10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 9
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
14,198 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #79

Jul 302024

Sedona

  • miles
On [XXX], my vehicle overheated and started to leek coolant. This happened while driving at about 65 MPH with my family. No check engine lights came up just noted that the HVAC started to blow hot air and then the vehicle shutdown making difficult to break. I remembered that received a letter from Kia on May 26, 2014 that extended the warranty to 15 years / 180,000 miles for this type of issues - warranty number WYT039. I took it to a Kia dealership in Puerto Rico to get service and they diagnose the vehicle with the same issue as stated in the letter. However, Kia claims that they can't do the work because it is in Puerto Rico and I will have to take to USA mainland. I argue that federal law covers Puerto Rico for Safety Recalls and Warranty information and that they can discriminate for this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Moca, PR, USA

problem #78

Aug 132024

Sedona

  • miles
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" The vehicle's engine and electrical system appear to have failed, resulting in a fire originating from the engine compartment. The vehicle is currently at a salvage yard and available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The fire occurred while my wife was picking up our children from school. Fortunately, they were able to exit the vehicle safely, but the incident posed a significant risk to their safety and could have resulted in severe injury or death. The vehicle was completely engulfed in flames and is now unusable. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The specific issue leading to the fire has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center. However, the vehicle had been previously serviced by Gilman Honda on March 12, 2024, due to a loud grinding noise and issues with the air conditioning, for which I was charged $855. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle has not yet been inspected by Kia or any other manufacturer representative. I have opened a case with Kia, and they are aware of the incident and have expressed interest in inspecting the vehicle. My insurance company has been informed, but they have not inspected the vehicle. The vehicle has not been inspected by the police. 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 lights or messages indicating a potential problem immediately before the fire. However, the vehicle had been experiencing intermittent grinding noises and air conditioning malfunctions, which were brought to the attention of the service department on March 12, 2024.

- Universal City, TX, USA

problem #77

May 102024

Sedona

  • miles
On May 10, 2024 my van all of sudden started to jerk, stall and then die. My husband was able to make it to the side of the road before it died, but barely. There was no warning, no oil pressure lights, no engine lights nothing. It was running fine and then it wasn't. We took it to a shop because Valley Kia of Modesto was slammed. The mechanic at the shop told us we needed to make sure there was oil in the vehicle as there was none. I told them that I'm always keeping up with my oil. They repaired it and it cost close to $3,000. Then one month later on September 8, 2024. my husband and I are driving and out of the blue this time it starts to make a clinking noise, stall and die on us. It died on the highway and my husband was able to keep it rolling to the side of the road. Again, no warning, no oil pressure light, no signal light, no warning at all. Once we are safe, my husband checks the oil, there is none in the engine. We had only drove 2,446 miles in total from when we picked up the van from the shop on August 6th. From August 6th to September 8th and only 2,446 miles later all of of the oil the mechanic put in the van was gone. I took it to Valley KIA of Modesto and they tried to say it was the other mechanic's fault. I explained that there is an underlying issue with the vehicle causing it to use up so much oil and no warning or anything. There was never any oil leaks under the vehicle, oil leaking out of the engine, or smoke coming out of the tailpipe. Nothing to indicate something was wrong. Now they tell me I need a new engine and is not willing to admit that there is an extended warranty on the oil pressure switch due to it malfunctioning. They did admit that they can tell the check engine light is not registering that the engine is bad or showing any indication it's not running right. Now I have a KIA Sedona that needs a new engine due to faulty sensors and some other underlying issue of extreme oil consumption.

- Ceres, CA, USA

problem #76

Jul 042024

Sedona

  • miles
The vehicle suddenly uses all the oil and the engine locks up with no warning. No lights or guages alert the driver/owner.

- Creston, IA, USA

problem #75

Jun 132024

Sedona

  • miles
My car started over heating, took it to dealer, they said I had a blown head gasket. Since it isn't covered under warranty, they said I had to pre-approve a $2700 motor teardown in order to see if there were any other problems. Thank goodness there were, the head bolts separated. The engine was covered under dealership extended warranty since I bought it used from a Hyundai dealer.

- Sellersville, PA, USA

problem #74

Feb 102024

Sedona

  • miles
In February 2024, while driving on the highway, the van overheated causing us to pull over. Upon opening the hood, it was found that coolant was boiling in the reservoir. After letting the vehicle cool down, I began driving it again. Once back on the highway I heard a loud pop followed by smoke. I immediately pulled over. Coolant had sprayed all over the exterior of the van. When trying to tow the vehicle, it was found that it wouldn-??t start. The vehicle was towed home and sat until we received the recall from Kia at the end of May/beginning of June. Once the recall was received and we noticed the symptoms of the recall matched those of our van, we scheduled a diagnostic appointment with MidWest Kia in Wichita, KS. We received news from the dealership that Kia declined the request for repair due to hoses being broken and according to them, they are not covered by this warranty extension in the recall. We started researching and found that faulty head gaskets(the reason for the recall) can cause hoses to deteriorate and even break. We contacted Kia Motors and talked with them about this. They still denied the claim. The cost of the repair would be over $10,000. Ki has records of the phone calls made to appeal.

- Wellington, KS, USA

problem #73

Aug 072024

Sedona

  • miles
My van has 126k miles and regularly gets an oil change. We are the original owners and haven't had any issues with it either. As I was driving up hill, I realized I was losing acceleration power. Where i should be going faster than 65 mph, I was barely going 40. The outside weather was around 100 degrees and I'd already been driving for an hour. I glanced at the other things on my dash. My coolant meter was straight up, so that didn't flag an issue either. I started to switch lanes to get to the shoulder. As I did, my check engine and oil light flashed on for my van to then turn off. When I tried to start it, it clicked with no ignition. I don't know if there was smoke behind my car or if it was me turning up dirt when I pulled over, but there was a pop sound. It wasnt like a backfire. When i got out, I could smell a burned smell outside my van. There wasn't anything dripping from the bottom of my van either. A person who stopped to help checked my battery and it was fine. When it got towed to my house ($400), another person was surprised with a gummy residue in my oil tank. There are holes punched all over the bottom of my engine, but there is no oil anywhere. They said the engine should be covered with it or there should be oil splatter somewhere. Talking with the KIA dealership, they said it 75% doesn't sound like a recall, and I would have to tow it there at my expense for them to check, too. How can there be no warning of any issue if this isn't tied to the recall? We are now debating on if we want to spend another $400+ to tow it and then again to bring it back if they aren't going to cover the cost of the engine.

- Hyde Park, UT, USA

problem #72

May 302024

Sedona

  • miles
My family was driving 45 minutes away to a wedding rehearsal when I started to hear a clicking in the engine, like it was running rough. There was no warning lights on the dash but it sounded like it might be out of oil. We were far from home and no service centers nearby so we went directly home after. The sound progressed into a loud knocking noise and sounded really rough. Once we arrived home, I was able to check the oil and found out it was completely empty. I added 5 quarts of oil to the engine, but it was still making an extremely loud noise. I had it towed to a mechanic the next morning and they told me the engine was shot and beyond repair. They said this is a known problem with Kia engines and that the 4 cylinder engines were recalled but not the 6 cylinder engines. I had no choice but to spend almost $6,000 getting the engine replaced and it seems there is a premium on these engines due to the demand for them. I never thought it would run out of oil considering my last oil change was 3 months ago. There was no warning lights or anything to tell me there was a major problem. The mechanic said if I drove it for a few more minutes, the engine would have completely seized and we would have been stranded. Its frustrating to hear that this issue is known by so many but nothing has been done to correct the issue or reimburse those who were affected by this major issue.

- East Amherst, NY, USA

problem #71

Jun 222022

Sedona

  • miles
Purchased used minivan and several months after purchase was driving on highway and engine power dramatically decreased, check engine light flashed. Pulled over and engine oil had completely drained. Took to mechanic who said engine failed. Kia will not do anything. This seems to be a common issue. I am stuck with a car with blown engine and no recourse. Kia has recalled lots of engines but even though this one is a known problem they are not taking responsibility.

- La Porte, IN, USA

problem #70

Mar 262024

Sedona

  • miles
1. Excessive oil consumption. The oil was completely burned out at the time of my oil change. (3,000 miles/ 3 months) 2. The Engine Oil Level Warning Light fails to illuminate if the engine oil level is too low for the vehicle to operate safety and efficiently.

- Merrillville, IN, USA

problem #69

Jul 012024

Sedona

  • miles
Had van since new oil changed on time check engine light came on for cam shaft sensor crank sensor replaced all sensors and van still runs like crap ive been told by many shops to take to dealer and tell them-?? there are many other cars with same motor getting recalls but this van doesnt get any"?" Can you help us out-?? the van well taken care of and taken to dealers for oil and tires and etc they never state nothing wrong

- Waukesha, WI, USA

problem #68

Jul 012024

Sedona

  • miles
Engine shut off while driving with no warnings. All oil burned up and engine failure. Family in the vehicle very dangerous driving on highway. It just suddenly died.

- Plant City, FL, USA

problem #67

Jun 172024

Sedona

  • miles
Kia Sedonas have known headgasket engine coolant leak issue that can result in engine failure and is dangerous. Engine coolant leak had been confirmed by smell initially, as well as white smoke, low coolant in reservoir. Then took to 2 separate mechanics who both verified engine coolant leak. First said did not fix these. The 2nd mechanic refused to fix due to difficulty removing this particular engine to repair, would not touch it. Got letter in the mail from Kia directly saying "warranty extension on 2015-2016 Kia Sedonas with engine coolant leak" "take to dealer if above symptoms, and will be diagnosed at no cost, fixed at no cost etc"... Kia of asheville, nc dealer, wanted money to diagnose despite showing letter. Paid them. They verified engine coolant leak w relationship to headgaskets. Now wants approx $1000 to "look into it more" and Kia customer service is not supporting dealer to fix this known issue with 2015-2016 Kia Sedonas regarding coolant leak. My engine could have caught fire or seized if I had not been so careful with it and immediately stopped driving. I have evidence verifying this from independent mechanics as well as Kia. There is a serious risk of death of driving these vehicles, where a major recall needs to happen immediately. Without coolant, loose headgaskets, engines overheat and get destroyed and mine happened suddenly, and luckily I was not on the interstate. Welch automotive franklin nc was the first mechanic to diagnose, then stamey perfromance franklin nc was the second one to confirm, paramount Kia asheville nc was the most recent one who still has it and now is trying to give it back without fixing..... oddly enough they recalled the 2015-2016 sorentos with the same motor and issues, but not Sedonas...... I can add diagnosis from welch and stamey performance as well if needed, but this is Kia saying the headgasket coolant leak from their own mechanic. Also have more evidence. Please investigate this. Thank you!!

- Franklin, NC, USA

problem #66

Jun 062024

Sedona

  • miles
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.

- Carrollton, VA, USA

problem #65

Jun 152024

Sedona

  • miles
The problem started in late July of '23 and I already filed a complaint back then. But I want to file again and emphasize that this is systemic issue with all 2016 Kia Sedona vans. Last year, I was driving with five kids in the car on the way to the beach. While exiting a traffic circle (anyone who has ever driven in NJ knows how dangerous NJ traffic circles can be) when we lost power. The van would not accelerate over 35mph, and we had to drive home in limp mode on the shoulder. Thankfully it was early in the morning, and no one was on the road. Had this happened during a busy time, we would have been rear-ended or worse. I took it to my local mechanic who did $200 worth of repairs, but the vehicle still would not run at full speed and had a very rough idle. I should add prior to loss of power, there were ZERO warning lights, and the car was running fine. I was just about due for an oil change, and I change it on a regular basis according to Kia's recommendations. Then I took it to Kia, and they said they could TRY to fix it for $8000 but they couldn't promise it would work and said my other option was a complete engine replacement. Currently, I have been continuing to drive the van locally because I cannot afford another car. If I drive more than 35-40 minutes the car completely loses power and I have to pull over to the side of the road, turn the car off and wait a few minutes. When I turn it on it will run fine for another 35-40 minutes. I know it is my choice to continue to drive the vehicle, but I wanted to report that the loss of engine power happens almost daily and continues to be a danger. Thankfully, I stick to back roads and avoid highways and I have not lost power on a busy road, yet. I am concerned that there are MANY MORE complaints with the NTHSA for the EXACT same issue and there doesn't seem to be any movement with investigations or recalls. Kia continues to sell these used vans to people who have no clue. This is a life-threatening issue!!!!

- Marlton, NJ, USA

problem #64

Nov 162023

Sedona

  • miles
While driving the check engine light came on, the radio started talking about an engine failure, and my van lost all power. I was on an interstate going at least 70 mph, my children in the vehicle and cars, trucks, and semis passing us. We were almost hit trying to get to the side of the road. I took the van to the Kia dealership where they informed me that it would need an engine replacement. Before this incident there was no warning of the failure at all.

- Austin, IN, USA

problem #63

May 032024

Sedona

  • miles
Engine Control system warning came on without warning 2 days before we Took it to our local mechanic. He fixed it with a $2700 price. Told us the accutuator on bank #2 was bad. He ended up replacing several other parts including the timing chain. We got our van back, and 3 days later the ECS warning was back with a tick, & the engine light came on. I believe Kia has a real need to recall this issue.

- Dover, OH, USA

problem #62

May 212024

Sedona

  • miles
Blown head gasket, possible head bolt issue.

- Springfield, OH, USA

problem #61

Jan 102024

Sedona

  • miles
I purchased my kia Sedona new and have always properly maintained it. It now has approximately 140,000 miles on it. Our sedona started to get hot so we let it cool down then took it straight to the dealership. They said we need a new engine, the head gasket is leaking because of faulty threads in the engine block. They said this is a common problem on this engine that they get a couple a week with this problem! They said sorry but kia would not help with any of the cost.

- Lewisburg, OH, USA

problem #60

May 062024

Sedona

  • miles
Noticed power loss in engine, engine started knocking, on the way to the mechanic the motor seized up, oil changed per manufacturer specs every 5,000 miles

- Vero Beach, FL, USA

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