There are 11 stored owner reports matching the powertrain & transmission leading-label group for the 2002 Kia Sedona in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 11 of 11 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND WHEN YOU BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN THE TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTS FASTER THEN IT SHOULD AND ON SNOW COVERED ROAD THE FRONT STARTS TO SLIDE WHEN IT DOES THIS AND WHEN IT SHIFTS BACK UP IT VIBRATES OTHER THEN THAT ITS FINE ANY IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD
FAILURE OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TO ENGAGE IN REVERSE. *TR
ENGINE VIBRATIONS IN SPEED 35 MPH TO 50 MPH IN 5 TO 10 DEGREE UPHILL EVERYDAY. WHEN ITS VIBRATE ENGINE,PUMP MORE GAS GRADUALLY OR OFF GAS PEDAL WILL STOPS VIBRATION. *TR
I OWN A 2002 KIA SEDONA, AND 2 TIMES NOW THE TRANSMISSION LINKAGE HAS TOTALLY SEIZED. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS LAST WINTER, AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP. NOW AGAIN IN NOVEMEBER IT HAS HAPPENED. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE REPAIR SHOP BUT ONCE THERE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR AT ALL. IT WAS ACTUALLY TOWED INTO THE BAY FOR REPAIRS. EACH REPAIR WAS OVER 300.00 CDN. *TR
AT 64,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO REVERSE. KIA WILL NOT REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. PEAK KIA GM SAYS THAT IF YOU DRIVE IN COLORADO YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THE SEVERE DRIVING MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE AND CHANGE FLUID EVERY 30,000 MILES. OF COURSE KIA DOES NOT TELL COLORADO BUYERS THAT THE PLACE THEY LIVE IS CONSIDERED SEVERE DRIVING AND TO FOLLOW THAT SCHEDULE TO RETAIN THE WARRANTY. *JB
12-23-05 THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHOW REVERSE PROBLEMS. DEALER WAS CALLED AND THE DEALER SAID THAT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY BECAUSE I HAD NOT TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE TRANNY FLUID CHECKED. THIS WAS SAID WITHOUT SEEING THE VEHICLE AND AFTER I HAD JUST BEEN ASKED IF I WAS THE SAME PERSON THAT HAD JUST HAD THEIR TRANNY FIXED. MANY PHONE CALLS LATER, WITHOUT ANY RESOLUTION, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BE FIXED AT A COST OF $2400.*JB
TOO MANY PROBLEMS TO LIST, COMPLETE LEMON
WE BOUGHT A VAN THAT WAS DELIVERED FROM PORTLAND OREGON TO OUR HOME IN LYNDEN WASHINGTON ABOUT 10:30 PM THE NEXT DAY MY WIFE PROCEEDED TO CHECK THE VEHICLE FLUIDS, CLEAN THE VEHICLE, ECT . THEN APON THAT FOUND THE FLUIDS TO BE LOW AND NOT SERVICED. SHE MY WIFE THEN CALLED THE CAR LOT TALKED TO THE SALES MANAGER, HE PROFESSED THAT IT HAD BEEN SERVICED AND WHEN MY WIFE EXPLAINED HER DISCOVERY HE THEN TOLD HER TO TAKE IT TO JIFFY LUBE AND THE CAR LOT WOULD PAY FOR IT TO BE DONE. WHEN DRIVING IT TO BE SERVICED WE MY WIFE AND I NOTICED THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING THERE FOR WE CONTACTED OUR LOAN OFFICE TO SEE IF THE DEAL HAD BEEN FUNDED IN WHICH IT HAD BUT THEY ADVISED US TO HAVE THE DEALERSHIP SWAP US OUT OF THE VEHICLE, SO WE THEN WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO LET THEM KNOW THEY WERE RUDE AND WANTED MY WIFE TO TAKE IT TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP TO BE DIAGNOSED. WHEN MY WIFE TOOK IT TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP IT WAS FOUND THAT IN FACT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND WE WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION, WE THEN CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP IN WHICH WE BOUGHT THE VAN , ASKED ONCE AGAIN TO BE SWAPPED OUT OF THIS VEHICLE, THEY GAVE US THE RUN AROUND AND TOLD US UNLESS WE CAME UP WITH $8,000.00 - $10,000.00 DOLLARS THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO EXCEPT HAVE US DRIVE THE VAN TO THEM 224+ MILES FOR THEM TO PUT IN A REFURBISHED TRANSMISSION IN IT . MY WIFE BEFORE BUYING THE VAN TOLD THEM WE DID NOT WANT A VEHICLE WITH THIS MUCH MILEAGE ON IT THE SALES PERSON TOLD MY WIFE IT WAS OK BECAUSE IT HAD A 10 YEAR 100,000 MILE WARRANTY ON IT. WHICH IN FACT IT DOES NOT. THEY HAVE LIED TO US ABOUT CHECKING THE VEHICLE OUT WHEN IN FACT THEY BOUGHT IT FROM ANOTHER DEALER WHERE IT WAS IN STORAGE. THEY TOLD US WE NEED TO BRING IT TO THEM IF WE BRAKE DOWN AND THE TRANSMISSION GOES OUT ON THE WAY THAT THEY WOULD SEND A TOW TRUCK TO PICK IT UP AND WE WOULD HAVE TO FIND OUR OWN WAY HOME. MAYBE WE SHOULD BRING OUR OTHER VEHICLE IN CASE THAT WAS TO HAPPEN. ALSO OUR PAPER WORK HAS NO SIGNATURES. *NM
WHILE DRIVING AT A NORMAL SPEED VEHICLE WILL OVERHEAT, CAUSING THE FLUID TO BURN DRY. THERE IS NO POWER OR ACCELERATION.*AK
DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY FELT LIKE SOMEONE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND SLOWED THE VEHICLE FROM 65 MPH TO 35MPH RIGHT AWAY. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES, 5/21/03, 5/23/03, 5/24/03, 5/27/03, 5/28/03. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER SERVICE DEPT. 5/21/03, 5/23/03, 5/27/03, 5/28/03.
BROUGHT 2002 KIA SEDONA IN JULY 2002 AND TRANSMISSION WENT OUT IN SEPTEMBER 2002. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AND EVER SINCE ON COLD MORNINGS TRANSMISSION JERKS VIOLENTLY SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING. HAS BEEN TO SHOP SEVERAL TIMES FOR REPAIR BUT KIA SERVICE RESPONSE TO PROBLEM IS LET CAR WARM UP FOR 15 MINUTES OR SO BEFORE YOU DRIVE OFF. THIS SOLUTION IS NOT WORKING. *AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.