This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
No lights on the dash, no maintenance or check engine lights. The van began making noises under the hood and then blowing white smoke from the exhaust. The electrical connectors to the fan were melted and hot. To the cooling fan, radiator, etc. The fan connector caused the car to over heat.
The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure and the contact's daughter was provided an estimate for the repair. The failure persisted, and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
The engine light came on sunday 25 Feb, I took it to autozone the next am and had the code read, it was for the crankshaft alignment sensor. My mechanic told me it may be several issues when that code came up and I should have it serviced soon but that it wasn't an emergency. The following day it had a new code show up on the entertainment system on the way home from my wifes job. The engine began to shake a bit and the engine light began to blink, it would not accelerate smoothly but as there were no safe places to stop my wife drove it the 3 miles home. It went in that night and was looked at Wednesday. It threw codes p0300, p0019, p0024, p0302, p0304, p0306 it was missing 5 quarts of oil (no warning light) 3 cylinders misfiring, timing codes, fuel samples were taken and were normal. The mechanic said there were no contributing factors to the engine failure other than poor design. As I have a 7 person house and need a second vehicle I have no choice but to trade it in tomorrow and get a new vehicle and roll the negative equity into the new car. My kids need to get to school and both the wife and I to work.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, he heard an abnormal clicking noise coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence and checked the oil and the coolant level. The contact stated that there was coolant leaking and that the oil level was low. The contact stated he filled the coolant reservoir and topped off the oil level and continued to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that he heard a loud clicking sound however, there was no warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that the head gasket was blown, and that coolant had leaked into the long block. The contact stated that the dealer advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: DP24002 (Engine). The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.
While driving, van went to half power with no warning light. Would not go above 15 MPH. It had recently had an oil change at a KIA dealership, but when we took to the shop, the oil was barely existent and foamy. It is undriveable and 3 different mechanics have said it cannot be fixed without a new engine.
- Mansfield , OH, USA
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Vehicle shut off while driving for no apparent reason. Vehicle had plenty of fuel and battery measures 12.8 volts with engine off, 13.8 volts when vehicle is on. No error code. Steering and braking stopped working correctly. We were traveling through a parking lot at the time so luckily not at high speed or this could have ended deadly. The vehicle would not immediately start back up, we put it in park, turned the key and the engine would turn over but not start. After 4 or 5 tries it did start, and the only fault to appear was the ABS light which came on and stayed on solid. After parking and shutting the vehicle off and restarting it the ABS light went away. No other fault codes are or were present.
we kept regular maintenance of vehicle and adhering oil change specs. one morning we start the van to let it warm up to go to bus stop, and it is making a TERRIBLE tingling ting a ling ting a ling noise from what seems to be the top end of the engine. We immediately turn it off. We check the oil.... it is BONE DRY. there was no light indicators or warning lamps that came on. it did not run any differently then it has ran in the past. If my son who just gotten his license was driving along our busy highway... it would have been a totallly different outcome. I am fearful for any individuals using this vehicle with their families. the only issue we had that is close to this was in late 2023. we checked our oil and the fluid was burning oil very QUICKLY, like needed oil daily. so we took it to a KIA certified garage, and we paid to have the oil seal replaced. i am still paying the 1800$$ job off! it has ran fine since, but now i am wondering if it really was the seal.... cuz where did the oil go this time"???" Again, there are no oil trails, no puddles.... no nothing. Our family is educated on mechanics and general mechanical systems.... and this Kia has been a mechanical monster. We've only had it since Dec 2021. I would like to know if this Kia is WORTH fixing or if these engines are just not worth the effort or MONEY! thank you
Our 2016 Kia Sedona SX with the 3.3L engine was consuming engine oil very quickly and experienced overheating. It is available for inspection. One time when the engine overheated, my wife was driving on the highway during a very cold day and had to pull over to stop the car. She had both of our children with her. The engine failed a block test that was performed by an independent mechanic shop. It was also taken to a nearby Kia dealership, and found to have a cracked head gasket, which is the cause of the steel bolts pulling and destroying the threads in the aluminum engine block. Since the dealership said they had to pull the engine apart to inspect it, the engine CANNOT be put back together since the threads are destroyed. There was no indication light that the engine was consuming oil so fast and low. We did get warning light and message when the car was overheating. There was NO indication on the warning lights that oil volume was low.
Engine failed at less than 90k miles. Kia wants to put a new engine in for $15,000. I bought it used so no 100k mile warranty. I have always had my car serviced at the dealership and never missed a service. This is a common problem and Kia has already been sued by multiple parties including a large class-action suit that resulted in them recalling 3 million cars. There is no warning when this happens. If you are driving on the freeway, as I was with my three kids, this type of failure can lead to loss of control of the car. They need to own up to this problem. People will get hurt/killed as a result of Kia's negligence.
Experienced overheating issues at only 105,000 miles due to leaking cylinder head gasket diagnosed at multiple mechanics, including the local Kia dealership. I was informed that this engine has a common defect where the head gasket bolts strip out of the engine block.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the heater was no longer blowing hot air. Additionally, the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the thermostat and the water pump, but the failure continued to occur. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rear cylinder head bolts had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 123,000.
There were absolutely no warning lights on my dashboard for the engine, engine oil or anything. I was on a busy 2 lane road with my 7 year old on December 21, 2023 and suddenly the Charging System Warning light and the Immobilizer Indicator came on and the car stopped accelerating. I had to coast off of the road where there was no where to pull over. There are only 61,355 miles on my car and I had just had the safety inspection completed by Kia on September 7, 2023. I had the car towed to the Kia dealership in Leesburg as I always trusted them with servicing my car. They now want me to pay $9,899.72 to replace the long block, starter motor, and intake manifold OR they said they will pay me $500 for my car. The car is in the Kia dealerships lot right now because we would have to tow it somewhere else. The only symptom started 2 days before the incident. When starting the car it made a clicking sound. There were absolutely no other symptoms.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact became aware that the radiator was overheating while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact replaced the thermostat, the radiator cap, and flushed the coolant and radiator system. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that the temperature gauge was indicating that the vehicle had started overheating. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the mechanic discovered that the head bolts on the cylinder heads had been stretched, causing coolant to leak into the engine cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
No warning lights ever came on. We took the vehicle to the KIA dealer because the fan stayed on when we shut off the engine and the heat stopped working. The KIA dealer said the vehicle needs a new engine due to head gasket leakage. This vehicle clearly has a major engine defect that could cause the vehicle to breakdown at any time with a failed engine. How does an engine fail without the engine light ever coming on? The vehicle has been properly maintained with timely oil changes and fluid checks.
Engine failed without warning on a trip to urgent care with our daughter. Was running normally, then started losing some acceleration and knocking loudly. Further inspection showed almost no oil in car, with no evidence of a leak. Car is parked in same spot on driveway daily and there isn-??t even a drop of leaked oil. Both the loss of power on the freeway and failure with no warning during an emergency left us and others at risk. Our son, a certified mechanic, has confirmed a thrown rod bearing. It failed October 6, Kia can-??t even look at it until the 26th. I-??m currently incurring the cost of a rental vehicle in addition to the cost of replacing the engine. No warning lights were illuminated before the failure, and none are illuminated after the failure.
We were driving with FIVE kids and my 2016 Sedona lost power while driving & wouldn't accelerate over 30mph. Drove home couldn't go over 30 mph even with the pedal to the floor. Got home, checked oil and it was bone dry. Check engine light NEVER came on and the oil light NEVER came on. The check engine light only came on AFTER it lost power and went into limp mode. Oil was not leaking as I park on a concrete driveway and would have seen any leaks immediately. $2,000 later at the mechanic (they replaced value covers and sensors) and the check engine light still wouldn't go off and the car continued to lose power after driving for about 20-30 minutes. I can turn the car off, wait a few minutes, turn it back on and it runs FINE for a while (20 mins. max). Also, the car runs absolutely fine until it loses power. No noises, no knocking, nothing to indicate there is an engine issue. The mechanic who couldn't fix it recommended; I take it to the dealer for a complete diagnostic workup. After a week at the Kia dealer with little to no feedback / info as to what was going on, I was finally given an estimate for $7,800 worth of repairs and told that still may not fix the issue as there could be internal engine failure because it ran out of oil. After a cursory google search, this appears to be a common problem with the Kia 3.3 GDI engines like mine. There were recalls and Kia extended the engine warranties on various other models with the same engines due to the exact same issue, but they have not extended the same benefits to Kia Sedona owners. There was even a class action lawsuit regarding this issue but again, not with the Sedona. My concern is this is a MAJOR safety issue. FIVE kids in the car on a normally busy highway (it was early so there weren't many people on the road). Had it been as busy as it normally is, we would have been rear-ended which could lead to MUCH worse on a busy highway. Please investigate this before someone is seriously hurt or killed.
The vehicle started making a rattling noise, but there were no lights on the dash at all!. My husband checked the oil and there was no oil. (It wasn't even due for an oil change yet.) Even after adding 5 quarts of oil, the engine threw a rod through the oil pan while it was being driven down the road. Then the engine caught on fire. Thankfully, my husband was able to get the car to the side of the road without causing an accident or getting burned. There were chunks of metal and oil sprayed all over the road. We had to have it towed and upon an independent mechanic's inspection, found out that the engine was completely destroyed and would have to be replaced and would probably cost about $8,500 (not including the added cost of a rental vehicle while the engine is replaced.) We had just had the oil leak recall completed in May and the local Kia dealership said everything was fine. My husband attempted to call Kia directly as well as the local Kia dealership, but no resolution has been reached.
A few weeks ago, we were taking FIVE kids to the beach (a one-hour drive) when after about 25 minutes, the van (2016 Kia Sedona SXL with a 3.3L V6 GDI engine) would not accelerate above 35MPH. We drove it home in "limp mode" on the shoulder and going 30MPH. I took it to my regular mechanic who informed me the engine oil was completely dry and the recommended $1900 in repairs to replace damaged valve covers and sensors. After picking it up, the check engine light came on only a few miles from the mechanic. I took it back and they recommended taking it to Kia for a complete diagnostic workup. After a week at the dealership, they gave me an estimated repair bill of just under $8,000 and stated after all that work then engine could possibly still not work due to total engine failure because it ran out of oil. I get the oil changed on a regular basis. absolutely NO warning lights came on prior to the vehicle failing to accelerate onto a busy highway. We had five kids in the car - two of which were friends of my kids. We were lucky that no one was zooming by when we tried to merge onto the highway because the engine completely lost power. It could have been a very dangerous situation. Now, after reading literally HUNDREDS of posts and complaints stating the EXACT same issue, I'm wondering why Kia has not recalled this particular model of car. They have, however, recalled the exact same engine in different models. I'm genuinely confused as to why SO many people are having the EXACT same issue and Kia is refusing to acknowledge it's an issue on their end that they should be fixing. I have a 2016 van which is otherwise in perfect condition sitting at my house needing a completely new engine. I should not be needing the engine replaced after only 108,000 miles - of which it has been regularly services. It's absolutely infuriating. The dealership basically threw up their hands and said they couldn't do anything except replace the engine for $8,500!!!!
I was driving on 2 two lane highway and starting to go up an incline. All of a sudden the vehicle started making a low rumble type sound and even though my foot was on the accelerator, the vehicle would not continue to drive. Everything basically stopped working. I was able to pull over onto the shoulder and put the vehicle in park. The engine light started blinking and then several lights started coming on. I turned the vehicle off for a few minutes and the restarted. Same thing happened. The engine light came on and the vehicle would not go after I put it in drive. Same rumble as well. I was able to get it towed to a trusted independent mechanic. After checking out the vehicle, he found there was no oil. What? We get it serviced on a regular basis and wasn't due for an oil change. There was NO WARNING LIGHT to alert me that the oil was gone. This ruined our engine. Our mechanic stated Motor is bad, no compression on 2 4 6 bank of engine. There was only 126, xxx miles on this vehicle. I am beyond upset as the vehicle is still in great condition and will now have to spend almost $5,000 on a replacement engine with 100,000 plus $1,000 in labor. This is unacceptable!!!!!
Engine caught fire while traveling on the highway. It was towed to the dealer. Dealer told us that engine failure and fire had been caused by oil leak, which occurred even with us bringing the car in for routine maintenance regularly and as recommended by Kia. Yes, our safety was put at risk as our engine failed and caught fire while we were traveling at high speed on a highway. There was no warning prior to this happening, and I had just brought the car into the dealer for routine maintenance within two weeks prior to the fire. With that said, I had been bringing the car to the dealer for routine maintenance regularly and bringing to their attention that the "low oil" warning light would appear intermittently, which it should not have done as I WAS bringing the car in for regular maintenance and oil changes. They did not seem to feel that that was an issue and would replenish the oil and send us on our way.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Knoxville, TN, USA