2016 Kia Sedona

Our 2016 Kia Sedona was recently diagnosed with engine failure. Here's a summary: 1. The car's engine issues have twice put my family in danger: (1) on [XXX] with my [XXX] wife and 5 children when the car went into limp mode and could not accelerate on a steep road by a major forest in NJ (could have rolled back down a hill and crashed into other cars), and (2) on [XXX] with my [XXX] wife and 2 children when it again encountered an inability to accelerate. In situation (1) we towed it to our local Kia dealership and were told the issue was repaired (worn out spark plugs and low oil), but we had the same issue again 3 months later in December. In situation (2) my wife brought it to that same dealership. After multiple incorrect diagnoses - low oil and dead battery - they finally said we need a new engine. I spoke to Customer Care and, in spite of countless calls and follow-ups, did not receive a timely response and was eventually told that I would have to pay for this out of pocket. 2. We towed our car - at our expense - on 1/29/25 to another dealership in the hopes of better service. They came to the same conclusion: the engine has failed and we need a new one. Still, we have not received adequate answers on why the engine has failed and an appropriate solution to allow us to get our car back, which leads to the final point: 3. We've taken stellar care of this car since we bought it new. For 9 years, we have taken our van ONLY and exclusively to authorized Kia dealerships for service, for all needs great and small. We've spent $7,256 on service at these dealerships, taking all recommendations from service advisors to ensure our car is well-maintained. The car's issues have been misdiagnosed and put the lives of my [XXX]wife and several children in danger. Even after dealing with these dealerships and sending a letter to Kia Consumer Affairs, there has been no proper solution. Please assist us in remedying this matter promptly. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C.

ON OUR 2016 KIA SEDONA AT 121K MILES WE HAD A FAULTY OIL PRESSURE SENSOR REPLACED FREE UNDER WARRENTY AT THE SAME TIME WE HAD ALL OF THE VALVE COVER GASKETS REPLACED AND THEY ADDED 5 QUARTS OF OIL. ON FRIDAY AT 130K MILES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE VAN STARTED KNOCKING AND THE MOTOR SEIZED UP ON THE HIGHWAY. WE TOWED IT TO PHIL SMITH KIA IN LIGHTHOUSE POINT ,FL THEY PERFORM THE WORK ON THE OIL PRSSSURE SENSOR AT 121K MILES AND DO ALL OF THE WORK ON THE VAN. THEY SAID THE MOTOR IS SEIZED AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY BECAUSE WHEN THEY DID THE WORK AT 121K MILES AND THEY ADDED THE 5 COURTS OF OIL WE DIDNT REQUEST A NEW OIL FILTER. AND NOW THEY ARE CLAMING A LACK OF A PROPER OIL CHANGE CAUSE THE MOTOR TO SEIZE.. THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON PRIOR TO THE MOTOR SEIZING . I WAS STUCK ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY FOR 2 HOURS WHEN THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER SHOWED UP HE CHECK THE DIPSTICK AND THERE WAS NO OIL IN THE VAN

The engine in our 2016 3.3L GDI Sedona seized while we were driving on the freeway going approx 65MPH on 12/29/24. The vehicle was towed to the KIA dealership in our town and examined by the service dept the following morning. We were told that the engine had no oil and it had leaked into the crankshaft where it burned up. Also, the engine compartment was filled with metal shavings. The service tech told us we would need to replace the engine.

Engine died in the middle of driving. After having it towed and diagnosed, there was no engine oil at all. I still had 1500 miles before the recommended mileage for my next oil change. No warning lights. Engine is totally seized and will need to be replaced. Kia dealership stated that an indicator should have told me that my oil was low and the engine should have shut off prior to running dry. We were driving with my 4 children in the car. Thankfully we were on a side road where we could push the car to safety.

My 2016 Kia Sedona developed a loud engine knocking / idling noise around 90000 miles. Had at least one oil change at a non-Kia shop around that time and was given vague warning about Kia engines as to why I was hearing the louder idling. At the time of another oil change at 99631 miles I was told there were a large number of metal shavings found in the oil, and my Check Engine light was illuminated with a message about faulty camshaft timing. After bringing to Kia dealership at that time. They first assessed that the camshafts needed to be replaced. After working for some time they eventually determined that the entire engine needed to be replaced (3.3 Liter GDI_DOHC). The engine was replaced and the car was given back to me. After 2 days of driving the car would not start up again and I had it towed back to the dealership. They needed to replace one of the already-repaired parts (CVVT ASSY / CAMSHAFT ASSY-INTAKE). These engine issues could have occurred at a more problematic time in the middle of a busy highway and could have resulted in damage / harm to human life.

I brought my 2016 Kia Sedona into a mechanic to get checked over and get some new front tires put on on 8/19/24. I was informed that the oil needed changing. So, I changed it as I have always done for years. We took off on a ~2600 mile round trip out east. Once there, I noticed that when I would travel close to a cement divider, a noise was coming from the vehicle that got louder as I accelerated. Thought is was the muffler (sounded like I was hot rodding). There were no engine lights on the dash, so I didn't think there were any major issues. A muffler could wait till I got back. This trip was end of August. There were no other issues, so I put it off. I figured a small hole in muffler or loose. We were called to go back out to New York for 11 days the end of November, and after another 2600 miles, the noise was significantly louder, but mostly noticeable when accelerating. Still idled fairly well. Still no engine lights. On 11/27/24 we took a 600+ mile trip. As of 12/2/2024, I brought the vehicle in to get the spark pugs changed and check the noise. The mechanic said that I was 4.5 quarts low and the noise was knocking in the motor itself. I had replaced the engine oil (synthetic) end of August and now find this Dec. 3rd after bringing it in. It has never burned oil, and there is no evidence of leakage on the floor or anywhere in the engine compartment or oil pan (mine and mechanics observations). Loss of 4.5 quarts in just over 2 months, when never an issue before? And no low oil engine light coming on? This was just taken on 5800 miles of primarily highways. From what I have been reading, knocking prior to engine failure has been popping up, and my family and I could have had a major problem had I gone any longer without checking it out. It is a major issue not having the low oil sensor go off, and suddenly being without 4.5 quarts in such a short time without prior issues, or warning.

Regularly serviced vehicle (2016 Kia Sedona SXL 3.3L) within recommended intervals; most recently on 9/10/2024 at ~117k miles. Invoice indicates dealer put in full capacity of oil (6qt). Vehicle also received multipoint inspection including checking all fluids; non were reported low or in need of flush/replacement. Vehicle had begun to make extra engine noise (rattle/growl) on startup, not sure precisely when; I estimate just in the last few months, maybe September or October. Took 220 (one way, ~440 total) mile trip on 11/5-11/7/2024; vehicle performed well other than aforementioned startup noise. [XXX], vehicle noise had increased significantly and "engine control system" message with CEL was present on the dashboard which was later extinguished after an engine restart. No other warning/error indications were present before or since. Onboard vehicle diagnostics run by the owner (Kia "eServices" app) on 11/12 did not indicate any issues. It was decided we better not drive it and service was scheduled for 11/22. On the same day (11/12) we found the oil to be low by 4.5 qts. Filling the oil to "full" removed a significant amount of the engine noise but (layman's) inspection did not reveal any oil leakage and no other signs of oil burning had been noted previously. One additional trip of ~16 miles made on 11/19 and 6 miles to service on 11/22 (now at 121k miles). Dealer upon inspection stated rod bearings were bad and engine needed replaced. Retrieving the vehicle from service and driving home, it catastrophically failed losing all power in highway traffic and could not be restarted. I'm reporting this because I saw DP24-001 and PE23-019 which seem to be very similar to my issue. I see no reason why a regularly serviced engine could fail so quickly other than a possible manufacturing defect. The engine/components have not been touched since the dealer appointment on 11/22. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Description of Incident: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine of my 2016 Kia Sedona seized due to a lack of oil. The oil pressure warning light, which is designed to alert the driver to low oil pressure or oil-related issues, did not illuminate to indicate any problem. The engine is still available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? While the engine seizure did not occur while driving, it created a potential hazard for future operation of the vehicle. Had the issue occurred during the 20-mile drive home or on future trips, it could have led to a sudden loss of power, putting the driver, passengers, and others on the road at risk. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The Kia dealership confirmed that the engine seized due to a lack of oil. However, they have not provided a detailed diagnostic report or explanation for why the oil pressure warning light failed to illuminate. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The vehicle has been inspected by Kia but has not been examined by third parties such as insurance representatives or law enforcement. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure. The oil pressure warning light, which should have alerted us to the issue, did not illuminate at any point. Best assessment: My assessment is that the oil pressure warning system failed to function as designed, leading to the engine seizing without warning. This malfunction prevented us from addressing the oil issue in time to avoid catastrophic engine damage.

Thursday, October 31, 2024, the engine blew on our Sedona. Approximately 164,000 miles on the engine. We maintained regular maintenance on the engine and oil changes. Left us stranded on a main highway. State Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer protected us until county sheriff could respond. The engine light warning was on.