2004 Kia Sedona Problems

What owners report

Owner complaints on this model year center on two clusters: premature front brake wear with vibration, and rear wheel bearing or hub failures that in several reports left the wheel loose or destroyed. Steering that becomes stiff or intermittent, coolant leaks from corroded pipes, and sporadic stalling also recur. Many reports come in at low mileage, but wheel bearing and steering reports tend to appear later in the vehicle's life.

1. 1
   Wheels

   Rear wheel bearings and hubs failing

   • 34 complaints (19%)
   • median 21,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (23 state mileage)
   • filed 2005–2020

   Owners describe a roaring or thumping noise from a wheel, often at highway speed, followed by a mechanic finding worn or destroyed wheel bearings. Several report the bearing or hub coming apart entirely, with the wheel and lug nuts departing the vehicle. Some owners say they were told their vehicle was not covered by the wheel recall, and some had bearings replaced only to have them fail again. Mostly reported between about 45,000 and 100,000 miles, with some repeat failures after earlier replacement.

   Recall 05V232000

   What to check: Ask whether the rear hub and bearing recall work was completed and listen for roaring or rumbling from the rear at speed. Have a mechanic check for play in each hub before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2004 Kia sendona lx van and the wheel barrings are bad I fixed it once already a month ago and it is already broken again both times it completely fell apart in to little peices when I took the wheel off.”

   NHTSA complaint #11319611, filed 2020-03, 18,000 miles

   “I had the front wheel bearings and hubs replaced at 65,000 miles on my 2004 Kia Sedona under warranty due to play in the hub. Last month during a brake inspection I was informed that they are bad again the vehicle now has 106,000 miles. This is a potential hazard as when they fail completely the wheel will fall off potentially causing a serious accident. I believe this to be a design flaw since this only vehicle I have owned in 30 years that needed bearings replaced even once much less twice in 100,000 miles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10319669, filed 2010-03, 100,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Front brakes wear out early and vibrate

   • 33 complaints (19%)
   • median 15,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (25 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2013

   Owners report front pads and rotors needing replacement at unusually low mileage, sometimes more than once, along with vibration or shimmy when braking. Several say the dealer attributed the wear to the weight of the front end or to driving habits rather than to a parts problem. A few describe the parking brake failing to hold on an incline. Commonly reported under 30,000 miles, some within the first few thousand miles.

   What to check: Ask for brake service records and note whether rotors were replaced more than once. Check for pedal pulsation or shaking during a test drive stop, and confirm the parking brake holds the van on a slope.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We purchased a 2004 Kia Sedona in july of that year, and when we had 33,000 miles on it , it was on its third set of front brake pads and second set of rotors, the dealer never once told us there was a problem with the Kia brake system, and I called Kia and they told me they were not aware of any big problem with them, at that point I told the Kia representative that I will never purchase another Kia, and I went and traded my 2004 Sedona for a chevrolet,and never will own a Kia again.”

   NHTSA complaint #10227710, filed 2008-05, 15,000 miles

   “We recently had to have brakes redone on our Kia Sedona with only 25,000 miles. We were told there was only 5 percent braking left. This is consistent with the vibrations we observed upon braking. We were told by the Kia service manager that the vehicle was very heavy in front and that was the reason for the extreme brake failure. We were also told they had to replace the brakes on a Sedona with only 13,000 miles. The service manager also said the brake wear was due to driving habits. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10156736, filed 2006-05, 25,000 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Stalling and sudden acceleration

   • 26 complaints (15%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2017

   Owners report the engine cutting out at idle, at town speeds or on the highway, sometimes with jerking beforehand, and dealers unable to reproduce the fault. A throttle cable was replaced on some vehicles to address a pedal that would not move in cold weather. Other complaints describe unintended acceleration or a speedometer that fluctuates and sticks. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 100,000 miles, including some in cold conditions.

   Recall 05V3290001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the throttle cable recall work was done, and have the throttle body and pedal checked. Note any rough idle or hesitation on a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall..my van stalls out no matter where..stopped at idle it randomly shuts off..driving average speed in town 45mph it randomly shuts off..on the hwy. Speeds average from 55 to 70 MPH it randomly shuts off ..in heavy traffic this is very dangerous..I have replaced the following.. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10969516, filed 2017-03, 100,000 miles

   “I have repair paperwork from the two past owners. The Kia sadona engine dies for no reason what so ever. This has been an on going issue with this vehicle. Today, it almost got my family killed because it stalled at an intersection they were crossing through.”

   NHTSA complaint #10216562, filed 2008-01, 64,235 miles
4. 4
   Steering

   Steering becomes stiff or binds

   • 22 complaints (13%)
   • median 68,000 mi at 7.4 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2015

   Complaints describe steering effort that increases intermittently or a wheel that feels locked during turns, sometimes with a clunk from the column. Dealers reportedly identified a binding or corroded intermediate shaft or U-joint, and in some cases the steering column had to be replaced. Owners note that parts were sometimes back-ordered. Reported from roughly 50,000 to 90,000 miles, and in areas with heavy road salt use.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Turn the wheel slowly through full lock while listening for squeaks or clunks and feeling for stiff spots. Ask whether the steering intermediate shaft has ever been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The steering in my 2004 Kia Sedona is malfuctioning. When turning the steering wheel it now takes a great amount of effort some of the time. It comes and goes. As you turn the wheel it goes from easy to very difficult and you never know when it will happen. After a turn you must turn the wheel back to go straight or it will continue to turn. These 2 problems are very dangerous as I could cause an accident just by making a turn.”

   NHTSA complaint #10398838, filed 2011-05, 88,000 miles

   “Power steering seems to fade in and out intermittently. I looked online and see that there area a lot of Kia sadona owner that are having the same issue however there is no recall. This is a safety concern and this should be taken care of now before some one gets killed.”

   NHTSA complaint #10390182, filed 2011-03, 145,000 miles
5. 5
   Engine cooling

   Coolant loss from corroded heater pipes

   • 9 complaints (5%)
   • median 42,000 mi at 3.0 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2005–2011

   Owners describe coolant pouring out or needing frequent topping up, with the dealer identifying corroded heater coolant pipes. Some report the part being unavailable for an extended period while the vehicle was still being driven. Others mention overheating or a check engine light with no stored fault code. Mostly reported between about 20,000 and 80,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the coolant level and look for crusty residue or weeping around the heater pipes at the firewall. Ask whether the coolant pipes have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Had to get my car serviced because antifreeze was pouring out of my car. After they looked at my car I was notified that Kia does not have the part to fix my car but insists that I can still drive it. Meanwhile I need to fill up the tank after my errands for the day, that's an estimate of $20 a day!they told me it would take up to 2-3 weeks until this part came in. I found it disturbing how they told me I can drive this car while it pours out antifreeze (antifreeze is poison to animals). …”

   NHTSA complaint #10176789, filed 2006-12, 56,000 miles

   “My 2004 Kia Sedona has 24,000 miles on it and is in the 3 year 36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper part of the warranty. My check engine light came on and the car was towed to albert Kia. The service manager said the car had a blown engine and that it would be replaced under warranty, however, we needed to bring in all the oil change records for warranty purposes -which we did. That dealership went out of business and the car was never repaired. A rep from Kia USA told me that they were going to tow my car to balise Kia in warwick, ri. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10185752, filed 2007-03, 24,000 miles

Buying note. On this model year, prioritize a pre-purchase inspection of the rear hubs and bearings, the brakes and the steering shaft, and ask for records showing whether the wheel bearing and throttle cable recalls were completed. Coolant pipe condition and any history of stalling are also worth checking before purchase.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.