SEATS
2002 Kia Sedona EX
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 50 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2002 Kia Sedona EX, most frequently naming the electrical, interior & seats and airbags categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 2 NHTSA investigations name it; and 2 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2005 | 1 | 1 |
| Nov 2005 | 1 | 2 |
| Dec 2005 | 1 | 3 |
| Jan 2006 | 4 | 7 |
| Jun 2006 | 1 | 8 |
| Jul 2006 | 1 | 9 |
| Oct 2006 | 1 | 10 |
| Nov 2006 | 1 | 11 |
| Jan 2007 | 1 | 12 |
| Mar 2007 | 2 | 14 |
| Jul 2007 | 1 | 15 |
| Sep 2007 | 1 | 16 |
| Nov 2007 | 1 | 17 |
| Dec 2007 | 1 | 18 |
| Feb 2008 | 2 | 20 |
| Jul 2008 | 2 | 22 |
| Sep 2008 | 1 | 23 |
| Dec 2008 | 2 | 25 |
| Jan 2009 | 1 | 26 |
| Feb 2009 | 1 | 27 |
| Mar 2009 | 1 | 28 |
| May 2009 | 1 | 29 |
| Oct 2009 | 1 | 30 |
| Feb 2010 | 1 | 31 |
| Apr 2010 | 1 | 32 |
| Jul 2010 | 1 | 33 |
| Aug 2010 | 1 | 34 |
| Jul 2011 | 1 | 35 |
| Sep 2011 | 1 | 36 |
| May 2012 | 1 | 37 |
| Oct 2012 | 1 | 38 |
| Feb 2013 | 2 | 40 |
| Apr 2013 | 1 | 41 |
| Jul 2013 | 1 | 42 |
| Jun 2014 | 1 | 43 |
| Aug 2014 | 1 | 44 |
| Jul 2015 | 1 | 45 |
| Dec 2015 | 1 | 46 |
| Jan 2016 | 1 | 47 |
| Apr 2016 | 1 | 48 |
| Aug 2017 | 1 | 49 |
| Nov 2017 | 1 | 50 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Electrical1216.7%
- Interior & seats811.1%
- Airbags79.7%
- Engine68.3%
- Brakes68.3%
- Body & structure56.9%
- Seat belts56.9%
- Steering45.6%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govSafety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BINDING
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.
STEERING BINDING
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.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 KIA SEDONA EX. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT TIGHTENED AND WOULD NOT RETRACT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11042779
- Incident
- Oct 19, 2017
- Mileage
- 131,000 mi
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 KIA SEDONA EX. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. ALL THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE POLICE ARRIVED AT THE SCENE, BUT A REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK, LOWER BACK, LEFT SHOULDER, AND CHEST, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
- NHTSA ID
- 11013900
- Incident
- Aug 4, 2017
- Mileage
- 87,000 mi
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND WHEN YOU BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN THE TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTS FASTER THEN IT SHOULD AND ON SNOW COVERED ROAD THE FRONT STARTS TO SLIDE WHEN IT DOES THIS AND WHEN IT SHIFTS BACK UP IT VIBRATES OTHER THEN THAT ITS FINE ANY IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD
- NHTSA ID
- 10854521
- Incident
- Feb 15, 2016
- Mileage
- 120,000 mi
THE VAN WAS ON FIRE IN MY YARD. ONLY THE FRONT DRIVERS FRONT SIDE CAUGHT FIRE. WHEN I FOUND IT IT WAS BLASING OUT OF THE DOOR AND WINDSHIELD. I GOT THE HOSE PIPE AN UNHOOKED THE BATTERY TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. IT MELTED THE WHOLE DASHBOARD ALL THE WAY TO THE RADIO STEERING WHEEL WINDSHIELD ONLY ON DRIVERS SIDE ALL DAMAGE WAS AT FRONT DRIVERS FRONT SIDE.I DIDN'T DRIVE THE VAN ALDAY THAT DAY.
- NHTSA ID
- 10821956
- Incident
- Dec 30, 2015
- Mileage
- 180,000 mi
TAKATA RECALL. I WAS AT HOME I HEARD SOME KIND OF NOISE OUT SIDE LIKE A HORN BLOWING SO I LOOK OUT AND MY VAN WAS ON FIRE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND I RAN FOR THE HOSE TO PUT IT OUT THEN I CALLED 911AN THE FIRE DEPT. CAME AN THE ARSSON DEPT AND HE SAID IT WAS IN THE SEAT TO THE FUSS BOX AND THAT'S WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE MY CAR IS TOTALED CAN YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW THE WHOLE VAN ON DRIVERS SIDE IS TOTALED I HAVE NO WAY TO GO NOW .
- NHTSA ID
- 10817224
- Incident
- Dec 30, 2015
- Mileage
- 180,000 mi
THE AIRBAGS SYMBOL HAS BEEN REMAINING ON. IT WAS TAKEN TO MANY DIFFERENT SHOPS BUT THEY SAY THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH THE AIRBAGS PROBLEM. THERE IS NOTHING THAT THESE MECHANICS CAN DO. SO I WAS TOLD TO REPORT THIS ISSUE TO KIA.
- NHTSA ID
- 10734015
- Incident
- Jul 14, 2015
THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON ALL THE TIME. NO ACCIDENT, NO DAMAGE TO THE VAN. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10621766
- Incident
- Jan 15, 2013
- Mileage
- 88,000 mi
MY 2002 KIA SEDONA EX HAS A FAULT WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR. IT MAKES THE AIRBAG LIGHT COME ON BUT WORST OF ALL IN A HEAD ON COLLISION THE AIRBAGS WILL MOST LIKELY NOT DEPLOY. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10596887
- Incident
- May 24, 2012
- Mileage
- 67,000 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING; STRUCTURE
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFORMATION FOR HEADLAMP CONDENSATION AND MOISTURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information relating to some Kia models that may exhibit fogging, condensation, and/or moisture inside a headlamp assembly. Generally, a fogging condition is considered normal and can be eliminated by turning on the headlamps with the engine running for up to 30 minutes or during normal driving conditions. Headlamp assembly replacement WILL NOT be necessary in most cases.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS; PARKING BRAKE:INDICATOR LIGHT
KIA: ALL MODELS. ARTICLE PROVIDES INFORMATION RELATING TO THE IMPROVED DURABILITY OF BULB LIFE FOR REAR COMBINATION BULB; REAR STOP LAMP/TAIL LAMP BULB UTILIZED ON MULTIPLE KIA MODELS. *PE
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.