Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 38 safety complaints
about the 2019 Kia Sedona with the US government. Of those, 2 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 5 people were injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the air bags and the seat belts.
The most complained-about system is the engine,
named in 11 complaints, 29% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 30,000 miles,
the median across the 13
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers March 2019 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
38 complaints on file
38
Complaints
2
Describe a crash
1
Mention fire
5
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.
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 11 · 29%
11 29%
STRUCTURE 9 · 24%
9 24%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 · 11%
4 11%
POWER TRAIN 4 · 11%
4 11%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 3 · 8%
3 8%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 · 8%
3 8%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 · 8%
3 8%
AIR BAGS 2 · 5%
2 5%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 · 5%
2 5%
STEERING 2 · 5%
2 5%
TIRES 2 · 5%
2 5%
SEAT BELTS 1 · 3%
1 3%
0815
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 38.
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 8.
12 9 6 3
192019202020212021222022232023242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2019 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 2019 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 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles. The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash.
The risk
Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 21, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC226.
Kia Motors America · up to 410,619 vehicles across all model years covered
SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
19V207000 · March 18, 2019
The defect
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Sedona vehicles equipped with an 8-passenger seat arrangement. The seat belt
buckle for the second-row middle seat may have been improperly installed on the wrong side of the seat, preventing the proper use of the 3-point seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
The risk
A seat belt that cannot be properly used increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The remedy
Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt installation, and reinstall the seat belt buckle to the correct side if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 8, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia 's number for this recall is SC177.
Kia Motors America · up to 197 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.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
2 injured · 30,000 miles
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sedona. The contact stated while driving, he became aware of a strong and unpleasant fuel odor that made him and his granddaughter sick. The contact stated that the check engine warning light flashed on and off several times. The vehicle was taken on several occasions to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a fuel leak and several parts related to the fuel leak failure were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated the failure had been for a year and the dealer had not been able to repair the vehicle properly. The vehicle was also inspected by an independent mechanic who confirmed the failure and stated that the exhaust was very hot which …
NHTSA complaint 11590999, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
1 injured · fire · towed · 140,000 miles
The contact owned a 2019 Kia Sedona. The contact stated while driving 70 mph up a hill, he heard an abnormal noise, and then the vehicle was seized. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the size of the vehicle and when exiting the vehicle felt heat exiting under the vehicle. The contact stated he saw fire located on the engine. The contact extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher he had available. The fire department filed a fire report. The contact stated an ambulance was able to attempt him and transport him to the hospital for smoke and fire extinguisher chemical in his lungs. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to an …
NHTSA complaint 11452719, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 163,000 miles
Side impact airbag didn't deploy causing head injury to driver. Van was hit at high speed by impaired driver who ran a red light. Van has hit from the driver's side in the engine compartment just in front of the driver. The engine was basically laying in the street after the impact.
NHTSA complaint 11592169. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 injured
I was shutting the door and my hand was still in the door way. Sensor failed and closed my hand into the door and latched. I had to press the open door button to get it to release my finer. I had to go to ER and orthopedic doctor, resulting in a break in two parts of my finger. If it would have been one of my small children instead of me, it would have been much worse. The only issue we have had was a failed motor in the door but it was fixed and inspected months ago by the Kia dealer.
NHTSA complaint 11522286. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
In 2025 I had my camshaft replaced by Fox Valley VW of [XXX]. They completed work on my camshaft with a misfire notification of cylinders 2, 4 and 6. Most recently, our sedona had a head gasket blow resulting in it needing a full replacement of the long block assembly. This was determined by the Kia Service Center of McGraf Kia on [XXX]. My vehicle has the 3.3L Lambda engine in which Kia extended the warranty on the head bolts and head gaskets. (Kia Campaign WTY035 and [XXX]). During our ownership, my husband and I kept up with all regular maintenance; oil changes with the proper oil, measuring our fluid levels, changing brakes etc. Our coolant never needed to be topped off until our engine …
NHTSA complaint 11766468, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STRUCTURE:BODY
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 …
NHTSA complaint 11762840, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
towed · 146,000 miles
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.
NHTSA complaint 11755275. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
40,000 miles
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 …
NHTSA complaint 11745095, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Both sliding doors will not open using door buttons. Both doors stopped latching on their own before this occurred. Needed to push doors manually for the door to latch.
NHTSA complaint 11734427. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STRUCTURE:BODY
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.
NHTSA complaint 11732039. 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 January 25, 2022.
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