2006 Kia Sedona problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Suspension (73) · Air Bags (56) · Electrical System (27)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Kia Sedona model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
316 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (4)
Electrical System 2020-02-14 · campaign 20V088000 · 228,829 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Sedona and 2007-2009 Sorento vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.
Risk: An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the vehicle is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the main junction box to prevent power from being directed to the HECU when the vehicle's ignition switch is turned off, free of charge. The recall began June 5, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC186.
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm 2016-06-01 · campaign 16V387000 · 97,884 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 Kia Sedona vehicles manufactured from June 15, 2005, through August 14, 2012 and originally sold in, or currently registered in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the Distric
Risk: A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners and dealers will replace the front lower control arms on 2006-2007 models. 2008-2012 models will either have their front lower control arms replaced or additional anti-corrosion coating will be applied. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on July 27, 2016. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC133.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:hood:latch 2016-06-01 · campaign 16V389000 · 219,800 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Kia Sedona vehicles manufactured from June 15, 2005, through April 04, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Risk: If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners and dealers will replace the secondary hood latch or clean and lubricate the latch, depending on the vehicle's location and the condition of the latch. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on July 27, 2016. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall number is SC134.
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm 2013-11-05 · campaign 13V550000 · 79,867 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 Kia Sedona vehicles manufactured from June 15, 2005, through August 14, 2012 originally sold in, or currently registered in Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, West Virginia or the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may
Risk: A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners and dealers will inspect the degree of corrosion of the front lower control arms, and will either rustproof or replace them, free of charge. The recall began on December 20, 2013. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall number is SC100.
Service bulletins (40)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Structure 2021-09-13 · TSB_BOD055_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: information for headlamp condensation and moisture - this bulletin has been revised to include additional information. new/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. this bulletin provides information relating to some kia models tha
Electrical System 2021-05-07 · TSB_BOD051_CLSD · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
tsb_bod051_closed: technical service bulletin closed
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:catalytic Convertor 2020-06-03 · DOR-M9J4S-07 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
these skus are exhaust manifolds with catalytic converters. the customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to a loss of carb certification. these skus can no longer be sold as they do not meet carb standards, but parts on vehicles are not effected.
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:catalytic Convertor 2020-06-03 · DOR-M3J3F-07 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
these skus are exhaust manifolds with catalytic converters. the customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to a loss of carb certification. these skus can no longer be sold as they do not meet carb standards, but parts on vehicles are not effected.
Power Train 2020-04-24 · TSB_TRA046_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: - transmission fluid application guide - this bulletin has been revised to include additional information. this bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each kia model. a flush is required only when a
Engine And Engine Cooling 2018-03-02 · PS539 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
pitstop - engine component re-use guidelines - in general, parts and components removed during engine repairs should be considered serviceable, and should be thoroughly cleaned and transferred to the new engine.
Showing the 6 most recent of 40 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-05-06 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 189,000 mi · 🔥 fire“the contact owned a 2006 kia sedona. the vehicle was bought used close to four years ago. the contact was unaware that the vehicle had received notifications of nhtsa campaign numbers 20v088000 (electrical system, service brakes, hydraulic), 16v389000 (latches/locks/linkages), and 16v387000 (suspension). the contact stated that while driving 30 mph…”
2026-02-23 · Power Train“auto dealer fraud 8/3 2024 dealership sold me a title washed lemon with major safety hazards defective unrepairable components discovered later after purchase p0885 limp mode fire hazard the vehicle may catch on fire when parked went back to the dealership that i purchased from for a p0885 on december 4 2024 returned back to me march 18 2025 w…”
2024-01-02 · Vehicle Speed Control · 🔥 fire“unknown. my vqn caught fire under my hood not sure were it came from. …”
2023-12-04 · Air Bags“driver's airbag deployed prematurely. what should i do?…”
2023-10-19 · Service Brakes · 🔥 fire“the contact owns a 2006 kia sedona lx. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v088000 (electrical system, service brakes, hydraulic) and stated that while powered off, he observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment. the contact stated that when the hood was opened, fire erupted from the engine compartment. the contac…”
2023-04-11 · Wheels“frame rusted -out allowing right front wheel a -frame to come loose. allowing wheel to move rearward into wheelwell stoping rotation. if i had been on the interstate ??? maybe you wouldnot be reading this??? [xxx] uscg retired information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).…”
2022-12-17 · Unknown Or Other“intermittently not starting. not cranking. battery has been checked. alternator is ok. we've left it with our mechanic for a week and he was unable to replicate the issue. it's happening a couple times a month. we wait about 20 minutes then the kia starts up. yes the van is available for inspection. my safety was at risk as the van not starting in …”
2022-03-07 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic“the contact owns a 2006 kia sedona. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v389000 (latches/locks/linkages) and 20v088000 (electrical system, service brakes, hydraulic) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the …”
2022-02-24 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights · 235,232 mi“the contact owns a 2006 kia sedona. the contact stated that while driving at 4mph, a bystander informed him that the brake lights of his vehicle were not functioning. the contact stated that the brake lights failed to operate as needed. there were no warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the dealer and the manufactu…”
2021-12-01 · Electrical System“i obtained this vehicle from a relative in ohio. they tried twice to have the recall repaired and twice they showed for an appointment to find out parts were not available. i bought and brought the car to florida. i started the same process here with daytona kia {(386) 252-7000}. i have had 2 appointments. the first on 8/31/2021 i cancelled ha…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.