2008 Kia SEDONA problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
170 owner complaints analyzed
5 distinct recall campaigns
52,847 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: . 136 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 45 of 170 complaints (26.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 33 | 19.4% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 24 | 14.1% |
| Engine operation | 11 | 6.5% |
| Steering behavior | 8 | 4.7% |
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 0.6% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 0.6% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 45 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 37 |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 15 |
| Exterior Lighting | 14 |
| Service Brakes | 12 |
| Structure:Body:Door | 12 |
| Suspension | 12 |
| Unknown Or Other | 11 |
Electrical System: 45; Vehicle Speed Control: 37; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 15; Exterior Lighting: 14; Service Brakes: 12; Structure:Body:Door: 12; Suspension: 12; Unknown Or Other: 11
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 36 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 26 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 21 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 21 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 23 |
| 150,000 and above | 9 |
Under 25,000: 36; 25,000 to 49,999: 26; 50,000 to 74,999: 21; 75,000 to 99,999: 21; 100,000 to 149,999: 23; 150,000 and above: 9
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (36). 34 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2010 | 37 |
| 2011 | 8 |
| 2012 | 10 |
| 2013 | 14 |
| 2014 | 18 |
| 2015 | 9 |
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 14 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 | 1 |
2008: 4; 2009: 6; 2010: 37; 2011: 8; 2012: 10; 2013: 14; 2014: 18; 2015: 9; 2016: 11; 2017: 8; 2018: 7; 2019: 8; 2020: 14; 2021: 6; 2022: 3; 2023: 2; 2024: 2; 2025: 2; 2026: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 33 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 24 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 11 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 10225762 · 2008-04-25 (April 25, 2008)
BAD MISFIRE. THIS MISFIRE STARTED AT 14,000 MILES. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOK AT THEY COLD NOT GET IT TO MISFIRE. AS TIME WENT ON AT 20,000 THE MISFIRE BECAME WORSE, WE LEFT THE VAN FOR PM SERVICE WITH THE FIRST DEALER FOR ONE WEEK,WE WEAR ON VACATION. THEY CALLED AND SAID THAT THE VAN WAS READY,THAT WAS ON A FRIDAY,I WENT TO PICK UP THE VAN FROM THE DEALER. WHEN I STARTED IT AND PUT IT IN DRIVE IT STARTED TO MISS. I HAD THE SERVICE WRITER COME OVER AND I HAD HIM FELL THE MISS AND YOU COULD HEAR IT IN THE MOTOR COMPARTMENT,TH…
Owner-reported narrative. 53,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10225762 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10277694 · 2009-07-22 (July 22, 2009)
LET ME START BY SAYING WE LOVED THE VAN UP UNTIL THIS INCIDENT. I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WITH MY FAMILY IN OUR 2008 KIA SEDONA. I HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL SET TO 75 MPH, I WENT TO PASS SOMEONE AND WHEN I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR TO PASS THE CAR. I TRIED TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL BY PRESSING THE BRAKE AS WELL AS DOING IT MANUALLY BY PRESSING THE CRUISE CONTROL BUTTON. I COULD NOT GET THE VAN TO SLOW DOWN EVEN THOUGH I WAS PUSHING THE BRAKE TO THE FLOOR. AT ONE POINT I WAS DOING BETWEEN 90 AND 100 MPH. I FINALLY MANAGED TO GET THE …
Owner-reported narrative. 6,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10277694 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10277660 · 2009-07-21 (July 21, 2009)
IT ALL STARTED WHEN MY WIFE PICKED UP THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION FROM A RENTAL SALESMAN, HE TOLD HER THAT SHE SHOULD NOT PLUG OUR GPS UNIT INTO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER OR IT WOULD COST $90.00 FOR US TO REPAIR THE LIGHT THAT WOULD COME ON FOR THE AIR BAGS. WE DID NOT PLUG THE UNIT INTO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER BUT PLUGGED IT INTO THE ACCESSORY POWER OUTLET. ON SUNDAY 07/12/09 I ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM. THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON, THE AIR CONDITIONER ONLY CAME ON HIGH, AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WENT OUT. IT'S AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN THE OUTLETS. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 31,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10277660 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10358151 · 2010-09-28 (September 28, 2010)
IN 18 MONTHS MY 2008 KIA SEDONA HAS CONTINUOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, WITH THIS COMPLAINT FOCUSING ON THE FACT MY VEHICLE HAS BLOWN THE 200 AMP MAIN FUSE 4 TIMES IN 18 MONTHS, INCLUDING WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE 2 OF THE 4 TIMES, CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AND A SAFETY ISSUE AS BOTH TIMES IT HAPPEN WHILE HIGHWAY DRIVING, WITH THE DEALER NOT BEING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM EACH AND EVERY TIME. THEY REPLACE THE FUSE, RUN TESTS, AND GIVE THE CAR BACK, AT WHICH POINT ANYWHERE FROM 10 DAYS TO 6 MONTHS THE FUSE BLOWS AGAIN. NOTE THIS…
Owner-reported narrative. 36,452 miles reported. Look up ODI 10358151 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10252965 · 2008-12-28 (December 28, 2008)
INITIAL OCCURRENCE WAS ON NOVEMBER 20, 2008 WHEN OUR 2008 SEDONA WAS LESS THAN SEVEN MONTHS OLD AND WITH ONLY 13000 KILOMETERS ON IT. VEHICLE STALLED WHEN TRYING TO START UP AFTER A FOUR WAY STOP. THOUGHT SOME TYPE OF FLUKE? NO FURTHER OCCURRENCES FOR TWO TO THREE HUNDRED KILOMETERS UNTIL NOVEMBER 23, 2008 WHEN STALLED WHILE TURNING AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. STALLED AGAIN AFTER PUT IN PARK AND RESTARTED. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP WHERE SERVICED ON NOVEMBER 24, 2008 -CORRECTION: "SCAN CODE P2106/P1295/P0638 AND PO236 RESET AND RE-PROGRAM - ROAD TES…
Owner-reported narrative. 13,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10252965 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10297422 · 2009-12-29 (December 29, 2009)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SEDONA. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED HE PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, AND THEN THE PEDAL FELL COMPLETELY TO THE FLOORBOARD. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD , THE VEHICLE STALLED. HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. A TECHNICIAN FROM THE DEALER REPAIRED THE TBS SENSOR AND UPDATED THE ECU. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 59054.
Owner-reported narrative. 59,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10297422 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10282894 · 2009-09-04 (September 4, 2009)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SEDONA. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKES BEGAN PULSATING AND THERE WAS EXCESSIVE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL INCLUDING A BURNING ODOR. THE STATED THAT THE FAILURE COULD BE RELATED TO THE WAY SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE. A SECOND DEALER STATED THAT BRAKES OVER HEATED AND THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES SHOULD HAVE FAILED AT 15,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED; HOWEVER, SHE STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE DEFECTIVE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WA…
Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10282894 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10284162 · 2009-09-16 (September 16, 2009)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SEDONA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH SHE LOST POWER STEERING. SHE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE INABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE INCREASED THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 15,900.
Owner-reported narrative. 15,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10284162 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10525911 · 2013-07-20 (July 20, 2013)
THE FIRST TIME THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED, I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 KIA SEDONA VAN ON A LEVEL STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 30MPH. THE VAN STARTED ACCELERATING AT A FAST SPEED AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO CARS COMING THE OTHER WAY AND NO PEOPLE OUT WALKING. I WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP AT THE STOP SIGN AND I PUT ON MY EMERGENCY BRAKE AND TURNED OFF THE VAN. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING UP A HILL. THE VAN STARTED ACCELERATING AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO USE MY BRAKES. THIS TIME I PUT THE VAN IN NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE…
Owner-reported narrative. 70,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10525911 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10995421 · 2017-06-15 (June 15, 2017)
MY VEHICLE FUEL TANK PLACE WHERE YOU PUMP THE GAS IS COMPLETELY RUSTED, I FEAR THIS RUST MIGHT ADD TO FUEL AND MIGHT DAMAGE THE ENGINE OR IT MIGHT CAUSE SOME SPARK.
Owner-reported narrative. 132,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10995421 at NHTSA ↗