Steering. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports3 fire reports1 injury reports

Seats complaints

2 reports

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50,599 miles · May 5, 2010

Electrical SystemSeats

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ON OR ABOUT MARCH 20, 2010, WHILE MY WIFE WAS OPERATING OUR 2004 KIA SEDONA VAN, THE LEFT FRONT (DRIVERS SEAT) POWER SEAT MOVED ALL THE WAY FORWARD WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. DRIVER DID NOT INITIATE ACTION. SEAT COULD NOT BE MOVED TO THE REARWARD POSITION. MILEAGE AT THIS TIME (MARCH 2010 WAS 50,599) THIS SAME ACTION OCCURRED ON ONE PREVIOUS OCCASION(WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE) ON OR ABOUT FEBRUARY 17, 2009, AT THAT TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LAFOUNTAINE KIA, DEARBORN, MICHIGAN FOR SERVICING. VEHICLE MILEAGE AT THIS TIME WAS 40,431. BASED ON THE INVOICE FOR THAT WORK THE SWITCH BOX ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE IS AGAIN AT LAFOUNTAINE KIA FOR REPAIRS. HOWEVER AT THIS NO WARRANTY EXIST FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. LAFOUNTAINE STATED THAT PARTS AND LABOR FROM THE FEBRUARY 2009 INCIDENT ARE ONLY COVERED FOR 12 MONTHS/12,000 MILES. SO WHAT I HAVE IS A 2004 KIA SEDONA VAN IN WHICH DURING A ROUGHLY 13 MONTH PERIOD THE DRIVERS SIDE POWER SEAT, ON ITS OWN MOVED TO THE FULL FORWARD POSITION AND COULD NOT BE MOVED BACK. LAFOUNTAINE CLAIMS THEY ARE UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH KIA POWER SEATS. UPDATED 05/12/10 *BF THE DEALER CLAIMED THE WIRING PULLED LOOSE FROM THE ELECTRIC SWITCH. THE CAUSE WAS UNKNOWN/ THE SWITCH AND WIRING WERE SPLICED TOGETHER AND THE WRING HARNESS WAS TIE STRAPPED TO THE SEAT MOUNTING TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCES. UPDATED 05/14/10.*JB *TR

NHTSA ODI #10328938

61,100 miles · Jul 30, 2009

Electrical SystemSeatsFire

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TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN: WE ARE A FAMILY OF 6 AND ON JULY 21ST OUR 2004 KIA SEDONA EX CAUGHT ON FIRE. WE HAD JUST DRIVEN IT 2 HOURS BEFORE WITH NO INDICATIONS OF A FIRE. WE HEARD A BLARING HORN AND LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW TO SEE THE NEIGHBOR RUNNING ACROSS THE STREET. WE STEPPED OUT OF THE HOUSE TO FIND OUR VAN IN FLAMES COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE. THE WINDOWS WERE ALL UP AND WE WATCHED THE FIRE DIE DOWN AND SMOKE FILL THE AIR. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND TOOK PICTURES AND MADE A REPORT. AFTER ALL THAT WAS SAID AND DONE WE BEGAN TO RESEARCH THE INTERNET AND FOUND A RECALL THAT WAS SENT OUT ON OUR VAN BACK IN NOV/DEC 2005. (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V463000) THE FIRE APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED IN THE FUSE BOX AREA. APPROX. A YEAR BEFORE THE INCIDENT WE HAD STARED HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT WORKING ON AND OFF. DUE TO NOT BEING UNDER WARRANTY ANY LONGER WE DECIDED NOT TO GET IT FIXED BECAUSE WE NEVER REALLY USED THE SEAT CONTROLS ON THAT SIDE MUCH. WE WERE UNAWARE OF ANY RECALL ON OUR VEHICLE; IF WE HAD BEEN WE WOULD HAVE DEALT WITH THIS MATTER MUCH DIFFERENTLY. IN ADDITION, WE HAD BEEN HAVING ISSUES FOR APPROX 9 MONTHS WITH THE BATTERY GOING DEAD. WE HAD REPLACED 3 BATTERIES IN 9 MONTHS AND OUR CD PLAYER STOPPED WORKING 3 MONTHS BEFORE THE INCIDENT. WE HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THE FIRE AND THEY INFORMED US THEY SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE RECALL ON JANUARY 11, 2006; A FEW DAYS BEFORE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. WE WERE NEVER INFORMED OF THIS RECALL WHEN WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE OR SHOWN THE RECALL ON THE CAR FAX. THIS FIRE HAS NOW RESULTED IN OUR FAMILY VEHICLE BEING TOTALED OUT AND OUR FAMILY NOW BEING LEFT WITH NOTHING. WE APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE WITH THIS MATTER AND THANK YOU.*TR

NHTSA ODI #10278783

Official recalls

05V463000 · Seats

Oct 5, 2005

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POWER SEATS, THE WIRING UNDER THE FRONT SEATS COULD BE MISROUTED, ALLOWING CONTACT WITH METAL SEAT COMPONENTS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONTACT COULD EVENTUALLY RESULT IN A SHORT CIRCUIT CONDITION THAT MAY RESULT IN A FIRE IN THE JUNCTION BOX AREA OF THE VEHICLE.

Remedy: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

EA08017 · Steering Intermediate Shaft Binding

Opened Aug 28, 2008 · Closed Jul 1, 2009

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering

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 20 MILES PER HOUR AND STRUCK A VEHICLE PARKED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE STREET THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TURNING INTO. THE CRASH RESULTED IN MINOR INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. AFTER THE CRASH, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WAS EXHIBITING SOME BINDING OF THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BEARINGS.WHILE THE ABSENCE OF ADDITIONAL CRASHES OR INJURIES DOES NOT MEAN THAT THERE IS NOT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT, THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTED ADDITIONAL CRASHES CAUSED BY THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE PAST THREE YEARS. THE RELEASE OF THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN SHOULD ASSIST SERVICE PERSONAL IN DIAGNOSING THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM LONG BEFORE IT BECOMES POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST. THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS REFER TO THE EA08-017 CLOSING REPORT.

PE08033 · Steering Binding

Opened Apr 28, 2008 · Closed Aug 28, 2008

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering

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 STEERING EFFORT THAT SHOULD BE APPARENT TO THE DRIVER THROUGH NOISE AND GRADUAL CHANGES IN STEERING STIFFNESS LONG BEFORE THE CONDITION COULD BECOME DANGEROUS. ODI'S ANALYSES OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT SHOW THAT THE CONDITION IS OCCURRING AT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RATES IN SALT-BELT STATES (NOTE:FOR PURPOSES OF THIS INVESTIGATION THE SALT BELT INCLUDES CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA AND WISCONSIN).THE WARRANTY RATE FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT IS 5.5% FOR VEHICLES SOLD IN THE SALT BELT AND 0.5% FOR THE REST OF THE UNITED STATES.THE COMPLAINT RATE FOR THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS 186.8 PER 100,000 VEHICLES IN THE SALT BELT AND 29.4 PER 1000,000 VEHICLES FOR THE REST OF THE UNITED STATES.THERE IS ONE ALLEGATION OF A CRASH RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.A SUBJECT VEHICLE STRUCK TWO PARKED CARS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, ALLEGEDLY RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. ODI HAS UPGRADED THIS INVESTIGATION TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA08-017) COVERING MY 2002 THROUGH 2004 KIA SEDONA VEHICLES SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN SALT BELT STATES TO ASSESS THE FREQUENCY AND TREND OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT AND ITS EFFECT ON STEERING EFFORT.