Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Kia Sedona EX submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
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.
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 HOME I BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE WHAT THE LIKELY CULPRIT MAY BE, AND NOW BELIEVE STRONGLY THAT IT IS THE UNIVERSAL JOINT; A PROBLEM THAT HAS CLEARLY EFFECTED ENOUGH KIA SEDONA OWNERS THAT I FIND THE LACK OF RECALL QUITE MADDENING AND A BIT CONFOUNDING. WITH TWO YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE VAN AT THE TIME, IT IS PLAIN TO SEE HOW POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS THIS PROBLEM IS, AND I AM JUST GRATEFUL THAT THERE WAS SO LITTLE TRAFFIC AT THE TIME; HAD IT BEEN A BUSIER TIME OF DAY OR MORE HEAVILY POPULATED TOWN, I BELIEVE A CRASH WOULD'VE BEEN HIGHLY UNAVOIDABLE. *TR
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
WE WERE HEARING A GRINDING TYPE NOISE WHEN WE WERE MAKING A TURN SO WE TOOK OUR VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS A BAD RACK AND PINION AND ARE REPLACING IT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY NUMEROUS PEOPLE THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE GOING OUT AT 70,000 MILES. AS OF RIGHT NOW, KIA WILL NOT REPLACE IT FOR US. *TR
I HAVE A 2004 KIA SEDONA MINI-VAN. ON THE EVENING OF NOVEMBER 6, 2009 THE STEERING COLUMN ESSENTIALLY SEIZED ON ME. THE VAN BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL ALMOST TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS UNDRIVEABLE. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR PREVIOUS INDICATIONS. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET THE VAN TO A SHOP ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2009 WHERE THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT KIA HAD ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR STEERING DIFFICULTIES DUE TO MALFUNCTIONING INTERMEDIATE STEERING COLUMN. GIVEN THE SEVERE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS OF THIS SITUATION, I BELIEVE THAT KIA SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A RECALL NOTICE AND SHOULD REIMBURSE OWNERS THAT HAVE HAD THE PART REPLACED. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SEDONA EX. SHE HAD TO EXERT GREAT FORCE WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY FOR INSPECTION AND THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP, THE RACK AND PINION, AND THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,000.
STEERING BINDS WHEEL DOES NOT RETURN FROM CORNERING/TURNING AS IT NORMALLY WOULD. STEERING BINDING MAKES NORMAL HANDLING DIFFICULT. REPAIR SHOP SPRAYED STEERING KNUCKLE/JOINT WITH LUBRICANT BUT AFTER A 2 MONTH PERIOD THE STEERING IS BINDING ONCE AGAIN. THIS IS A RECURRING ISSUE AND A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR
2004 KIA SEDONA EX. I HAVE HAD THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED (UNDER 60K MILE WARRANTY) BECAUSE STEERING GOT TIGHT AND NOISY. NOW 5 MONTHS LATER (AND OUT OF WARRANTY) THEY TELL ME THE STEERING KNUCKLE (OR UNIVERSAL - NOT VERY SPECIFIC) NEEDS REPLACED AT A COST OF $200. I TOOK THIS TO THE DEALER FOR WARRANTY REPAIR OF THE FRONT HEEL BEARINGS (100K WARRANTY ON THESE) AND FOR EVALUATION OF THE DANGEROUS STEERING. THIS VAN SUDDENLY BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER, AND YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO "UN-STEER" WHEN GOING AROUND A BEND. THE WHEEL WILL STAY IN THE POSITION YOU STEER IT TO AND WOULD RUN RIGHT OFF THE ROAD IF YOU DO NOT FORCE IT BACK TO CENTER. *TR
MY 2004 KIA SEDONA WITH 85,000 MILES LOST STEERING. I WAS LUCKY I WAS NOT KILLED. REPAIR SHOP STATES THAT THE SHAFT BROKE, RACK AND PINION WENT AND THE CLOCK SPRING WENT. IT APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT. *TR
PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING. POPPING AND LOUD TIGHT SOMETIMES. CONCERNED THAT IT COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR
I OWN A 2004 KIA SEDONA. I BOUGHT THE CAR WITH 57,000 MILES ON IT FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. THE WARRANTY CALLS FOR 60,000 MILES TO SECOND OWNER. THE TRANSMISSION, RACK & PINION WERE REPLACED BY ME AT 57,000 AND NOW THE ENGINE HAS A BUILD UP OF SLUDGE AND THE LOCAL DEALER IS REFUSING TO WARRANTY THE DEFECT. THEY DID NOT REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION OR RACK AND PINION EITHER. THEY WERE PAID FOR AND REPLACED BY ME. I FEEL THIS CAR IS A LEMON AND I NEED HELP IN PURSUING RECOURSE AGAINST THIS DEALER IN CHATTANOOGA, PREBUL KIA. THANKS *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .