AutoUtility currently tracks 292 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Kia Sedona. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 142 complaints (48.6% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 10 filings cite a crash, 14 cite a fire, 9 report one or more injuries, 1 reports one or more fatalities.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 292 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Engine & Cooling (142 reports • 48.6% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Electrical System (45), Exterior Lighting (37)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 10 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 14 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 9 injury filings • 1 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2016 Kia Sedona
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Engine & Cooling
Electrical System
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #19V109000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Exterior Lighting
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #21V725000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
Body & Structure
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #18V338000 STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
Air Bags & Restraints
Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Kia Sedona
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.
Engine Coolant Intrusion / Oil Leak
Loss of Motive Power While Driving
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Kia Sedona
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"The vehicle radiator exploded while driving on the freeway. Towed to mechanic radiator replaced and housing. Problem persosted. With a simple pressure test the coolant in the reservoir began to boil immediately meaning there's a cracked engine block."
"Pearl white paint peeling, there is an extension for a warranty through Hyundai for the same paint but not through Kia. Please advise what to do."
"2016 Kia Sedona with power sliding doors. Both rear power sliding doors fail to completely latch upon closing. Doors make loud clicking sounds while attempting to close and require manual pushing to latch. Kia of Attleboro diagnosed and confirmed in writing that both rear door roller arm assemblies..."
"Engine experienced mass, sudden oil consumption with no warning of any sort, resulting in significant engine damage. Oil had been changed apx 800 miles prior to incident, and vehicle showed no signs of leaks or oil consumption following the oil change. No oil leaks or wetness were found around oil..."
"The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that the climate control panel became inoperable, failing to distribute heat and air conditioning. While the middle and third-row climate systems functioned, an abnormal burning odor was detected. The fan speed adjustment button experienced an..."
Complaint History for Kia Sedona
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2021)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Kia Sedona | 138 | 2 | 3 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Kia Sedona Current Page | 292 | 10 | 4 | Current |
| 2017 Kia Sedona | 133 | 2 | 4 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Kia Sedona | 48 | 1 | 3 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Kia Sedona | 36 | 2 | 2 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Kia Sedona | 20 | 0 | 1 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Kia Sedona | 9 | 2 | 0 | View 2021 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2016 Kia Sedona
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 59 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 118 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires NHTSA category: TIRES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEATS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEATS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FIRERELATED | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| INSERT, PADDING,OTHER/I AM NOT SURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,AIR BAGS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| STEERING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)
Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
3.3L Engine Loss of Motive Power (LOMP)
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition on February 20, 2024, requesting the opening of an investigation into an alleged defect of the "engine" on the following vehicle model stated by the petitioner: 2016 Kia Sedona vehicles equipped with the 3.3L V-Shaped GDI Lambda-II engine. The petitioner raised the issue of a Loss of Motive Power. On November 13, 2023, ODI opened PE23-019 to address allegations of loss of motive power,...
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.