2018 Kia Sedona Engine Problems

2018 Kia Sedona lx stalled while my wife was driving on the highway. No warning lights were on until the vehicle lost all power. Luckily my wife was able to pull the car safely to the side. The vehicle only has 36960 miles. Brought vehicle to the dealer and they said engine was seized. That Kia would not attempt a repair unless I gave copies of oil/oil filters from oil changes that I performed. I did not have these so Kia is not honoring the warranty. I changed the oil every year regardless of the miles. Did not miss. The oil is clean as I just changed the oil a couple months ago. Someone could have been killed. We got that van for our disabled adult son. Thankfully he wasn’t in the vehicle. We’ve been ripped off but at least my family is safe.

NHTSA ID

11754333

Incident

Jul 12, 2026

The vehicle is a 2018 Kia Sedona with approximately 122,000 miles that experienced a catastrophic engine failure resulting in complete engine seizure. The failure has been identified by an independent mechanic as a rod bearing issue. The engine remains intact and is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle is currently not operational and the battery has been disconnected. This vehicle is a family vehicle that regularly transports our four children. At the time of the incident, our [XXX] child was in the vehicle with us. The failure created a serious safety risk. While traveling on the highway, the vehicle suddenly lost power without warning, creating a hazardous situation in active traffic and increasing the risk of a collision. The presence of a young child in the vehicle further heightened the severity of the safety risk. The issue was preceded by a light tapping noise that began approximately 10 miles prior to the failure. Within about one minute before total failure, a loud squealing noise occurred, followed immediately by complete engine shutdown and loss of power. There were no meaningful warnings that would indicate imminent catastrophic failure in time to safely prevent the incident. The problem has been confirmed by an independent repair facility, which diagnosed the engine as seized due to internal failure consistent with rod bearing damage. A Kia dealership and Kia America have both been contacted and declined responsibility for repair. The vehicle has been regularly maintained, with routine oil changes performed as expected. The most recent oil change was completed approximately 2,000 miles prior to the failure. Insurance has confirmed this incident is not covered, as it is a mechanical failure and not the result of an accident or external damage. The vehicle has not been physically inspected by the manufacturer. Police were not involved. This type of failure is consistent with widely reported engine defects across Kia vehicles i INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFOR

NHTSA ID

11727513

Incident

Feb 8, 2026

While driving under normal conditions and normal operation, the engine lost power, began using excessive fuel, the inside of the vehicle smelled like fuel and white smoke began pouring out of the exhaust.

NHTSA ID

11693717

Incident

Oct 10, 2025

There was a fire under my minivan as my husband was driving it, creating smoke and flames. He lost power to the van and had to coast to the right side of the highway where he came to a stop with the flames occurring. This is the family vehicle and I have small children. We had no warning lights or any indication that there would be a fire in my vehicle as the van had been running smoothly, and I had kept up with all recommended maintenance (see Carfax report). On July 31st, I was told by Kia America that there was a fire in the engine compartment and that it was inconclusive and they could not determine what started the fire. On August 15th, my father and husband went to Castrucci Kia (where the car was) and were shown that there were holes in the engine block, and the service representative Brandon stated that the engine failure had probably thrown some of the rods causing the holes in the lower engine block sparking a fire when the leaking oil hit the catalytic converter. My insurance was involved, but I was not able to obtain a settlement from them, but I kept up on all maintenance and adherence to Kia guidelines and my engine unexpectedly failed and caught on fire. I was told I would need a new engine at an approximate cost ranging from 12,000 to 15,000 dollars. I believe that my 2018 Kia Sedona's 3.3 L gasoline direct injection engine was manufactured defectively resulting in catastrophic engine failure, APPARENTLY puncturing the engine block, causing engine oil to leak and ignite a fire. Our attempts to address this critical issue with Kia have been met with significant resistance and delays. It appears that Kia refuses to take responsibility. There has been an escalating number of safety complaints and instances directly linked to the 3.3 L Kia V6 Lambda II engine. I appreciate your assistance in resolving this issue with KIA AMERICA and the local KIA service center where my vehicle is located

NHTSA ID

11687226

Incident

Jul 9, 2025

Engine failed…driving down the road with five small children and without warning all the lights came on and started smoking, leaking fuel, power doors failed, steering, acceleration and more. We had to have the car towed to a shop. A when looking into what’s happening apparently many others are having to spend thousands to fix this issue and I’m afraid that’s where we are. An investigation needs to be opened as this is clearly an ongoing issue for many families

NHTSA ID

11679912

Incident

Aug 11, 2025

While driving on the interstate, about an hour into the trip, there was a banging/tinging sound coming from the front of the van. Immediately the van was pulled off the road to assess the situation as there were NO WARNING MESSAGES OR LIGHTS that came on to alert of any problem. Immediately before hearing the noise, the van had a major loss of power going up a slight incline on the interstate. The van threw a rod and had I not noticed the sound and pulled over, this could have been potentially a deadly situation had I kept driving and the engine completely seized up in the middle of the interstate.

NHTSA ID

11675165

Incident

Jul 18, 2025

ENGINE - blown head gasket, cracked block. Vehicle is at dealership service center in for repairs.vehicle has been inspected by the warranty company. No engine light or warnings or messages came up on the car. Approximately 64000.00 miles smelling antifreeze. Took it in to have it checked for leaks no apparent leaks. Took in at approximately 72000.00 miles now has a blown head gasket and cracked block. The safety of a breakdown is obvious.

NHTSA ID

11657885

Incident

Apr 4, 2025

While returning from a road trip to the Phoenix Arizona area I was driving my family in the Kia Sedona van. We were driving on highway [XXX] going over [XXX] accelerating up hill. Without warning the car started to have high rpms and the sensor for the check oil along with the check engine light began to flash. Steering felt difficult. Safety was a concern having to try to use a dying vehicle to pull from the left lane across traffic of the busy highway on a mountain pass. I was able to pull to the right shoulder of the highway and park the van. I shut the van off and went to check the oil, the dip stick showed empty. I was trapped on the side of the highway with my wife and 5 small kids. I was uncertain that the tow truck would be able to transport my family off the highway. I was not willing walk my family along the highway so I called the local police dispatch for possible aid. The tow truck was able to get us off the highway to a place we could order a Lyft. The van was towed to a mechanic shop. The van was inspected by a mechanic shop. The shop confirmed that the engine had seized and would have to be completely replaced. We had been on this road trip for the past couple with no issues prior to this event. After being told our engine had seized we started to do some research on the internet and found this is a common issue with Kia and there is a current class action lawsuit. We intend to file a claim, but are uncertain if we qualify based on the dates of the suit. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11643830

Incident

Feb 18, 2025

We have a 2018 KIA Sedona SXL that started to have a knock the beginning of the year. We noticed it was dry on oil even though we faithfully get our oil serviced. I took it in for an oil change right away and they were also surprised as I have always went there for my oil services. They informed me that my Kia engine is notorious for burning through oil and maybe just try coming in more frequently than what KIA recommends so we figured that was the answer, as the knock sound had gone away immediately after having oil. That was on [XXX]. A little over 3 weeks later on [XXX], my husband and kids were heading home on the interstate and the car completely shut off and died without a single light on the dashboard. No ding warning sound, check engine light, oil light, nothing. After such a scary experience the only common fix that made sense was maybe an alternator issue so we towed it home. The next day we had a licensed mobile mechanic come out to diagnosis the situation. After trying a new battery he did not think it was the alternator. He manually tried to start it by cranking the crankshaft and he sadly informed up that it was seized up around the piston and it would need a completely new engine. A new engine that not only was discontinued but also for a vehicle that only has 107k miles. Unacceptable as there are many many others out there experiencing this with their KIA engine that also have the 3.3L V6 Lambda II GDI. I’m hoping the the safety of consumers and their families that NHTSA looks seriously into this engine manufacturered in Geangmyeong, Korea INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11643043

Incident

Feb 14, 2025

Head gasket blew and caused coolant to leak into the engine. We broke down on the side of the interstate. Our vehicle sat at the dealer for 5 months awaiting a new engine to be put in. No warnings beforehand.

NHTSA ID

11630950

Incident

Jul 13, 2024

Engine in my 2018 Kia has failed. This should be covered under warranty as van only has 90k miles on it but because I am the second owner they are telling me it is not covered. Several other 2018 Kia’s have already been recalled for engine failure. My car was burning oil. This is a manufacturing issue and I am very stressed about paying to get it fixed out of pocket.

NHTSA ID

11627705

Incident

Oct 1, 2024

Blown engine at 108,000. Known issues with 3.3-liter V6 engine . Kia refises to repair.

NHTSA ID

11626070

Incident

Oct 10, 2023

Engine failed. Replacement is required. Currently at dealership where auto was purchased. Dropped off 30 JUL '24. Waitng for replacement.

NHTSA ID

11623832

Incident

Jul 30, 2024

I took the vehicle to get serviced to check the engine light coming on. The Kia dealership stated that the CVVT Assembly and Oil Control Valve had to be replaced. The entire engine would have to be replaced if there was engine damage. The check engine would turn off for a couple of days and then turn back on. When the light would turn off, there was a lack of power, causing a lag in the throttle control.

NHTSA ID

11617981

Incident

Aug 16, 2024

108,000 miles failed engine due to know rod issues with this engine

NHTSA ID

11608711

Incident

Oct 7, 2023

While driving at highway speed all the dashboard lights came on and the engine instantly quit. I managed to pull the wheel and coast to the side of the road, which was difficult with no power steering. I tried restarting the engine, but it would not stay running. I had to have the car towed to the mechanic who, upon inspection, found the engine seized due to no oil. An engine replacement was required. All routine maintenance performed on this engine and records were provided. The dealership where I purchased the vehicle refused to replace the engine under warranty, 92330 miles, stating the engine showed "sludge" and was not maintained, this despite my providing maintenance records. This catastrophic engine failure was caused by a manufacturing/engineering defect in the GDI engine causing the engine to burn oil excessively. There was no indication of a problem prior to the failure. The failure at highway speed could have easily caused serious injury or death.

NHTSA ID

11608210

Incident

Feb 9, 2024

I was driving my 2018 Kia Sedona on [XXX]. I had all 4 of my kids with me in the van, I heard a click, click, click, then the car went dark, in the middle of the road no warning nothing. There was no light or anything that came on as a warning. It just died. It was scary to go through that with my kiddos. We are devastated as the car is only 6yrs old and it wont work at all. Had it towed to my local auto shop. They said the engine is defective and needs to be replaced. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11601005

Incident

Jul 4, 2024

10 mile drive to town. On return home, smoke began pouring from the engine compartment. Within 3-4 minutes flames came from grill area, and within 15 minutes entire car was engulfed in flames.

NHTSA ID

11595189

Incident

Jun 18, 2024

Vehicle was idling when smoke and fire started presumably from the engine causing a car fire. We are the insurance company that paid for the car and Clearcover Insurance is now the owner.

NHTSA ID

11589582

Incident

May 14, 2024

We barely use it and just for Sunday service only which our church is just 2 miles away from our home. We did the oil change last July 2022 and on December 2022, Suddenly the engine stops working (ONLY 120 MILEAGE ADDED). NO WARNING LIGHTS or INDICATION saying ENGINE OLI needs to change. My son heard a clunk noise while he's on the way home. Huntington Beach Hyundai Service center said that the ENGINE BROKE DUE TO OIL ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11511880

Incident

Mar 14, 2023

Our 2018 Kia Sedona SXL caught on fire in the engine compartment while driving. IT almost killed my wife (driver) and my 4 year old son. Car had been driven only 2 blocks after picking up my son from daycare. The car started to produce black smoke incessantly from the engine compartment that made visibility almost impossible. Bystandards were waving with their arms up and trying to warn my wife and she managed to stop in a parking lot and run away with my son. Car got very hot. Despite of keeping regular maintenance, car has had a myriad of issues: electrical components going off and not working anymore (cruise control, rear view camera, navigation system), booming sound from air conditioner like an old airplane is inside the cabin..etc.There were no warning lights suggesting any problem before car caught on fire. Please help.

NHTSA ID

11471701

Incident

Jun 29, 2022