Kia Sedona won't shift problems

Filed Apr 13, 2026 · Engine · CO

My vehicle would not start, after jumping and idling for a few moments, all dash lights started flashing and vehicle wouldnt go into gear. I shut it off as it started making a hum and smelled like something wasnt right. A mobile mechanic who came to my rescue after breaking down did a diagnostic of my engine. I was told I had low to no oil. I asked how was this possible as I had only driven around 2,000 miles since my recent oil change at the KIA dealer ( Wesley Chapel, FL). He said the tech may not have put recommended oil amount or the engine is consuming the oil. I told him I would contact the dealer regarding this matter. Long story, short I broke down to needing a new battery and alternator. I don't know if this was the exact cause of the latter 2 needing to be repaired. However, since speaking to others this is common with some models. I even had 1 individual state there were recalls and engines were being replaced as the engine could potentially lock up or fail. I am not finding a recall. Is this an issue that has been reported and I am missing something. Also, there was a recall on the sliding doors at 1 point. I am still having issues with the drivers side yet tge dealerships want to charge me a diagnostic fee. How do I go about seeing if this is an ongoing issue.

Filed Feb 23, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · DE

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

Filed Feb 7, 2025 · Engine · NJ

Our 2016 Kia Sedona was recently diagnosed with engine failure. Here's a summary: 1. The car's engine issues have twice put my family in danger: (1) on [XXX] with my [XXX] wife and 5 children when the car went into limp mode and could not accelerate on a steep road by a major forest in NJ (could have rolled back down a hill and crashed into other cars), and (2) on [XXX] with my [XXX] wife and 2 children when it again encountered an inability to accelerate. In situation (1) we towed it to our local Kia dealership and were told the issue was repaired (worn out spark plugs and low oil), but we had the same issue again 3 months later in December. In situation (2) my wife brought it to that same dealership. After multiple incorrect diagnoses - low oil and dead battery - they finally said we need a new engine. I spoke to Customer Care and, in spite of countless calls and follow-ups, did not receive a timely response and was eventually told that I would have to pay for this out of pocket. 2. We towed our car - at our expense - on 1/29/25 to another dealership in the hopes of better service. They came to the same conclusion: the engine has failed and we need a new one. Still, we have not received adequate answers on why the engine has failed and an appropriate solution to allow us to get our car back, which leads to the final point: 3. We've taken stellar care of this car since we bought it new. For 9 years, we have taken our van ONLY and exclusively to authorized Kia dealerships for service, for all needs great and small. We've spent $7,256 on service at these dealerships, taking all recommendations from service advisors to ensure our car is well-maintained. The car's issues have been misdiagnosed and put the lives of my [XXX]wife and several children in danger. Even after dealing with these dealerships and sending a letter to Kia Consumer Affairs, there has been no proper solution. Please assist us in remedying this matter promptly. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C.

Filed Jun 17, 2024 · Engine · NJ

The problem started in late July of '23 and I already filed a complaint back then. But I want to file again and emphasize that this is systemic issue with all 2016 Kia Sedona vans. Last year, I was driving with five kids in the car on the way to the beach. While exiting a traffic circle (anyone who has ever driven in NJ knows how dangerous NJ traffic circles can be) when we lost power. The van would not accelerate over 35mph, and we had to drive home in limp mode on the shoulder. Thankfully it was early in the morning, and no one was on the road. Had this happened during a busy time, we would have been rear-ended or worse. I took it to my local mechanic who did $200 worth of repairs, but the vehicle still would not run at full speed and had a very rough idle. I should add prior to loss of power, there were ZERO warning lights, and the car was running fine. I was just about due for an oil change, and I change it on a regular basis according to Kia's recommendations. Then I took it to Kia, and they said they could TRY to fix it for $8000 but they couldn't promise it would work and said my other option was a complete engine replacement. Currently, I have been continuing to drive the van locally because I cannot afford another car. If I drive more than 35-40 minutes the car completely loses power and I have to pull over to the side of the road, turn the car off and wait a few minutes. When I turn it on it will run fine for another 35-40 minutes. I know it is my choice to continue to drive the vehicle, but I wanted to report that the loss of engine power happens almost daily and continues to be a danger. Thankfully, I stick to back roads and avoid highways and I have not lost power on a busy road, yet. I am concerned that there are MANY MORE complaints with the NTHSA for the EXACT same issue and there doesn't seem to be any movement with investigations or recalls. Kia continues to sell these used vans to people who have no clue. This is a life-threatening issue!!!!

Filed Oct 5, 2023 · Engine · NJ

We were driving with FIVE kids and my 2016 Sedona lost power while driving & wouldn't accelerate over 30mph. Drove home couldn't go over 30 mph even with the pedal to the floor. Got home, checked oil and it was bone dry. Check engine light NEVER came on and the oil light NEVER came on. The check engine light only came on AFTER it lost power and went into limp mode. Oil was not leaking as I park on a concrete driveway and would have seen any leaks immediately. $2,000 later at the mechanic (they replaced value covers and sensors) and the check engine light still wouldn't go off and the car continued to lose power after driving for about 20-30 minutes. I can turn the car off, wait a few minutes, turn it back on and it runs FINE for a while (20 mins. max). Also, the car runs absolutely fine until it loses power. No noises, no knocking, nothing to indicate there is an engine issue. The mechanic who couldn't fix it recommended; I take it to the dealer for a complete diagnostic workup. After a week at the Kia dealer with little to no feedback / info as to what was going on, I was finally given an estimate for $7,800 worth of repairs and told that still may not fix the issue as there could be internal engine failure because it ran out of oil. After a cursory google search, this appears to be a common problem with the Kia 3.3 GDI engines like mine. There were recalls and Kia extended the engine warranties on various other models with the same engines due to the exact same issue, but they have not extended the same benefits to Kia Sedona owners. There was even a class action lawsuit regarding this issue but again, not with the Sedona. My concern is this is a MAJOR safety issue. FIVE kids in the car on a normally busy highway (it was early so there weren't many people on the road). Had it been as busy as it normally is, we would have been rear-ended which could lead to MUCH worse on a busy highway. Please investigate this before someone is seriously hurt or killed.

Filed Aug 30, 2023 · Engine · NJ

A few weeks ago, we were taking FIVE kids to the beach (a one-hour drive) when after about 25 minutes, the van (2016 Kia Sedona SXL with a 3.3L V6 GDI engine) would not accelerate above 35MPH. We drove it home in "limp mode" on the shoulder and going 30MPH. I took it to my regular mechanic who informed me the engine oil was completely dry and the recommended $1900 in repairs to replace damaged valve covers and sensors. After picking it up, the check engine light came on only a few miles from the mechanic. I took it back and they recommended taking it to Kia for a complete diagnostic workup. After a week at the dealership, they gave me an estimated repair bill of just under $8,000 and stated after all that work then engine could possibly still not work due to total engine failure because it ran out of oil. I get the oil changed on a regular basis. absolutely NO warning lights came on prior to the vehicle failing to accelerate onto a busy highway. We had five kids in the car - two of which were friends of my kids. We were lucky that no one was zooming by when we tried to merge onto the highway because the engine completely lost power. It could have been a very dangerous situation. Now, after reading literally HUNDREDS of posts and complaints stating the EXACT same issue, I'm wondering why Kia has not recalled this particular model of car. They have, however, recalled the exact same engine in different models. I'm genuinely confused as to why SO many people are having the EXACT same issue and Kia is refusing to acknowledge it's an issue on their end that they should be fixing. I have a 2016 van which is otherwise in perfect condition sitting at my house needing a completely new engine. I should not be needing the engine replaced after only 108,000 miles - of which it has been regularly services. It's absolutely infuriating. The dealership basically threw up their hands and said they couldn't do anything except replace the engine for $8,500!!!!

Filed Apr 21, 2022 · Electrical · WI

I will be driving and my headlight shut off. All of my warning lights come on, I lose all power and everything electrical shuts off. I am unable to use my blinkers, my head lights don't work, my radio doesn't work, and the car once put in park, won't shift. I have taken to 3 mechanics, spent over $800 and no one can figure it out. Kia won't help and claim I need to pay and take it to the dealership. They want $100 just to look at it. I fear for me and my children. This is a serious safety issue. I have seen several complaints online of the same thing. This is an issue with this vehicle and I'm scared I will die driving down the highway when my headlights just shut off

Filed Dec 17, 2019 · Transmission · 116,000 miles · CA

Will not engage reverse gear and drive gears sometimes will not shift at higher speeds

Filed Aug 18, 2018 · Transmission · 120,000 miles · TX

Drove home from church and tried to go somewhere and the van is stuck in park. Will not shift into any gear when you push in on the button. Made sure my foot was on the brake pedal. Been running great just crazy how this happened.

Filed Jan 5, 2018 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 159,048 miles · MD

Stop lamp switch was replaced in 2013 due to safety recall 13v114000. At present the ESC light is malfuntioning and the vehicle will not shift out of park. Took the vehicle to our kia dealership and the service department determined that a faulty stop lamp switch was the cause. The switch was replaced and vehicle operates as normal. A request for reimbursement has been submitted to kia for the cost of the repair. This is a major safety concern and I feel it is the responsibility of kia motors to issue another recall.