2012 Kia Sedona Electrical System Problems

There is a continuous leakage of oil from my van even after the dealer replaced valve cover gasket . When I complained they said it was the leftover oil. After a month again I complained . Then they re-checked and said it is my car's timing cover reseal leaking . Again after few days I had to complain as there was a leak. I got the same standard reply of leftover uncleaned oil is the cause. Few weeks later I took the van to them and they said they thoroughly cleaned and there won't be any leak. I sent them pictures of oil drops underneth the car like I did on earlier occassions. On August 11th this year they checked the car after my complaint and said there was no active leak. On 30th of this month I sent them the pictures of leaked oil spots which they are going to check on 18th September!. Since I got my first appointment on January 19 2025 I took the vehicle to the dealer 5-6 times. In between I complained to them about failure of door locks and wiper blades. They said they were fine and had no issues. A week ago passenger side door lock stopped working often . I took to a mechanic store run by AAA. Their response after few days was that the electrical system was failing due to bad alternator as the battery got depleted. They recommended me to the dealer again. I was searching google and realised that an oil leak can cause alternator to go bad leading to electric failure and even fire accidents. On [XXX] I noticed red flashing sign of alternator and some other (?) after 2 minutes drive from home. So I immediately turned back and went home and parked the van in the garage and waiting for September 18 for an inspection by the dealer. Last week drove to St Louis from Lexington, after the dealer confirmed there was no oil leak. In all their reports they mentioned vehicle is in good health! Each time when I sent a picture of a leak I requested managers at the receiving desk to park at a clean place and check the leak which they never did. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Tha backup camera, windshield wipers stopped working. The car would no t go in reverse or drive forward without resistance. Oil began leaking from the engine.

While driving the vehicle and applying the brakes the vehicle shifted to one side of the road. There was an accident 03/2024 after having the brake control arm serviced. The braking system failed. There was a recall on the front control arm 2016. The vehicle was totaled and was salvaged due to damages to the vehicle. The brake inspection failed. Today the braking system has has no control even after the master cylinder was repaired. The vehicle is currently sitting at a service station without being serviced for at least 2 months. Kia needs to be responsible and refund for the arm control repair and other related part failures. The electrical system does not work for the windshield wipers or the air conditioner or sliding doors.

Unknown. I've replaced the alternator and battery. The alternator many times and still having lights come on. Mostly the "brake and battery " lights. It's sitting till further notice. Not drive able.

THIS IS UNRELATED TO THE SAFETY RECALL FOR THE FUEL RAIL The electronic door locks fail, (mine are not fully automatic, but when you turn on the key you can hear the safety locks trying to engage before permitting the vehicle to move - they do not work. Worse even with the key, the doors will not consistently lock or unlock. Doors can become locked to the point that you can not manually open them, creating a fire hazard for occupants. Additionally, there is NO safety or emergency release on the back hatch. if you are inside when this locking aberration occurs, you must exit via a side (if it HAPPENS to be working) or front door (again, if it happens to be working. I fail to understand why this is not a major safety issue and why no recall has been issued. There are literally 1000s of such reports on various car forums. With at least one registered here: CS1603A (https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2016/MC-10090051-5448.pdf Confirmed via independent service center. Records available upon request. No insurance inspection and no warning alerts occur.

REPORTED AS FAR BACK AS AND PAID FOR REPAIR OF BOTH SLIDING DOORS STARING IN 2015-2021 DOORS AT FIRST WOULD NOT OPEN ON BUTTON PRESS NO MATTER WHICH BUTTON USED KEY FOB OR INSIDE VEHICLE HAD TO FORCE PULL THE HANDLES TO OPEN AND EVENTUALLY TO CLOSE. JUST A WEEK AGO APRIL 2021 WHILE TAKING MY ELDERLY MOTHER TO STORE WHILE PARKED AFTER LEAVING THE STORE, THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION AND NO AMOUNT OF FORCE NOR BUTTON PUSH WOULD CLOSE IT. IN MARCH OF 2021 I RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM KIA OF LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION (WTY018) WHICH SPECIFICALLY LISTS POWER SLIDING DOOR LACTCHING FOR 2011 TO 2014 SEDONA'S. I REPORTED THE DOOR NOT CLOSING AT ALL WHICH HAPPENED ON A SATURDAY WHEN PARTS WAS LIKELY CLOSING FOR THE DAY AND WHEN I FINALLY GOT THROUGH TO THEM ON MONDAY DROPPED THE CAR OFF TO MY SAME KIA DEALERSHIP THAT HAS DONE ALL OF THE REPAIRS AND PLACE OF PURCHASE THEY LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE AND INFORMED ME THEY WERE NOT SURE THE ROLLER WAS COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND I WOULD BE CHARGED $750 AND ONLY THE THE LATCH AND MOTOR OF THE DOOR WAS COVERED (ALL PARTS OF THE SAME MECHANISM) I DECLINED THE REPAIR BEING THEY WANTED ME TO PAY RENTED MY OWN OUT OF POCKET RENTAL FOR A WEEK BECAUSE I AM AN ESSENTIAL WORKER WHILE I CONTACTED KIA CORPORATE DIRECTLY BY PHONE WITH MY ISSUES AND HOW RUDE THEY WERE TRYING TO EXPLAIN HOW PARTS OF THE DOOR WOULD NOT BE COVERED THE CAR IS UNDRIVABLE BEING THE DOOR REMAINS OPEN GOING INTO WEEK TWO OUT OF MY OWN POCKET I FINALLY GOT SOMEONE FROM CORP TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOMETHING IS WRONG AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD FIX IT IN "GOOD WILL" FOUR DAYS AGO I AM STILL WITHOUT A CAR WHILE THEY WAIT FOR PART THEY NEEDED AND CALLED BACK TODAY TO CORP WHO CALLED THE DEALER AND SOMEHOW PART CAME IN "LAST NIGHT" BUT THEY CAN'T PICK UP TILL MONDAY TO FIX AGAIN I AM WITHOUT MY CAR AND WORK FOR THE COUNTY TAX ADMIN OFFICE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SEDONA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND TO JIM MARSH KIA (8555 W CENTENNIAL PKWY, LAS VEGAS, NV 89149) BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED A MONTH PRIOR TO THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. ADDITIONALLY, THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PREVIOUSLY UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V101000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

THE DOOR ACTUATOR WENT OUT. THE DOOR WORKED FINE WHEN WE WENT TO THE STORE. ON THE DRIVE HOME THE SLIDING DOOR FLEW OPEN. THE DOOR LATCH IS STUCK IN THE LOCKED POSITION AND WILL NOT UNLOCK. I HAVE MY DOORS BUNGEE CORDED TOGETHER.

DRIVING ON RT 19 PITTSBURGH PA THE PASSENGER POWER SLIDING DOOR OPENED MY GRANDCHILDREN WERE IN CAR SEATS. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS YEAR AS IT WAS KNOWN IN NEWER MODELS RECALL I MENTION TO DEALER AND HE STATED WELL NO ONE GOT HURT?

WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE RIGHT SIDE SLIDING DOOR COMES OPEN AT TIMES. I HAVE RESET THE MAIN FUSE THAT IT LISTED IN THE BOOK, AND SOMETIMES IT WORKS AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SEDONA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE BOTH THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WOULD ERRONEOUSLY OPENED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT YET DETERMINED. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING SMOKE WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES COMING FROM THE BLOWER MOTOR WIRE HARNESS LOCATED UNDER THE GLOVE BOX. ALSO THE FRONT LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS HAD FAILED ON MULTIPLE OCCASION AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE BACKUP CAMERA WAS INOPERABLE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WERE NOT YET DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER A & B KIA DEALER (100 MARSHALL ST. N, BENWOOD, WV 26031) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

REAR PASSENGER-SIDE DOORS DO NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. WILL NOT OPEN WITH "KEY FOB", BUT SOMETIMES WILL MANUALLY. IF OPEN, MAY OR MAY NOT CLOSE WITH FOB, AND EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CLOSE MANUALLY. ALSO, WILL OPEN THEMSELVES EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS LOCKED. IN THIS PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE, VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT HOME. DOORS HAD BEEN LOCKED AND CHECKED BY VISUAL INSPECTION DUE TO HAVING THIS HAPPEN PREVIOUSLY MANY TIMES. CONCERN IS THAT DOORS COULD OPEN WHILE DRIVING, EXPOSING PASSENGERS TO POSSIBLE DANGER.

SIDE DOOR FLIES OPEN WHILE DRIVING, ELECTRONIC DOOR LATCH NO LONGER WORKS PROPERLY ALLOWING THE DOOR TO OPEN COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING EXPOSING SECOND ROW PASSENGER.

TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR RECALL, WIRING HARNESS. WHEN DONE, THE HORN, LEFT REAR DOOR LOCK SWITCH AND THE RADIATOR FANS STOPPED WORKING. ALL THESE WORKED PRIOR TO THE RECALL WORK. AND THESE ITEMS DO WORK WHEN BYPASSING WITH A BATTERY, HOOKING THEM DIRECTLY TO POWER.

LAST SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2018, SEDONA WAS ALMOST CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVER WAS WITH HER CHILDREN. ONWER SAW A HUGE SMOKE AFTER SHE LOOKED AT DASHBOARD TEMPATURE GUAGE THAT REACHED OVERHEAT, QUICKLY PARKED, TURNED IT OFF, AND OPENED THE HOOD. SHE SMELLED STRONG BURNED. MECHANIC TOOK A LOOK AT ENGINE AND FOUND A LOT OF MOTOR OIL THAT WAS LEAKING THROUGH THE HEAD GASKET AND SPILLING OVER ONTO EXHAUST PIPE UNDER ENGINE BLOCK. OIL SPILLING ONTO EXHAUST PIPE COULD CAUSE FIRE. RESPONSE OF MECHANIC DIAGNOSIS, ORIGINAL ALTERNATOR WAS AT FAULT FOR STOPPING GENERATE POWER SUPPLY TO THE RADIATOR FAN ASSEMBLY. THEN RADIATOR FAN ASSEMBLY STOPPED OPERATING, RESULTING IN ENGINE OVERHEAT TO BREAK THE HEAD GASKET, LEAKING A LOT OF MOTOR OIL. FOLLOWING OVERHEAT ISSUE, TRANSMISSION WAS ALSO AFFECTED. MECHANIC NOTICED THAT ALARM WAS NOT BUILT IN FOR COOLANT FLUID LEVEL LOW AFTER HALF LOW IN RADIATOR FOUND. WHY WAS NOT A COOLANT FLUID LEVEL LOW ALARM BUILT IN BEFORE FIRST TIME VEHICLE WAS SOLD? WITHOUT A COOLANT FLUID LEVEL LOW ALARM COULD LEAD VEHICLE INTO FIRE.

I PURCHASED MY 2012 KIA SEDONA ON 8-11-2018 & FOUND OUT THAT THEY SOLD ME A VEHICLE ON THE RECALL LIST. I SAID THERE WAS A SAFETY ISSUE ON A RECALL LIST & AFTER BATTLING CANCER & AN 8 MONTH SURVIVOR, I DON'T WANT THIS VEHICLE THAT COULD CAUSE MY DEMISE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP HERE IN DAYTONA BEACH, FL, THEY SAID WHEN I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT I WOULD LOSE THOUSAND DOLLARS TOWARDS ANOTHER (SAFE) VEHICLE. I FEEL THIS WAS WRONG NOT ONLY TO SELL ME AN UNSAFE VEHICLE, BUT FOR ME TO LOSE $ ON ANOTHER VEHICLE IS WRONG. PLEASE CALL ME ON MY CELL#[XXX]. [XXX]. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WIRING HARNESS CONNECTIONS ARE MELTED AT THE BLOWER MOTOR AND RESISTOR. ALSO DID ON MY 06 SEDONA. WORRIED ABOUT A FIRE. THE CIRCUIT IS NOT SIZED RIGHT. THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON LINE ABOUT THIS.

2012 KIA SEDONA HEATER WIRE HARNESS ON DRIVE SIDE FAILED AND MELTED ALL THE WIRES UNDER THE DASH. MECHANIC STATED IT COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE HEATER CONTROL FOR THE FRONT STOPPED WORKING WHICH SENT US TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN THE HEATER CONTROL FAILED. IT WAS VERY GOOD THIS HAPPENED DURING THE WINTER OTHERWISE THE VEHICLE MAY HAVE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT NEED HEAT.

REAR DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT ALWAYS CLOSE COMPLETELY AND SOMETIMES OPENS WHILE DRIVING. MY THREE YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER SITS IN THAT SEAT AND I'M WORRIED THAT THE DOOR IS ACTUALLY GOING TO COME OPEN WHILE WE'RE DRIVING THE CAR. I'VE READ OF PREVIOUS YEARS FOR THIS SAME VEHICLE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I'VE PAID TO HAVE IT REPAIRED ONCE, BUT I FEEL THAT KIA SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS KNOWN ISSUE. ALSO, THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. IT SOMETIMES MAKES A GRINDING SOUND WHEN I'M SLOWING DOWN - NOT NECESSARILY WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. SOMETIMES IT'S DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND I'M AFRAID I'M GOING TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SEDONA. WHEN THE KEY WAS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION AND TURNED TO START, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000.