KIA Sedona Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used KIA Sedona options? We analyzed 10 model years (2012–2021) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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Model-year trends show patterns — they can't tell you whether this car was crashed, flooded, or rolled back. A VIN check can.
- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
KIA SEDONA (2012-2021) has 811 NHTSA complaints and 24 recalls. Engine issues account for 313 complaints, electrical system for 167. The 2016 model year is the worst with 289 complaints. Source: NHTSA owner complaints and recall records.
- Make
- KIA
- Model
- Sedona
- Model years analyzed
- 2012–2021 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 811
- Safety recall campaigns
- 24
- Crash-related complaints
- 26
- Fire-related complaints
- 38
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2016 (289 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2021 (8 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ENGINE
- Reliability signal
- Below Average
By model year
KIA Sedona: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings
What the complaint data suggests
Below AverageBased on NHTSA complaint data, the 2012-2021 Kia Sedona shows high complaint volume concentrated in the engine (313) and electrical system (167). The 2016 model year alone accounts for 289 complaints, the most of any year. Buyers should prioritize checking for open recalls and inspecting engine and electrical components. Source: NHTSA owner complaints and recall records.
- Engine complaints total 313, the highest of any component.
- Electrical system complaints total 167, the second most.
- The 2016 model year has 289 complaints, the most of any year.
- Engine failure or malfunction
- Electrical system issues (e.g., wiring, battery)
- Air bag system problems (63 complaints)
The 2016 model year has 289 complaints, driven heavily by engine and electrical issues, making it the highest-risk year.
The 2013 model year has zero complaints, and 2021 has only 8, suggesting these years may be more reliable.
- Verify all open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for engine and electrical repairs
- Have a mechanic inspect engine, electrical system, and air bags
- Check for any prior crash-related complaints on the specific VIN
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Jul 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
24 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
AIR BAGS
SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
AIR BAGS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
AIR BAGS
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2012–2021. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 811 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
811 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that the heat and A/C control knobs had melted twice, and the contact had purchased and personally replaced the entire control panel. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an abnormal strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the low-pressure fuel pump and fuel injectors were replaced on separate occasions. However, the failure recurred while leaving the dealer. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was determined that the high-pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced; however, after the repair, the vehicle started making abnormal sounds. Additionally, the contact stated that the abnormally strong fuel odor had worsened. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who informed the contact that no diagnostic trouble code was retrieved, and the contact was advised to pick up the vehicle. The contact expressed safety concerns that the vehicle was unsafe to drive due to the persistent failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Both sliding doors will not open using door buttons. Both doors stopped latching on their own before this occurred. Needed to push doors manually for the door to latch.
Driver's side power sliding door stopped latching and alarms, but doesn't hinder the vehicle from moving. This is an obvious safety risk, especially when our kids sit in the back next to that door. Evidence indicates that this was a known issue for the previous years of this vehicle, but the recall didn't include 2019 models, even though the issue looks to be the same.
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle was suddenly rear-ended when the other vehicle failed to stop. As a result, the vehicle was pushed into the vehicle in front. The driver-side and passenger-side air bags did not deploy. After the impact, the contact was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. A police report was filed. The paramedics evaluated everyone at the scene of the accident. The contact and his family were not injured. The vehicle was towed to a towing yard. A lawyer was contacted, and the lawyer would inform the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Sliding doors have an issue where the car alarms like the doors aren’t shut. Took it in and paid a diagnostic for them to tell me a sensor was bad, it still beeps. Seems to beep more when turning away from that door (driver sliding door beeps more when turning right or when stopping, passenger beeps more when turning left or stopping). This was a problem with previous generation to where the warranty was extended and seems a decent amount of complaints for this model are related to the same.
My 2019 kia sedona showed the exact same symptoms for the oil pressure switch recall red oil light on the dash and a leaking oil pressure switch.2010 to 2018 sedona why was the 2019 model not added to the list
Read 14 more owner reports
Oil consumption high and engine needs to be replaced after 75k miles.
Engine failed.hole in bottom engine housing approx. 2x2”
When using the power sliding doors, specifically the driver's side, it will not close and latch 100% of the time. It usually beeps and indicates it has not closed and has to be manually closed but on two occasions has opened on it's own. Fortunately it's been while parked, which poses a whole different issue, but I've read that others are having this happen while driving.
Sliding mini van doors fail to latch when closing. This is a well known and documented problem. The NHTSA has issued remedies for the previous year but not this one.
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.
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.
On [XXX] at [XXX] the following incident happen with my 2019 KIA Sedona. The ABS and Traction Control Warning lights came ON when I applied the brakes when approaching a 4 way stop sign intersection, I heard a loud grinding sound from the back of the Sedona. The Sedona took longer to come to a stop, a full vehicle length past the stop bar. I was put at risk by the Sedona being in the intersection, instead of stopping at the stop bar. After clearing the intersection, I pulled over the Sedona, turned it off and then restarted it. Both the ABS and Traction Control Lights came back ON. I called the Jackson Kia Dealer in Cocoa Florida and got an answering machine for the service department. I left a message letting them know about the alarm lights and that I had already has at least 2 ABS modules replaced. I asked for an appointment as soon as possible to fix the problem. I had been told previously by KIA that it was safe to drive, but that I would have manual brakes in the rear and to apply breaks earlier, plus get the Sedona in for repair at the next opportunity for an appointment. As of yet the dealership has not seen the Sedona to diagnose the exact problem and cause. This is when these systems first appeared, and I had no other indications of a problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Side impact airbag didn't deploy causing head injury to driver. Van was hit at high speed by impaired driver who ran a red light. Van has hit from the driver's side in the engine compartment just in front of the driver. The engine was basically laying in the street after the impact.
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sedona. The contact stated while driving, he became aware of a strong and unpleasant fuel odor that made him and his granddaughter sick. The contact stated that the check engine warning light flashed on and off several times. The vehicle was taken on several occasions to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a fuel leak and several parts related to the fuel leak failure were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated the failure had been for a year and the dealer had not been able to repair the vehicle properly. The vehicle was also inspected by an independent mechanic who confirmed the failure and stated that the exhaust was very hot which could cause a fire. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The vehicle was no longer under warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
My car made a rattling noise when hitting the accelerator. The mechanic said that I only had one quart of oil left in my engine. No sign of leaks and no error codes. The engine light never came on. The oil has been changed regularly. The mechanic said the pistons were not firing correctly.
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a strong fuel odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The check engine warning light had remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the high-pressure fuel regulator was faulty and needed to be replaced. The high-pressure fuel regulator was replaced but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 39,000.
Passenger side seat belt don’t want to click in contacted don franklin kia and they stated they couldn’t fix it until there was a recall
I have needed to replace the drivers side brake light almost every 3 months. I have seen many Kia Sedonas with that brake light out
I was shutting the door and my hand was still in the door way. Sensor failed and closed my hand into the door and latched. I had to press the open door button to get it to release my finer. I had to go to ER and orthopedic doctor, resulting in a break in two parts of my finger. If it would have been one of my small children instead of me, it would have been much worse. The only issue we have had was a failed motor in the door but it was fixed and inspected months ago by the Kia dealer.
Showing 20 of 811 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact KIA Sedona
These pages show model-year patterns across 10 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used KIA Sedona, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The KIA Sedona has 811 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The KIA Sedona has 24 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 26 of the KIA Sedona's 811 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Below Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all KIA Sedona vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two KIA Sedona vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The KIA Sedona has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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KIA Sedona reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the KIA Sedona reliable?
Below Average. The KIA Sedona has 811 NHTSA owner complaints and 24 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is ENGINE. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which KIA Sedona years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2016 (289 complaints), 2015 (136 complaints), 2017 (131 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common KIA Sedona problems?
Top reported issues: ENGINE (313 complaints); ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (167 complaints); UNKNOWN OR OTHER (103 complaints).
Does the KIA Sedona have recalls?
Yes — 24 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the KIA Sedona. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.