Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Kia Sedona submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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
My Sedona keeps catching on fire not sure why but now if I get it up to temperature it automatically catches on fire I'm going into my second fire extinguishe
I BOUGHT A 2003 SEDONA USED IN 2007 WITH ABOUT 50000 MILES AND HAVE NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS EVER SINCE. 1ST IN 7/08 I WENT TO A LOCAL SHOP (NOT KIA) BECAUSE MY ENGINE SEEMED VERY LOUD. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME I NEEDED NEW MOTOR MOUNTS N THAT IT WAS KIND OF UNUSUAL FOR A CAR TO NEED THEM SO SOON. I DID CALL KIA N ASK THEM ABOUT THIS AND WAS BASICALLY TOLD TO BAD FOR YOU. SO I HAD THEM FIXED ($556.36). NOT EVEN A FEW WEEKS LATER MY AC WAS BLOWING HOT. SAME MECHANIC TOLD ME MY AC WAS OUT N THAT ONE OF THE HOSES NEEDED REPLACED. HAD TO WAIT A FEW YEARS BUT HAD IT REPLACED ($1050.72). HAD MY 1ST BRAKE JOB DONE IN 2008 EVER SINCE I'VE HAD TO HAVE MY BRAKES REPLACE 2-3 YEARLY PLUS HAD TO HAVE NEW CALIPERS. NO ONE CAN TELL ME WAY THE BREAKPADS WEAR OUT SO QUICKLY. I DONT DRIVE A UNUSUAL AMOUNT. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE 2 INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE AND NOW HAVE A BROKEN EXTERIOR HANDLE. MY AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE I DRIVE WHICH SCARES ME READING OTHERS AIRBAG STORIES. WHEN I TRY TO FILL MY CAR WITH GAS THE PUMP WILL CLICK OFF AFTER A DOLLAR OR 2 LIKE ITS FULL BUT ITS NOT. AND JUST A WEEK OR SO AGO I WAS OB THE HIGHWAY WITH THE CRUUSE CONTROL ON ALL OF A SUDDEN I SMELT THIS OVERPOWERING SMELL OF GAS. I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED BUT DIDNT SEE ANYTHING WRONG. CONTINUED DRIVING AGAIN SMELLED GAS TRIED TURNING OFF THE AC DIDNT HELP. TRIED TURNING OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL THE SMELL INSTANTLY STOPPED. I HOPE THAT SOMETHING CAN B DONE TO HELP ME AND THE OTHERS WITH KIAS. I HAVE SOME OF MY REPAIR PAPERWORK. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR ME PLEASE CALL ME. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SEDONA. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED IN WARM TEMPERATURES ABOVE 80 DEGREES, THE CONTACT SMELLS RAW GAS AS IF SOMEONE POURED GASOLINE IN THE VEHICLE. THE SMELL CAUSES HIM TO BECOME PHYSICALLY ILL. KIA WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. THEY STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. WHEN KIA HAD A TECHNICIAN INSPECT THE VEHICLE, HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE PERFORMED IN THIS MANNER AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER T1472689. KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS ALSO PROVIDED CASE NUMBER K1473088. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE GAS STORAGE TANK RUSTED OUT CAUSING THE FUEL FILTER TO CLOG. THE SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW STORAGE TANK AND FILTER TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. UPDATED 02/06/07. *JB
I'VE HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH MY 2003 KIA SEDONA. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAS NEVER BEEN RIGHT. THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED AT 13K MILES, AGAIN AT 24K MILES (FRONT & BACK) AND I'M SURE THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN AT 40K MILES. AT 22K MILES I TOOK THE VAN TO THE SHOP FOR BRAKES ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT BOTH WHEEL BEARINGS, THE LEFT STRUT (THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE BOTH STRUTS SINCE IT WAS WARRANTY BUT IF I WAS PAYING FOR THE REPAIRS THEY WOULD RECOMEND REPLACING IN PAIRS) AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS GOING OUT (WHICH THE MANAGER SAID HE WAS DOING ME A FAVOR BY TELLING ME ABOUT). I HAVE ALSO COMPLAINED OF THE A/C TAKING FOREVER TO COOL DOWN, HAD A SENSOR REPLACED FOR THE GAS TANK AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND SERVICE TO THE DRIVERS SEATBELT. THEN YESTERDAY DURING A STORM I WENT THROUGH A PUDDLE ABOUT 4 OR 5 INCHES DEEP WHICH SPLASHED WATER ON MY VAN FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND ABOUT 50 FEET DOWN THE ROAD THE VAN DIED AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. UPON HAVING IT TOWED TO THE KIA DEALER I WAS TOLD THAT MY AIRFILTER HAD GOTTEN WET AND THAT THERE WAS "DISH SOAP" IN MY AIRFILTER WHICH WOULD BE CONSIDERED CUSTOMER DAMAGE AND NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT MORE NOISES COMING FROM THE FRONT AND A GRINDING NOISE WHEN I BEGIN ACCELERATION IN LOW GEARS. THEY REQUESTED I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR SERVICE ON THOSE ISSUES. IN ADDITION, I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ON 4/23/03, WHEN I TRIED TO FILE A COMPLAINT ABOUT MY SERVICE ON THE WHEEL BEARING, ETC WITH KIA THEY HAD NO RECORD OF ME EVER PURCHASING THIS VAN. APPARENTLY IN THEIR MINDS MY VAN WAS SOLD TO SOMEONE ELSE ON 2/27/03. THIS MEANS IF THERE IS EVER A RECAL OR SERVICE NOTICE SENT OUT I WOULD NOT RECEIVE THEM. IN ADDITION THEY HAD MY WARRANTY EXPIRATION DATE SET AT 2/27/03. I SPOKE WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE CONCERNING THIS ISSUE AND WAS ASSURED THAT THIS WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE CORRECTED, HOWEVER YESTERDAY WHEN I CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE I WAS TOLD THAT THE VAN WAS STILL LISTED AS BEING SOLD TO ANOTHER PERSON. *AK
EXCESSIVE FUEL CONSUMPTION. 10.8 MPG. KIA PERFORMED A TEST WITH A SCAN TOOL AND SAID THE READINGS WERE WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS. THAT WAS BACK IN MARCH. SINCE THEN MY FUEL EFFICIENCY INCREASED TO 11.7 MPG. I'LL BE TAKING IT BACK SOON FOR ANOTHER TEST. I'VE ENCOUNTERED SEVERAL PEOPLE ON THE ROAD WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT, BUT APPARENTLY THEY HAVE NOT FILED A COMPLAINT YET. CAN ANYONE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND CALL ME BACK. IT APPEARS THAT THE MONEY I SAVED BY PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE, IN COMPARISON TO OTHER MINIVANS WITH SIMILAR FEATURES, I'LL BE THROWING AWAY IN GAS. THANK YOU SINCERELY. *LA
WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER BEGAN TO SMELL FUEL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM
ONLY 260 MILES ON VEHICLE AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER STATED CHECK GAS CAP. STATED IT NEEDS TO "CLICK" 3 TIMES TO TIGHTEN AND SEAL. HAVE PERFORMED TASK REPEATEDLY WITH NO CHANGE. WHILE STANDING OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE, WITH VEHICLE RUNNING, CAN HEAR AIR SUCKING IN THROUGH GAS FILL AREA. NEVER HAD THAT HAPPEN ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE OWNED. NOTICED FLAPPER VALVE AT TOP OF GAS FILL AREA IS CREASED AND DOES NOT SEAL LIKE OTHER MANUFACTURERS VEHICLES. WORRIED THAT THIS AIR PROBLEM WILL CAUSE FUTURE ENGINE PROBLEMS. *AK
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
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