general problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Sedona - part 1

Oil was changed and within a month was completely dried with no visible leak and without any warning or lights the engine shut off while driving and seized turner kia performed a thorough diagnostic and determined that will cost $13,508. 90 to replace the engine.

Engine has multiple engine miss fires. Loss of coolant into exhaust. Engine knocking.

Engine failure due to rod and bearing failure.

I am the original owner of a 2016 kia Sedona, purchased new from the demontrond kia dealership in houston, texas, in August 2016. The vehicle currently has 63,400 miles and has been maintained according to standard schedules. Two weeks ago, I noticed a slight knocking sound and took the car to the dealership for an inspection. I was informed that there is sludge buildup in the engine and was told the repair would not be covered under warranty due to alleged owner neglect. The dealership quoted $10,000 for an engine replacement. Prior to this, there were no warning lights or indicators of any issues, and there have been no oil leaks. I have retained most of the records and receipts for the oil changes performed on the vehicle.

Oil leak caused engine to fail.

Since the day a bought the car I have had to constantly deal with oil leaks and burning up oil. We had to check the vehicle every Sunday for oil replacement. The vehicle on one day just stopped in the middle of the street. It had a complete engine failure. I had to pay thousands of dollars. I contacted kia with out help. They claim my vehicle was not part of their class action settlement of engine failure. And I can’t sell the car because all mechanics know the engine is trash and the vehicle is worth nothing. And kia won’t help at all.

My family and I were all driving in the car. We were at a stoplight, and fully stopped as it was a red light. All of a sudden, we heard a weird noise, and all of the dash lights on our car appeared, and then the car fully turned off. We could not get the car back on, and it would not start. Prior to this, it was driving totally fine, and we had no lights on our dashboard indicating something was wrong. Just stopped out of nowhere. If we were on the freeway, and our car just immediately turned off, we could have been in a major, life-threatening accident. After 2-3 times of trying to restart the car, we were able to turn it on, and at least get it into neutral so we could move it off the side of the road. We were able to get it towed to a kia dealership in which they diagnosed it as engine failure and said we would need to replace the whole engine. This car is around 10 years old and has less than 130,000 miles. It has been meticulously maintained according to kia standards, and there should be no reason that a well maintained car should need a new engine at this point. We had frequent oil changes, and even had an oil leak that we had to repair just a couple months ago.

2016 kia Sedona sx-l (VIN: kndme5c15g6141481) equipped with 3. 3l lambda ii gdi engine. This is the second engine failure — first engine failed due to head bolt studs separating from the block, second (mechanic sourced) engine began heavy smoking and nearly caught fire due to possible oil starvation/rod bearing failure. Vehicle is parked and unsafe to operate. Temperature gauge at time of incident was going towards above average operating temperature. This is the exact defect covered under multiple NHTSA investigations into lambda 3. 3l engine seizing/fire hazard (including pe23-019 for similar kia sorento models with the same engine, and defect petition dp24-002 specifically for 2016 kia Sedona). Kia has extended the warranty on these engines to 15 years/150,000 miles for bearing damage in some cases, but no full recall exists yet. Requesting immediate investigation and inclusion in an engine fire recall similar to those for theta engines.

Engine started knocking loosing power just like our 4cylinder gdi engine. These engines are also not safe to be operating.

With a 140000 miles and the timing chain and component already failing my mechanic told it could die anytime soon local or on the highway.

The Sedona just stopped in traffic with out warning with my kids in the van. No type or warning lights came on. I had recently got an oil change and tune up. I almost caused an accident. It was extremely scary. I am thankful no one was hurt. I had to pay for a tow and come to find out the engine is locked . The machine started it had very low oil. Which makes no sense since it hadn’t even been 7 days since my oil was changed .

I was driving down the highway and the engine light came on. The car suddenly wouldn't accelerate or go above 1500 rpm. There was also a rattle noise. I limped home and checked the oil. It was bone dry. I get regular oil changes every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. The car burned oil way too fast and gave no warnings that the oil was low and there was no leaking. I'm unsure of the extent of the damage. I'm adding oil and taking it to a mechanic for inspection. I fear I may need a new engine.

Engine randomly began burning oil at an incredible rate (I checked it approximately 500 miles ago and it within appropriate levels) and resulted in damaging the engine. No “low oil pressure” light was activated, and upon starting the vehicle one day it developed a terrible cylinder knock. I checked the oil dipstick, and was completely dry, there was absolutely no oil on the check stick. I also checked and confirmed that there was no leak that caused the oil to drain.

Van completely locked up on me. Oil dipstick no oil, seems this is an issue and a kia problem. Seems I need a new engine. Regular oil changes with no issues prior to this happening to me.

Complete engine failure while driving with 4 passengers along freeway. Engine began to have a knocking noise, with no warning lights. Engine failed a few miles down the road, and started a small fire in the engine bay. Vehicle is currently under inspection at the dealership. Mileage at the time of incident was about 98,200.

Engine overheating and check engine light went on. Vehicle would not start after shutting down.

I was driving in normal operating conditions, with no traffic when suddenly the engine seized. After contacting a towing company to get my vehicle home, I started checking for anything I could find and noticed that it had zero oil and no visual signs of a leak anywhere. There were never any warning lights or sounds until it abruptly stopped. I have not had it looked at by anyone other than myself and a neighbor whom is a mechanic.

The contact owns a 2016 kia Sedona. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle lost motive power and drove forward about the length of the vehicle before the vehicle stalled. The contact and the occupants were stranded for an hour. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who replaced the starter and informed the contact that the piston or tie rod was fractured. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 222,627.

My 2016 Sedona’s engine is not operational. At this moment it is sitting at the dealership after having a diagnostic completed in which I was informed that it will cost me $21,000+ to replace my engine. I am shocked to be informed of this! I love my car! it is our family car full of precious memories! there were no warnings that something was wrong with my engine. Not a single one came on - believe me I would have taken a picture of it to inform the mechanic for it to be serviced. I have had it serviced repeatedly for oil changes; more oil changes than what should be done for the age and milage according to the manual. It is not due to my lack of competence and poor maintenance. I've done my part. Now to find out that I can't drive it. Now to find out that I don't have anything reliable to get my children to school, is unacceptable! this is a major issue that should be covered by kia, not out of my own pocket. The engine and its ability to function properly is your responsibility as a company. Engine problems with this model have been noted by others, and resolved. Please resolve this issue as soon as possible. I look forward to hearing from you.

Was traveling along interstate 95 when the engine failed without any warning signs!.

Engine replacement kia had it for 8 months got it back and engine blew up again. . Now they want service records on the first when it is the second motor. Trying to get away from replacing the motor.

Engine failure.

Timing chain failure/cam shaft failure/bank 2 failure/drastic loss of engine oil. Got home before engine seized, could have crashed if engine failed on freeway. Codes confirmed techs suspicion. No warning lights or notifications appeared on dashboard.

I was at an intersection & was turning left. In the middle of the turn the car started knocking noise and vibrating and turned off in the middle of the intersection. It did not crank for several tries while I was panicking with a car full of kids in a busy intersection. When I got it to crank again it turned off again. Some good samaritans then helped by holding traffic and pushing us out of harms way in a church parking lot. I kept trying to crank it and when it did, I tried to put it in drive and it started the violent knocking and vibrating like it was going to blow up. I had it towed later when I had gotten paid. I had it towed to keffer kia where they told me total engine failure at 88,000 miles. I still pay $300 monthly for the car and have 5 kids that I have to shuffle in my mother in laws 4 door car.

I have a 2016 kia Sedona. Engines on the vehicle have been known to be bad and I already had 1 engine replaced under their extended warranty that covers to 150000 miles after a blown head gasket. I got a new engine 11/2024 however car overheats & coolant leak everywhere&bust hoses. I was told to replace radiator and all cooling/heater hoses, but video show coolant bubbling car still overheating. Replaced one loose hose under warranty. Car overheats again was told to replace relay switch for fan another. Dealer crash my car waited a month for parts and they never repaired damages to my bumper and airbag light. 2 month later car overheats again now coolant spraying into trunk and hose pop again now at heater core. There is no light notice of when car overheating tiil very hot. Or someone tells me my car is smoking by then it is followed by a loud noise and coolant leaking everywhere again. This time the overheating bust the heater core hose in my trunk and was spraying coolant all in trunk while I was getting ready to get of freeway. Very scary. I pulled over just in time for noise and coolant to leak out everything from resovoir again. This is my family car and have 5 kids under 18 and feel very unsafe now. Despite paying for everything kia suggest every 1-2 months they still fail to find cause of overheating and constant hoses breaking or coming loose after the pressure build up and I am scared this car will catch fire or stall one day with my children in car. Already noticed sometime its like car struggles to accelerate despite a supposed new engine but car been constantly overheating even after engine replacement and it also still causes sludge in hose& had 4 coolant flushes in a year and new hoses and now seems people working on car not sure what they doing because I was told I needed new heater hoses 2months later they didn't know my heater core was at back car so didn't replace so this hose burst despite kia recommendation to replace. Please help b4 it too late.

I am writing to report an incident with my 2016 kia Sedona, which experienced a sudden engine failure. The failure was diagnosed with engine codes p0014 and p0018, indicating camshaft timing and crankshaft correlation issues, consistent with internal engine failure and symptoms related to the known theta ii engine defect with kia’s of that year, including metal debris and timing issues. For many of these kia’s the warranty was extended to 120,000 miles. My incident took place at 120,600 miles. I have maintained this vehicle responsibly, and this issue occurred with little to no warning. Though I understand the mileage technically exceeds the warranty limit, the proximity to the cutoff and the nature of the failure suggest that the defect likely developed well before the warranty threshold. I contacted kia to request goodwill coverage for an engine replacement or the associated repairs. I believe that other customers in similar situations have received assistance under goodwill policies, especially for issues tied to known manufacturer defects, unfortunately kia declined to open a case on my behalf.

On Tuesday June 10, 2025 at approximately 11:43 am, while heading north on 75 at mile marker 148, my 2016 kia Sedona caught fire. I initially became aware of a problem while heading southbound on 75. While listening to an audio book, my wife and I heard a sudden noise which appeared to come from the engine. I (the driver) I noticed that this noise (rattling/ ticking) only occurred when I accelerated. We pulled off at the nearest safe exit (exit 101/102 cordele) at a marathon gas station. I inspected the engine to see if we were low on oil or anti-freeze. I noticed that the oil was low, however we did not have any visible leaks at our home. I added 3 quarts of oil and the vehicle began making a ticking noise. I asked siri to locate the nearest auto repair shop (quality auto repair) which was approximately . 5 miles away from our location. The mechanic on duty informed me that it was the engine and that because I was under 150,000 miles I could take it to a kia dealership to have this replaced because it was a gdi engine. Instead continuing our trip south, we decided to head back toward home to take our van to a kia dealership near our house. Approximately 42 miles into our drive back home the vehicle began to idle and then smoke came from the engine. I pulled over to the side of the road and opened the hood to investigate the potential problem and then suddenly flames came from beneath the van near the engine. I asked my wife and 14 year old daughter to exist rapidly. My wife had no issues, however we couldn't open my daughters door. She was able to successfully climb to the front and exit out of the passenger side safely. Within 10 mins or so, 70-75% of the vehicle was engulfed in flames. Prior to pulling over, none of my indicators were illuminated so there was no warning until the vehicle completely shut down. My insurance company has assessed that this is a total loss. Pics and videos are available upon request.

In June 2026 sever engine knocking at startup and during slight acceleration lead us to have vehicle inspected. There were no warring lights on and no other indicators of issues. An independent mechanic as well as a kia dealer performed inspections and indicated a lifter bearing failure due to inadequate oil delivery. At the time the oil level was within range and within 3,500 miles since the previous oil change. Dealer indicated a complete engine replacement was needed due to the bearing failure and damage to the lifters.

While driving the vehicle started making a rattling sound and the engine started to fail. There were no engine lights or warning signs. The vehicle only had around 78,000 miles on it and had regular maintenance. Total engine replacement was recommended. Repair costs totaled more than the vehicle’s value. I feel it was unsafe for this to happen while driving with no warning signs of failure.

Kia service dealer diagnosed high oil consumption on my car with heavy sounds. They recommend to replace whole engine but it's out of warranty. It has only 106k miles on it. I am afraid the car is posing safety issue as well and it has less miles on it. I filed complain with kia consumer corporate a case has been generated on their system 25759569 but no one had contacted me yet.

On Wednesday, April 9, the van started making a noise. Then it lost power. It slowed down and then stopped. In the middle of the road. We were able to move it out of traffic. We had it towed to a service station. We were told that it was due to engine failure. I called our local kia dealer where we bought it. He told us there were no problems with that particular engine. I looked it up online and found that that is not true. I found that this particular engine is being investigated for the same issues that I had.

On April 1st my vehicles engine started normally and upon leaving the neighborhood began to rough idle. Prior to this, no lights were on and the vehicle had just passed an inspection. The engine was shuddering and there was very little power and the vehicle had difficulty maintaining speed. The codes were read and came back with p0304, p0306, p0302, p0300 and p0019. The vehicle was towed to a shop because it was undrivable. The vehicle is currently in the shop and they are recommending an entire engine replacement.

The engine will not start. It has been diagnosed as an engine failure. It is available for inspection. The engine stopped working as my family was in the car, putting us at risk. Why it happened is unknown, but the internet is full of people with the same year/make/model with the engine going out at a very low mileage. Mine is 117,000. There was absolutely no warning lamps or messages prior to the engine breaking down. This is a serious problem and safety hazard.

Engine failed with no warning lights. Oil completely gone with no signs of leaks. Coolant reservoir empty with no signs of where it went. No warning lights of any kind illuminated. Dealer claims rod bearing failure and cannot explain where the oil or coolant went. Engine shows exact issues as the other kia 3. 3 4 cylinder that have known faults that are causing fires and accidents. The kia 3. 3 v6 has the same issues and can cause serious accidents. Kia claims they are offering the same remedy as the 3. 3 4 cylinder but they are not.

Engine suddenly started knocking and shaking entire van. Engine seizing up and needs to be replaced. No prior trouble with the engine. I looked on the internet and saw that there is a petition for a recall on 2016 Sedonas. Please add me to that petition. Many van owners had engines that seized up. Since it’s a common problem for this year/make & model, there should be a recall. It’s not safe to be stuck on the side of the road with no prior warning.