2002 KIA Sedona Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sedona years
- More complaints than other years 3rd of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 198 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 KIA Sedona. That ranks 3rd out of 20 Sedona model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (50 complaints, 25%), typically at around 52,000 miles. Complaints mention 17 crashes, 13 fires, 20 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 198owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 17complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 KIA Sedona problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 50 | 25% | 52,000 | “caught fire” (14%) | — |
| Seat Belts | 28 | 14% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 27 | 14% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 26 | 13% | 22,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 21 | 11% | 36,438 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 19 | 10% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 9% | 43,828 | — | — |
| Power Train | 17 | 9% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 14 | 7% | 50,764 | — | — |
| Seats | 13 | 7% | 39,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 12 | 6% | 77,600 | — | — |
| Equipment | 10 | 5% | 27,238 | — | — |
| Tires | 10 | 5% | 19,604 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 5% | 69,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 8 | 4% | 29,121 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 3% | 23,580 | — | — |
| Engine | 4 | 2% | 117,750 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 2% | 105,429 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 105,429 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 1% | 58,250 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 21,947 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | 46,876 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | 3,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 KIA Sedona recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Vehicle speed control:cables
Problem: On certain mini vans, during assembly, the throttle cable would twist itself out of position.
Risk: This can permit the cable to be hung up, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the throttle cable free of charge. Vehicles produced from march 20, 2001 through november 7, 2001 will have a guide clip installed on the throttle body assembly in order to ensure that the tension force cable does not move out of position. Vehicles manufactured beginning on november 8, 2001, already have the extended guide, which accomplishes the same objective. The recall began march 21, 2005. Owners may contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.
Seats:mid/rear assembly
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, some of the second and third row seat strikers installed on the vehicle floor pan have been improperly heat treated and could break in a crash.
Risk: This could result in injuries to occupants of these seats.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat strikers. Owner notification began april 25, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact kia at 1-800-333-4542
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: Certain mini vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies." the second and third seat belt buckle anchor bolts do not comply with the standards.
Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle anchor bolts. Owner notification began february 24, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Steering intermediate shaft binding (EA08017) — opened Aug 28, 2008, closed Jul 1, 2009.
- Steering binding (PE08033) — opened Apr 28, 2008, closed Aug 28, 2008.
- Throttle cable binding (PE04067) — opened Sep 24, 2004, closed Jan 27, 2005, led to recall 05V013000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The door handles are plastic and eventually broke off on the outside so that opening the doors -all 4- is tricky since only one side of the handle remains in place. The inside door handles have a plastic chrome-looking coating that peels off and has cut our hands several times causing us to need…
Driver door will not open from the inside or outside.
It is nearly impossible to pump gas into the van. The pump keeps shutting off no matter how slow i pump or how far i put the nozzle into the tank.
I was driving no less then than block from my house - when i notice smoke from the driver side fuse panel and next thing you know the whole panel became engulf in flames. I called the fire department and able to put fire out- but unfortunately, the car become total in the damage.
Drove home from work at 35 mph. The next morning noticed tire tread had separated from the sidewall around much of the perimeter of the tire. Tire was flat.
Other KIA Sedona years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Sedona | 10 | 0 |
| 2020 Sedona | 20 | 1 |
| 2019 Sedona | 39 | 2 |
| 2018 Sedona | 48 | 3 |
| 2017 Sedona | 134 | 4 |
| 2016 Sedona | 297 | 4 |
| 2015 Sedona | 139 | 3 |
| 2014 Sedona | 39 | 1 |
| 2013 Sedona | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 Sedona | 108 | 5 |
| 2011 Sedona | 65 | 6 |
| 2010 Sedona | 32 | 5 |
| 2009 Sedona | 48 | 5 |
| 2008 Sedona | 170 | 5 |
| 2007 Sedona | 157 | 6 |
| 2006 Sedona | 385 | 7 |
| 2005 Sedona | 185 | 2 |
| 2004 Sedona | 176 | 2 |
| 2003 Sedona | 163 | 4 |
| 2002 | 198 | 3 |
See all KIA Sedona problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
Similar KIA models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 KIA Sedona?
Owners most often report electrical system, seat belts, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 50 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 KIA Sedona?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 KIA Sedona a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sedona model years, the 2002 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.