2016 Kia Sedona Safety Report
2016 KIA SEDONA Safety Analysis
Safety Decision Cockpit for the 2016 Kia Sedona
This page is the hub for deciding what to inspect next on the 2016 Kia Sedona. It connects recall campaigns, owner complaint patterns, service bulletins, sibling model years, component issue hubs, and the model buying guide so a shopper or owner can move from a single report into the wider safety graph.
| Signal | Value | What to inspect next |
|---|---|---|
| Recall burden | High (4) | Review campaign numbers, affected components, and dealer remedies below. |
| Owner complaints | High (279) | Scan complaint narratives for recurring symptoms, mileage, crashes, fires, injuries, and dates. |
| Crash and fire reports | 23 | Treat any crash, fire, injury, or fatality-linked pattern as a priority pre-purchase inspection item. |
| Primary component hub | Engine | Compare engine issues across vehicles. |
| Cleaner nearby model year | 2021 | Compare against the 2021 Kia Sedona with 8 complaints and 0 recalls. |
| Riskier nearby model year | 2015 | Check the 2015 Kia Sedona before buying across this generation. |
Kia Sedona Year-by-Year Comparison
The safest purchase decision usually comes from comparing neighboring model years, not reading a single page in isolation. The table below uses only validated Kia Sedona years already present in the cleaned NHTSA dataset, so each comparison links to a real vehicle safety report rather than a generated combination.
| Model Year | Complaints | Recalls | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Kia Sedona | 124 | 4 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2015 Kia Sedona | 133 | 3 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2018 Kia Sedona | 44 | 3 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2019 Kia Sedona | 32 | 2 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2020 Kia Sedona | 19 | 1 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2021 Kia Sedona | 8 | 0 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
2016 Kia Sedona Complaint Theme Map
Complaint counts become more useful when they are grouped into inspection themes. For the 2016 Kia Sedona, these are the component areas with the clearest NHTSA complaint signals. Use each link to jump from this single vehicle into broader component hubs and make-specific issue pages.
Engine
111 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Engine issues Kia onlyExterior Lighting
24 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Exterior Lighting issues Kia onlyElectrical System
20 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Electrical System issues Kia onlyUnknown Or Other
18 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Unknown Or Other issues Kia onlyStructure
14 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Structure issues Kia onlyAir Bags
8 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Air Bags issues Kia onlyAI Safety Analysis for the 2016 Kia Sedona
Reliability Score
The 2016 Kia Sedona receives a reliability score of 55 out of 100 based on analysis of NHTSA complaint data, recall history, crash reports, and safety ratings. This indicates average reliability — some notable concerns exist that prospective buyers should be aware of.
NHTSA Safety Ratings for the 2016 Kia Sedona
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) evaluates vehicles through controlled crash tests and assigns star ratings from 1 to 5, with 5 being the safest.
Known Issues for the 2016 Kia Sedona
The following issues have been identified from NHTSA complaint data and owner reports for the 2016 Kia Sedona:
| Issue | Severity | Frequency | Typical Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine Knocking And Power Loss Engine may start knocking and lose power, posing a safety risk. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Odometer Fraud Mileage discrepancy found in some vehicles, potentially affecting the vehicle's value. |
High | Occasional | N/A miles |
| Electrical System Failure Wiring issues can cause the engine to fail, affecting vehicle reliability. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Recalled Air Bag System Recalled due to potential issues with the front passenger seat occupant detection system. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
Common Problems Reported by Owners
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the following components account for the majority of reported issues with the 2016 Kia Sedona:
Engine issues are the most common problem, affecting 23% of vehicles.
Electrical system problems are the second most common issue, affecting 20% of vehicles.
Exterior lighting issues are the third most common problem, affecting 12% of vehicles.
Structural issues are the fourth most common problem, affecting 14% of vehicles.
Recall Details for the 2016 Kia Sedona
The following 4 recalls have been issued for the 2016 Kia Sedona by NHTSA:
Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016 Sedona and Sorento vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with faulty automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, preventing the shift lever from locking, which can allow the vehicle to rollaway.
Consequence: A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash and injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 7, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC246.
Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sedona vehicles. The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals received from the multifunction switch, which could cause the turn signal to activate in the opposite direction of what the driver intended.
Consequence: A turn signal activating in the opposite direction of what was intended by the driver increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the SJB software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 12, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC217.
Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Sedona vehicles equipped with manually-adjusted front passenger seats. Over time, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) wiring harness located underneath the front passenger seat may break from the seat being occupied.
Consequence: If a child is in a child seat in the front seat, a broken ODS wiring harness will not prevent the front passenger air bag from deploying in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the child.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will remove the wire harness clip to prevent the wiring harness from breaking. If the harness is found damaged, the front passenger seat cushion will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC175.
Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Kia Sedona vehicles equipped with a power sliding door (PSD). The PSD may not auto-reverse when its closing is obstructed.
Consequence: If the door closes on an occupant, there is an increased risk of an injury.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PSD module software, free of charge. The recall began on June 18, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC164.
NHTSA Complaint Summaries for the 2016 Kia Sedona
Below are complaint narratives filed by owners of the 2016 Kia Sedona with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 1 complaint involved crashes. 2 involved fires. 2 reported injuries or fatalities.
Engine started knocking loosing power just like our 4cylinder GDI engine. These engines are also not safe to be operating
Engine Failure due to rod and bearing failure
Oil leak caused engine to fail.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 107,000. It was later discovered upon checking a Carfax Report that the mileage was 187,000.
I was driving my car, all of a sudden there was a loud knocking sound. The car suddenly wouldn’t accelerate. I was in the middle of a busy intersection with kids! I am 95 pounds, I can’t push the van! After being hit. I managed to get it moved with help. My van only had 108,000 miles on it! Took it to a mechanic, said needed an engine as there was no oil in it. How is that possible? We just change...
My family and I were all driving in the car. We were at a stoplight, and fully stopped as it was a red light. All of a sudden, we heard a weird noise, and all of the dash lights on our car appeared, and then the car fully turned off. We could not get the car back on, and it would not start. Prior to this, it was driving totally fine, and we had no lights on our dashboard indicating something was w...
Motor Blew
The contact owned a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while her nephew was driving, the nephew made a left-hand turn, and the vehicle was hit on the front right quarter panel. The contact stated that her nephew had turned on the left-hand signal and was halfway through making the left turn when the accident occurred. The other vehicle drove on the opposite side and stated that the left-hand...
The front passenger seat, occupant detection system wiring harness was never repaired by the dealer I had taken the vehicle to the dealer several years ago and he gave me a $8000 estimate to replace the electrical system!
Kia service dealer diagnosed high oil consumption on my car with heavy sounds. They recommend to replace whole engine but it's out of warranty. It has only 106k miles on it. I am afraid the car is posing safety issue as well and it has less miles on it. I filed complain with kia consumer corporate a case has been generated on their system [XXX] but no one had contacted me yet. INFORMATION RE...
2016 KIA Sedona. I was driving on the highway when the Engine started knocking and smoking. I had to cut cars off on the highway to get to the shoulder. The car was towed to a local mechanic who told us there were holes blown through the engine and it would need replaced. This was after a year and a half of driving it so we still had a loan on the car that we couldn't afford to just scrap the car....
I was at an intersection & was turning left. In the middle of the turn the car started knocking noise and vibrating and turned off in the middle of the intersection. It did not crank for several tries while I was panicking with a car full of kids in a busy intersection. When I got it to crank again it turned off again. Some good Samaritans then helped by holding traffic and pushing us out of harms...
The Sedona just stopped in traffic with out warning with my kids in the van. No type or warning lights came on. I had recently got an oil change and tune up. I almost caused an accident. It was extremely scary. I am thankful no one was hurt. I had to pay for a tow and come to find out the engine is locked . The machine started it had very low oil. Which makes no sense since it hadn’t even been 7 ...
2016 Kia Sedona SX-L (VIN: [XXX]) equipped with 3.3L Lambda II GDI engine. This is the second engine failure — first engine failed due to head bolt studs separating from the block, second (mechanic sourced) engine began heavy smoking and nearly caught fire due to possible oil starvation/rod bearing failure. Vehicle is parked and unsafe to operate. Temperature gauge at time of incident was going to...
My 2016 Kia Sedona is affected by Safety Recall SC175 (Front Passenger Seat Occupant Detection System Wiring Harness), documented here: [XXX] . Kia and the servicing dealer, Rick Case Kia, report to NHTSA that this recall was completed in 2019. However, the defect described in SC175 is still present and easily reproducible. The dealer continues to insist the repair was completed, but the symptoms...
With a 140000 miles and the timing chain and component already failing my mechanic told it could die anytime soon local or on the highway
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed, and the gear shift lever was moved to Park(P) but failed to lock in place. The contact stated that the vehicle started to roll backwards. The contact used force to lock the gear shift lever in Park(P), and the vehicle came to a complete stop after several attempts. No wa...
My 2016 Kia Sedona had complete engine failure. I was driving home from work in January 2025 with both my young daughters and the vehicle completely died out of nowhere no warning light no check engine light no oil light I was stranded alongside the road with a four year-old and a six year-old in January temperatures for hours. I just had to have the engine completely replaced along with several o...
The hitch lifts have went bad. When you open the back hatch it goes all the way up and then immediately goes back down about half way. It’s a huge safety concern. I have been hit in the head numerous times.
I was driving down the highway and the engine light came on. The car suddenly wouldn't accelerate or go above 1500 rpm. There was also a rattle noise. I limped home and checked the oil. It was bone dry. I get regular oil changes every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. The car burned oil way too fast and gave no warnings that the oil was low and there was no leaking. I'm unsure of the extent of the damage. I'm...
Showing 20 of 279 complaints. Additional complaints are available via the NHTSA database.
NHTSA Defect Investigations for the 2016 Kia Sedona
NHTSA defect investigations are higher-signal than ordinary complaints because they indicate the agency opened a formal review of a potential safety defect. Some investigations later connect to recall campaigns; others close without a recall after review.
Component: Engine
Opened 2024-02-27 · Closed 2024-03-05
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition on February 20, 2024, requesting the opening of an investigation into an alleged defect of the "engine" on the following vehicle model stated by the petitioner: 2016 Kia Sedona vehicles equipped with the 3.3L V-Shaped GDI Lambda-II engine. The petitioner raised the issue of a Loss of Motive Power. On November 13, 2023, ODI opened PE23-019 to address allegations of loss of motive power, on the 3.3L V6 Lambda-II engine for 2016-2017 Kia...
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2016 Kia Sedona
Has the 2016 KIA SEDONA been recalled?
Yes, the 2016 KIA SEDONA has 4 recalls on record with NHTSA. Each recall addresses a specific safety defect identified by the manufacturer or NHTSA.
How many complaints does the 2016 KIA SEDONA have?
The 2016 KIA SEDONA has 279 complaints filed with NHTSA. Of these, 10 involved crashes. 9 injuries and 2 deaths have been reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2016 KIA SEDONA?
The 2016 KIA SEDONA received an overall NHTSA safety rating of excellent (5/5). Frontal crash: 5/5. Side crash: 5/5. Rollover: 4/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 KIA SEDONA?
The most commonly reported problems with the 2016 KIA SEDONA involve engine (111 complaints), exterior lighting (24 complaints), electrical system (20 complaints). Other affected components include unknown or other, structure, air bags.
How many crash reports does the 2016 KIA SEDONA have?
There are 10 crash reports associated with the 2016 KIA SEDONA out of 279 total complaints (3.6% of complaints involved crashes).
How many fire reports does the 2016 KIA SEDONA have?
There are 13 fire reports for the 2016 KIA SEDONA out of 279 total complaints. Fire reports are among the most serious safety concerns tracked by NHTSA.
Are there any deaths reported for the 2016 KIA SEDONA?
Yes, 2 deaths have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2016 KIA SEDONA. These are self-reported by complainants and do not imply the vehicle caused the death.
How many injuries are reported for the 2016 KIA SEDONA?
9 injuries have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2016 KIA SEDONA. These are self-reported by vehicle owners as part of their safety complaints.
Should I buy a 2016 KIA SEDONA?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2016 KIA SEDONA is extreme caution advised. It has 279 complaints, 4 recalls, and a excellent (5/5) safety rating. Note: 2 death(s) have been reported. Always have a pre-purchase inspection done by a qualified mechanic.
What components fail most on the 2016 KIA SEDONA?
The components with the most failures on the 2016 KIA SEDONA are: 1. ENGINE (111 complaints), 2. EXTERIOR LIGHTING (24 complaints), 3. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (20 complaints), 4. UNKNOWN OR OTHER (18 complaints), 5. STRUCTURE (14 complaints). ENGINE is the single most-reported problem area with 111 complaints.
What should I know before buying a 2016 KIA SEDONA?
Be cautious of engine knocking and power loss, and check for recalls related to the electrical system and air bag deployment. The 2016 KIA SEDONA has 279 NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls on record. NHTSA rates it excellent (5/5).
How reliable is the 2016 KIA SEDONA?
The 2016 KIA SEDONA receives a reliability score of 55/100, indicating average reliability. This is based on 279 owner complaints, 4 recalls, and 23 crash/fire reports in the NHTSA database. Key known issues include Engine Knocking and Power Loss and Odometer Fraud.
What are the known issues with the 2016 KIA SEDONA?
Known issues with the 2016 KIA SEDONA include: Engine Knocking and Power Loss, Odometer Fraud, Electrical System Failure, Recalled Air Bag System. These are based on patterns found across 279 NHTSA complaints. 4 of these patterns resulted in formal recalls.
What are the common issues with the 2016 KIA SEDONA?
Common issues include engine knocking, electrical system failures, and exterior lighting problems.
Is the 2016 KIA SEDONA prone to engine failures?
Yes, engine failures have been reported, including knocking and power loss.
Are there any recalls for the 2016 KIA SEDONA?
Yes, there are recalls for issues with the air bag system and electrical wiring.
Buyer Advice
Our recommendation: Be cautious of engine knocking and power loss, and check for recalls related to the electrical system and air bag deployment.
NHTSA Data Summary for 2016 Kia Sedona
This safety report is based on a comprehensive analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the 2016 Kia Sedona. The data includes 279 consumer complaints filed by vehicle owners, 4 manufacturer-initiated safety recalls, 10 reported crashes, 13 fire incidents, 9 reported injuries, and 2 fatalities associated with this vehicle.
The NHTSA has assigned the 2016 Kia Sedona an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with a frontal crash rating of 5 stars, a side crash rating of 5 stars, and a rollover rating of 4 stars. These ratings are determined through controlled crash testing conducted by the NHTSA.
All data presented in this report is sourced from public NHTSA databases. Our AI analysis identifies patterns across complaint narratives, correlates them with recall history, and produces the safety assessment above. This analysis is updated as new complaints and recalls are filed with the NHTSA.
Consumers are encouraged to report vehicle safety problems to the NHTSA at nhtsa.gov. If your vehicle is subject to a recall, contact your dealer to schedule the free repair.
Disclaimer: This analysis is AI-generated from NHTSA public data and does not constitute professional automotive or safety advice. Always verify recall status at NHTSA.gov and consult a qualified mechanic.
Analysis last updated: 2026-05-16