Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Kia Motor Sedona - part 1

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.

See all problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Sedona 🔎.

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.

Oil consumption high and engine needs to be replaced after 75k miles.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Sedona 🔎.

While driving under normal conditions and normal operation, the engine lost power, began using excessive fuel, the inside of the vehicle smelled like fuel and white smoke began pouring out of the exhaust.

See all problems of the 2018 Kia Motor Sedona 🔎.

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.

Oil control valve failed and oil leaking.

See all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Sedona 🔎.

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.

The engine started knocking while I was on [xxx] between mile marker [xxx] and [xxx]. This area is under construction with no shoulders to access and pull over. A shutdown in this situation would surely cause a multi-car accident. There were no warning lamps. Car was towed to ancira kia in san antonio. Here is the ro# [xxx] for reference. Also case number from kia [xxx]. As there is no current recall kia refused to take responsibility. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Sedona 🔎.

Engine failed…driving down the road with five small children and without warning all the lights came on and started smoking, leaking fuel, power doors failed, steering, acceleration and more. We had to have the car towed to a shop. A when looking into what’s happening apparently many others are having to spend thousands to fix this issue and I’m afraid that’s where we are. An investigation needs to be opened as this is clearly an ongoing issue for many families.

I was driving and my engine seized and my car is now undrivable. I immediately looked up recalls and see that there were several recalls and recalls surrounding the engine as well. I am told I now need a brand new engine and was referred to file a report as the issue experienced should not have been happening.

Engine stared clattering at the end of a 2 hour drive home. Engine died entering a round about 1-1/2 miles from home. It restarted and limped to my home. Arranged to have it towed to mechanic shop. They informed me there is issues with rod bearings and that kia has a class action suite but kia is telling me that my VIN is not involved.

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

While driving on the interstate, about an hour into the trip, there was a banging/tinging sound coming from the front of the van. Immediately the van was pulled off the road to assess the situation as there were no warning messages or lights that came on to alert of any problem. Immediately before hearing the noise, the van had a major loss of power going up a slight incline on the interstate. The van threw a rod and had I not noticed the sound and pulled over, this could have been potentially a deadly situation had I kept driving and the engine completely seized up in the middle of the interstate.

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.

Engine failed. Hole in bottom engine housing approx. 2x2”.

Van was well cared for. Engine failure occurred while on interstate, causing immediate high-pitched squealing. Problem with 2015 models seems to be known to kia, and they told us we'd have to replace the engine entirely. No warnings, messages, or symptoms prior to or following failure. Still turns on but afraid to hurt engine further while driving with the terrible noise. We are crushed that such a good vehicle, having been well taken care of and serviced, should have such a distinct, unavoidable, and irreversible loss. Grateful that we were able to pull over, despite the numerous cars surrounding us, and to be safely towed. Won't trust kia the same way in the future.

See all problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Sedona 🔎.

The contact owns a 2015 kia Sedona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. No warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the thermostat gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a cracked head gasket. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty because the mileage was over the limit. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 182,000. The VIN was unavailable.

There was a fire under my minivan as my husband was driving it, creating smoke and flames. He lost power to the van and had to coast to the right side of the highway where he came to a stop with the flames occurring. This is the family vehicle and I have small children. We had no warning lights or any indication that there would be a fire in my vehicle as the van had been running smoothly, and I had kept up with all recommended maintenance (see carfax report). On July 31st, I was told by kia America that there was a fire in the engine compartment and that it was inconclusive and they could not determine what started the fire. On August 15th, my father and husband went to castrucci kia (where the car was) and were shown that there were holes in the engine block, and the service representative brandon stated that the engine failure had probably thrown some of the rods causing the holes in the lower engine block sparking a fire when the leaking oil hit the catalytic converter. My insurance was involved, but I was not able to obtain a settlement from them, but I kept up on all maintenance and adherence to kia guidelines and my engine unexpectedly failed and caught on fire. I was told I would need a new engine at an approximate cost ranging from 12,000 to 15,000 dollars. I believe that my 2018 kia Sedona's 3. 3 l gasoline direct injection engine was manufactured defectively resulting in catastrophic engine failure, apparently puncturing the engine block, causing engine oil to leak and ignite a fire. Our attempts to address this critical issue with kia have been met with significant resistance and delays. It appears that kia refuses to take responsibility. There has been an escalating number of safety complaints and instances directly linked to the 3. 3 l kia v6 lambda ii engine. I appreciate your assistance in resolving this issue with kia America and the local kia service center where my vehicle is located.

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.

The car has 107,000 miles, and one day while driving, the coolant temperature suddenly spiked. I scheduled an appointment at kia service (glassman kia michigan), and the available appointment was in four weeks. The local mechanic checked the water pump and, after removing it, determined it was good, but he installed an aftermarket gasket because that's the only one available in local stores. At kia, they replaced the pump with a new one, but the overheating problem persisted. After the car spent five weeks at the service center, they determined it was the head gasket. They offered me an engine replacement (costing $10,000). They never contacted kia headquarters about a warranty replacement. Engines in 2015-16 kia Sedonas have head gasket problems, and apparently, this is covered for 150,000 miles. Why do I have to pay for engine replacement?.

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.

On June 6, 2025, while driving my 2017 kia Sedona on a road trip through killeen, texas, the engine suddenly began making a loud knocking noise without any prior warning, leading to catastrophic engine failure and complete loss of motive power. The vehicle became inoperable and was towed to university kia in waco, texas. The day prior, on June 5, 2025, the vehicle underwent a thorough pre-trip inspection and full synthetic oil change at sun auto tire & service (5117 golden triangle blvd. , keller, TX 76244), confirming it was roadworthy with no issues detected initially, though oil was found leaking afterward (maintenance records attached). University kia confirmed the catastrophic engine failure, likely related to the 3. 3l lambda engine's known oil pressure switch (ops) defects, as the ops had been previously replaced under warranty. Kia motors America (case #25291117) denied liability unless I pay $3,000 for a teardown inspection to prove the failure was due to the ops, despite the vehicle's eligibility under the wty026 extended warranty (15 years/150,000 miles). This failure aligns with similar complaints and NHTSA investigations into 3. 3l lambda engine issues, such as oil starvation and sudden seizures. Due to the failure, we missed a prepaid hotel stay in san antonio, incurred additional hotel stay charges as our trip had to be extended, and incurred costs for a rental vehicle to complete the trip.

Burning through oil faster than it should, needing to feel up oil every week, has been confirmed by an auto repair shop. ?.

I heard a knocking sound in my car which I thought was coming from the engine towards the end of may. It was really bad on may 29, 2025, so I did not drive it again. I called my local dealership and scheduled an appointment for June 2, 2025. The vehicle had to be towed from my house to the dealership as it did not seem safe to drive. The battery had died when I tried to start it, so I called aaa for a tow. They were able to jump start the car, but I still did not feel safe driving it with the loud knocking noise. I had aaa tow my car to the dealership. This is what they found: lower engine knock, metal in the oil, lower rod bearing failure. No lights were on at the time the severe knocking occurred. How and why was my VIN not included in the recall notice on the engines? this was clearly a safety hazard. This problem should be covered by the engine recall. Now I have to get a new vehicle with extremely limited funds.

Catalytic converter system failure.

Without warning lights coming on my engine started knocking on may 15, 2025. Turns out the bearing between the top of the motor and the bottom of the motor is stripped. 5 months before this happened they replaced the 2 fuel pumps, cvvt, cam shaft sensor and assembly, timing chain and spark plugs. Again I had no warning about that work that the dealership said I needed. Now I need a new motor and they won’t do anything for me except charge over $10,000.

Engine blew a rod without warning or service light indication. The vehicle is available for inspection. My two children and I were put at risk due to the nature of the engine failure and being able to safely navigate the vehicle off of the highway. The vehicle was inspected by the mechanic of the shop that towed the vehicle. No warning lamps or symptoms of the engine failure until it happened. Low oil was suspected but made no sense since the oil had just been changed a month prior and no leaks detected.