Your vehicle report
2002 Kia Sedona
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 198
- Received Sep 2001 to Aug 2017
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Seat belt fails to latch or retract23 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Rear door latch fails to open or close12 complaints · 6.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Vehicle catches fire from wiring12 complaints · 6.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #05V013000On certain mini vans, during assembly, the throttle cable would twist itself out of position.
- Recall #03V135000On certain passenger vehicles, some of the second and third row seat strikers installed on the vehicle floor pan have been improperly heat treated and could break in a crash.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 17 crashes, 13 fires, 20 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 18 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 3 |
| 2002 | 38 |
| 2003 | 40 |
| 2004 | 23 |
| 2005 | 36 |
| 2006 | 11 |
| 2007 | 12 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 6 |
| 2011 | 4 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 198 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 23 | 12% | – | NHTSA recall #03V017000 |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 12 | 6.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 12 | 6.1% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 9 | 4.5% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 9 | 4.5% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 8 | 4.0% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 7 | 3.5% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 6 | 3.0% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 6 | 3.0% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 6 | 3.0% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 6 | 3.0% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 5 | 2.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 5 | 2.5% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 4 | 2.0% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 4 | 2.0% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Exhaust smell enters cabin during acceleration | 3 | 1.5% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #05V013000January 19, 200589,238 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control: cables
On certain mini vans, during assembly, the throttle cable would twist itself out of position.
This Can permit the cable to be hung up, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the throttle cable free of charge. Vehicles produced from march 20, 2001 through november 7, 2001 will have a guide clip installed on the throttle body assembly in order to ensure that the tension force cable does not move out of position. Vehicles manufactured beginning on november 8, 2001, already have the extended guide, which accomplishes the same objective. The recall began march 21, 2005. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA recall #03V135000April 3, 20034,276 vehicles affected
seats: mid/rear assembly
On certain passenger vehicles, some of the second and third row seat strikers installed on the vehicle floor pan have been improperly heat treated and could break in a crash.
This could result in injuries to occupants of these seats.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the seat strikers. Owner notification began april 25, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542
NHTSA recall #03V017000January 22, 200321,248 vehicles affected
seat belts: rear/other
Certain mini vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies." the second and third seat belt buckle anchor bolts do not comply with the standards.
In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle anchor bolts. Owner notification began february 24, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Kia Sedona.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN