2015 Kia Sedona Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2015 Sedona most often describe engine trouble — stalling, knocking and overheating that in several cases led to engine replacement — and a group of electrical problems, especially turn signals that indicate the opposite direction and headlights that cut out. Power sliding door complaints are also common, covering doors that grind, fail to latch, or in some accounts reopen on their own. Reported mileages vary widely, from near-new vehicles to well past 100,000 miles, so these are not confined to high-mileage vans.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Power sliding doors grind or fail to latch

   • 26 complaints (19%)
   • median 40,000 mi at 4.2 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners report power sliding doors that grind or click near the end of their travel, stop short of closing, and leave the door-open warning on even though the door looks shut. Many say the only remedy is to switch the door to manual and push it closed by hand, and some report the fault returning after a dealer repair. A few complaints describe doors that reopened while the vehicle was moving, and others note the door does not reverse when something is in its path. Reported from delivery mileage up to about 90,000 miles, often during normal use of the power door buttons.

   Recall 18V338000

   What to check: Cycle both sliding doors several times, on level ground and with the vehicle running, and check that each latches flush and that the open-door warning clears. Confirm with the seller or a dealer whether recall 18V338000 was performed and on which doors.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The sliding doors on both sides of the vehicle appear faulty. They routinely do not function with the button and I am required to manually close them. They also do not automatically stop and have nearly closed on my arm before. They are very glitchy. The drivers sliding door does not properly close all of the way approximately 10-15% of the time.”

   NHTSA complaint #11388134, filed 2021-01, 110,000 miles

   “Takata recall sliding doors do not properly close all the time and can pop open while driving. So I have to get out and close the door by hand. This has happend on different occasions since november of 2016. The Kia dealership I went to said they fixed the problem but still had issues after that.”

   NHTSA complaint #11162118, filed 2018-12, 86,762 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine stalling, knocking or failure

   • 43 complaints (31%)
   • median 82,000 mi at 5.7 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $8,074 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Complaints describe engines that stall or lose power while driving, sometimes after a period of sluggishness or an unusual noise, and in some cases a loud knock or a rod thrown through the block. Several owners report an overheating event followed by a diagnosis of a blown head gasket or a cracked head gasket, with the dealer or mechanic recommending engine replacement. A recurring theme is that warning lights did not come on before the failure. Owners also mention oil leaks and oil consumption that required topping up. Reported from a few hundred miles up to roughly 180,000 miles, with many cases between about 50,000 and 130,000 miles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the engine assembly or head gasket has been replaced and whether the WTY039 warranty extension applies to this vehicle. Check for oil or coolant leaks, look for coolant residue or a low reservoir, and listen for knocking at start-up and during a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On 9/4/18, while driving on the parkway I noticed my car was sluggish & making a noise upon acceleration. I thought it was my muffler because I didnt have any warning lights illuminated on my dashboard to indicate a major problem. As I exited the parkway, my car stalled & I coasted to the side of the road. I was able to start it a couple more times before it died for good. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11145268, filed 2018-11, 50,093 miles

   “My family and I were coming back from vacation and the engine threw a rod and shut off going 70mph down the road. I had the car towed to a Kia dealer near my house. They indicated I need a new engine at a cost of $8,400. The van is worth approximately $11k. I called Kia consumer support and opened a case to see if they would give goodwill since it is timed out of warranty. It is three months out of warranty but 10k under the mileage portion warranty. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11341370, filed 2020-07, 49,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Turn signal indicates the wrong direction

   • 10 complaints (7%)
   • median 69,000 mi at 5.3 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2019–2021

   Owners describe pressing the left turn signal and having the right side blink, or nothing blink at all, with the lever sometimes needing to be wiggled or cycled several times to get the intended signal. Complaints say the fault is intermittent and hard to reproduce on demand, and some dealers replaced the multifunction switch. Others report the parking lights or headlights come on when the signal is used with the automatic headlight setting engaged. Mostly reported between about 50,000 and 95,000 miles, during normal driving at intersections and lane changes.

   Recall 21V725000

   What to check: Operate the left and right signals several times, with the automatic headlight setting on and off, and watch which side actually blinks. Ask whether the Smart Junction Box software update from recall 21V725000 has been installed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Very often when I pull down on left turn signal the right side blinks instead. Signaled left last week started to turn left and a car almost hit me passing on my left. I try to be alert to the problem but sometimes I forget. I have seen many other Kia Sedona owners complaining about this problem and near miss accidents.”

   NHTSA complaint #11350960, filed 2020-08, 55,000 miles

   “Takata recall: our 2015 Kia Sedona's when in motion or stationary, the turn signal component does not signal the direction we have selected. When I choose left turn it signals right turn. I have to play with the turn signal lever about 10 times before it may or may not signal the proper direction. This is extremely dangerous as the cars around us think we are planning to go right instead of left each intersection. Please issue a recal on these turn signal components for 2015 Kia Sedona minivans.”

   NHTSA complaint #11221961, filed 2019-06, 69,000 miles
4. 4
   Exterior lighting

   Headlights flicker or go out

   • 11 complaints (8%)
   • median 40,000 mi at 4.4 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2018–2023

   Complaints describe headlights that flicker, turn off briefly or stay off entirely, often while using the turn signal or going over a bump, and sometimes with only the high beams working. Several owners say the condition leaves them driving without lights at night, and some report replacing bulbs repeatedly only for the problem to return. Complaints also mention water collecting in the rear turn signal housings and rendering the signals inoperable. Reported from under 10,000 miles to about 125,000 miles, typically at night and often on rural or unlit roads.

   Recall 21V725000

   What to check: Test the headlights at night while operating the turn signal and while driving over uneven pavement. Inspect the rear lamp housings for moisture or condensation, and ask whether the multifunction switch or wiring has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On multiple occasions my headlights will turn on or off when using turn signals or just hitting a bump. This is extremely dangerous as I live in a rural area with no street lights. This issue has been going on for several months now and is becoming more frequent. My 2015 Sedona only has 90k miles and I would not expect to have an issue like this at this time.”

   NHTSA complaint #11222033, filed 2019-06, 8,900 miles

   “As consistently as multiple times each day, when using the blinker function on my 2015 Kia Sedona. The headlights will turn off completely. I have to wiggle the device to restore headlight function. It appears to have loose connectivity or wire, but is a significant safety issue when driving at dark.”

   NHTSA complaint #11388132, filed 2021-01, 110,000 miles
5. 5
   Air bags

   Air bag warning light and passenger seat sensor

   • 10 complaints (7%)
   • median 65,000 mi at 3.6 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2024

   Complaints describe the air bag warning light staying on constantly after starting intermittently, and the passenger air bag indicator reading incorrectly, such as showing the bag on when the seat is empty or off with an adult seated. Owners report the seat belt reminder light behaving as if someone were in the seat, and some trace the problem to the occupant detection sensor or wiring under the front passenger seat. Dealers quoted repair costs in the thousands of dollars in some accounts. Reported from about 29,000 to 96,000 miles, often noticed when the warning light becomes constant rather than occasional.

   Recall 19V109000

   What to check: Turn the ignition on and watch whether the air bag light clears, then check the passenger indicator with the seat empty and with an adult seated. Ask whether the occupant detection wiring repair under recall 19V109000 has been completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My air bag indicator light came on and does not reset. The passenger side air bag light in not showing the passenger air bag is off. According to the vehicles manuel this we may have a passenger air bag deploy when it should be off and the drivers side air bag will not deploy when it should. This is a very serious problem and during my research found at least 50+ Kia owners with this problem. Please check this out and have Kia repair these vehicles under a recall notice. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11003815, filed 2017-07, 39,705 miles

   “Air bag light is on and wont go off. It used to come on occasionally but it just started to be on constantly recently. Also the passenger air bag is stuck on. Its supposed to light up off when no one is seated. Now the seat belt light flashes as if someone is seated there. This is ridiculous. This is a huge safety risk.”

   NHTSA complaint #11020003, filed 2017-08, 65,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection listen for engine noise and check for coolant or oil leaks, and verify that recalls 18V338000 and 19V109000 were completed on this vehicle. Also test the turn signals, headlights and both power sliding doors before buying, since these are frequent owner complaints on this model year.

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.