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2016 Kia Sedona

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Sedona years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Kia Sedona are substantially higher than the model-year median of 120.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

100 reports with mileage · 195 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 146 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Exterior Lighting. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

10 crash reports14 fire reports9 injury reports

What owners actually said

295 reports
Mileage unknown · Aug 2, 2025
Air Bags

My vehicle has a recall 19V109000. The description of the issue is "Over time, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) wiring harness located underneath the front passenger seat may break from the seat being occupied." This issue has been diagnosed as having this very specific problem, Kia claims that this problem was previously f…

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My vehicle has a recall 19V109000. The description of the issue is "Over time, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) wiring harness located underneath the front passenger seat may break from the seat being occupied." This issue has been diagnosed as having this very specific problem, Kia claims that this problem was previously fixed in my car, however it has not been fixed. I have been trying for sometime to get Kia and my local Kia Dealer to fix it but they just keep responding that this was already fixed. A closer look and its obvious this was never done. I don't have the exact date of when I first noticed it, the harness is damaged and the issue goes away from time to time, and my attempts to fix it have gone back a couple of years, and have gotten nowhere when trying to work with Kia.

NHTSA ODI #11677966

Mileage unknown · Jul 26, 2025
Engine

Engine Failure

NHTSA ODI #11676407

Mileage unknown · Jul 24, 2025
Engine

Timing Chain Failure/Cam Shaft Failure/Bank 2 Failure/drastic loss of engine oil. Got home before engine seized, could have crashed if engine failed on freeway. Codes confirmed techs suspicion. No warning lights or notifications appeared on dashboard.

NHTSA ODI #11675783

Mileage unknown · Jul 15, 2025
Air BagsEngineSteeringInjury

I have a 2016 kia sedona. Engines on the vehicle have been known to be bad and I already had 1 engine replaced under their extended warranty that covers to 150000 miles after a blown head gasket. I got a new engine 11/2024 however car overheats & coolant leak everywhere&bust hoses. I was told to replace radiator and all cooling/…

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I have a 2016 kia sedona. Engines on the vehicle have been known to be bad and I already had 1 engine replaced under their extended warranty that covers to 150000 miles after a blown head gasket. I got a new engine 11/2024 however car overheats & coolant leak everywhere&bust hoses. I was told to replace radiator and all cooling/heater hoses, but video show coolant bubbling car still overheating. Replaced one loose hose under warranty. Car overheats again was told to replace relay switch for fan another. Dealer crash my car waited a month for parts and they never repaired damages to my bumper and airbag light. 2 month later car overheats again now coolant spraying into trunk and hose pop again now at heater core. There is no light notice of when car overheating tiil very hot. Or someone tells me my car is smoking by then it is followed by a loud noise and coolant leaking everywhere again. This time the overheating bust the heater core hose in my trunk and was spraying coolant all in trunk while I was getting ready to get of freeway. Very scary. I pulled over just in time for noise and coolant to leak out everything from resovoir again. This is my family car and have 5 kids under 18 and feel very unsafe now. Despite paying for everything kia suggest every 1-2 months they still fail to find cause of overheating and constant hoses breaking or coming loose after the pressure build up and I am scared this car will catch fire or stall one day with my children in car. Already noticed sometime its like car struggles to accelerate despite a supposed new engine but car been constantly overheating even after engine replacement and it also still causes sludge in hose& had 4 coolant flushes in a year and new hoses and now seems people working on car not sure what they doing because I was told I needed new heater hoses 2months later they didn't know my heater core was at back car so didn't replace so this hose burst despite kia recommendation to replace. Please help b4 it too late

NHTSA ODI #11673557

88,500 miles · Jul 7, 2025
Engine

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 50 MPH, the contact heard a knocking sound coming from the engine and the vehicle lost power. The contact was able to pull over to the right side of the road, turned off the vehicle for several minutes, restart the vehicle, and the vehicle …

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The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 50 MPH, the contact heard a knocking sound coming from the engine and the vehicle lost power. The contact was able to pull over to the right side of the road, turned off the vehicle for several minutes, restart the vehicle, and the vehicle worked as intended. There were no warning lights illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case; however, the case number was not available. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 88,500.

NHTSA ODI #11671688

Mileage unknown · Jul 4, 2025
Engine

In October 2024 we broke down on the highway outside of DesMoines, IA. The van slowed considerably in the midst of 11am traffic on I [XXX] from a lack of power, not from applying the brakes. Cars behind us had no warning, but no one hit us. The 4-way flashers and turn signals would not engage. There was no warning from the dash…

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In October 2024 we broke down on the highway outside of DesMoines, IA. The van slowed considerably in the midst of 11am traffic on I [XXX] from a lack of power, not from applying the brakes. Cars behind us had no warning, but no one hit us. The 4-way flashers and turn signals would not engage. There was no warning from the dashboard of a pending issue. Trent’s Garage in Clive, IA determined the main reason was an internal oil leak that damaged the alternator, which they replaced along with the right-side valve cover gasket. There was an earlier incident that I attributed to a service mistake. Shortly after Napleton Elmhurst Kia in IL serviced the vehicle in June 2023, it began to hesitate and become unresponsive while we were driving. There was no indication from the dash lights or from our garage floor that the engine was leaking any fluids or was low on oil, but I checked the oil at a suggestion from my wife. It barely registered on the dipstick. I added oil and the van ran fine. I now monitor the oil level regularly and add a quart of oil every 1000 miles. There is still no visible oil leak. Napleton Kia Service told me nothing could be done short of replacing the engine, and that I should change the oil more frequently (April 2025) than their original recommendation of every 5000 miles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11671227

Mileage unknown · Jun 30, 2025
Exterior Lighting

Rain water continually collects in both brakelight/taillight assemblies at the rear of the van. This causes the bulbs for the turn signal and brake light to burn out. This has been an issue since we purchased the vehicle in 2016. Initially, we could change the bulb(s) and they would last a while but now the passenger side bulb(s…

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Rain water continually collects in both brakelight/taillight assemblies at the rear of the van. This causes the bulbs for the turn signal and brake light to burn out. This has been an issue since we purchased the vehicle in 2016. Initially, we could change the bulb(s) and they would last a while but now the passenger side bulb(s) can be replaced and burn out immediately! We have burned through dozens of bulbs since owning the van. On 6/17/25 I took the van to Valvoline in Circleville, Ohio for an oil change and replacement of the rear passenger turn signal bulb. On inspection he informed me that both brake lights were out as well as the right turn signal. He was able to replace the left brake light after dumping water out of the casing but the right side was so full of water he wouldn't even touch the bulbs because he said it would do no good. He recommended I get new casings/housing assemblies for both sides. In reading about this issue, it appears to be a problem not only for me but for many others. It was noted that several owners had holes drilled in the housing as "drain" holes and that the issue was corrected and/or improved in the later models. I believe this to be a huge safety issue due to the fact that it involves braking and turning and the increased risk of getting hit from behind.

NHTSA ODI #11670277

Mileage unknown · Jun 26, 2025
Engine

in June 2026 sever engine knocking at startup and during slight acceleration lead us to have vehicle inspected. there were no warring lights on and no other indicators of issues. An independent mechanic as well as a Kia dealer performed inspections and indicated a lifter bearing failure due to inadequate oil delivery. at the t…

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in June 2026 sever engine knocking at startup and during slight acceleration lead us to have vehicle inspected. there were no warring lights on and no other indicators of issues. An independent mechanic as well as a Kia dealer performed inspections and indicated a lifter bearing failure due to inadequate oil delivery. at the time the oil level was within range and within 3,500 miles since the previous oil change. Dealer indicated a complete engine replacement was needed due to the bearing failure and damage to the lifters.

NHTSA ODI #11669611

Mileage unknown · Jun 19, 2025
Engine

I am writing to report an incident with my 2016 Kia Sedona, which experienced a sudden engine failure. The failure was diagnosed with engine codes P0014 and P0018, indicating camshaft timing and crankshaft correlation issues, consistent with internal engine failure and symptoms related to the known Theta II engine defect with K…

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I am writing to report an incident with my 2016 Kia Sedona, which experienced a sudden engine failure. The failure was diagnosed with engine codes P0014 and P0018, indicating camshaft timing and crankshaft correlation issues, consistent with internal engine failure and symptoms related to the known Theta II engine defect with Kia’s of that year, including metal debris and timing issues. For many of these Kia’s the warranty was extended to 120,000 miles. My incident took place at 120,600 miles. I have maintained this vehicle responsibly, and this issue occurred with little to no warning. Though I understand the mileage technically exceeds the warranty limit, the proximity to the cutoff and the nature of the failure suggest that the defect likely developed well before the warranty threshold. I contacted Kia to request goodwill coverage for an engine replacement or the associated repairs. I believe that other customers in similar situations have received assistance under goodwill policies, especially for issues tied to known manufacturer defects, unfortunately Kia declined to open a case on my behalf.

NHTSA ODI #11667965

Mileage unknown · Jun 18, 2025
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

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 ODI #11667762

Official recalls

4

22V612000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift

Aug 10, 2022

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016 Sedona and Sorento vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with faulty automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, preventing the shift lever from locking, which can allow the vehicle to rollaway.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash and injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 7, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC246.

21V725000 · Electrical System:software; Exterior Lighting:turn Signal

Sep 17, 2021

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sedona vehicles. The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals received from the multifunction switch, which could cause the turn signal to activate in the opposite direction of what the driver intended.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A turn signal activating in the opposite direction of what was intended by the driver increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the SJB software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 12, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC217.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:software

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sedona vehicles. The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals received from the multifunction switch, which could cause the turn signal to activate in the opposite direction of what the driver intended.

Consequence: A turn signal activating in the opposite direction of what was intended by the driver increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the SJB software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 12, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC217.

Exterior Lighting:turn Signal

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sedona vehicles. The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals received from the multifunction switch, which could cause the turn signal to activate in the opposite direction of what the driver intended.

Consequence: A turn signal activating in the opposite direction of what was intended by the driver increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the SJB software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 12, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC217.

19V109000 · Electrical System:wiring

Feb 19, 2019

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will remove the wire harness clip to prevent the wiring harness from breaking. If the harness is found damaged, the front passenger seat cushion will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC175.

18V338000 · Electrical System:software; Structure:body:door

May 23, 2018

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the door closes on an occupant, there is an increased risk of an injury.

Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PSD module software, free of charge. The recall began on June 18, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC164.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:software

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.

Consequence: If the door closes on an occupant, there is an increased risk of an injury.

Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PSD module software, free of charge. The recall began on June 18, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC164.

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.

Consequence: If the door closes on an occupant, there is an increased risk of an injury.

Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PSD module software, free of charge. The recall began on June 18, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC164.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP24002 · 3.3L Engine Loss Of Motive Power (lomp)

Opened Feb 27, 2024 · Closed Mar 5, 2024

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition on February 20, 2024, requesting the opening of an investigation into an alleged defect of the "engine" on the following vehicle model stated by the petitioner: 2016 Kia Sedona vehicles equipped with the 3.3L V-Shaped GDI Lambda-II engine. The petitioner raised the issue of a Loss of Motive Power. On November 13, 2023, ODI opened PE23-019 to address allegations of loss of motive power, on the 3.3L V6 Lambda-II engine for 2016-2017 Kia Sorento and included the 2016 Kia Sedona as a peer vehicle. This investigation is ongoing and addresses the potential safety-related defect raised by the petitioner.  In view of the open Investigation, PE23-019, ODI considers the petition moot and is closing this action.  The closing of the petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.  The Agency reserves the right to make that determination at the close of PE23-019.