2003 KIA Sedona

Typical pattern

11.1% of complaints about the 2003 KIA Sedona came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2003 vehicle — around the middle of the 228 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 3.7 yr in service. The most-reported system is electrical system (31 complaints), typically at 4.8 yr or about 64,000 miles.

Complaints: 207
Median age at failure: 3.7 yr
Median mileage: 48,000 n=147
Crash / fire / tow: 21.3% of reports
Safety recalls: 4

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

05V329000 2005-07-20

Vehicle speed control:cables

ON CERTAIN MINI VANS, FREEZING CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE WATER ON THE THROTTLE CABLE TO FREEZE DURING NORMAL OPERATION. RESISTANCE TO MOVEMENT OF THE THROTTLE CABLE CAN OCCUR WHEN THE DRIVER LIFTS THEIR FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL.

THIS CAN CAUSE THE CABLE TO STICK, THUS PREVENTING THE ENGINE FROM RETURNING TO IDLE AND CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO MAINTAIN SPEED OR ACCELERATE. SUCH AN EVENT CAN OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING AND COULD CAUSE A CRASH.

05V232000 2005-05-19

Wheels

ON CERTAIN MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH ALLOY WHEELS, MOISTURE CAN ACCUMULATE AROUND THE REAR HUB CAPS CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE OUTER WHEEL BEARING.

WHEEL BEARING FAILURE MAY OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

05V013000 2005-01-19

Vehicle speed control:cables

ON CERTAIN MINI VANS, DURING ASSEMBLY, THE THROTTLE CABLE WOULD TWIST ITSELF OUT OF POSITION.

THIS CAN PERMIT THE CABLE TO BE HUNG UP, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

03V158000 2003-04-25

Service brakes, air:antilock:control unit/module

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THERE WAS A PROGRAMMING ERROR IN THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS) ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE LOGIC. THE PROGRAMMING ERROR COULD CAUSE REDUCED BRAKING FORCE AT SPEEDS BELOW 25 MPH, WHICH COULD RESULT IN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES.

SUCH INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Service brakes, hydraulic 468 mi 7 mo in service

AIR IN THE BRAKE LINE CAUSED THE BRAKES TO FAIL WITHOUT WARNING. THE LINES WERE SERVICED BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *NLM

Service brakes, hydraulic mileage not reported 1.0 yr in service

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE, LIKE A MOTORCYCLE, COMING FROM RIGHT BRAKE ON PASSENGER'S SIDE. DEALER HAD INSPECTED VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

Service brakes, hydraulic 1,000 mi 7 mo in service

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER FELT SEVERE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL. DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE BRAKE ROTORS OVERHEATED, CAUSING THEM TO WARP.*AK

Air bags 4,600 mi 10 mo in service crash / fire / tow

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL AND HIT A SEMI TRACTOR TRAILOR AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

Other Sedona model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2003 KIA Sedona

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Sedona model years

How to read this