2003 Kia SEDONA EX: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
34 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
60,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: . 28 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 6 of 34 complaints (17.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 8 | 23.5% |
| Braking behavior | 5 | 14.7% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 4 | 11.8% |
| Transmission and shifting | 3 | 8.8% |
| Engine operation | 3 | 8.8% |
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 | 6 |
| Steering | 4 |
| Wheels | 3 |
| Engine | 2 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 2 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System | 2 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 2 |
Electrical System: 6; Steering: 4; Wheels: 3; Engine: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System: 2; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 2
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 8 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 4 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 7 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 4 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 4 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 8; 25,000 to 49,999: 4; 50,000 to 74,999: 7; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 1
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (8). 6 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 |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 9 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 7 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
2006: 9; 2007: 2; 2008: 7; 2009: 3; 2010: 2; 2011: 3; 2012: 3; 2015: 1; 2016: 2; 2018: 2
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 8 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 5 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 4 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10156424 · 2006-04-29 (April 29, 2006)
TRANSMISSION NOT SHIFTING RIGHT WAS TOLD 3 MONTHS AFTER I HAD PURCHASE THIS MINIVAN I HAD LOW FLUID I TOOK IT BACK MANY TIMES AND WAS THE SAME TILL I STARTED SEEING TRANSMISSION FLUID IN MY DRIVE WAY I TOOK IT TO THEN DEALER HE SAID MY AXLE SEAL WAS BAD THEY TOOK OVER A WEEK TO REPAIR IT AND NEVER REPLACED THE MISSING FLUID I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALER AND THEY CHARGED ME FOR THE MISSING FLUID KIA WAS NO HELP IN THIS CHARGE THREE MONTHS LATER I HAD TO HAVE THE FLUID CHANGED AT A CHARGE TO ME BECAUSE IT SMELLED BURNT. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 1,433 miles reported. Look up ODI 10156424 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10156426 · 2006-04-29 (April 29, 2006)
BRAKES VIBRATING I HAVE TAKEN THIS VAN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THIS PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE 1400 MILES ON THE VAN EACH TIME THEY TELL ME WARPED ROTORS I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 25 YEARS AND NEVER HAD PROBLEM LIKE THIS ALMOST EVER 6 MONTHS I HAVE HAD TO BRING IT IN FOR UNTIL THEY CHANGED THE FRONT PADS WITH A NEW TYPE AT A COST OF $230.00 AT 13,000 MILES 4/28/05 THE PROBLEM SEEM TO BE FIXED BUT AFTER 10,000 MILES ITS BACK 4/28/2006 ONE YEAR TO THE DATE THIS NEEDS TO BE CHECKED. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 14,233 miles reported. Look up ODI 10156426 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10156428 · 2006-04-29 (April 29, 2006)
HARD TO STEER ON TURNING STEERING DOES NOT WANT TO RETURN ALSO HARD TO TURN AT ANY SPEED. THE U-JOINT ON THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BINDED UP WITHOUT WARNING. THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED ALSO.
Owner-reported narrative. 23,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10156428 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10157391 · 2006-05-11 (May 11, 2006)
WE HAVE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH OUR KIA SEDONA. I'VE LOST COUNT HOW MANY TIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED. I HAVE HAD THE VAN INTO TWO DIFFERENT KIA DEALERSHIPS AND NEITHER ONE CAN SEEM TO FIND WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. WE PURCHASED THE VAN 12-2003 AND STARTING HAVING PROBLEMS 09-2004. WE WILL BE DRIVING THE VAN AND IT WILL START A BUCKING ACTION AS IF THE TRANSMISSION IS CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT IT SHOULD BE DOING. IF WE ARE LUCKY, WE CAN LET OFF THE GAS AND THE BUCKING ACTION WILL CEASE. THERE ARE OTHER TIMES WHEN WE LET OFF THE GAS AND IT CONTINUES TO BUC…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10157391 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10162967 · 2006-07-20 (July 20, 2006)
THIS VAN HAS BEEN A PROBLEM EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, THE CD PLAYER DOESN'T WORK ANY MORE. THE ALTERNATOR WITH OUT AT 40,000 MILES. THE FUSES INSIDE KEEP BLOWING. THE AIR CONTROLLER IN THE BACK IN FALLING OUT OF THE CEILING. I HAD TO LEAVE IT WITH THE DEALERSHIP FOR OVER A WEEK SO THAT THEY COULD FIND THE HESITATION PROBLEM IT WAS HAVING WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE DISTRIBUTOR CABLE, THIS WAS AT ABOUT 17,000 MILES AND THAT WAS ALSO THE MILES AT THE 2ND BRAKES JOB. IT N…
Owner-reported narrative. 17,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10162967 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10170183 · 2006-10-06 (October 6, 2006)
2003 KIA SEDONA WHICH WE BOUGHT BRAND NEW HAS HAD A PROBLEM ALMOST SINCE WE PURCHASED IT, INITIALLY WITH RUNNING ROUGH, THEN TRANSMISSION INTO STALLING, OR LOSS OF POWER AND ALMOST STALLING, WHEN ACCELERATING ONTO A HIGHWAY OR OTHER MAIN THOROUGHFARE WHERE RAPID ACCELERATION IS REQUIRED FOR SAFE ENTRY. WE HAVE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AT WHICH WE PURCHASED IT NUMEROUS TIMES. EITHER THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM, OR THEY MADE REPAIRS WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. ON OCTOBER 4, 2006, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT ON A BUSY 4 …
Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10170183 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10171337 · 2006-10-19 (October 19, 2006)
ON TUES. THE 3RD OF OCT. 2006 I WENT TO START MY 2003 KIA SEDONA AND IT WOULD NOT START SO AAA WAS CALLED, THEY CAME AND JUMPED THE BATTERY AND IT WAS ALL SET TO GO. THURSDAY THE 5TH I NOTICED CONSOLE NEAR RADIO WAS HOT TO THE TOUCH. FRIDAY OCT. 6TH 2006 I WENT TO GET INTO MY CAR AND I COULD NOT GET THE DOOR OPEN. I NOTICED THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED AND BLACK. WHEN I FINALLY GOT INTO THE CAR THE DRIVERS SIDE WAS COMPLETELY MELTED BY A FIRE THAT OCCURRED SOMETIME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. THE CAR WAS TOTALED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY, THEY ARE …
Owner-reported narrative. 41,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10171337 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10173713 · 2006-11-17 (November 17, 2006)
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. NEITHER FRONTAL AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. A SERVICE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED. UPDATED 12/04/06. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 50,960 miles reported. Look up ODI 10173713 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
05V463000 · Seats
Reported: 2005-10-05 (October 5, 2005)
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POWER SEATS, THE WIRING UNDER THE FRONT SEATS COULD BE MISROUTED, ALLOWING CONTACT WITH METAL SEAT COMPONENTS.
Consequence: THIS CONTACT COULD EVENTUALLY RESULT IN A SHORT CIRCUIT CONDITION THAT MAY RESULT IN A FIRE IN THE JUNCTION BOX AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND RE-ROUTE THE WIRES UNDER THE POWER SEATS, IF NECESSARY, AS WELL AS INSTALL PROTECTIVE SEAMING WELTS AROUND THOSE WIRES TO BETTER INSULATE THEM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 28, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA campaign record ↗