Problems · NHTSA complaints
2018 Kia Sedona problems
Owners filed 49 complaints about the 2018 Kia Sedona with NHTSA between Jun 2018 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is engine (22).
Complaints
49
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Engine22
- Electrical system11
- Air bags6
- Power train3
- Structure3
- Fuel/propulsion system2
- Seats2
- Exterior lighting2
- Wheels2
- Service brakes, hydraulic1
- Seat belts1
- Suspension1
- Steering1
- Forward collision avoidance1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 31, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
3
5
2
3
4
5
12
10
5
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 10 |
| 2026 | 5 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Engine
22 reports5 fires
“2018 Kia Sedona lx stalled while my wife was driving on the highway. No warning lights were on until the vehicle lost all power. Luckily my wife was able to pull the car safely to the side. The vehicle only has 36960 miles. Brought vehicle to the dealer and they said engine was seized. That Kia would not attempt a repair unless I gave copies of oil/oil filters from oil changes that I performed. I did not have these so Kia is not honoring the warranty. I changed the oil every year regardless of the miles. Did not miss. The oil is clean as I just changed the oil a couple months ago. Someone could have been killed. We got that van for our disabled adult son. Thankfully he wasn’t in the vehicle. We’ve been ripped off but at least my family is safe.”
Electrical system
11 reports1 crash1 fire1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that the air bag and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to start and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with alternator failure; however, the battery was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that after his wife had pulled into the driveway, the instrument panel turned blank, and the driver noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The driver turned off the vehicle, and the vehicle cooled down. The contact stated that upon attempting to restart the vehicle later in the evening, the vehicle failed to start. The contact opened the hood and noticed that unknown parts had melted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed the contact that the battery terminals and an unknown control module had melted due to an electrical failure; however, the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.”
Air bags
6 reports1 crash1 related recall
“In 2022, our airbag light came on. On 5/10/2022 am Airbag recall was issued and it was fixed. The airbag computer/module was fixed. We got into an accident in August of 2022, and our airbags never went off. And the airbag light has never shut off since it was “fixed” May 2022. It’s now October 2025. They said nothing was wrong with it, after bringing the vehicle in multiple times. And now after bringing it in, again in August 2025, they said the entire passenger airbag unit needs to be replace and isn’t related to the airbag recall. It’s $800+ and Kia won’t do it since the warranty has expired and it’s “not related”. Still fighting with them over it. As the airbags recall in 2022 included a defect where the Airbag Control Unit (ACU) cover can contact a memory chip, potentially deactivating the airbags. This issue affects a range of models manufactured between July 2016 and January 2019 and can result in the airbags failing to deploy in an accident. Worst customer service and vehicle I’ve ever owned.”
Power train
3 reports2 fires
“I was driving, my car just stopped, couldn’t start, started smoking and started on fire.”
Structure
3 reports1 crash1 related recall
“Driver Side door stuck in the closed position. Electric Motor does not work.”
Fuel/propulsion system
2 reports
“Engine failed…driving down the road with five small children and without warning all the lights came on and started smoking, leaking fuel, power doors failed, steering, acceleration and more. We had to have the car towed to a shop. A when looking into what’s happening apparently many others are having to spend thousands to fix this issue and I’m afraid that’s where we are. An investigation needs to be opened as this is clearly an ongoing issue for many families”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 31, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.