2004 Kia Sedona EX problems & reliability
37 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Kia Sedona EX, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (4 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering → | 11 | 30% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 14% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 11% |
| Wheels | 4 | 11% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 8% |
| Power Train | 3 | 8% |
| Suspension | 3 | 8% |
| Tires | 3 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 18 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 33 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 72,000 miles (middle 50% between 50,000 and 96,249 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Power steering makes whining sound when turning the wheel, power steer fluid low in canister due to leaks. Hard to turn to the steering wheel when turning. Don't know if belts affected I hear a humming sound. Don't know if the power steering pump is working properly. Constantly adding fluid to the canister.”
Steering · filed Jun 21, 2019
“After having a variety of mechanics diagnose a problem of my vehicle not starting for 20 mins to 1 hour after the engine is warm & after the vehicle does start; it has a very strong gasoline &/or additive smell. I went to a kia dealer to have their opinion: the kia mechanic stated: to start a $200.00 test would have…”
Electronic Stability Control (esc) · filed May 23, 2017
“I bought my sedona on or about february 7 2015. After aweek almost two. I was broke down and stranded in the middle of the road.van was so hot it wouldn't start and. Behaved as a vehicle with a blown head gasket . The dishonest criked. Crook sales man at the dealer. Ship wound. Not fix it at first after complaining at…”
Electronic Stability Control (esc) · filed Apr 13, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BINDING
Engineering Analysis EA08017 · opened Aug 28, 2008 · closed Jul 1, 2009
- STEERING BINDING
Preliminary Evaluation PE08033 · opened Apr 28, 2008 · closed Aug 28, 2008
Technical service bulletins
3 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Kia Sedona EX.
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFORMATION FOR HEADLAMP CONDENSATION AND MOISTURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in…
TSB_BOD055_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 13, 2021
Kia motors: installing an additional ground cable to the battery may cause sensor problems. *rm
TSB-015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2011
Kia: all models. Article provides information relating to the improved durability of bulb life for rear combination bulb; rear stop lamp/tail lamp bulb utilized on multiple kia models. *pe
KT-2008082201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 28, 2008
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2004 Kia Sedona EX has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2004 Kia Sedona EX?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 72,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.