Model year record

2004 Kia Sedona Ex recalls & problems

The 2004 Kia Sedona Ex has 1 safety recall and 37 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is steering (12 complaints).

Recalls1safety recalls

Complaints37filed by owners

Crashes · fires2 · 3reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths4 · 0reported in complaints

Safety recalls

SeatsOct 5, 2005

Seats

Recall 05V46300074,276 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POWER SEATS, THE WIRING UNDER THE FRONT SEATS COULD BE MISROUTED, ALLOWING CONTACT WITH METAL SEAT COMPONENTS.
Risk: THIS CONTACT COULD EVENTUALLY RESULT IN A SHORT CIRCUIT CONDITION THAT MAY RESULT IN A FIRE IN THE JUNCTION BOX AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND RE-ROUTE THE WIRES UNDER THE POWER SEATS, IF NECESSARY, AS WELL AS INSTALL PROTECTIVE SEAMING WELTS AROUND THOSE WIRES TO BETTER INSULATE THEM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 28, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Typical mileage*
SteeringRack and pinion; Hydraulic power assist › Pump	12	0	0	75,809 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic	6	0	0	44,500 mi
WheelsLugs/nuts/bolts/studs; Hub	5	0	1	28,000 mi
Electrical systemIgnition	5	0	1	50,599 mi
Engine and engine coolingEngine › Gasoline	4	0	0	61,485 mi
Exterior lightingBrake lights; Headlights	4	0	0	41,000 mi
SuspensionRear › Axle › Spindle; Rear	3	0	1	—
Power trainAutomatic transmission	3	1	0	57,902 mi
TiresPressure monitoring and regulating systems	3	0	0	90,350 mi
Electronic stability control (esc)	3	0	0	156,890 mi
SeatsFront assembly › Power adjust	2	0	1	—
StructureBody › Door	1	0	0	—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Steering
POWER STEERING MAKES WHINING SOUND WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL, POWER STEER FLUID LOW IN CANISTER DUE TO LEAKS. HARD TO TURN TO THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING. DON'T KNOW IF BELTS AFFECTED I HEAR A HUMMING SOUND. DON'T KNOW IF THE POWER STEERING PUMP IS WORKING PROPERLY. CONSTANTLY ADDING FLUID TO THE CANISTER.
May 4, 2019 · 141,545 miles
Electronic stability control (esc)
AFTER HAVING A VARIETY OF MECHANICS DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM OF MY VEHICLE NOT STARTING FOR 20 MINS TO 1 HOUR AFTER THE ENGINE IS WARM & AFTER THE VEHICLE DOES START; IT HAS A VERY STRONG GASOLINE &/OR ADDITIVE SMELL. I WENT TO A KIA DEALER TO HAVE THEIR OPINION: THE KIA MECHANIC STATED: TO START A $200.00 TEST WOULD HAVE TO BE PERFORMED TO ENSURE THAT IT'S THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR; A $159.00 PART; THAT IS COMMON FOR KIA'S TO GO BAD, BECAUSE IT COULD BE FUEL RELATED; ANOTHER COMMON PROBLEM THEY HAVE. TO REPLACE THE SENSOR WILL COST $1,400.00 BECAUSE OF WHERE IT IS; MAKING A TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT NECESSARY. (THIS IS AFTER GETTING SPARK PLUGS DONE & NUMEROUS OTHER REPAIRS THAT INVOLVED…
May 23, 2017 · 250,000 miles
Electronic stability control (esc)
I BOUGHT MY SEDONA ON OR ABOUT FEBRUARY 7 2015. AFTER AWEEK ALMOST TWO. I WAS BROKE DOWN AND STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.VAN WAS SO HOT IT WOULDN'T START AND. BEHAVED AS A VEHICLE WITH A BLOWN HEAD GASKET . THE DISHONEST CRIKED. CROOK SALES MAN AT THE DEALER. SHIP WOUND. NOT FIX IT AT FIRST AFTER COMPLAINING AT THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU SALES MAN [XXX]. PRAMIER AUTO SALES SOUTH NINTH STREET MODESTO. CAILIFORNIA 95351 WOULDN'T. HELP ME AFTER A WEEK OF COMPLAINING. HE AGREED TO PUT IT IN HIS SHOP WHO HE IS IN PARTERNS WITH (BOY) PREMER.AUTO SALES MATNENS LOCATED ON ANGEY WAY CERES CAILIFORNIA. 95307 MY SADONS VAN REMAINED THERE ON ANGIE WAY FOR. SEVEN DAYS ON MARCH TWENTIETH. 2015…
Feb 25, 2014 · 156,890 miles
Engine
ENGINE SEIZED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THERE WASN'T MUCH TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD AND HELPED TO STEER THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER. IN BAD WEATHER AND/OR TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SOME SAFETY ISSUES WITH THE ENGINE OF THIS VEHICLE MAKE/MODEL AND WOULD LIKE TO REGISTER THIS INCIDENT. *TR
Oct 21, 2014 · 79,500 miles
Steering
WHILE DRIVING TODAY, I NOTICED A WHINING NOISE, WITH A SLIGHT GRINDING NOISE TO IT AS WELL. INITIALLY THINKING IT WAS THE BRAKES, I LISTENED CLOSER AND REALIZED IT WAS NOT HAPPENING WHEN BRAKING BUT RATHER SEEMED TO BE HAPPENING WHEN TURNING, PRIMARILY DURING ACCELERATION. SOON AFTER THE TURN AS I STEADIED SPEED, THE NOISE WOULD DECREASE OR DISAPPEAR. AFTER THE FIRST FEW TIMES MAKING TURNS HOWEVER, IN ADDITION TO THE NOISE THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO BECAME VERY STIFF AND EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. IT PROGRESSED SO SUDDENLY AND SEVERELY THAT I WAS WORRIED I MAY NOT MAKE IT HOME WITHOUT CRASHING. THIS ALL HAPPENED DURING A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES OF DRIVING IN TOWN. SINCE RETURNING…
Jun 4, 2014 · 96,249 miles
Power trainCrash
THE VAN WAS IN DRIVE TO MOVE FORWARD WHEN THE GAS WAS PRESSED INSTEAD OF GOING FORWARD IT WENT IN REVERSE & WHEN THE BRAKE WAS PRESSED TO STOP IT DIDN'T WORK. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VAN BEFORE GOING INTO THE CEMENT WALL OF A COMMUNITY CENTER WAS TO OPEN THE DRIVER DOOR WHICH CAUSED 3 OTHER VEHICLES TO BE DAMAGED. THANK GOD THE DRIVER IS SAFE BUT THE VAN HAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR
Oct 17, 2013 · 99,000 miles
Service brakesFire
I HAVE BEEN GOING TO KIA FOR YEARS COMPLAINING OF A STRANGE INTERMITTENT GROANING SOUND COMING FROM THE BRAKES AT LOW SPEED STOPS. IT WOULD NEVER MAKE NOISE AT THE DEALER AND WOULD ONLY MAKE THE NOISE SOMETIMES. NEVER FOR THE SAME REASON. IT WAS VERY RANDOM. THIS TIME I WAS DRIVING FOR SEVERAL HOURS ( CITY TRAFFIC) WHERE I BEGAN TO HEAR THE SOUND. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES OR SO I SMELLED RUBBER OR TAR. THOUGHT IT WAS FROM THE STREET REPAVING BUT WHEN WE PASSED THE CONSTRUCTION I COULD STILL SMELL IT. THE CAR BEGAN TO DRIVE AS THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. AFTER ABOUT 2 MILES AT SLOW SPEED I PULLED OVER AND SAW STEAM. I LIFTED HOOD WHERE IT APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM…
Aug 15, 2013 · 76,000 miles
Steering
THE STEERING STARTED TO BECOME DIFFICULT WHILE DRIVING ,INTERMITTENTLY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU NEVER KNEW IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN. EVENTUALLY JUST STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER ,I DID ALOT OF ONLINE RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ,WITH THE STEERING KNUCKLE BINDING BECAUSE OF CORROSION . ALL AND ALL THINK THE VEHICLE WAS VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT AND ALOT OF AMENITIES ARE AWESOME IN THIS VEHICLE ,WHY DOESN'T KIA JUST OFFER A RECALL ,SINCE THEY HAVE ALREADY POSTED A BULLETIN FOR THIS? CALL THE DEALERSHIP AND REALIZE THIS PART IS ALWAYS ON BACK ORDER COME ON KIA MAN UP. *TR
May 31, 2011 · 135,000 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BINDINGClosed
ODIS ANALYSIS OF WARRANTY DATA SHOWS THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT HAS OCCURRED AT A RELATIVELY HIGH FREQUENCY IN SALT-BELT STATES (5.9 PERCENT).HOWEVER, THE TESTS CONDUCTED BY ODI AND KIA HAVE SHOWN THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT HAS A MINIMAL EFFECT ON STEERING EFFORTS.IN ADDITION, ODI INTERVIEWS OF OWNERS WHO EXPERIENCED THE ALLEGED DEFECT SHOWED THAT IN MOST CASES THE PROBLEM WAS PRECEDED BY MONTHS OR YEARS OF NOISE OR A GRADUAL INCREASE IN STEERING EFFORTS AND WAS MORE OF A NUISANCE CONCERN. THERE HAS BEEN ONE ALLEGATION OF A MINOR CRASH RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT, INVOLVING A MY 2003 KIA SEDONA WITH 59,900 MILES.THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN CHECKED TWICE IN THE PREVIOUS NINE MONTHS BY A DEALER FOR COMPLAINTS OF STIFF STEERING AND THAT THE VEHICLE FELT LIKE IT WAS INTERMITTENTLY LOSING POWER ASSIST.THE CRASH OCCURRED AS THE DRIVER WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY…
EA08017 · opened Aug 28, 2008 · closed Jul 1, 2009
STEERING BINDINGClosed
ON APRIL 28, 2008, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE08-033 TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS ALLEGING STEERING BINDING IN MODEL YEAR 2002 THROUGH 2004 KIA SEDONA MINIVANS.KIA'S RESPONSE TO ODI'S REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IN PE08-033 INDICATED THAT CONCERNS WITH BINDING OF THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WERE FIRST IDENTIFIED AND INVESTIGATED IN AUGUST 2002, IN VEHICLES SOLD IN INDONESIA.THIS INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN THE ADDITION OF A STIFFENING RIB TO THE BEARING CAP SEAL.IN JUNE 2003, KIA AGAIN INVESTIGATED OWNER COMPLAINTS OF STEERING NOISE AND HIGHER THAN NORMAL STEERING RESISTANCE AND IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER OF 2003 DESIGN CHANGES TO THE SHAFT UNIVERSAL JOINT BEARINGS WERE MADE TO IMPROVE LUBRICANT RETENTION AND ELIMINATE WATER INTRUSION THAT COULD LEAD TO EARLY BEARING FAILURE.ACCORDING TO KIA, THE ALLEGED DEFECT RESULTS IN A PROGRESSIVE CHANGE IN…
PE08033 · opened Apr 28, 2008 · closed Aug 28, 2008