Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 139 safety complaints
about the 2015 Kia Sedona with the US government. Of those, 2 describe a crash, 9 mention a fire, 2 people were injured and no death is recorded. 3 recall campaigns are open against it.
The most complained-about system is the engine,
named in 50 complaints, 36% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 55,000 miles,
the median across the 65
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers January 2015 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
139 complaints on file
139
Complaints
2
Describe a crash
9
Mention fire
2
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
Complaints halved year on year: 7 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 15 in the twelve before.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 50 · 36%
50 36%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 37 · 27%
37 27%
STRUCTURE 19 · 14%
19 14%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 17 · 12%
17 12%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 12 · 9%
12 9%
AIR BAGS 11 · 8%
11 8%
SEATS 6 · 4%
6 4%
SERVICE BRAKES 6 · 4%
6 4%
POWER TRAIN 4 · 3%
4 3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 · 2%
3 2%
WHEELS 3 · 2%
3 2%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 2 · 1%
2 1%
02346
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 139.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2024 at 23.
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2015 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2015 Kia SEDONA, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
VAN FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
13.0%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
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.
The risk
A turn signal activating in the opposite direction of what was intended by the driver increases the risk of a crash.
The 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.
Kia Motors America · up to 88,576 vehicles across all model years covered
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
19V109000 · February 19, 2019
The defect
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.
The risk
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.
The 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.
Kia Motors America · up to 94,389 vehicles across all model years covered
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
18V338000 · May 23, 2018
The defect
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.
The risk
If the door closes on an occupant, there is an increased risk of an injury.
The 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.
Kia Motors America · up to 106,428 vehicles across all model years covered
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
SEATS
1 injured · 125,000 miles
We have had multiple seat latches fail on our vehicle. We have attempted to WD40 the mechanism and have ensured there is nothing in the tract but the second row passenger seat as well as the larger drivers side third row seat are not latching onto the tract. The mechanism moved freely but they are not latching into place. I had submitted a safety recall claim for our second row seat a while back as it created a significant safety issue with our child in the seat. Now the rear seat is having a similar problem. The biggest issue is that it will seem that it is latching and then during times of safety concerns (occupied while driving) it unlatches. My son was sitting in the rear and lurched …
NHTSA complaint 11575069, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured
I was driving at approximately 20-25 mph when both side curtain airbags deployed. There was no collision or sudden stops. There were no warning lights or symptoms before or after the incident. My battery had been replaced at a local shop 4-5 hours prior to the incident. My child was in the car in her car seat and appears to have no apparent issues following the event. The hearing in my left ear is deteriorated and I have a ringing sound and it makes a distortion sound when the noise levels reach a certain level.
NHTSA complaint 11603531. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SEATS
fire · 6,700 miles
HAD TURNED ON THE AIR IN THE SEAT AND SMELLED A PLASTIC BURNING SMELL WHEN I PARKED MY CAR AND WENT IN MY HOUSE TO GET MY SWIMSUIT AND TOWEL AND RETURNED OUTSIDE SMOKE WAS ROLLING OUT OF THE CAR. THE CAR WAS ON FIRE AT THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT.
NHTSA complaint 10731142. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
fire
The car odometer was about 120,000 highway miles. After run with the cruise control for about a 386 miles I stop the car in Angola service station and been there for about 12 minutes with the car off the car got on fire. The electric system shut down immediately and the hood didn't open at all, rear doors didn't open electrical way just manually and the back door get completely sealed.
NHTSA complaint 11437981. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicle was stolen by hotwiring without alarm or security system triggered
NHTSA complaint 11768029. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicle was stolen. Inspection has been completed by police & insurance. Vehicle is currently being repaired.
NHTSA complaint 11759647. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
The check engine light illuminated with diagnostic code P0018 (crankshaft/camshaft position correlation, Bank 2), first recorded on a scan XXX. The vehicle was taken to a franchised Kia dealership in [XXX] on XXX at 88,719 miles. The dealer performed an engine teardown and provided a written diagnosis on XXX: metal debris on the exhaust camshaft position sensor, damaged camshaft phasers, a sheared camshaft pin, and metal contamination throughout the engine. The dealer states the engine requires either a major timing-system repair or complete engine replacement. This failure mode can cause sudden loss of motive power while driving. There was no crash, no injury, and no fire. The engine …
NHTSA complaint 11755079, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
fire
Was driving down the road with zero issues known, no check engine light, and only 114K miles. There was a sudden noise that was quiet so I turned down the radio, and then within 2 seconds or so a loud bang occurred, followed by a lot of smoke. I looked in the side mirrors and noted flames coming from underneath the van. Pulled over and got my family out.
NHTSA complaint 11749889. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Right side sliding became stuck in closed position. Door was not openable by inside nor outside door handles. Not openable by automatic means such as push button. This situation slowed egress and could be a safety issue during emergency evacuation. During repair, KIA mechanics informed me that the forward latch (not the rear latch) of the sliding door was mechanically locked in closed position. The latch had to be destroyed from inside of vehicle to release latch to open door to be able to repair.
NHTSA complaint 11743899. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Our 2015 Kia Sedona VIN [XXX] developed CAN Bus fault codes U0001 U0100 U0101 rendering it completely undrivable following an incomplete warranty extension repair under WTY019 by Kia of Des Moines on [XXX] RO# [XXX]. The power sliding doors have been a persistent safety concern. The incomplete warranty extension repair left the sliding door not closing properly creating a safety hazard. The vehicle subsequently developed CAN Bus communication faults making it completely undrivable. After 28 days at Kia of Des Moines from May 4 to June 1 2026 under RO# [XXX] the CAN Bus fault was never diagnosed or addressed. The power sliding door still does not function after two warranty extension …
NHTSA complaint 11741708, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed September 17, 2021.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst