YearToAvoid

2019 Kia Sedona Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

64/100

#5 most-complained of 12 Sedona years

The 2019 Kia Sedona has a complaint index of 64, ranking 5th worst out of 12 model years, and is rated Caution. It has 38 complaints, 2 recalls, and engine issues account for 29% of complaints.

Complaints
38
Recalls
2
Crashes / fires
2 / 1
Injuries / deaths
5 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
21
18 city / 24 hwy

Top 2019 Kia Sedona problems

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

  1. Engine11 (29%)
  2. Structure & Body9 (24%)
  3. Electrical System4 (11%)
  4. Transmission & Powertrain4 (11%)
  5. Brakes3 (8%)
  6. Fuel System3 (8%)
  7. Other3 (8%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (8%)
  9. Airbags2 (5%)
  10. Steering2 (5%)

What owners report

  • Engine seized or caught fire while driving at highway speed, with heat and smoke coming from under the vehicle.
  • Side and driver/passenger air bags failed to deploy during crashes, including a rear-end collision and a high-speed side impact.
  • Vehicle pulls hard to one side, requiring a tight grip on the steering wheel to keep it straight.
  • Steering wheel shakes badly even on a nearly new vehicle, with dealers unable to find a cause.
  • Vehicle lunges forward or hesitates unexpectedly at low speed, sometimes with RPMs spiking to 4,000.
  • Transmission jerks, hesitates, or performs hard downshifts without warning while braking.
2019 Kia Sedona complaints: complaints filed per month3Mar 2019Oct 2020Jun 2022Jan 2024Dec 2024Oct 2025Jun 2026
45 complaints filed with NHTSA from Mar 2019 to Sep 2026; peak May 2023 (3).

2019 Kia Sedona recalls

2 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 19V207000Mar 18, 2019Seat Belts197 vehicles

    Seat belts: rear/other:buckle assembly

    Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Sedona vehicles equipped with an 8-passenger seat arrangement. The seat belt buckle for the second-row middle seat may have been improperly installed on the wrong side of the seat, preventing the proper use of the 3-point seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

    Risk: A seat belt that cannot be properly used increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

    Remedy: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt installation, and reinstall the seat belt buckle to the correct side if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 8, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia 's number for this recall is SC177.

2019 Kia Sedona fuel economy and fuel cost

City
18 MPG
Highway
24 MPG
Combined
21 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,100
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.

2019 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
2017Avoid91134420
2018Good4548320
2019Caution6438221
2020Best920121
2021Best189021

All Kia Sedona years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Kia Sedona reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2019 Sedona a complaint index of 64 and a Caution rating, ranking 5th worst among 12 model years covered. It has fewer complaints than the 2015-2017 Sedona years, which are rated Avoid.
What is the biggest problem with the 2019 Kia Sedona?
Engine problems are the top complaint area, making up 29% of all complaints (11 of 38), with a median failure mileage of 7,400 miles. Structure & Body issues follow at 24%.
Does the 2019 Kia Sedona have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2019 Sedona: one for an Air Bag Control Unit issue (campaign 22V031000) and one for an improperly installed second-row seat belt buckle (campaign 19V207000). Neither is a do-not-drive recall.
How does the 2019 Sedona compare to other Sedona years?
The 2019 Sedona's complaint index of 64 is lower than 2015 (82), 2016 (100), and 2017 (91), all rated Avoid, but higher than 2018 (45) and 2020 (9), which are rated Good and Best.
What is the fuel economy of the 2019 Kia Sedona?
EPA rates the 2019 Sedona at 21 mpg combined (18 city/24 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,100.

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.