2016 KIA Sedona Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sedona years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 297 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 KIA Sedona. That ranks 2nd out of 20 Sedona model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (148 complaints, 50%), typically at around 88,000 miles. Complaints mention 10 crashes, 14 fires, 10 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 297owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 10complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 148 | 50% | 88,000 | “engine failed” (9%) | $6,350 |
| Electrical System | 46 | 15% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 37 | 12% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 32 | 11% | 52,083 | — | — |
| Structure | 25 | 8% | 63,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 19 | 6% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 13 | 4% | 67,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 9 | 3% | 25,964 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 3% | 36,400 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 2% | 25,964 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 6 | 2% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 2% | 1,041 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 2% | 98,450 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 2% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 2% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 19,500 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Firerelated | 1 | 0% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Insert, Padding | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Other/i Am Not Sure | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 23,487 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 KIA Sedona recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift
Problem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016 Sedona and Sorento vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with faulty automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, preventing the shift lever from locking, which can allow the vehicle to rollaway.
Risk: A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash and injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 7, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC246.
Electrical system:software; exterior lighting:turn signal
Problem: 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.
Risk: A turn signal activating in the opposite direction of what was intended by the driver increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Electrical system:wiring
Problem: 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.
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.
Fix: 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.
Structure:body:door; electrical system:software
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the door closes on an occupant, there is an increased risk of an injury.
Fix: 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.
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
- 3.3L Engine Loss of Motive Power (LOMP) (DP24002) — opened Feb 27, 2024, closed Mar 5, 2024.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
In January 2026, I brought my vehicle to a Kia dealership specifically complaining that it was "burning oil." The dealership documented this exact complaint on the invoice, but only repaired external leaks. They failed to perform an oil consumption test, failed to diagnose the internal burning…
While driving my van I had stopped to put car in reverse to park and as I was putting van back into drive to finish parking the engine quit, I was unable to restart the vehicle, just a click sound. All the lights doors everything electric worked, still purchased a new battery in case that was the…
Total engine failure at 120k miles, no warning signs.
Both Sliding door on left and right side wouldnât close and stayed open for a short period of time. Now the door canât be opened because it doesnât latch.
I purchased the minivan as a used car last year and I noticed that the airbag light turned on when a passenger would sit on the front passenger seat. I tried to get a diagnosis ever since but many shops that I brought my minivan to didnât work with airbags. So I eventually brought my minivan to a…
Other KIA Sedona years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Sedona | 9 | 0 |
| 2020 Sedona | 20 | 1 |
| 2019 Sedona | 38 | 2 |
| 2018 Sedona | 48 | 3 |
| 2017 Sedona | 134 | 4 |
| 2016 | 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 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 2016 KIA Sedona?
Owners most often report engine, electrical system, exterior lighting problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 148 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 KIA Sedona?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 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 2016 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.