2017 Kia Sedona Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2017 Kia Sedona has a complaint index of 75 and ranks 5th worst out of 17 model years, earning an Avoid verdict. Engine problems dominate, making up 47% of its 134 complaints, with 3 fires reported, plus 4 recalls covering airbags, electrical, and body components.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 75/100
- #5 of 17 Sedona years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 134
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 2
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 11
- Top issue
- Engine
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 20
- 18 city / 24 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 11 / 0
Top 2017 Kia Sedona problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine63 (47%)
- Electrical System29 (22%)
- Other28 (21%)
- Structure & Body20 (15%)
- Airbags13 (10%)
- Brakes4 (3%)
- Transmission & Powertrain4 (3%)
- Visibility & Wipers4 (3%)
- Fuel System3 (2%)
- Steering3 (2%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Some owners report the engine losing power or stalling while driving, in one case followed by smoke, metal fragments, and oil coming from the front of the car.
- Several complaints describe white smoke or flames coming from the engine bay, including one fire that started after the vehicle was parked in a driveway.
- Owners report the oil warning light illuminating just before the engine decelerated on its own at highway speed, followed by visible flames under the hood.
- Power sliding doors and the rear hatch have reportedly opened or closed unexpectedly while the vehicle was moving or parked, in one case injuring a child's hand and in another causing a head injury.
- One owner described frontal airbags failing to deploy and the seat belt failing to restrain the driver during a rear-end crash at approximately 35 mph.
- Another owner reported the steering pulling to the right uncontrollably around a curve, leading to a crash where the airbags did not deploy.
2017 Kia Sedona recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 22V031000Jan 25, 2022Airbags410,619 vehicles
Air bags
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles. The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 21, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC226.
- NHTSA 21V725000Sep 17, 2021Electrical System88,576 vehicles
Electrical system:software
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.
- NHTSA 19V109000Feb 19, 2019Electrical System94,389 vehicles
Electrical system:wiring
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.
2017 Kia Sedona fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 18 MPG
- Highway
- 24 MPG
- Combined
- 20 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,250
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2017 compared with other Sedona years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2017 Kia Sedona reliable?
- Compared with other Sedona model years, 2017 ranks poorly. It has a complaint index of 75 and ranks 5th worst out of 17 years covered, with an Avoid verdict based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2017 Kia Sedona?
- Engine problems are the top complaint area, accounting for 63 of 134 complaints (47%) and including 3 reported fires. The median mileage at failure for engine complaints is 76,506 miles.
- Does the 2017 Kia Sedona have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2017 Sedona, covering the airbag control unit, the Smart Junction Box software affecting turn signals, an occupant detection system wiring harness, and a power sliding door auto-reverse issue. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- Are there fire risks with the 2017 Kia Sedona engine?
- NHTSA complaint data lists 3 fires among the 63 engine-related complaints for the 2017 Sedona, including reports of smoke and flames coming from the engine bay while driving or after parking.
- How does the 2017 Sedona compare to other years like 2016 and 2018?
- The 2016 Sedona has a higher complaint index of 100 and is also rated Avoid, while the 2018 Sedona has a much lower complaint index of 31 and is rated Good.