2008 Kia Sedona: problems, recalls and reliability
5 recalls and 170 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is vehicle speed control (19% of complaints); the 2009 and 2010 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Feb 2020
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 170 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that upon having a state safety inspection performed on the vehicle, the contact was informed by a mechanic that there was severe corrosion on the subframe of the vehicle. The inspector informed the contact that the vehicle might be under recall for the issue. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.”Owner report · Structure · Nov 2025
“The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH and attempting to stop the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the steering wheel. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the control arm was damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 160,000.”Owner report · Suspension · Jun 2024
“Driver seat just broke from the slide frame seat just falls back and is not safe to drive the seat is very badly designed should not have broken.also sliding door driver's side got lock were it doesn't open at all.”Owner report · Seats · Nov 2022
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed him that the catalytic converter was defective. The contact was referred to NHTSA by the independent mechanic for assistance. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The contact stated that the odometer had been rolled back. The failure mileage was unknown.”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2021
“I was driving on the freeway and my hood blew up and smashed my front windshield blocking out light. I could not see to drive and the rearview mirror flew off like a projectile”Owner report · Structure · Aug 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 kia sedona. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20v088000 (electrical system, service brakes, hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to greenway kia of rivergate (1536 gallatin pike n, madison, tn 37115) and was rejected to be serviced due to parts not being available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact part was not yet available and provided a case number. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Jun 2020
“Car caught fire because of electrical connection in the diver side headlight wiring. This occurred while driving on a city street with the headlights off. Car was totaled. Insurance and manufacturer have been informed. *tr”Owner report · Electrical System · May 2020
“Notice for a recall for an electrical part was submitted 4/9. There has been no word from the manufacturer about a repair or if we are able to safely drive our vehicle. There is no clear help hotline to give more guidance. Can the the NHTSA ask them to post a clarification and a deadline for decisive action (either a repair or refund)”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 kia sedona. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20v088000 (electrical system, service brakes, hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact contacted orlando kia (8701 e colonial dr orlando, fl 32817, 407-678-17170) where it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and stated that the dealers have parts to do the recall repairs. The contact had not experience a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 kia sedona. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20v088000 (electrical system, service brakes, hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact was informed that the notification that was received was an interim notification. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. A dealer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Apr 2020
When filing, owners marked a crash in 4 of these complaints and injuries in 2 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 5 campaigns
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.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Sedona and 2007-2009 Sorento vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the main junction box to prevent power from being directed to the HECU when the vehicle's ignition switch is turned off, free of charge. The recall began June 5, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC186.
Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Remedy: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2008 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Sedona by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Kia Sedona reliable?
NHTSA has 170 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns on record for the 2008 Kia Sedona. The most complained-about area is vehicle speed control (19% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2008 Kia Sedona problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 54,000 miles or less.
Does the 2008 Kia Sedona have open recalls?
5 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning suspension:front:control arm:lower arm. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.