general problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Sedona - part 2

The engine failed while driving on the interstate. Believed to have been catastrophic failure. Sudden loss of power and maneuverability could have led to a collision. Vehicle was towed to owner's residence. Prior to the failure a rapid knocking sound was heard from the engine. No warning lights were indicated.

Our 2016 kia Sedona was recently diagnosed with engine failure. Here's a summary: 1. The car's engine issues have twice put my family in danger: (1) on [xxx] with my [xxx] wife and 5 children when the car went into limp mode and could not accelerate on a steep road by a major forest in NJ (could have rolled back down a hill and crashed into other cars), and (2) on [xxx] with my [xxx] wife and 2 children when it again encountered an inability to accelerate. In situation (1) we towed it to our local kia dealership and were told the issue was repaired (worn out spark plugs and low oil), but we had the same issue again 3 months later in December. In situation (2) my wife brought it to that same dealership. After multiple incorrect diagnoses - low oil and dead battery - they finally said we need a new engine. I spoke to customer care and, in spite of countless calls and follow-ups, did not receive a timely response and was eventually told that I would have to pay for this out of pocket. 2. We towed our car - at our expense - on 1/29/25 to another dealership in the hopes of better service. They came to the same conclusion: the engine has failed and we need a new one. Still, we have not received adequate answers on why the engine has failed and an appropriate solution to allow us to get our car back, which leads to the final point: 3. We've taken stellar care of this car since we bought it new. For 9 years, we have taken our van only and exclusively to authorized kia dealerships for service, for all needs great and small. We've spent $7,256 on service at these dealerships, taking all recommendations from service advisors to ensure our car is well-maintained. The car's issues have been misdiagnosed and put the lives of my [xxx]wife and several children in danger. Even after dealing with these dealerships and sending a letter to kia consumer affairs, there has been no proper solution. Please assist us in remedying this matter promptly. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C.

My 2016 kia Sedona had complete engine failure. I was driving home from work in January 2025 with both my young daughters and the vehicle completely died out of nowhere no warning light no check engine light no oil light I was stranded alongside the road with a four year-old and a six year-old in January temperatures for hours. I just had to have the engine completely replaced along with several other parts that needed replaced due to the engine failure. I had just gotten the oil changed less than 30 days before this incident and I’m just now getting the vehicle back after $3500 in repairs. Also, the vehicle is still being financed. I had it about six months when this happened and I currently still owe $10,000 on it! I’m being told to get rid of it as soon as possible because there was an extreme problem of even trying to locate an engine for this vehicle because there is so many problems with this model. This has been an incredible financial burden on me as a single parent. Kia is doing nothing to accommodate the situation. I will add documentation of the repair bill as soon as it is sent to me.

The engine in our 2016 3. 3l gdi Sedona seized while we were driving on the freeway going approx 65mph on 12/29/24. The vehicle was towed to the kia dealership in our town and examined by the service dept the following morning. We were told that the engine had no oil and it had leaked into the crankshaft where it burned up. Also, the engine compartment was filled with metal shavings. The service tech told us we would need to replace the engine.

Engine died in the middle of driving. After having it towed and diagnosed, there was no engine oil at all. I still had 1500 miles before the recommended mileage for my next oil change. No warning lights. Engine is totally seized and will need to be replaced. Kia dealership stated that an indicator should have told me that my oil was low and the engine should have shut off prior to running dry. We were driving with my 4 children in the car. Thankfully we were on a side road where we could push the car to safety.

2016 kia Sedona. I was driving on the highway when the engine started knocking and smoking. I had to cut cars off on the highway to get to the shoulder. The car was towed to a local mechanic who told us there were holes blown through the engine and it would need replaced. This was after a year and a half of driving it so we still had a loan on the car that we couldn't afford to just scrap the car. We had to get a new engine put in the car. Insurance would not help since we did not hit anything and it was a manufacturer defect. Mechanic checked oil level and viscosity and did not see any issues with it. No warning lamps indicated there was anything wrong with the vehicle before the engine ripped itself apart. Thankfully none of our 3 kids were in the vehicle at the time. This was 2 months that we did not have our family van during the winter holidays and it was a very difficult time for the family.

I brought my 2016 kia Sedona into a mechanic to get checked over and get some new front tires put on on 8/19/24. I was informed that the oil needed changing. So, I changed it as I have always done for years. We took off on a ~2600 mile round trip out east. Once there, I noticed that when I would travel close to a cement divider, a noise was coming from the vehicle that got louder as I accelerated. Thought is was the muffler (sounded like I was hot rodding). There were no engine lights on the dash, so I didn't think there were any major issues. A muffler could wait till I got back. This trip was end of August. There were no other issues, so I put it off. I figured a small hole in muffler or loose. We were called to go back out to new york for 11 days the end of November, and after another 2600 miles, the noise was significantly louder, but mostly noticeable when accelerating. Still idled fairly well. Still no engine lights. On 11/27/24 we took a 600+ mile trip. As of 12/2/2024, I brought the vehicle in to get the spark pugs changed and check the noise. The mechanic said that I was 4. 5 quarts low and the noise was knocking in the motor itself. I had replaced the engine oil (synthetic) end of August and now find this Dec. 3rd after bringing it in. It has never burned oil, and there is no evidence of leakage on the floor or anywhere in the engine compartment or oil pan (mine and mechanics observations). Loss of 4. 5 quarts in just over 2 months, when never an issue before? and no low oil engine light coming on? this was just taken on 5800 miles of primarily highways. From what I have been reading, knocking prior to engine failure has been popping up, and my family and I could have had a major problem had I gone any longer without checking it out. It is a major issue not having the low oil sensor go off, and suddenly being without 4. 5 quarts in such a short time without prior issues, or warning.

Description of incident: what component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the engine of my 2016 kia Sedona seized due to a lack of oil. The oil pressure warning light, which is designed to alert the driver to low oil pressure or oil-related issues, did not illuminate to indicate any problem. The engine is still available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? while the engine seizure did not occur while driving, it created a potential hazard for future operation of the vehicle. Had the issue occurred during the 20-mile drive home or on future trips, it could have led to a sudden loss of power, putting the driver, passengers, and others on the road at risk. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? the kia dealership confirmed that the engine seized due to a lack of oil. However, they have not provided a detailed diagnostic report or explanation for why the oil pressure warning light failed to illuminate. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? the vehicle has been inspected by kia but has not been examined by third parties such as insurance representatives or law enforcement. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? there were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure. The oil pressure warning light, which should have alerted us to the issue, did not illuminate at any point. Best assessment: my assessment is that the oil pressure warning system failed to function as designed, leading to the engine seizing without warning. This malfunction prevented us from addressing the oil issue in time to avoid catastrophic engine damage.

Regularly serviced vehicle (2016 kia Sedona sxl 3. 3l) within recommended intervals; most recently on 9/10/2024 at ~117k miles. Invoice indicates dealer put in full capacity of oil (6qt). Vehicle also received multipoint inspection including checking all fluids; non were reported low or in need of flush/replacement. Vehicle had begun to make extra engine noise (rattle/growl) on startup, not sure precisely when; I estimate just in the last few months, maybe September or October. Took 220 (one way, ~440 total) mile trip on 11/5-11/7/2024; vehicle performed well other than aforementioned startup noise. November 12, vehicle noise had increased significantly and "engine control system" message with cel was present on the dashboard which was later extinguished after an engine restart. No other warning/error indications were present before or since. Onboard vehicle diagnostics run by the owner (kia "eservices" app) on 11/12 did not indicate any issues. It was decided we better not drive it and service was scheduled for 11/22. On the same day (11/12) we found the oil to be low by 4. 5 qts. Filling the oil to "full" removed a significant amount of the engine noise but (layman's) inspection did not reveal any oil leakage and no other signs of oil burning had been noted previously. One additional trip of ~16 miles made on 11/19 and 6 miles to service on 11/22 (now at 121k miles). Dealer upon inspection stated rod bearings were bad and engine needed replaced. Retrieving the vehicle from service and driving home, it catastrophically failed losing all power in highway traffic and could not be restarted. I'm reporting this because I saw dp24-001 and pe23-019 which seem to be very similar to my issue. I see no reason why a regularly serviced engine could fail so quickly other than a possible manufacturing defect. The engine/components have not been touched since the dealer appointment on 11/22.

Thursday, October 31, 2024, the engine blew on our Sedona. Approximately 164,000 miles on the engine. We maintained regular maintenance on the engine and oil changes. Left us stranded on a main highway. State department of natural resources conservation officer protected us until county sheriff could respond. The engine light warning was on.

I was driving my car, all of a sudden there was a loud knocking sound. The car suddenly wouldn’t accelerate. I was in the middle of a busy intersection with kids! I am 95 pounds, I can’t push the van! after being hit. I managed to get it moved with help. My van only had 108,000 miles on it! took it to a mechanic, said needed an engine as there was no oil in it. How is that possible? we just changed it a month prior. It’s out of warranty by 8000 miles so kia will not do anything! I’m sorry, but there are numerous complaints about this, yet nothing is being done! now I’m having to pay 5000+ to replace an engine because kia is just terrible!.

Air conditioning became less cool over the summer. Early October 2024, slight rattling noise heard in engine on acceleration. Approximately a week later, the battery died and was replaced. In the following days, rattling noise became louder and also heard a tapping sound. No warning lights, check engine light, etc. Taken to a local mechanic who inspected and informed us the timing chain is nearly completely worn and it has rubbed a hole in the side of the engine. A complete engine replacement is needed!.

The contact owns a 2016 kia Sedona . The contact stated while her husband was driving 50 mph, the contact heard a knocking sound coming from the engine and the vehicle loss complete power. The contact was able to pull over to the right side of the road, turned the vehicle for off for a couple of mins, turned the vehicle back on and the vehicle began to work as intended. No warnings light illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case; however, the case number was not available. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 88,500.

In October 2024 we broke down on the highway outside of desmoines, IA. The van slowed considerably in the midst of 11am traffic on I [xxx] from a lack of power, not from applying the brakes. Cars behind us had no warning, but no one hit us. The 4-way flashers and turn signals would not engage. There was no warning from the dashboard of a pending issue. Trent’s garage in clive, IA determined the main reason was an internal oil leak that damaged the alternator, which they replaced along with the right-side valve cover gasket. There was an earlier incident that I attributed to a service mistake. Shortly after napleton elmhurst kia in IL serviced the vehicle in June 2023, it began to hesitate and become unresponsive while we were driving. There was no indication from the dash lights or from our garage floor that the engine was leaking any fluids or was low on oil, but I checked the oil at a suggestion from my wife. It barely registered on the dipstick. I added oil and the van ran fine. I now monitor the oil level regularly and add a quart of oil every 1000 miles. There is still no visible oil leak. Napleton kia service told me nothing could be done short of replacing the engine, and that I should change the oil more frequently (April 2025) than their original recommendation of every 5000 miles. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I continued to loose engine oil at a rapid speed. Oil loss was excessive for the amount of driving.

Car seemed to be running as normal except for a slight rattle sometimes when starting. No warning lights, overheating etc. After listening to radio while parked, car acted as if battery was dead. Aaa couldn't get it started. Had it towed to dealership and was told it was a catastrophic engine failure.

Engine is completely shot. I make all oil changes on time and the engine failed. It was burning oil. Only 111k miles.

Car has bad oil leak defective gdi engine which instantly stalled out while driving car also has bad coolant leak, warped head gasket seal smell of gas from top of the engine block.

Engine seized.

After driving home from work, my engine just started pouring out oil. It was all over our road and driveway. Had it towed to shop, they have stated a whole new engine is needed and suggested I report it as kia has a lot of engine problems.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the vehicle's engine and electrical system appear to have failed, resulting in a fire originating from the engine compartment. The vehicle is currently at a salvage yard and available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the fire occurred while my wife was picking up our children from school. Fortunately, they were able to exit the vehicle safely, but the incident posed a significant risk to their safety and could have resulted in severe injury or death. The vehicle was completely engulfed in flames and is now unusable. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? the specific issue leading to the fire has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center. However, the vehicle had been previously serviced by gilman Honda on March 12, 2024, due to a loud grinding noise and issues with the air conditioning, for which I was charged $855. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? the vehicle has not yet been inspected by kia or any other manufacturer representative. I have opened a case with kia, and they are aware of the incident and have expressed interest in inspecting the vehicle. My insurance company has been informed, but they have not inspected the vehicle. The vehicle has not been inspected by the police. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? there were no warning lights or messages indicating a potential problem immediately before the fire. However, the vehicle had been experiencing intermittent grinding noises and air conditioning malfunctions, which were brought to the attention of the service department on March 12, 2024.

My van has 126k miles and regularly gets an oil change. We are the original owners and haven't had any issues with it either. As I was driving up hill, I realized I was losing acceleration power. Where I should be going faster than 65 mph, I was barely going 40. The outside weather was around 100 degrees and I'd already been driving for an hour. I glanced at the other things on my dash. My coolant meter was straight up, so that didn't flag an issue either. I started to switch lanes to get to the shoulder. As I did, my check engine and oil light flashed on for my van to then turn off. When I tried to start it, it clicked with no ignition. I don't know if there was smoke behind my car or if it was me turning up dirt when I pulled over, but there was a pop sound. It wasnt like a backfire. When I got out, I could smell a burned smell outside my van. There wasn't anything dripping from the bottom of my van either. A person who stopped to help checked my battery and it was fine. When it got towed to my house ($400), another person was surprised with a gummy residue in my oil tank. There are holes punched all over the bottom of my engine, but there is no oil anywhere. They said the engine should be covered with it or there should be oil splatter somewhere. Talking with the kia dealership, they said it 75% doesn't sound like a recall, and I would have to tow it there at my expense for them to check, too. How can there be no warning of any issue if this isn't tied to the recall? we are now debating on if we want to spend another $400+ to tow it and then again to bring it back if they aren't going to cover the cost of the engine.

On [xxx], my vehicle overheated and started to leek coolant. This happened while driving at about 65 mph with my family. No check engine lights came up just noted that the hvac started to blow hot air and then the vehicle shutdown making difficult to break. I remembered that received a letter from kia on may 26, 2014 that extended the warranty to 15 years / 180,000 miles for this type of issues - warranty number wyt039. I took it to a kia dealership in puerto rico to get service and they diagnose the vehicle with the same issue as stated in the letter. However, kia claims that they can't do the work because it is in puerto rico and I will have to take to USA mainland. I argue that federal law covers puerto rico for safety recalls and warranty information and that they can discriminate for this. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

There was a sudden loss of power while in the middle of the highway. Further inspection resulted in low oil and metal flakes in the oil filter. At the time of initial loss of power there was absolutely zero warning or indication of any issues at all.

Car would not accelerate while driving, while this did not cause an accident in this incident there was definitely the potential for that outcome. Upon inspecting the vehicle, found the vehicle was low on oil by 4 quarts, and no warning lights were on indicating there was a problem with the vehicle. Monitored the vehicle over the next several days to determine if there were any visible oil leaks and there was not. Further inspection by the dealership confirmed there was no visible oil leak and was followed by an oil consumption test by the dealership. Dealership determine that 2 quarts of oil were consumed by the engine over the course of 1,000 mile which is indicates a failure of the test and problems within the engine.

My 2016 kia Sedona developed a loud engine knocking / idling noise around 90000 miles. Had at least one oil change at a non-kia shop around that time and was given vague warning about kia engines as to why I was hearing the louder idling. At the time of another oil change at 99631 miles I was told there were a large number of metal shavings found in the oil, and my check engine light was illuminated with a message about faulty camshaft timing. After bringing to kia dealership at that time. They first assessed that the camshafts needed to be replaced. After working for some time they eventually determined that the entire engine needed to be replaced (3. 3 liter gdi_dohc). The engine was replaced and the car was given back to me. After 2 days of driving the car would not start up again and I had it towed back to the dealership. They needed to replace one of the already-repaired parts (cvvt assy / camshaft assy-intake). These engine issues could have occurred at a more problematic time in the middle of a busy highway and could have resulted in damage / harm to human life.

The vehicle suddenly uses all the oil and the engine locks up with no warning. No lights or guages alert the driver/owner.

Had van since new oil changed on time check engine light came on for cam shaft sensor crank sensor replaced all sensors and van still runs like crap ive been told by many shops to take to dealer and tell them… there are many other cars with same motor getting recalls but this van doesnt get any??? can you help us out… the van well taken care of and taken to dealers for oil and tires and etc they never state nothing wrong.

Engine shut off while driving with no warnings. All oil burned up and engine failure. Family in the vehicle very dangerous driving on highway. It just suddenly died.

The problem started in late July of '23 and I already filed a complaint back then. But I want to file again and emphasize that this is systemic issue with all 2016 kia Sedona vans. Last year, I was driving with five kids in the car on the way to the beach. While exiting a traffic circle (anyone who has ever driven in NJ knows how dangerous NJ traffic circles can be) when we lost power. The van would not accelerate over 35mph, and we had to drive home in limp mode on the shoulder. Thankfully it was early in the morning, and no one was on the road. Had this happened during a busy time, we would have been rear-ended or worse. I took it to my local mechanic who did $200 worth of repairs, but the vehicle still would not run at full speed and had a very rough idle. I should add prior to loss of power, there were zero warning lights, and the car was running fine. I was just about due for an oil change, and I change it on a regular basis according to kia's recommendations. Then I took it to kia, and they said they could try to fix it for $8000 but they couldn't promise it would work and said my other option was a complete engine replacement. Currently, I have been continuing to drive the van locally because I cannot afford another car. If I drive more than 35-40 minutes the car completely loses power and I have to pull over to the side of the road, turn the car off and wait a few minutes. When I turn it on it will run fine for another 35-40 minutes. I know it is my choice to continue to drive the vehicle, but I wanted to report that the loss of engine power happens almost daily and continues to be a danger. Thankfully, I stick to back roads and avoid highways and I have not lost power on a busy road, yet. I am concerned that there are many more complaints with the nthsa for the exact same issue and there doesn't seem to be any movement with investigations or recalls. Kia continues to sell these used vans to people who have no clue. This is a life-threatening issue!!!!.

My car started over heating, took it to dealer, they said I had a blown head gasket. Since it isn't covered under warranty, they said I had to pre-approve a $2700 motor teardown in order to see if there were any other problems. Thank goodness there were, the head bolts separated. The engine was covered under dealership extended warranty since I bought it used from a Hyundai dealer.

On June 6th 2024 my 2016 kia Sedona experienced sudden power loss accompanied by thick smoke out of the exhaust and a loud ticking while on a busy main intersection. Kia's gross negligence to recall its known troubled engines is causing needless highway incidents. From stolen cars, engine failures and now fires, this is the second kia I have had fail.

My family was driving 45 minutes away to a wedding rehearsal when I started to hear a clicking in the engine, like it was running rough. There was no warning lights on the dash but it sounded like it might be out of oil. We were far from home and no service centers nearby so we went directly home after. The sound progressed into a loud knocking noise and sounded really rough. Once we arrived home, I was able to check the oil and found out it was completely empty. I added 5 quarts of oil to the engine, but it was still making an extremely loud noise. I had it towed to a mechanic the next morning and they told me the engine was shot and beyond repair. They said this is a known problem with kia engines and that the 4 cylinder engines were recalled but not the 6 cylinder engines. I had no choice but to spend almost $6,000 getting the engine replaced and it seems there is a premium on these engines due to the demand for them. I never thought it would run out of oil considering my last oil change was 3 months ago. There was no warning lights or anything to tell me there was a major problem. The mechanic said if I drove it for a few more minutes, the engine would have completely seized and we would have been stranded. Its frustrating to hear that this issue is known by so many but nothing has been done to correct the issue or reimburse those who were affected by this major issue.

Blown head gasket, possible head bolt issue.

While driving from la crosse WI to champlin, mn on 5/12/2024 I noticed car was not responding as much as usual when pressing gas and might have been making some clicking type noises but lots of other noises in and around vehicle could not tell for sure. Then suddenly heard very loud clanking and banging sounds and saw smoke come out of engine, I pulled over. Upon pulling over I discovered a large oil leak under the vehicle and oil pouring out. This happened while on a highway about to merge onto a freeway. I was 34weeks pregnant and had 3 kids in the vehicle. We were barely able to make it to the shoulder before stopping. Cars were not slowing down passing us. Very dangerous situation. If we had not been able to get to the shoulder when we did we would have likely been hit at high speeds. Vehicle was towed to heartland tire inc at 11438 jefferson court, champlin mn 55316. Upon inspection on 5/13/2024 they found a hole (around 3" diameter) in the engine block. We have reached out to kia 5 different times only able to speak to one person who suggested we pay kia to investigate what happened, they have no interest in exploring this issue without charging us. Therefore with a current estimate of $9316. 84 we have made the decision to scrap the vehicle. There were no warning lamps on prior to pulling over. After pulling over the engine, oil and possibly a third lamp were lite up. For about 10 mins we had no power after turning off the vehicle (even to put the windows down, another safety concern) I was able to open the front passenger window until the I could get some power and roll down some windows.