2012 Kia Sedona problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (15) · Electrical System (14) · Structure:body (11)
🧭 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
81 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (5)
Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System:fuel Rail 2020-02-21 · campaign 20V101000 · 51,465 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Sedona vehicles. The fuel rail may crack from exposure to heat generated within the engine compartment, resulting in a fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of fire.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rail, free of charge. The recall began June 16, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC188.
Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module 2018-06-01 · campaign 18V363000 · 507,587 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kia Forte, Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Kia Optima and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners from deploying.
Risk: If the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Fix: Kia will notify owners. For model year 2011 Sedona vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to verify the ACU part number and, if necessary, install an extension wire harness kit between the ACU Connector and the Vehicle Harness Connector. For all other affected vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to install the extension wire harness kit. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC165.
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 (85)
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:body 2026-06-08 · CS2312_TSB_R2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: customer satisfaction: theft deterrent ignition cylinder protector and decal installation (cs2312) - 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 prov
Structure:body 2026-02-19 · TSB_CS2312_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: customer satisfaction: theft deterrent ignition cylinder protector and decal installation (cs2312) - 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 prov
Structure:body 2025-12-18 · TSB_CS2312 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: customer satisfaction: theft deterrent ignition cylinder protector and decal installation (cs2312) - this bulletin provides information to install a theft deterrent ignition cylinder protector on certain 2010-2022my kia vehicles outlined on page 19, which may not have bee
Structure:body 2025-12-17 · CS2312_OWNR · Other
customer satisfaction campaign: owner notification (cs2312) - this document is the owner notification advising that kia is conducting customer satisfaction campaign. a software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method has been made available to owners of eligible kia model vehicles free
Power Train 2025-04-17 · TSB_TRA046_R5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: transmission fluid application guide - 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 the correct transmission fluid ty
Electrical System 2024-06-06 · CS2308_TSB_R6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: customer satisfaction: anti-theft s/w logic upgrade & decal installation (cs2308) - 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 the procedur
Showing the 6 most recent of 85 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-02 · Power Train“the gear shifter is very difficult to move from park to reverse to neutral to drive. it's very difficult to press in the lever to move in between the gears. i almost had to have to car towed because i was unable to put the car into park into reverse and then into drive. there is something wrong with the gear shifter in the automatic transmission va…”
2026-07-20 · Electrical System · 200,000 mi“the contact owns a 2012 kia sedona. the contact stated that the battery drained unexpectedly, and the vehicle failed to start. the battery was replaced twice, and the vehicle was temporarily repaired. the contact’s son replaced the alternator; however, the failure persisted. the vehicle was no longer operable. the vehicle was not taken to the deale…”
2026-05-01 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 235,000 mi“the contact owns a 2012 kia sedona. the contact stated that the engine was damaged while being repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 20v101000 (fuel system, gasoline). the contact stated that while the dealer was replacing the fuel rail as per the recall remedy, pressure built up, causing a valve cover leak, which damaged the oil pressure sensor. t…”
2025-10-18 · Structure:body · 💥 crash“while driving the vehicle and applying the brakes the vehicle shifted to one side of the road. there was an accident 03/2024 after having the brake control arm serviced. the braking system failed. there was a recall on the front control arm 2016. the vehicle was totaled and was salvaged due to damages to the vehicle. the brake inspection failed. t…”
2025-09-01 · Fuel/Propulsion System“there is a continuous leakage of oil from my van even after the dealer replaced valve cover gasket . when i complained they said it was the leftover oil. after a month again i complained . then they re-checked and said it is my car's timing cover reseal leaking . again after few days i had to complain as there was a leak. i got the same standard …”
2025-01-06 · Vehicle Speed Control · 213,000 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2012 kia sedona. the contact stated that while attempting to parallel park and gear in drive, the vehicle independently accelerated violently while lightly depressing the accelerator pedal. no warning light illuminated. the contact crashed the front of the vehicle into the rear of a parked vehicle where it came to a stop. no poli…”
2024-05-31 · Engine“tha backup camera, windshield wipers stopped working. the car would no t go in reverse or drive forward without resistance. oil began leaking from the engine.…”
2024-02-07 · Service Brakes“the auto was diagnosed with a leaking abs system which is an ongoing problem with this auto maker. the dealership stated there are currently no parts in the us to replace it. not sure when they will be available. they want to charge me $2900 to buy the part not including labor costs. it seems this model is not currently under recall so i will have …”
2023-10-29 · Engine“unknown. i've replaced the alternator and battery. the alternator many times and still having lights come on. mostly the "brake and battery " lights. it's sitting till further notice. not drive able.…”
2023-08-25 · Unknown Or Other“car immobilizer/theft deterrent - the company is telling me that my kia's vin indicated that it does not have the immobilizer/theft deterrent issue. we drove the car to the dealership with a backup key we made just for unlocking doors. this is a key with no chip or fob and the car starts and ran fine. this seems to be a clear example of how the imm…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.