2009 Kia Sedona — Known Issues & Recalls

Your vehicle caught fire while parked, with the fire originating in the engine area. The entire car was destroyed by the fire. This requires immediate investigation of the engine bay's electrical and fuel system components to determine the cause.

Your passenger sliding doors won't stay closed—both doors keep popping open even when locked. You currently have to use a screwdriver to manually adjust the locking mechanism to get them to latch. A mechanic will likely need to inspect and repair or replace the door latch assemblies on both sliding doors.

Your vehicle has an open recall related to salt exposure damage, but the dealer has been unable to complete the repair since June 2017 because they don't have the required specialized tool. You've been denied a loaner vehicle and have experienced ongoing delays despite frequent follow-ups with both Kia and the dealer. You've also noticed vibration at higher speeds, which may be related to the recall issue, and you're concerned the vehicle may be unsafe to drive until the recall inspection and repair can be completed.

Your horn has stopped working completely. You've already replaced all the fuses, but the horn still doesn't work. The issue likely involves either the horn itself, the horn relay, or wiring in the horn circuit that will need to be diagnosed and repaired.

Your ABS and electronic stability control systems stopped working after warning lights appeared on your dashboard. This caused your vehicle to spin out while driving on icy roads, leaving you without these critical safety systems. The fix will likely involve diagnosing the ABS/ESC control module and replacing any faulty sensors or wiring.

Your brake lights stay on constantly and won't turn off except when you disconnect the battery. This means other drivers can't tell when you're actually braking, creating a safety hazard. The lights remain on even when the car is parked and turned off, and your ESC (electronic stability control) warning light is also illuminated. This issue likely involves a faulty brake light switch or an electrical problem in the brake light circuit that needs diagnosis and repair.

Your driver's side master switch has stopped working, so you can't use it to lock/unlock all doors or control the windows — you now have to lock and unlock manually with the key, and the remote key fob won't work either. Additionally, your gas tank release button has stopped functioning, forcing you to manually access the fuel door from the trunk. Both mechanics who inspected the vehicle checked fuses and ran diagnostics but couldn't identify the electrical fault.

Your car won't crank or start, even though the battery is in good condition with no corrosion. You hear a very faint clicking noise from under the hood when you try to start it, and the starter itself appears to work fine. This issue has left you stranded twice. The problem could be with the starter solenoid or the main circuit board under the dashboard, and a mechanic will need to diagnose and replace whichever component has failed.

The bolts that hold your front brake calipers in place can loosen and fall out while you're driving on highways or city streets. When this happens, the caliper becomes loose and rubs against the inside of your wheel rim, damaging both the caliper and rim, and eventually causing brake caliper failure. This repair will likely involve replacing the caliper mounting bolts, inspecting the calipers and rotors for damage, and possibly replacing damaged components.

Your airbag warning light turns on and off without a clear pattern. This happens intermittently, meaning it's not constant. The warning light should stay off during normal driving, so this indicates an electrical or sensor problem in your airbag system. A technician will need to scan your vehicle's diagnostic system and likely replace a faulty airbag sensor or repair a wiring connection.

Your engine is leaking oil from the valve cover gasket on the front cylinder bank, which drips onto the alternator and damages it. When the alternator fails, your charging system stops working and the warning light comes on, leaving your car running on battery power alone. Once the battery drains, your engine will shut off and won't restart, creating a dangerous situation. Fixing this will require replacing the valve cover gasket and likely the alternator.

Your van was hit broadside in an intersection collision. The front airbags deployed before impact, but your 84-year-old passenger hit the windshield when the actual crash occurred. You suffered facial abrasions, bruising and cuts to your left arm and hand, and severe cervical (neck) spine damage from being jostled around after the airbag deployment. The issue may involve airbag timing, deployment force, or passenger positioning relative to airbag inflation.

A plastic L-shaped part broke off underneath your brake pedal, causing your brake lights to stay on intermittently even when you're not braking. This has been draining your battery. The fix will likely involve replacing the broken brake light switch or the plastic component that activates it.

You heard an abnormal noise coming from the front of your vehicle while braking. A mechanic inspected it and found that your lower control arm had severe rust damage and needed replacement. This is a suspension component that helps your wheels stay properly aligned and safe while driving.

Your car won't shift out of Park, and the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) warning light comes on, requiring multiple attempts to get the vehicle into Drive. This problem was recalled and repaired in 2013, but returned by 2014 within 20,000 miles—and when Kia attempted the repair again, they installed the wrong part, requiring a third visit to fix it properly. The repair typically involves replacing or servicing the shift interlock solenoid and ESC control module components.

Your brake lights have stopped working properly and are not illuminating when you apply the brakes. This is a safety concern since other drivers won't be able to see when you're braking. Your vehicle may not be covered under a related recall (campaign 13V114000), so you'll likely need to have the brake light system inspected and repaired by a mechanic.

When you drive through a deep puddle (around 6 inches), your power steering may stop working and warning lights appear on your dashboard. The steering returns to normal after about 15 seconds. This problem happens when you're turning left or right through the water. The issue likely involves water getting into electrical components that control the power steering system.

Your engine isn't responding properly when you try to accelerate from a stop — instead, it just idles and keeps RPMs at around 500. The dealer diagnosed this as a faulty computer chip that controls engine performance. Replacing the engine control module (computer chip) should resolve the acceleration issue.

Your suspension control arm has developed rust, which a technician noted during inspection. A dealer applied undercoating as a temporary solution, but Kia has refused to replace the rusted control arm, saying the undercoating is sufficient. You may want to monitor the control arm condition since rust can worsen over time and affect suspension performance.

Your car's ESC (Electronic Stability Control) warning light keeps turning on, and your speedometer occasionally stops working until you restart the engine. The dealer found alignment issues on your vehicle, particularly with the rear passenger side wheel, and discovered a missing bolt on the rear axle that should be there according to factory specs — but the replacement bolt isn't currently available. Additionally, your driver's seat won't stay in the up position. Fixing these issues will likely require a dealer visit for the alignment, bolt installation once available, and seat pump replacement.