2008 KIA Sedona Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sedona years
- More complaints than other years 6th of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 170 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 KIA Sedona. That ranks 6th out of 20 Sedona model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (45 complaints, 26%), typically at around 72,500 miles. Complaints mention 4 crashes, 10 fires, 2 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 170owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 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 | 45 | 26% | 72,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 38 | 22% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 25 | 15% | 54,528 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 15 | 9% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 15 | 9% | 85,566 | — | — |
| Suspension | 15 | 9% | 88,200 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 12 | 7% | 115,270 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 11 | 6% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 11 | 6% | 96,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 8 | 5% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 5% | 9,547 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 4% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 4% | 38,382 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 2% | 32,700 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 2% | 88,200 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 2% | 34,400 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 2% | 49,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 2% | 36,452 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 1% | 26,037 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | 60,525 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% | 66,329 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 93,700 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 31,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | 115 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1% | 108,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 KIA Sedona recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system; service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Sedona and 2007-2009 Sorento vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.
Risk: An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the vehicle is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the main junction box to prevent power from being directed to the HECU when the vehicle's ignition switch is turned off, free of charge. The recall began June 5, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC186.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Problem: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 Kia Sedona vehicles manufactured from June 15, 2005, through August 14, 2012 and originally sold in, or currently registered in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may break due to corrosion from salt water exposure such as from road salt use.
Risk: A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners and dealers will replace the front lower control arms on 2006-2007 models. 2008-2012 models will either have their front lower control arms replaced or additional anti-corrosion coating will be applied. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on July 27, 2016. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC133.
Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
Problem: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Kia Sedona vehicles manufactured from June 15, 2005, through April 04, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Risk: If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners and dealers will replace the secondary hood latch or clean and lubricate the latch, depending on the vehicle's location and the condition of the latch. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on July 27, 2016. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall number is SC134.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Problem: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 Kia Sedona vehicles manufactured from June 15, 2005, through August 14, 2012 originally sold in, or currently registered in Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, West Virginia or the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may break due to corrosion resulting from prolonged exposure to salty environments.
Risk: A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners and dealers will inspect the degree of corrosion of the front lower control arms, and will either rustproof or replace them, free of charge. The recall began on December 20, 2013. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall number is SC100.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
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.
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 contact owned a 2008 Kia Sedona. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked at a friendâs residence, the contact exited the vehicle and took the baby she was caring for inside the residence of the friend. Upon returning outside, the contact became aware that the vehicle was on fire and…
The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that upon having a state safety inspection performed on the vehicle, the contact was informed by a mechanic that there was severe corrosion on the subframe of the vehicle. The inspector informed the contact that the vehicle might be under…
The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated. The message "ESC OFF" was displayed. The contact stated that the headlights were inoperable. Additionally, the engine had overheated, causing an electrical short and battery failure. The battery was…
The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH and attempting to stop the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the steering wheel. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the control arm was damaged and needed to be…
Van caught fire in the engine compartment burned the firewall
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 | 170 | 5 |
| 2007 Sedona | 157 | 6 |
| 2006 Sedona | 385 | 7 |
| 2005 Sedona | 185 | 2 |
| 2004 Sedona | 176 | 2 |
| 2003 Sedona | 163 | 4 |
| 2002 Sedona | 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 2008 KIA Sedona?
Owners most often report electrical system, vehicle speed control, structure problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 45 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 KIA Sedona?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 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 2008 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.