KnownCarProblems2012 Kia Sedona Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 108 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Sedona, most often about the electrical (31% of complaints, typically around 72,000 miles). It is 11th of 19 Sedona model years by number of complaints and has 5 recalls.
Most common 2012 Kia Sedona problems
Electrical
33 complaints · 31%Half of these problems showed up before 72,000 miles. Parts named most often: alternator/generator/regulator.
My son was driving the car with my grandson in the front passenger seat. Smoke came out of the air conditioning vents and a fire started in the wiring below the dash on the passengers side. My grandson put out the fire with his shoe and after turning off the AC the smoke stopped. Dealership said blower motor was…
The air bag indicator light is on, and I'm told by Kia that the weight sensor for one seat is not functioning, which means air bags will not deploy. This is a substantial cost to fix of approximately $1,600.00, however, this light has been on for some time and I feel that it is likely a defect in the sensor…
Engine
19 complaints · 18%Half of these problems showed up before 90,000 miles.
Last september 6th, 2018, Sedona was almost caught fire while driver was with her children. Onwer saw a huge smoke after she looked at dashboard tempature guage that reached overheat, quickly parked, turned it off, and opened the hood. She smelled strong burned. Mechanic took a look at engine and found a lot of motor…
The timing chain tensioners bleed down pressure after the vehicle has set for a few hours causing chain slap at start up which over time will damage internal engine components up to and including timing issues that could cause engine failure. While there is a tsb from Kia on this known issue Kia claims it is normal to…
Body and structure
18 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 79,000 miles. Parts named most often: body.
Rear driver side sliding door will not always close completely and sometimes opens while driving. My three year old granddaughter sits in that seat and I'm worried that the door is actually going to come open while we're driving the car. I've read of previous years for this same vehicle having this problem. I've paid…
When driving down the road the right side sliding door comes open at times. I have reset the main fuse that it listed in the book, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
Other or unspecified
16 complaints · 15%Half of these problems showed up before 72,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that upon purchase of the vehicle, the sliding door would not close as needed and would independently open while driving without warning. The contact also stated that the electrical power mirrors would also operate independently without warning. The contact then…
Rear driver side sliding door will not always close completely and sometimes opens while driving. My three year old granddaughter sits in that seat and I'm worried that the door is actually going to come open while we're driving the car. I've read of previous years for this same vehicle having this problem. I've paid…
Fuel system
11 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 72,000 miles.
Gas smell in car 11/2017 while in motion. Experiencing a sort of 'hesitation', like wanting to stall. Brought to dealer. Dealer identified issue- crack in fuel rail, leaking on engine. Item was not covered under warranty and quoted at just under $1k to repair. The dealership wanted me to sign a waiver saying I knew my…
Car was delivered to Kia of south austin for repair as per sc165a (airbag recall) and for sc188 (fuel rail recall) on monday may 25th. Dealer confirmed that there is a fuel leak at the fuel rail location. Dealer was instructed by Kia motors of america to disable the car until a remedy is available. It is now saturday…
Air bags
9 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 65,000 miles.
This vehicle has 65,000 miles on it and yesterday I did the third break job this van has had. No vehicle should go through breaks as fast as this one does. On top of that, my airbag light has been on since 20,000 miles and all Kia dealers I have brought this van to refuses to look into it. Now that I am no longer…
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the air bag assembly needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 61,700.…
Brakes
8 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 32,000 miles.
Tl contact owns a 2012 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 5 MPH and making a right turn, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to respond causing the vehicle to accelerate independently. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer…
This vehicle has 65,000 miles on it and yesterday I did the third break job this van has had. No vehicle should go through breaks as fast as this one does. On top of that, my airbag light has been on since 20,000 miles and all Kia dealers I have brought this van to refuses to look into it. Now that I am no longer…
Transmission
8 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 68,000 miles.
My vehicle has approximately 68k miles on it, and began leaking oil within the past month (and displaying the low pressure error light). The leaks themselves varied between small drips to significant amounts left in parking lots. It got to the point where I was unable to even run the heater for extended periods of…
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sedona. While the vehicle was engaged in park and the brake pedal was no longer depressed, it went into reverse on its own. The contact stated that the gear had to be forcefully pushed into the park position and a loud noise was detected from the gear lever. The vehicle was not taken to a…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2012 Kia Sedona recalls
Fuel system: fuel rail
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of fire.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rail, free of charge. The recall began june 16, 2020. Owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is sc188.
Full defect summary
Kia motors america (kia) is recalling certain 2011-2012 sedona vehicles. The fuel rail may crack from exposure to heat generated within the engine compartment, resulting in a fuel leak.
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
Risk: If the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Fix: Kia will notify owners. For model year 2011 sedona vehicles, kia will instruct dealers to verify the acu part number and, if necessary, install an extension wire harness kit between the acu connector and the vehicle harness connector. For all other affected vehicles, kia will instruct dealers to install the extension wire harness kit. The recall began september 28, 2018. Owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is sc165.
Full defect summary
Kia motors america (kia) is recalling certain 2010-2013 kia forte, forte koup, 2011-2013 kia optima and 2011-2012 kia optima hybrid and sedona vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (acu) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners from deploying.
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners and dealers will replace the secondary hood latch or clean and lubricate the latch, depending on the vehicle's location and the condition of the latch. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on july 27, 2016. Owners may contact kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall number is sc134.
Full defect summary
Kia motors corporation (kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 kia sedona vehicles manufactured from june 15, 2005, through april 04, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Suspension: lower arm
Risk: A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners and dealers will replace the front lower control arms on 2006-2007 models. 2008-2012 models will either have their front lower control arms replaced or additional anti-corrosion coating will be applied. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on july 27, 2016. Owners may contact kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is sc133.
Full defect summary
Kia motors corporation (kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 kia sedona vehicles manufactured from june 15, 2005, through august 14, 2012 and originally sold in, or currently registered in alaska, connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may break due to corrosion from salt water exposure such as from road salt use.
Suspension: lower arm
Risk: A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners and dealers will inspect the degree of corrosion of the front lower control arms, and will either rustproof or replace them, free of charge. The recall began on december 20, 2013. Owners may contact kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall number is sc100.
Full defect summary
Kia motors corporation (kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 kia sedona vehicles manufactured from june 15, 2005, through august 14, 2012 originally sold in, or currently registered in massachusetts, maryland, michigan, new hampshire, new york, pennsylvania, vermont, wisconsin, connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, maine, minnesota, missouri, new jersey, ohio, rhode island, west virginia or the district of columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may break due to corrosion resulting from prolonged exposure to salty environments.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Air bags may be disabled during crash
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe18-003 on 3/16/18 to investigate incidents involving crashes, resulting in significant collision related damage, where the frontal airbags failed to deploy. Odi reviewed complaint data, available design, test, and field data on the model year (my) 2011 hyundai sonata, my 2012-2013 kia forte and forte koup vehicles. Odi also evaluated data from the automotive air bag system supplier, zf-trw (zf), to review vehicles that may contain the same air bag control unit (acu) used in the subject vehicles. Hyundai motor america (hma) issued recall no. 18v-137 for my 2011-2013 sonata and my 2012 sonata hybrid vehicles. Kia motors america (kma) issued re
Questions about the 2012 Kia Sedona
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Kia Sedona?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (33 complaints, typically around 72,000 miles); engine (19 complaints, typically around 90,000 miles); body and structure (18 complaints, typically around 79,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2012 Kia Sedona have?
- 5 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from February 21, 2020 (fuel system). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2012 a bad year for the Kia Sedona?
- It is 11th of 19 Sedona model years by number of complaints, with 108 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.