been included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V612000 (POWER TRAIN). The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, but was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
NHTSA complaint #11653732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11632142 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On June 6th 2024 My 2016 Kia Sedona experienced sudden power loss accompanied by thick smoke out of the exhaust and a loud ticking while on a busy main intersection. Kia's Gross negligence to recall its known troubled engines is causing needless highway incidents. From stolen cars, engine failures and now fires, this is the second Kia I have had fail.
NHTSA complaint #11594935 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While parking, the power steering hose melted and power steering liquid leaked, causing the engine room and the bottom of the engine room to catch fire. There was danger to the driver and cars parked nearby. The problem was confirmed and repaired at a auto repair shop. Firefighters responded and the insurance company inspected the vehicle. Before the error occurred, there were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of a problem.
NHTSA complaint #11594052 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Oil consumption test failed. Told by dealer the first part of the repair is not covered under the power train warranty because my vehicle is not listed on the list of affected vehicles even though it has the GDI motor that is listed. It's a V6 and not a 4 cylinder and the V6 is not on the list. Dealership in knoxville has done the oil consumption test. Vehicle was bought new in November of 2019 and services have been preformed according to manufacturers recommendation. Van has 104,500 miles on it. Has a 200,000 power train warranty. Kia customer service said it is not covered on the manufacturer warranty because it ends at 100,000 miles. Dealership says its not covered on 200,000 mile power train warranty and Dealership ship isn't responsible because my vehicle and motor are not on the list. I wasn't even aware this was an issue until my van started acting up between oil changes and the oil pressure light came on and the van started stalling. At that time I put 4.5 quarts of oil in it and scheduled the Dealership visit just before 100,000 miles but was told to bring it back if the oil level dropped again. Now it's past 100,000 miles and they didn't register the complaint I made before 100,000 miles. 2nd part of oil consumption test was done today.
NHTSA complaint #11580142 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2016 Kia Sedona 3.3L V6 Engine overheating due to head gasket failure and coolant leakage, which subsequently caused noxious fumes to enter the cabin of the car which is a health risk especially for people who suffer from asthma, chronic diseases, or other high-risk populations such as pregnant women or children. While travelling with my family of five (including three children), we noticed an intermittent smell inside the cabin of the car while the air-conditioning was turned on, which days later we realized were engine coolant fumes. There was no warning light or indication of head gasket failure with coolant leakage. We were all exposed to these engine fumes inside the cabin, which contain ethylene glycol, that likely caused two children to feel nauseous and an adult with diagnosed asthma felt headaches and shortness of breath. According to the CDC, breathing ethylene glycol vapors may irritate eyes and lungs (source: [XXX] ). Kia acknowledges that a coolant smell may be experienced in the 2016-2017 Kia Sorento’s vehicles equipped with the 3.3L V6 engine [XXX], which is the same engine that is equipped in the 2016 Kia Sedona. We confirmed the 2016 Kia Sedona experienced a head gasket failure from an authorized Kia dealership and repair shop. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11576951 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We noticed coolant leaking. We took it to a dealer and they replaced coolant control assembly/ temperature control piece. Also the O-ring that connecting to the engine was leaking. However, this is the 2nd time we are replacing the piece in 3months (not the o-ring). We did that. And spent $900 on it. As soon as we drove it 11miles home, there was oil and coolant leaking again. Took it right back. And there was fluid in the engine. Guy believes it's the head gasket. Out car isn't running. We don't know if we should replace, or junk it and have a loss of money. We are so frustrated. We have 125,000 miles. There were no warnings, no lights, just us noticing the coolant leaking, and the reservoir being full. We have pictures and have taken it to multiple mechanics and dealers.
NHTSA complaint #11576751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.