2016 KIA SEDONA Engine Problems

I was driving my car, all of a sudden there was a loud knocking sound. The car suddenly wouldn’t accelerate. I was in the middle of a busy intersection with kids! I am 95 pounds, I can’t push the van! After being hit. I managed to get it moved with help. My van only had 108,000 miles on it! Took it to a mechanic, said needed an engine as there was no oil in it. How is that possible? We just changed it a month prior. It’s out of warranty by 8000 miles so Kia will not do anything! I’m sorry, but there are numerous complaints about this, yet nothing is being done! Now I’m having to pay 5000+ to replace an engine because Kia is just terrible!

My family and I were all driving in the car. We were at a stoplight, and fully stopped as it was a red light. All of a sudden, we heard a weird noise, and all of the dash lights on our car appeared, and then the car fully turned off. We could not get the car back on, and it would not start. Prior to this, it was driving totally fine, and we had no lights on our dashboard indicating something was wrong. Just stopped out of nowhere. If we were on the freeway, and our car just immediately turned off, we could have been in a major, life-threatening accident. After 2-3 times of trying to restart the car, we were able to turn it on, and at least get it into neutral so we could move it off the side of the road. We were able to get it...

Motor Blew

Kia service dealer diagnosed high oil consumption on my car with heavy sounds. They recommend to replace whole engine but it's out of warranty. It has only 106k miles on it. I am afraid the car is posing safety issue as well and it has less miles on it. I filed complain with kia consumer corporate a case has been generated on their system [XXX] but no one had contacted me yet. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

2016 KIA Sedona. I was driving on the highway when the Engine started knocking and smoking. I had to cut cars off on the highway to get to the shoulder. The car was towed to a local mechanic who told us there were holes blown through the engine and it would need replaced. This was after a year and a half of driving it so we still had a loan on the car that we couldn't afford to just scrap the car. We had to get a new engine put in the car. Insurance would not help since we did not hit anything and it was a manufacturer defect. Mechanic checked oil level and viscosity and did not see any issues with it. No warning lamps indicated there was anything wrong with the vehicle before the engine ripped itself apart. Thankfully none of our 3 kids were in the vehicle...

I was at an intersection & was turning left. In the middle of the turn the car started knocking noise and vibrating and turned off in the middle of the intersection. It did not crank for several tries while I was panicking with a car full of kids in a busy intersection. When I got it to crank again it turned off again. Some good Samaritans then helped by holding traffic and pushing us out of harms way in a church parking lot. I kept trying to crank it and when it did, I tried to put it in drive and it started the violent knocking and vibrating like it was going to blow up. I had it towed later when I had gotten paid. I had it towed to Keffer Kia where they told me total engine failure at 88,000 miles. I still pay $300 monthly for the car...

The Sedona just stopped in traffic with out warning with my kids in the van. No type or warning lights came on. I had recently got an oil change and tune up. I almost caused an accident. It was extremely scary. I am thankful no one was hurt. I had to pay for a tow and come to find out the engine is locked . The machine started it had very low oil. Which makes no sense since it hadn’t even been 7 days since my oil was changed .

2016 Kia Sedona SX-L (VIN: [XXX]) equipped with 3.3L Lambda II GDI engine. This is the second engine failure — first engine failed due to head bolt studs separating from the block, second (mechanic sourced) engine began heavy smoking and nearly caught fire due to possible oil starvation/rod bearing failure. Vehicle is parked and unsafe to operate. Temperature gauge at time of incident was going towards above average operating temperature. This is the exact defect covered under multiple NHTSA investigations into Lambda 3.3L engine seizing/fire hazard (including PE23-019 for similar Kia Sorento models with the same engine, and defect petition DP24-002 specifically for 2016 Kia Sedona). Kia has extended the warranty on these engines to 15 years/150,000 miles for bearing damage in some cases, but no full recall exists yet. Requesting immediate investigation and inclusion in an engine fire recall similar to those for Theta engines. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO...

With a 140000 miles and the timing chain and component already failing my mechanic told it could die anytime soon local or on the highway

I was driving down the highway and the engine light came on. The car suddenly wouldn't accelerate or go above 1500 rpm. There was also a rattle noise. I limped home and checked the oil. It was bone dry. I get regular oil changes every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. The car burned oil way too fast and gave no warnings that the oil was low and there was no leaking. I'm unsure of the extent of the damage. I'm adding oil and taking it to a mechanic for inspection. I fear I may need a new engine.

My 2016 Kia Sedona had complete engine failure. I was driving home from work in January 2025 with both my young daughters and the vehicle completely died out of nowhere no warning light no check engine light no oil light I was stranded alongside the road with a four year-old and a six year-old in January temperatures for hours. I just had to have the engine completely replaced along with several other parts that needed replaced due to the engine failure. I had just gotten the oil changed less than 30 days before this incident and I’m just now getting the vehicle back after $3500 in repairs. Also, the vehicle is still being financed. I had it about six months when this happened and I currently still owe $10,000 on it! I’m being told to get rid of it as soon as possible because there was an extreme problem of...

Engine randomly began burning oil at an incredible rate (I checked it approximately 500 miles ago and it within appropriate levels) and resulted in damaging the engine. No “low oil pressure” light was activated, and upon starting the vehicle one day it developed a terrible cylinder knock. I checked the oil dipstick, and was completely dry, there was absolutely no oil on the check stick. I also checked and confirmed that there was no leak that caused the oil to drain.

Complete engine failure while driving with 4 passengers along freeway. Engine began to have a knocking noise, with no warning lights. Engine failed a few miles down the road, and started a small fire in the engine bay. Vehicle is currently under inspection at the dealership. Mileage at the time of incident was about 98,200.

Van completely locked up on me. Oil dipstick no oil, seems this is an issue and a Kia problem. Seems I need a new engine. Regular oil changes with no issues prior to this happening to me.

Engine replacement KIA had it for 8 months got it back and engine blew up again.. now they want service records on the first when it is the second motor. Trying to get away from replacing the motor.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle lost motive power and drove forward about the length of the vehicle before the vehicle stalled. The contact and the occupants were stranded for an hour. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who replaced the starter and informed the contact that the piston or tie rod was fractured. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 222,627.

I was driving in normal operating conditions, with no traffic when suddenly the engine seized. After contacting a towing company to get my vehicle home, I started checking for anything I could find and noticed that it had zero oil and no visual signs of a leak anywhere. There were never any warning lights or sounds until it abruptly stopped. I have not had it looked at by anyone other than myself and a neighbor whom is a mechanic.

Engine overheating and check engine light went on. Vehicle would not start after shutting down.

My 2016 Sedona’s engine is not operational. At this moment it is sitting at the dealership after having a diagnostic completed in which I was informed that it will cost me $21,000+ to replace my engine. I am SHOCKED to be informed of this! I love my car! It is our family car full of precious memories! There were no warnings that something was wrong with my engine. Not a single one came on - believe me I would have taken a picture of it to inform the mechanic for it to be serviced. I have had it serviced repeatedly for oil changes; more oil changes than what should be done for the age and milage according to the manual. It is not due to my lack of competence and poor maintenance. I've done my part. Now to find out that I can't drive it. Now to find out that...

In Feb of 2023, my van had no known issues and out of nowhere it started making a terrible noise, every light in the dash came on, my power steering stopped working and then my engine shut off. I had it towed to a mechanic shop, they said it needed an engine. I had it towed to our local KIA dealership. They said it did not need an engine, it only needed a timing chain. That was $8000. We decided to get it done. 4 weeks later exactly from when we picked it up, I was on the interstate and the exact thing happened. I had it towed back to our local KIA. They stated it now needed an engine and it would be a used engine because they do not manufacture the engine anymore. It had over 60K miles on it and it would be $13K not including shipping...

Was traveling along Interstate 95 when the engine failed without any warning signs!

Engine Failure

Timing Chain Failure/Cam Shaft Failure/Bank 2 Failure/drastic loss of engine oil. Got home before engine seized, could have crashed if engine failed on freeway. Codes confirmed techs suspicion. No warning lights or notifications appeared on dashboard.

I have a 2016 kia sedona. Engines on the vehicle have been known to be bad and I already had 1 engine replaced under their extended warranty that covers to 150000 miles after a blown head gasket. I got a new engine 11/2024 however car overheats & coolant leak everywhere&bust hoses. I was told to replace radiator and all cooling/heater hoses, but video show coolant bubbling car still overheating. Replaced one loose hose under warranty. Car overheats again was told to replace relay switch for fan another. Dealer crash my car waited a month for parts and they never repaired damages to my bumper and airbag light. 2 month later car overheats again now coolant spraying into trunk and hose pop again now at heater core. There is no light notice of when car overheating tiil very hot. Or someone tells me my car is smoking by then it is...

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 50 MPH, the contact heard a knocking sound coming from the engine and the vehicle lost power. The contact was able to pull over to the right side of the road, turned off the vehicle for several minutes, restart the vehicle, and the vehicle worked as intended. There were no warning lights illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case; however, the case number was not available. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 88,500.

In October 2024 we broke down on the highway outside of DesMoines, IA. The van slowed considerably in the midst of 11am traffic on I [XXX] from a lack of power, not from applying the brakes. Cars behind us had no warning, but no one hit us. The 4-way flashers and turn signals would not engage. There was no warning from the dashboard of a pending issue. Trent’s Garage in Clive, IA determined the main reason was an internal oil leak that damaged the alternator, which they replaced along with the right-side valve cover gasket. There was an earlier incident that I attributed to a service mistake. Shortly after Napleton Elmhurst Kia in IL serviced the vehicle in June 2023, it began to hesitate and become unresponsive while we were driving. There was no indication from the dash lights or from our garage floor that the engine was leaking any...

in June 2026 sever engine knocking at startup and during slight acceleration lead us to have vehicle inspected. there were no warring lights on and no other indicators of issues. An independent mechanic as well as a Kia dealer performed inspections and indicated a lifter bearing failure due to inadequate oil delivery. at the time the oil level was within range and within 3,500 miles since the previous oil change. Dealer indicated a complete engine replacement was needed due to the bearing failure and damage to the lifters.

I am writing to report an incident with my 2016 Kia Sedona, which experienced a sudden engine failure. The failure was diagnosed with engine codes P0014 and P0018, indicating camshaft timing and crankshaft correlation issues, consistent with internal engine failure and symptoms related to the known Theta II engine defect with Kia’s of that year, including metal debris and timing issues. For many of these Kia’s the warranty was extended to 120,000 miles. My incident took place at 120,600 miles. I have maintained this vehicle responsibly, and this issue occurred with little to no warning. Though I understand the mileage technically exceeds the warranty limit, the proximity to the cutoff and the nature of the failure suggest that the defect likely developed well before the warranty threshold. I contacted Kia to request goodwill coverage for an engine replacement or the associated repairs. I believe that other customers in similar situations...

There was a sudden loss of power while in the middle of the highway. Further inspection resulted in low oil and metal flakes in the oil filter. At the time of initial loss of power there was absolutely zero warning or indication of any issues at all.

While driving the vehicle started making a rattling sound and the engine started to fail. There were no engine lights or warning signs. The vehicle only had around 78,000 miles on it and had regular maintenance. Total engine replacement was recommended. Repair costs totaled more than the vehicle’s value. I feel it was unsafe for this to happen while driving with no warning signs of failure.

On Tuesday June 10, 2025 at approximately 11:43 am, while heading north on 75 at mile marker 148, my 2016 Kia Sedona caught fire. I initially became aware of a problem while heading southbound on 75. While listening to an audio book, my wife and I heard a sudden noise which appeared to come from the engine. I (the driver) I noticed that this noise (rattling/ ticking) only occurred when I accelerated. We pulled off at the nearest safe exit (exit 101/102 Cordele) at a Marathon gas station. I inspected the engine to see if we were low on oil or anti-freeze. I noticed that the oil was low, however we did not have any visible leaks at our home. I added 3 quarts of oil and the vehicle began making a ticking noise. I asked Siri to locate the nearest auto repair shop (Quality Auto Repair) which was approximately...

The 3.3l v6 failed with no warning

After driving home from work, my engine just started pouring out oil. It was all over our road and driveway. Had it towed to shop, they have stated a whole new engine is needed and suggested I report it as Kia has a lot of engine problems

Engine suddenly started knocking and shaking entire van. Engine seizing up and needs to be replaced. No prior trouble with the engine. I looked on the internet and saw that there is a petition for a recall on 2016 Sedonas. Please add me to that petition. Many van owners had engines that seized up. Since it’s a common problem for this year/make & model, there should be a recall. It’s not safe to be stuck on the side of the road with no prior warning.

On Wednesday, April 9, the van started making a noise. Then it lost power. It slowed down and then stopped. In the middle of the road. We were able to move it out of traffic. We had it towed to a service station. We were told that it was due to engine failure. I called our local Kia dealer where we bought it. He told us there were no problems with that particular engine. I looked it up online and found that that is not true. I found that this particular engine is being investigated for the same issues that I had.

On April 1st my vehicles engine started normally and upon leaving the neighborhood began to rough idle. Prior to this, no lights were on and the vehicle had just passed an inspection. The engine was shuddering and there was very little power and the vehicle had difficulty maintaining speed. The codes were read and came back with P0304, P0306, P0302, P0300 and P0019. The vehicle was towed to a shop because it was undrivable. The vehicle is currently in the shop and they are recommending an entire engine replacement.

The engine will not start. It has been diagnosed as an engine failure. It is available for inspection. The engine stopped working as my family was in the car, putting us at risk. Why it happened is unknown, but the internet is full of people with the same year/make/model with the engine going out at a very low mileage. Mine is 117,000. There was absolutely no warning lamps or messages prior to the engine breaking down. This is a serious problem and safety hazard.

Engine failed with no warning lights. Oil completely gone with no signs of leaks. Coolant reservoir empty with no signs of where it went. No warning lights of any kind illuminated. Dealer claims rod bearing failure and cannot explain where the oil or coolant went. Engine shows exact issues as the other Kia 3.3 4 cylinder that have known faults that are causing fires and accidents. The Kia 3.3 V6 has the same issues and can cause serious accidents. Kia claims they are offering the same remedy as the 3.3 4 cylinder but they are not.

My engine just stopped working while I was driving. No warning signs just stopped working. It had to replaced.

The engine failed while driving on the interstate. Believed to have been catastrophic failure. Sudden loss of power and maneuverability could have led to a collision. Vehicle was towed to owner's residence. Prior to the failure a rapid knocking sound was heard from the engine. No warning lights were indicated.

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...

ON OUR 2016 KIA SEDONA AT 121K MILES WE HAD A FAULTY OIL PRESSURE SENSOR REPLACED FREE UNDER WARRENTY AT THE SAME TIME WE HAD ALL OF THE VALVE COVER GASKETS REPLACED AND THEY ADDED 5 QUARTS OF OIL. ON FRIDAY AT 130K MILES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE VAN STARTED KNOCKING AND THE MOTOR SEIZED UP ON THE HIGHWAY. WE TOWED IT TO PHIL SMITH KIA IN LIGHTHOUSE POINT ,FL THEY PERFORM THE WORK ON THE OIL PRSSSURE SENSOR AT 121K MILES AND DO ALL OF THE WORK ON THE VAN. THEY SAID THE MOTOR IS SEIZED AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY BECAUSE WHEN THEY DID THE WORK AT 121K MILES AND THEY ADDED THE 5 COURTS OF OIL WE DIDNT REQUEST A NEW OIL FILTER. AND NOW THEY ARE CLAMING A LACK OF A PROPER OIL CHANGE CAUSE THE MOTOR TO SEIZE.. THE OIL PRESSURE...

The engine in our 2016 3.3L GDI Sedona seized while we were driving on the freeway going approx 65MPH on 12/29/24. The vehicle was towed to the KIA dealership in our town and examined by the service dept the following morning. We were told that the engine had no oil and it had leaked into the crankshaft where it burned up. Also, the engine compartment was filled with metal shavings. The service tech told us we would need to replace the engine.

Engine died in the middle of driving. After having it towed and diagnosed, there was no engine oil at all. I still had 1500 miles before the recommended mileage for my next oil change. No warning lights. Engine is totally seized and will need to be replaced. Kia dealership stated that an indicator should have told me that my oil was low and the engine should have shut off prior to running dry. We were driving with my 4 children in the car. Thankfully we were on a side road where we could push the car to safety.

My 2016 Kia Sedona developed a loud engine knocking / idling noise around 90000 miles. Had at least one oil change at a non-Kia shop around that time and was given vague warning about Kia engines as to why I was hearing the louder idling. At the time of another oil change at 99631 miles I was told there were a large number of metal shavings found in the oil, and my Check Engine light was illuminated with a message about faulty camshaft timing. After bringing to Kia dealership at that time. They first assessed that the camshafts needed to be replaced. After working for some time they eventually determined that the entire engine needed to be replaced (3.3 Liter GDI_DOHC). The engine was replaced and the car was given back to me. After 2 days of driving the car would not start up again and I had it towed...

I brought my 2016 Kia Sedona into a mechanic to get checked over and get some new front tires put on on 8/19/24. I was informed that the oil needed changing. So, I changed it as I have always done for years. We took off on a ~2600 mile round trip out east. Once there, I noticed that when I would travel close to a cement divider, a noise was coming from the vehicle that got louder as I accelerated. Thought is was the muffler (sounded like I was hot rodding). There were no engine lights on the dash, so I didn't think there were any major issues. A muffler could wait till I got back. This trip was end of August. There were no other issues, so I put it off. I figured a small hole in muffler or loose. We were called to go back out to New...

Regularly serviced vehicle (2016 Kia Sedona SXL 3.3L) within recommended intervals; most recently on 9/10/2024 at ~117k miles. Invoice indicates dealer put in full capacity of oil (6qt). Vehicle also received multipoint inspection including checking all fluids; non were reported low or in need of flush/replacement. Vehicle had begun to make extra engine noise (rattle/growl) on startup, not sure precisely when; I estimate just in the last few months, maybe September or October. Took 220 (one way, ~440 total) mile trip on 11/5-11/7/2024; vehicle performed well other than aforementioned startup noise. [XXX], vehicle noise had increased significantly and "engine control system" message with CEL was present on the dashboard which was later extinguished after an engine restart. No other warning/error indications were present before or since. Onboard vehicle diagnostics run by the owner (Kia "eServices" app) on 11/12 did not indicate any issues. It was decided we better not drive...

Description of Incident: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine of my 2016 Kia Sedona seized due to a lack of oil. The oil pressure warning light, which is designed to alert the driver to low oil pressure or oil-related issues, did not illuminate to indicate any problem. The engine is still available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? While the engine seizure did not occur while driving, it created a potential hazard for future operation of the vehicle. Had the issue occurred during the 20-mile drive home or on future trips, it could have led to a sudden loss of power, putting the driver, passengers, and others on the road at risk. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The Kia dealership...

Thursday, October 31, 2024, the engine blew on our Sedona. Approximately 164,000 miles on the engine. We maintained regular maintenance on the engine and oil changes. Left us stranded on a main highway. State Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer protected us until county sheriff could respond. The engine light warning was on.

I continued to loose engine oil at a rapid speed. Oil loss was excessive for the amount of driving.