YearToAvoid

2017 Kia Sedona Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

91/100

#2 most-complained of 12 Sedona years

The 2017 Kia Sedona ranks 2nd worst of 12 model years, with a Complaint Index of 91 and 134 complaints, most tied to the Engine (47%) and Electrical System (22%). NHTSA lists 4 recalls, including airbag control unit and power sliding door issues. Verdict: Avoid relative to other Sedona years.

Complaints
134
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
2 / 3
Injuries / deaths
11 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
20
18 city / 24 hwy

Top 2017 Kia Sedona problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine63 (47%)
  2. Electrical System29 (22%)
  3. Other28 (21%)
  4. Structure & Body20 (15%)
  5. Airbags13 (10%)
  6. Brakes4 (3%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain4 (3%)
  8. Visibility & Wipers4 (3%)
  9. Fuel System3 (2%)
  10. Steering3 (2%)

What owners report

  • Engine stalls or loses power on the highway, sometimes followed by smoke, metal fragments, or oil escaping from the front of the vehicle.
  • Engine compartment catches fire after white smoke appears, in one case while the vehicle was parked in a driveway.
  • Oil warning light illuminates and the vehicle decelerates on its own before flames appear from under the hood.
  • Power sliding doors or the rear hatch open unexpectedly while driving or close unexpectedly on occupants, causing injury.
  • Frontal airbags fail to deploy and seat belts fail to restrain occupants during low-speed crashes and off-road impacts.
  • Steering pulls to one side and fails to correct during a turn, leading to loss of control.
2017 Kia Sedona complaints: complaints filed per quarter112016 Q42018 Q32020 Q12021 Q32022 Q42024 Q12025 Q22026 Q3
177 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2016 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2020 Q1 (11).

2017 Kia Sedona recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

See all 4 recalls for the 2017 Kia Sedona →

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

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2015Avoid82138320
2016Avoid100296420
2017Avoid91134420
2018Good4548320
2019Caution6438221

All Kia Sedona years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Kia Sedona reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2017 Sedona ranks 2nd worst among 12 model years with a Complaint Index of 91, close to the worst year (2016, index 100). It carries an Avoid verdict relative to other Sedona years.
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Kia Sedona?
NHTSA data shows Engine complaints make up 47% of reports (63 of 134), followed by Electrical System issues at 22% and Structure & Body issues, mainly sliding doors, at 15%.
Does the 2017 Kia Sedona have engine fires?
Yes, NHTSA lists 3 fire reports among the 63 engine-related complaints for the 2017 Sedona, some occurring while driving and one while parked in a driveway.
How many recalls does the 2017 Kia Sedona have?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2017 Sedona, covering the airbag control unit, Smart Junction Box software, occupant detection wiring, and the power sliding door auto-reverse function.
What is the median mileage when problems occur on the 2017 Sedona?
Across all complaints the median mileage at failure is 40,000 miles, but engine complaints specifically show a higher median of 76,506 miles.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.