U.S. public vehicle records

2004 Kia SEDONA problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

175 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

45,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2004 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 129 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Wheels is the most frequently named component, appearing in 24 of 175 complaints (13.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	42	24.0%
Steering behavior	24	13.7%
Engine operation	13	7.4%
Electrical and battery issues	11	6.3%
Transmission and shifting	6	3.4%
Fuel system concerns	4	2.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Wheels

Steering

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Unknown Or Other

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Wheels: 24; Steering: 19; Electrical System: 14; Engine And Engine Cooling: 12; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 9; Unknown Or Other: 9; Vehicle Speed Control: 9; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 8

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 51; 25,000 to 49,999: 16; 50,000 to 74,999: 18; 75,000 to 99,999: 21; 100,000 to 149,999: 16; 150,000 and above: 7

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (51). 46 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2004: 10; 2005: 57; 2006: 25; 2007: 8; 2008: 13; 2009: 10; 2010: 11; 2011: 10; 2012: 6; 2013: 5; 2014: 7; 2015: 4; 2017: 4; 2018: 2; 2019: 1; 2020: 1; 2021: 1

Pattern summary

Wheels leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 42 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 24 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 13 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10079770 · 2004-06-24 (June 24, 2004)

WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKES AT ANY SPEED FRONT END VIBRATED. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ROTORS FAILED. CONSUMER STATED THAT ROTORS WERE ALREADY REPLACED, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10079770 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10080193 · 2004-06-30 (June 30, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE DESCRIBED AS RUBBING COMING FROM THE REAR BRAKES. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, AND TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10080193 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10103760 · 2005-02-18 (February 18, 2005)

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. VEHICLE WAS STILL DRIVEABLE. DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THERE TRANSMISSION FAILED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK DEALER STATED PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY ELECTRICL HARNESS. ALSO HAVING MULTIPLE FAILURES WITH OUTPUT SPEED SENSOR; TRANSMISSION 3 TIMES; THERMOSTAT ASSEMBLY; POWER STEERING LEAKED; INPUT SPEED SENSOR; LOW GROUND VOLTAGE FAILED; FUSE BLOCK PROBLEMS; CRUISE CONTROL. CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE CRUISE CONTROL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERAT…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,825 miles reported. Look up ODI 10103760 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10135096 · 2005-09-23 (September 23, 2005)

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SEDONA MINI VAN. THE CONTACT STATED THEIR RECALL 03V158000 CONCERNING ABS BRAKES WAS ISSUED IN 2003 FOR THE 2003 KIA SEDONA. THIS VEHICLE WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN THE RECALL. HOWEVER THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT INCLUDE 2004 IN THE RECALL. FRONT ENDS SHIMMIED WHILE BRAKING. SHE WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE RECALL STATED THAT THIS COULD CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES AND RESULT IN A CRASH. KIA HAS TURNED THE ROTORS AND PADS FOUR TIMES. WHILE MAKING A HARD STOP WHEN COMING OFF OF A FREEWAY T…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10135096 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10089263 · 2004-08-19 (August 19, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10089263 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10093277 · 2004-09-29 (September 29, 2004)

BLOWN MAIN ENGINE FUSE DUE TO THIS FAILURE IT SHUTS OFF ALL ENGINE AND IT DOES NOT OPERATE AT ALL. WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE SHUTS OFF AND WON'T START. AFTER IT WENT TO THE DEALER FOR SO MANY DAYS WITHOUT CALLING US TO INFORM OF WHAT'S GOING ON, THEY HAVE FIGURED THAT IT HAS A BLOWN FUSE AND THEY ( DEALER MECHANICS ) BLAME ME TO THE FACT THAT I MIGHT BE USING A LOT OF ELECTICAL ACTIVITIES IN THE VAN SUCH AS PLAYING VIDEO GAME WHILE DRIVING AND MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THE ELECTRICAL BLOW OUT. THEN 2 MONTHS LATER... SAME THING HAPPENED I WAS ON MY WAY …

Owner-reported narrative. 7,820 miles reported. Look up ODI 10093277 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10123844 · 2005-06-01 (June 1, 2005)

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SADONA. THE DASH LIGHTS HAVE REPEATEDLY FAILED IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR. A COUPLE OF TIMES THE DEALER PUT FUSES IN THE VEHICLE, AND THEY CLAIMED THAT SOMETHING HAD BEEN PLUGGED INTO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER THAT DID NOT WORK. THE MASTER TECHNICIAN PUT A NEW INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BOARD. THIS WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM FOR A WEEK UP TO A MONTH, AND THE PROBLEM WOULD COME BACK. AT NIGHTS, THEY CANNOT SEE THE SPEED OR FUEL OR ANY LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD. PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THIS VEHICLE IN THE SHOP THREE TIMES FOR ELECTRICAL RE…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10123844 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10125427 · 2005-06-15 (June 15, 2005)

DT: TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AT LEAST 15 TIMES, THEY SAID NOT KICKING UP ANY ERA CODES. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS CHANGED ALSO TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM ) WAS THEN CHANGED. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY DID SOMETHING WITH THE GROUNDS. IN FEBRUARY 2005 THEY PUT IN A NEW TRANSMISSION. LIKE THE CAR IT WAS LOSING POWER, AND CAR WAS GEARING DOWN ON ITS OWN. AT FIRST THIS ONLY HAPPENED ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK, BUT CURRENTLY IT HAPPENED EVERY TIME CONSUMER GOT INTO THE CAR. THE LAST THIS HAPPENED CONSUMER PULLED OUT ONTO A ROAD AND …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10125427 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10174458 · 2006-11-27 (November 27, 2006)

I HAVE A 2004 KIA SORENTO 4X4 (THAT CAR OPTION NOT INCLUDED IN COMPLAINT FORM) ONE MORNING CAR STARTED UP ROUGH AND WOULDN'T STOP. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DROPPED OFF AT DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY SAID IT WAS MY FUEL INJECTORS. THEY REPLACED THEM, BUT SAID THEY WANTED TO KEEP CAR OVERNIGHT TO MAKE SURE PROBLEM DID NOT REPEAT. IT STARTED ROUGH AGAIN WITH THEM AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THEY KEPT THE CAR NEXT DAY TO DIG DEEPER TO FIND PROBLEM. THEY DISCOVERED THE WIRE HARNESS SUFFERED A SHORT AND WAS BURNT IN 3 DIFFERENT AREAS. SINCE HARNE…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10174458 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10210765 · 2007-12-04 (December 4, 2007)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SEDONA. WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THE CONTACT HEARS A GRINDING, SQUEALING, AND SQUEAKING SOUND. THE FAILURE IS HEARD WHEN TWO OR MORE PEOPLE ARE IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER A DOZEN TIMES CONCERNING THIS AND, ON SIX OF THOSE OCCASIONS, THE SOUNDS COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE; ONCE AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE AND ONCE AT THE DEALER'S EXPENSE. THE SOUNDS CEASED FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK AND THEN RESUMED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,891 AND FAILURE …

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10210765 at NHTSA ↗