The 2004 Kia Sedona Ex has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 74,276 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 57 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the steering. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SEATS05V4630002005-10-0574,276 affected
Defect
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POWER SEATS, THE WIRING UNDER THE FRONT SEATS COULD BE MISROUTED, ALLOWING CONTACT WITH METAL SEAT COMPONENTS.
Consequence
THIS CONTACT COULD EVENTUALLY RESULT IN A SHORT CIRCUIT CONDITION THAT MAY RESULT IN A FIRE IN THE JUNCTION BOX AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND RE-ROUTE THE WIRES UNDER THE POWER SEATS, IF NECESSARY, AS WELL AS INSTALL PROTECTIVE SEAMING WELTS AROUND THOSE WIRES TO BETTER INSULATE THEM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 28, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.
Complaints by component
STEERING
9
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4
1fires
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
3
WHEELS
3
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
2
TIRES
2
Total complaints57
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“Engine seized without any warning. There wasn't much traffic on the road and helped to steer the vehicle to the shoulder. In bad weather and/or traffic conditions, this could have resulted in a serious accident. I strongly believe that there are some safety issues with the engine of this vehicle…”
“While driving today, I noticed a whining noise, with a slight grinding noise to it as well. Initially thinking it was the brakes, I listened closer and realized it was not happening when braking but rather seemed to be happening when turning, primarily during acceleration. Soon after the turn as I…”
“While driving today, I noticed a whining noise, with a slight grinding noise to it as well. Initially thinking it was the brakes, I listened closer and realized it was not happening when braking but rather seemed to be happening when turning, primarily during acceleration. Soon after the turn as I…”
“While driving today, I noticed a whining noise, with a slight grinding noise to it as well. Initially thinking it was the brakes, I listened closer and realized it was not happening when braking but rather seemed to be happening when turning, primarily during acceleration. Soon after the turn as I…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA08017 Opened 2008-08-28 · closed 2009-07-01
STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BINDING
ODIS ANALYSIS OF WARRANTY DATA SHOWS THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT HAS OCCURRED AT A RELATIVELY HIGH FREQUENCY IN SALT-BELT STATES (5.9 PERCENT).HOWEVER, THE TESTS CONDUCTED BY ODI AND KIA HAVE SHOWN THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT HAS A MINIMAL EFFECT ON STEERING EFFORTS.IN ADDITION, ODI INTERVIEWS OF OWNERS WHO EXPERIENCED THE…
InvestigationPE08033 Opened 2008-04-28 · closed 2008-08-28
STEERING BINDING
ON APRIL 28, 2008, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE08-033 TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS ALLEGING STEERING BINDING IN MODEL YEAR 2002 THROUGH 2004 KIA SEDONA MINIVANS.KIA'S RESPONSE TO ODI'S REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IN PE08-033 INDICATED THAT CONCERNS WITH BINDING OF THE STEERING…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2004 Kia Sedona Ex as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.