Reliable Auto DB

2016 Kia Sedona reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2016 Kia Sedona has 296 complaints with NHTSA after 11 years, or 9 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 10 Sedona years on this site. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Column shifter, Turn signal, and Wiring.

2012 Kia Sedona
Photo by DoulosBen, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0
Complaints

296

Per year

9

Recalls

4

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (147 of 296), then Electrical system (46) and Exterior lighting (37). Those filings include 10 that report a crash, 14 that report a fire, 9 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Sedona has 138 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2017 has 134 complaints, 6 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Kia Sedona. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, lever and linkage, column shifter 2022-08-10 · NHTSA campaign 22V612000
Summary Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016 Sedona and Sorento vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with faulty automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, preventing the shift lever from locking, which can allow the vehicle to rollaway.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 7, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC246.
Recall exterior lighting, turn signal 2021-09-17 · NHTSA campaign 21V725000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sedona vehicles. The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals received from the multifunction switch, which could cause the turn signal to activate in the opposite direction of what the driver intended.
Remedy Dealers will update the SJB software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 12, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC217.
Recall electrical system, wiring 2019-02-19 · NHTSA campaign 19V109000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Sedona vehicles equipped with manually-adjusted front passenger seats. Over time, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) wiring harness located underneath the front passenger seat may break from the seat being occupied.
Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will remove the wire harness clip to prevent the wiring harness from breaking. If the harness is found damaged, the front passenger seat cushion will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC175.
Recall structure, body, door 2018-05-23 · NHTSA campaign 18V338000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Kia Sedona vehicles equipped with a power sliding door (PSD). The PSD may not auto-reverse when its closing is obstructed.
Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PSD module software, free of charge. The recall began on June 18, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC164.

Complaints by component (296 total)

Engine
147
Electrical system
46
Exterior lighting
37
Structure
25
Air bags
19
Powertrain
13
Fuel and propulsion system
9
Seat belts
8
Service brakes
7
Latches, locks, and linkages
6
Steering
6
Engine and engine cooling
5
Seats
5
Speed control
5
Tires
2
Visibility and wipers
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Fire-related
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Insert and padding
1
Other or not sure
1
Visibility
1
Wheels
1
Show 16 more Show less
Crash-flagged

10

Fire-flagged

14

Injury reports

9

Death reports

1

Complaints filed per year

9201692017102018222019232020222021272022312023642024532025262026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "While driving my van I had stopped to put car in reverse to park and as I was putting van back into drive to finish parking the engine quit, I was unable to restart the vehicle, just a click sound. All the lights doors…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-24
  • "Both Sliding door on left and right side wouldn’t close and stayed open for a short period of time. Now the door can’t be opened because it doesn’t latch."
    Electrical system, Structure, Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-08
  • "Total engine failure at 120k miles, no warning signs."
    Engine · filed 2026-09-08
  • "I purchased the minivan as a used car last year and I noticed that the airbag light turned on when a passenger would sit on the front passenger seat. I tried to get a diagnosis ever since but many shops that I brought…"
    Air bags, Seats · filed 2026-09-03
  • "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…"
    Engine · filed 2026-08-20

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Kia Sedona VAN FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Sedona 3.3L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 18 24 20 MPG $3250
Sedona SX 3.3L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 18 25 21 MPG $3100
Sedona SXL 3.3L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 17 22 19 MPG $3400

Specs and fitment

3rd generation (YP), 2015–2021
Body styles Minivan
Oil 5W-30 (all temps); 10W-30 above -18°C (3.3L) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 235/65R17, 235/60R18, 235/55R19 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 18V-338 covers certain 2015-2018 Kia Sedona vehicles equipped with a power sliding door (PSD): the PSD may not auto-reverse when its closing is obstructed. Dealers reprogram the PSD module software. Recall 19V-109 covers certain 2015-2018 Sedona vehicles with manually-adjusted front passenger seats where the Occupant Detection System wiring harness under the seat may break over time. Recall 21V-725 covers certain 2015-2017 Sedona vehicles where Smart Junction Box software may interpret multifunction switch signals incorrectly so the turn signal activates in the opposite direction.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Kia Sedona Next year 2017 Kia Sedona See every Kia Sedona model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Kia Sedona reliable?

The 2016 Kia Sedona has 296 complaints with NHTSA after 11 years, or 9 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 10 Sedona years on this site. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Column shifter, Turn signal, and Wiring.

What are common problems with a 2016 Kia Sedona?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (147 of 296), then Electrical system (46) and Exterior lighting (37). Those filings include 10 that report a crash, 14 that report a fire, 9 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2016 Kia Sedona more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Sedona has 138 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2017 has 134 complaints, 6 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Kia Sedona been recalled?

The 2016 Kia Sedona has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Kia Sedona?

Owners have filed 296 complaints about the 2016 Kia Sedona with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Kia Sedona get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Kia Sedona is 20 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Kia Sedona take?

Viscosity and capacity depend on engine and model year; use the generation specs here and confirm in the owner's manual.

What generation is the 2018 Kia Sedona?

3rd generation / YP (2015-2021).

What tire sizes does a Kia Sedona use?

Common US sizes include 235/65R17, 235/60R18, and 235/55R19 depending on trim.