2011 KIA Sedona Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sedona years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 12th of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 65 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 KIA Sedona. That ranks 12th out of 20 Sedona model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (12 complaints, 18%), typically at around 55,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 1 fire, 1 injury. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 65owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2011 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 | 12 | 18% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 11 | 17% | 99,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 10 | 15% | 117,450 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 14% | 145,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 8 | 12% | 66,283 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 8% | 83,129 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 8% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 6% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 5% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 5% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 5% | 81,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 3 | 5% | 38,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 3% | 24,250 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 2% | 600 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 2% | 200 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 2% | 1 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2011 KIA Sedona recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system:fuel rail
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Sedona vehicles. The fuel rail may crack from exposure to heat generated within the engine compartment, resulting in a fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of fire.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rail, free of charge. The recall began June 16, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC188.
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kia Forte, Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Kia Optima and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners from deploying.
Risk: If the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Fix: Kia will notify owners. For model year 2011 Sedona vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to verify the ACU part number and, if necessary, install an extension wire harness kit between the ACU Connector and the Vehicle Harness Connector. For all other affected vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to install the extension wire harness kit. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC165.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Air bags may be disabled during crash (PE18003) — opened Mar 16, 2018, closed Aug 30, 2019, led to recall 18E043000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My fuel rail assembly in my 2011 kia sedona is cracked and leaking causing a gas smell. I'm confused why only some of the kias from 2011 got recalled when it seems like a lot more have this issue.
In getting the ACU recall fixed, it was found that the Airbag Module is not responding. The ACU cannot be fixed unless the airbag module is fixed. It is my understanding that this is the part before the ACU. This is at a cost of $959 and not covered under the current recall.
The sliding doors do not latch/close all the way. The light on the dash does not show the doors are not closed. The doors have opened while driving with children in the back seat. The same for the trunk.
Recall appointment was set with Ken Ganley Kia auto iNew Port Richey , FL. It was set for two weeks out. They told us what the recall was before we got there. They didnât order the part to fix it. Now Itâs been since March 23rd and we have never heard from them. I feel theyâve had ample…
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sedona. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the hood latch fractured, and the hood unexpectedly flew open and crashed into the front windshield. The contact stated that the hood was wrapped around the vehicle. There were no reported injuries. The driver was able to…
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 | 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 Sedona | 198 | 3 |
See all KIA Sedona problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2011 KIA Sedona?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine, fuel/propulsion system problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 12 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2011 KIA Sedona?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2011 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 2011 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.