2019 Kia Sedona

Dear NHTSA Customer Service Representative, I am writing to file a safety complaint regarding the sliding side doors of a 2019 Kia Sedona operated by our church. Currently, neither side door closes properly, creating a serious safety concern while the vehicle is being driven. Because this vehicle is used for church-related transportation, the safety and proper operation of its doors are especially important. I contacted both an authorized Kia dealership and Kia Customer Care regarding this issue. However, I was informed that the applicable recall covers only vehicles manufactured through the 2018 model year and that my 2019 model is therefore excluded. The problem initially developed in one of the sliding doors approximately three years ago. At that time, I took the vehicle to an authorized Kia dealership, but I was not informed of any recall involving this type of door malfunction. The dealership performed only a routine repair or adjustment. Afterward, we used the vehicle cautiously and avoided using the affected door whenever possible. The same problem has now affected both sliding doors. Although our vehicle is one model year newer, it appears to have the same type of sliding-door system, and the malfunction is identical to the problem addressed by the recall. Therefore, I believe this vehicle may have the same safety-related defect. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this matter and consider whether the existing recall should be expanded to include affected 2019 Kia Sedona vehicles. Thank you for your attention to this serious safety concern. I would appreciate your review and guidance regarding the appropriate next steps. Sincerely,

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine overheated. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the engine head bolts had failed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced. The contact stated that later while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer who diagnosed that the ignition coil had failed. The ignition coil and spark plug seals were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 146,000.

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.

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.