2011 Kia Sedona problems
Owners have filed 88 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Kia Sedona. Engine is the most reported problem area, at 16% of complaints. Next are fuel system (15%) and electrical system (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 88 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 16% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 6 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 2 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 70,000 miles 52 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 15 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 3 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 3 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 7 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 7 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 7 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 4 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Of the 52 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 70,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 82,000 miles (10 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 6 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 2 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2011 ranks 16th most-complained-about out of 18 model years of the Kia Sedona with enough data (30 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 6 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sedona. The contact stated that while parked on a downward hill, the rear passenger attempted to exit the vehicle but the door slammed into the passenger, pinning her into the frame. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the failure was not a safety defect and the vehicle was designed to act in the manner in which it did. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 45,000. Updated 12/20/13
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sedona. The contact stated while his son was driving 60 MPH, when the vehicle began to decelerate. The driver was able to park on the side of the road. The contact stated check engine warning light was illuminated. The driver stated he saw smoke coming from engine. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to his residence. The driver stated later on they received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20v101000 (fuel system, gasoline). The vehicle had not been repaired.
On two occasions we were unable to shift the van out of the park position. It appeared to be stuck. The first time it happened, my husband shut the van off, and turned it back on and it fixed the problem. The second time it happened, I was able to shift it out of park, but the "ESC" light lit up on the dash board. After doing research on line, I realized this is a major problem on past kia sedona models and I am concerned for my safety and the safety of my children in this vehicle.
The doors will not latch and randomly open while driving! This is a severe safety hazard as my kids are passengers in the van.