AutoUtility currently tracks 292 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Kia Sedona. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 142 complaints (48.6% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 10 filings cite a crash, 14 cite a fire, 9 report one or more injuries, 1 reports one or more fatalities.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
142 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
45 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
37 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
30 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
17 complaint narratives describe this symptom.
17 complaint narratives describe this symptom.
Formal engineering analyses and preliminary evaluations opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"The vehicle radiator exploded while driving on the freeway. Towed to mechanic radiator replaced and housing. Problem persosted. With a simple pressure test the coolant in the reservoir began to boil immediately meaning there's a cracked engine block."
"Pearl white paint peeling, there is an extension for a warranty through Hyundai for the same paint but not through Kia. Please advise what to do."
"2016 Kia Sedona with power sliding doors. Both rear power sliding doors fail to completely latch upon closing. Doors make loud clicking sounds while attempting to close and require manual pushing to latch. Kia of Attleboro diagnosed and confirmed in writing that both rear door roller arm assemblies..."
"Engine experienced mass, sudden oil consumption with no warning of any sort, resulting in significant engine damage. Oil had been changed apx 800 miles prior to incident, and vehicle showed no signs of leaks or oil consumption following the oil change. No oil leaks or wetness were found around oil..."
"The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that the climate control panel became inoperable, failing to distribute heat and air conditioning. While the middle and third-row climate systems functioned, an abnormal burning odor was detected. The fan speed adjustment button experienced an..."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2021)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Kia Sedona | 138 | 2 | 3 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Kia Sedona Current Page | 292 | 10 | 4 | Current |
| 2017 Kia Sedona | 133 | 2 | 4 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Kia Sedona | 48 | 1 | 3 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Kia Sedona | 36 | 2 | 2 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Kia Sedona | 20 | 0 | 1 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Kia Sedona | 9 | 2 | 0 | View 2021 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 59 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 118 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires NHTSA category: TIRES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEATS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEATS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FIRERELATED | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| INSERT, PADDING,OTHER/I AM NOT SURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,AIR BAGS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| STEERING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2016 Kia Sedona
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2016 Kia Sedona is Engine & Cooling, appearing in 142 records (48.6% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Electrical System (45) and Exterior Lighting (37).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 292 consumer defect complaints and 4 safety recall campaigns for the 2016 Kia Sedona.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Kia Sedona, 10 filings cite a crash, 14 cite smoke or fire, and 9 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
NHTSA ODI records list 1 formal defect investigation involving the 2016 Kia Sedona (all closed).
Federal defect investigations are formal engineering evaluations opened when safety defect trends emerge, and do not by themselves establish a confirmed defect or mandatory recall.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.