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U.S. public vehicle records

2015 Kia SEDONA problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

138 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

55,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2015 model year. Data snapshot: . 65 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 50 of 138 complaints (36.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior118.0%
Electrical and battery issues96.5%
Engine operation75.1%
Steering behavior53.6%
Fuel system concerns21.4%
Transmission and shifting10.7%

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.

Engine
50
Electrical System
35
Structure:Body
17
Exterior Lighting
15
Air Bags
11
Unknown Or Other
11
Seats
6
Service Brakes
6
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Engine50
Electrical System35
Structure:Body17
Exterior Lighting15
Air Bags11
Unknown Or Other11
Seats6
Service Brakes6

Engine: 50; Electrical System: 35; Structure:Body: 17; Exterior Lighting: 15; Air Bags: 11; Unknown Or Other: 11; Seats: 6; Service Brakes: 6

Reported problems by failure mileage

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

Under 25,000
16
25,000 to 49,999
12
50,000 to 74,999
13
75,000 to 99,999
15
100,000 to 149,999
8
150,000 and above
1
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,00016
25,000 to 49,99912
50,000 to 74,99913
75,000 to 99,99915
100,000 to 149,9998
150,000 and above1

Under 25,000: 16; 25,000 to 49,999: 12; 50,000 to 74,999: 13; 75,000 to 99,999: 15; 100,000 to 149,999: 8; 150,000 and above: 1

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (16). 73 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.

2015
6
2016
5
2017
7
2018
14
2019
16
2020
11
2021
11
2022
13
2023
15
2024
23
2025
11
2026
6
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20156
20165
20177
201814
201916
202011
202111
202213
202315
202423
202511
20266

2015: 6; 2016: 5; 2017: 7; 2018: 14; 2019: 16; 2020: 11; 2021: 11; 2022: 13; 2023: 15; 2024: 23; 2025: 11; 2026: 6

Pattern summary

Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 11 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 9 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 7 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 10704141 · 2015-04-07 (April 7, 2015)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA SEDONA. WHILE PULLING INTO THE GARAGE AND ATTEMPTING TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE DIAGNOSTIC RESULTS WERE UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10704141 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10761392 · 2015-09-03 (September 3, 2015)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA SEDONA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MPH APPROACHING A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 MPH, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO THE DRIVER SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AND A TREE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE AND REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROX…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10761392 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10820246 · 2016-01-14 (January 14, 2016)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA SEDONA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER ENTERING THE VEHICLE, IT FAILED TO START. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE CHARGED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE MORE OFTEN. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,200.

Owner-reported narrative. 1,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10820246 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10891499 · 2016-07-28 (July 28, 2016)

BATTERY DEAD FOR THREE DIFFERENT TIMES IN PAST FIVE DAYS. WORKED AFTER JUMP START (WITH A STANLEY 450/900 AMP JUMP START SYSTEM), BUT DURING LAST TWO OCCASSIONS (ON 07/27/16 AND 07/28/16 IT GOT HOT TOO FAST SPECIALLY WHEN CAR WAS STATIONARY (ENGINE RUNNING) FOR FEW MINUTES. IT WENT HOT TO BOILING (ALMOST TO THE POINT OF FIRE EXPLOTION), AND EVAPORATING ACID FROM BOTH SIDES'S TOP (HUGE AMOUNT OF WHITE TOXIC SMOKE). DEFINITELY THE BATTERY IS DAMAGED. DEALER IS WILLING TO REPLACE; BUT I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY CRITICAL ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE CAREFU…

Owner-reported narrative. 29,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10891499 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11145268 · 2018-11-04 (November 4, 2018)

ON 9/4/18, WHILE DRIVING ON THE PARKWAY I NOTICED MY CAR WAS SLUGGISH & MAKING A NOISE UPON ACCELERATION. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY MUFFLER BECAUSE I DIDNT HAVE ANY WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON MY DASHBOARD TO INDICATE A MAJOR PROBLEM. AS I EXITED THE PARKWAY, MY CAR STALLED & I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I WAS ABLE TO START IT A COUPLE MORE TIMES BEFORE IT DIED FOR GOOD. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEPTUNE NJ KIA WHERE WE AUTHORIZED A $400 PARTIAL TEAR DOWN OF THE ENGINE WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BUT IT WAS ONLY TO TAKE SOM…

Owner-reported narrative. 50,093 miles reported. Look up ODI 11145268 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11183357 · 2019-03-01 (March 1, 2019)

WAS DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED 25 MPH UP A SLIGHT HILL AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND LOOSE POWER THEN COMPLETELY STALLED, WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER JUST CRANK HAD IT TOWED TO THE KIA DEALER WHERE THEY INFORMED ME THE MOTOR HAD SEIZED UP AND WOULD NEED REPLACED AT A COST OF 7,000$ THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHY THE VEHICLE HAS 82,000 MILES WAS COMPLETELY FULL OF OIL WITH NO ABNORMALITIES AND A HALF TANK OF GAS THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS IN AND NO ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS EPISODE SINCE I WAS THE SECOND OWNER, BOUGHT IT USE…

Owner-reported narrative. 82,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11183357 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10789326 · 2015-11-09 (November 9, 2015)

THE ENGINE STOPPED AFTER DRIVING THROUGH A SMALL BUMP AT THE PARK LOT (LOW SPEED), ACCOMPANIED BY STEERING WHEEL LOCKING BY ITSELF. TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR AND IT DIDN'T WORK. JUMP START WAS ALSO UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEARBY DEALERSHIP. AFTER DAYS OF WAITING, I WAS TOLD PROBLEM CAN NOT BE DIAGNOSED BUT THEY OFFER TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER. NOW I AM WAITING FOR THEIR NEW RESULT.

Owner-reported narrative. 800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10789326 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11193630 · 2019-04-03 (April 3, 2019)

CHECK BGD WARNING LIGHT CAME ON SCREEN WHILE TRAVELLING AT 40-45 MPH ON A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF CITY ROAD. CAR IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN. LOST POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING. OTHER DASHBOARD LITES CAME ON - -CHECK ENGINE LIGHT,ETC. I BROUGHT VEHICLE TO STOP AND PLACED TRANSMISSION INTO PARK,. VEHICLE DID NOT RESTART AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS LOCKED..DEALER RETAINED VEHICLE FOR 28-30 DAYS AND WAS NOT ABLE TO REPAIR IT. DEALER SUBSEQUENTLY REPURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM ME.

Owner-reported narrative. 29,754 miles reported. Look up ODI 11193630 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10821471 · 2016-01-21 (January 21, 2016)

THE ENGINE DIES WHILE DRIVING. BOUGHT THE MINIVAN WITH 97 MILES. DRIVES BACK HOME AND PARKED THERE FOR ABOUT 1 WEEK. (NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS). THEN STARTED TO DRIVE THE VAN. THE FIRST DAY (WITH ALMOST FULL GAS TANK) THE ENGINE DIES WHILE DRIVING 3 TIMES, ALL ON CITY STREETS WITH LOW SPEED. 2 OUT OF 3 TIME THERE IS LITTLE UPHILL, THE OTHER TIME IT IS IN FLAT GROCERY PARKING LOT. AFTER THAT I SCHEDULED SERVICE APPOINTMENT AND BEGIN TO USE THE VAN FOR COMMUTE AS WELL TO TEST MORE. FOR ONE WEEK IT IS DRIVING OK. BUT AFTER I FILLUP THE GAS TANK, THE ENGI…

Owner-reported narrative. 113 miles reported. Look up ODI 10821471 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11489551 · 2022-10-17 (October 17, 2022)

There is a strong gasoline smell inside and outside of the vehicle. This is a fire risk and breathing hazard. I took the vehicle to a mechanic to be diagnosed/repaired on 10/13/2022. The mechanic confirmed there was a leak and stated that he had never seen a leak in this area of the vehicle before. He stated based on where it was that he believes it is a manufacturer defect. The fuel line was replaced at the cost of $699.16. However, the gasoline smell inside and outside of the vehicle remains. I contacted Kia Customer Service on 10/17…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11489551 at NHTSA ↗