Fault File
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Kia Sedona

All generations and engines together · 1,809 MOT tests in the 2025 data

Reliability verdict

Not enough recent tests to rate this people carrier. Watch suspension and brakes. Not enough recent MOT data to call this one yet.

What owners report

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

Front lower suspension arm corrosion

Partly in the MOT data

On the 2006-2012 Sedona (built roughly October 2005 to August 2012), the front lower suspension arms had thin anti-corrosion coating on their inner surfaces and could rust through, weakening the arm and, in bad cases, letting it break. It was serious enough for a UK DVSA recall, with dealers either replacing the arms or applying extra coating after inspection. This lines up with the measured MOT data for this model, where suspension is the standout failure category; the recall fix is free if a car somehow missed it, but a corroded, uninspected arm on an older example is exactly the kind of thing that turns into a fail rather than an advisory.

Affects 2006-2012 cars · sources: car-recalls.co.uk (DVSA recall record), NHTSA/US recall documentation for the same fault

Diesel high-pressure pump and injector failure

Emerging

Owners of the CRDi diesel report the high-pressure fuel pump breaking up internally and shedding metal swarf into the fuel filter and tank, which then damages the injectors too. Symptoms are a sudden loss of power, rough running, or a car that won't start, and it isn't limited to very high mileage; some owners have had it happen twice within a couple of years. Because swarf contaminates the whole fuel system, a proper fix means cleaning or replacing the tank as well as the pump and injectors, and UK owners have reported bills from around £600 for a pump alone up to £3,000-4,000+ when the injectors and tank are also involved. No manufacturer recall or TSB has been found for this.

Reported at varying mileages, some under 80k · sources: Kia Owners Club UK forum (multiple threads), CarParts.com

Automatic gearbox wear and slipping

DisputedAutomatics only

Owners of automatic Sedonas describe slipping, hunting between gears, a jolt or shake in Drive at a standstill, or getting stuck in one gear on the motorway, sometimes from around 70k miles. Forum regulars treat it as a wear item made worse by missed fluid changes rather than a single design fault. Repairs range from a service and fluid change if caught early to a full rebuild or replacement box, with owners quoted anywhere from around £2,000 to £3,000. Manual Sedonas aren't affected by this.

Reported from ~70k miles · sources: Kia Owners Club UK forum (multiple threads)

Cambelt failure risk on the 2.9 CRDi

Disputed2.9 CRDi diesel (2006-2012) only

The 2.9 CRDi is an interference engine, so a snapped or badly worn timing belt bends the valves and can write the engine off. Specialist advice puts the change interval at roughly 60,000-90,000 miles or 8 years, and the job itself is awkward and therefore not cheap, with the tensioners and pulleys needing to go at the same time. The risk isn't a design flaw so much as a car with patchy service history and an overdue belt; always confirm from paperwork or by inspection, not the seller's word.

Change due 60-90k miles / 8 years · sources: Professional Motor Mechanic (pmmonline.co.uk), Kia Owners Club UK forum

Power sliding doors sticking or not latching

Emerging

On the later (2015 onwards) Sedona, owners report the electric sliding doors failing to latch properly, grinding as they close, or the switch getting stuck so the door won't open or shut on command. UK owners have raised the same complaints on the Kia Owners Club forum, and in the US Kia issued a separate recall for the doors not auto-reversing when something was in the way, which shows the door electronics on this generation had genuine teething problems even if that particular recall wasn't run in the UK. At a viewing, cycle both doors open and shut several times rather than once.

2015-on cars · sources: Kia Owners Club UK forum, RepairPal, US NHTSA recall documentation

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this model Drive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 29.2% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 9.0%
Brake pipes underneathRuns high on this model Follow the metal brake lines with a torch where they run along the sills and over the rear axle. White crust or flaking metal means they are corroding, and the online MOT history usually shows the same advisory creeping up for years before the fail.Recorded on 16.1% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 6.2%
Coil springsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 15.3% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 5.0%
Underneath, with a torchRuns high on this model Get down and look at the sills, the subframes and the rear suspension mounting points. Flaking scale and bubbling matter; light surface rust does not. On older cars this is the one check that finds the fault that scraps them.Recorded on 10.6% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 3.1%
Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this model With a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 9.7% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 3.3%
LeaksRuns high on this model Look at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 9.6% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 4.8%
A binding brakeRuns high on this model After the test drive, hold the back of your hand near each wheel hub. One wheel running much hotter than the rest is a sticking caliper. A car that slows itself down when you lift off on a flat road is saying the same thing.Recorded on 5.2% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 1.4%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all four Check the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 27.8% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 20.9%
Pads and discs Look through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 11.9% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 11.4%
Windscreen and wipersRuns high on this model Scan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 3.4% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 2.0%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Check the MOT history for corrosion or suspension advisories on the front lower arms, and ask if the corrosion recall was ever carried out. Repeated suspension advisories, or no record of the recall, means the arms may already be weakening.
Get the car on a ramp or lean underneath with a torch and look at the front lower arms for flaking rust, not just surface dirt. Heavy scale or pitting on the inner face is the corrosion the recall was written for.
On the diesel, check the fuel filter and service history for any past fuel system work or a warning about metal in the filter. A history of fuel filter changes or a garage note about swarf points to a pump on its way out.
Drive an automatic through a full range of speeds including a motorway stint if possible, and watch for a jolt in Drive at a standstill. Slipping, hunting, or getting stuck in gear is expensive and rarely gets better on its own.
On the 2.9 CRDi, ask for cambelt paperwork with a date and mileage, not just a service stamp. No proof of a belt change within the last 60-90k miles or 8 years is a real risk of a wrecked engine.
Open and close both sliding doors by hand and by switch several times, including from outside. Grinding, failure to latch, or the switch sticking points to the door electronics fault.
Watch the dash for the engine management light under load, especially pulling away hard from a junction. A light with hesitation or a flat spot needs a proper diagnosis before you buy, not after.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Kia SedonaClass average, all tracked models

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 1,804 tests in this band.

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
37.9%class 13.0%
A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded
Advisory
18.2%class 7.4%
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
Advisory
16.1%class 6.2%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Advisory
15.3%class 5.0%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
9.6%class 4.8%
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
Fail
5.9%class 3.5%
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
Fail
5.8%class 1.4%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Fail
5.3%class 1.8%
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
Advisory
5.2%class 1.4%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Fail
4.8%class 3.2%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
31.1%class 23.4%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
11.9%class 11.4%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
10.5%class 7.3%
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
Minor
9.7%class 3.3%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
8.5%class 9.7%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Fail
3.8%class 2.6%
Number plate inscription missing or illegible
Advisory
3.7%class 2.3%
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
Fail
3.4%class 2.0%

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