I was driving, my car just stopped, couldn’t start, started smoking and started on fire.
Kia Sedona fire or smoke problems
130 of the 2,417 owner complaints about the Kia Sedona describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 2016 model year.
- owner complaints
- 130
- worst model year
- 2016
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,500
- typical mileage
- 90,000
By model year
Often reported together
Engine failure 12Check engine light 10ABS 7Wipers 6Headlights 5Won't start 4Stalling 4Door locks 4
Trouble codes mentioned
P0885 1
What owners say
In XXX, my 2004 Kia Sedona caught fire shortly after I arrived at work in [XXX]. My [XXX] daughter was with me because she was sick. After parking, I removed her from the back seat and went inside the salon. Minutes later, I returned and saw smoke coming from the engine. Within seconds, the front of the vehicle caught fire. The vehicle was parked near a building, and the fire and smoke spread toward the building. The fire department responded and made a report. The vehicle was completely disabled and later sold to a salvage yard because I could not drive or transport it. My insurance did not cover the fire because I did not have fire coverage. I am especially concerned because my daughter had been inside the vehicle moments before the fire. Fortunately, I removed her before the fire started. I later contacted Kia America, which opened Case No. XXX and requested the vehicle's location for investigation. Kia also requested preservation of the vehicle, but it had already been destroyed by the fire and sold to salvage. I am requesting that the federal safety agency review this incident for possible safety defects, recalls, investigations, or similar fire complaints involving the 2004 Kia Sedona or its components. I can provide the fire report, Kia correspondence, and other supporting records. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Was driving down the road with zero issues known, no check engine light, and only 114K miles. There was a sudden noise that was quiet so I turned down the radio, and then within 2 seconds or so a loud bang occurred, followed by a lot of smoke. I looked in the side mirrors and noted flames coming from underneath the van. Pulled over and got my family out.
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that the air bag and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to start and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with alternator failure; however, the battery was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that after his wife had pulled into the driveway, the instrument panel turned blank, and the driver noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The driver turned off the vehicle, and the vehicle cooled down. The contact stated that upon attempting to restart the vehicle later in the evening, the vehicle failed to start. The contact opened the hood and noticed that unknown parts had melted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed the contact that the battery terminals and an unknown control module had melted due to an electrical failure; however, the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the contact the oil light illuminated, and the vehicle decelerated independently. The contact mention he pulled over to the right side of the road, exited the vehicle and when he lifted the hood of the vehicle, he noticed flames coming from the engine. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention. There was no police report filed. The fire department did not show at the scene to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was not destroyed. The vehicle is currently still at the scene. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 146,658.
The contact owned a 2006 Kia Sedona. The vehicle was bought used close to four years ago. The contact was unaware that the vehicle had received notifications of the federal safety agency campaign numbers 20V088000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC), 16V389000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES), and 16V387000 (SUSPENSION). The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, an abnormal pop sound was heard coming from the vehicle. The contact noticed smoke was emitting from the front end of the vehicle. The contact stated that the heat gauge was rising. The contact pulled to the side of the road when a passerby ran up to the contact's vehicle and informed the contact that flames were visible under the vehicle. The passerby stated that he followed the contact for about a mile, honking and waving to notify the contact of the fire. The contact and child immediately exited the vehicle. The contact stated that once she exited the vehicle, the front end of the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The contact and child did not sustain any injuries. The police and fire department were called to the scene. The fire department extinguished the fire when, shortly after, there was an explosion. The vehicle was consumed by the fire and destroyed. The vehicle was towed to Wayne's towing yard. The manufacturer was notified of the fire. The contact was awaiting contact from KIA. The contact notified her insurance company. The failure mileage was approximately 189,000.
While driving car gas tank blew a hole and started on fire. Car then lost power while on fire while I was in traffic, luckily I was able to cut into a parking lot and people that were in traffic with me call 911. Fire department confirmed there was a hole in gas tank which sits right underneath driver side. Fire was only contained to where the gas tank and lines are. I have pictures.
Auto dealer fraud 8/3 2024 dealership sold me a title washed lemon with major safety hazards Defective unrepairable components Discovered later after purchase P0885 limp mode Fire hazard the vehicle may catch on fire when parked Went back to the dealership that I purchased from for a P0885 on December 4 2024 Returned Back to me march 18 2025 with a blown motor I asked the tow truck driver to be a witness to me firing up the vehicle for documentation Rey Prado of Prado towing located in Delaware he can verify my account Of events will give statement Dealership breached a bonded contract from a November 2021 purchase a 2004 ford f 250 super duty pick up truck vin# [XXX] and placed the title on the loan for the 2006 Kia Sedona without my prior knowledge the vehicle was purchased August 8 2024 with the cosign on August 21 2024 the dealer and staff purposely held the the buyer’s and purchasing agreement to pack the loan , the purchase agreement was finally given to me December 13 2024 after months of delay from the owners and staff . Owner finally told me on a march 17 2025 phone call he kept my title as a vested interest after I paid it off full in our contract agreement 8 months after the contract was signed the dealership operated in a Criminal Civil Rico fashion with me and is and has been extremely uncooperative with since I have been demanding all the original contracts for both vehicles , on February 20 while reviewing documentation that I was told was my title release forms I noticed a difference in dates they had me sign and date at the bottom 12/13/24 but the top of of the document it had a date of 12/2/2024 I didn’t realize this at first because they had me so confused about the van deal the truck title it seemed very systematic and intentional like they were purposely trying to confuse me about both contracts and my title it’s been a nightmare since then Please please please some one help my my mind and body are suffering because of this INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
The contact owned a 2008 Kia Sedona. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked at a friend’s residence, the contact exited the vehicle and took the baby she was caring for inside the residence of the friend. Upon returning outside, the contact became aware that the vehicle was on fire and the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The Fire Department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. The Fire Marshall informed the contact that the fire had started in the engine compartment. Additionally, a Fire Report was filed; however, the information was unavailable. The fire caused damage to the friend residence. The contact stated that the fire melted the aluminum siding on the house. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was covered under a liability insurance policy. The vehicle was a total loss. The homeowners insurance Fire Inspector tagged the vehicle and requested that the vehicle remain on the premises. The vehicle was still located at the residence, as per the Fire Inspector. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 315,465.
The contact owned a 2017 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that after parking in his driveway, there was white smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact is handicapped and was assisted by his wife to exit the vehicle safely. The vehicle later caught on fire, and flames were visible in the front passenger side that spread to the rear of the vehicle. No warning lights illuminated before or after the failure. The contact stated that the front of the house was damaged, as well as the garage siding, along with an older truck parked in the driveway. The fire was extinguished by the fire department with water, and a police officer was on scene and tried to extinguish the rear with an extinguisher, but was unsuccessful. There was a fire report filed. The vehicle was towed a week after the fire to the insurance tow lot. The vehicle was deemed destroyed by the insurance company. No injuries were sustained. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.
Related recalls
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 21V725000 · Recall details
Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator
- What is wrong
- Kia Motors America (KIA) is recalling certain 2020 Sedona vehicles. The battery positive (B+) terminal nut on the alternator may not have been tightened properly during assembly, possibly causing it to loosen over time.
- Risk
- If the alternator B+ terminal nut loosens, electrical arcing may result, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the alternator B+ terminal nut, tightening it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began August 14, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC192.
Recall number 20V399000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the vehicle is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
- 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.
Recall number 20V088000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 19V109000 · Recall details
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 18V338000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with adjustable brake pedals, the stop lamp switch wiring harness may be out of position. An improperly positioned stop lamp switch wiring harness could make contact with the u-joint assembly of the steering column. Repeated contact may eventually cause the wiring harness insulation to chafe.
- Risk
- Chafed insulation could cause a short of the wiring harness resulting in the loss of brake lights, engine stalling, or an inability to start the vehicle increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the wiring harness for chafing and, repair if necessary. In addition, the dealer will secure the wiring harness to prevent contact with the u-joint assembly. The recall began on september 29, 2006. Owners may contact kia at 1‑800‑333‑4542.
Recall number 06V349000 · Recall details
Questions about the Kia Sedona fire or smoke
Which Kia Sedona years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2016 (17 complaints), 2003 (16 complaints) and 2002 (13 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix fire, smoke or burning smell on the Kia Sedona?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,500 (median of 7 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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