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2003 Kia Sedona Recalls & Complaints

4

open safety recalls on record

Serious

214 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.96 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious05V329000

Vehicle Speed Control:Cables

THIS CAN CAUSE THE CABLE TO STICK, THUS PREVENTING THE ENGINE FROM RETURNING TO IDLE AND CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO MAINTAIN SPEED OR ACCELERATE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL MODIFY A PROTECTIVE SLEEVE AROUND THE THROTTLE CABLE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 15, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

ON CERTAIN MINI VANS, FREEZING CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE WATER ON THE THROTTLE CABLE TO FREEZE DURING NORMAL OPERATION. RESISTANCE TO MOVEMENT OF THE THROTTLE CABLE CAN OCCUR WHEN THE DRIVER LIFTS THEIR FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL.

Serious05V232000

Wheels

WHEEL BEARING FAILURE MAY OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR HUB CAPS FREE OF CHARGE. UPON INSPECTION, SOME VEHICLES WILL ALSO REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR OUTER BEARINGS AND/OR HUB ASSEMBLY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 13, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

ON CERTAIN MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH ALLOY WHEELS, MOISTURE CAN ACCUMULATE AROUND THE REAR HUB CAPS CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE OUTER WHEEL BEARING.

Serious05V013000

Vehicle Speed Control:Cables

THIS CAN PERMIT THE CABLE TO BE HUNG UP, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE THROTTLE CABLE FREE OF CHARGE. VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM MARCH 20, 2001 THROUGH NOVEMBER 7, 2001 WILL HAVE A GUIDE CLIP INSTALLED ON THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THE TENSION FORCE CABLE DOES NOT MOVE OUT OF POSITION. VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BEGINNING ON NOVEMBER 8, 2001, ALREADY HAVE THE EXTENDED GUIDE, WHICH ACCOMPLISHES THE SAME OBJECTIVE. THE RECALL BEGAN MARCH 21, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

ON CERTAIN MINI VANS, DURING ASSEMBLY, THE THROTTLE CABLE WOULD TWIST ITSELF OUT OF POSITION.

Serious03V158000

Service Brakes, Air:Antilock:Control Unit/Module

SUCH INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE CONTROL MODULE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 19, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THERE WAS A PROGRAMMING ERROR IN THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS) ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE LOGIC. THE PROGRAMMING ERROR COULD CAUSE REDUCED BRAKING FORCE AT SPEEDS BELOW 25 MPH, WHICH COULD RESULT IN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES.

Complaint volume

214 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

14Crashes
26Fires
25Injuries
0Deaths

Across 214 complaints. Severity Index 0.96.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Air Bags20 · 9%Electrical System20 · 9%Tires9 · 4%Engine And Engine Cooling9 · 4%Service Brakes, Hydraulic8 · 4%Seat Belts7 · 3%Vehicle Speed Control6 · 3%Engine And Engine Cooling…6 · 3%
  1. Air Bags — 20 reports
  2. Electrical System — 20 reports
  3. Tires — 9 reports
  4. Engine And Engine Cooling — 9 reports
  5. Service Brakes, Hydraulic — 8 reports
  6. Seat Belts — 7 reports
  7. Vehicle Speed Control — 6 reports
  8. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 6 reports
  9. Wheels — 6 reports
  10. Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch — 5 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2002 (3) · 2003 · 2004 (2) · 2005 (2) · 2006 (7) · 2007 (6) · 2008 (5) · 2009 (5) · 2010 (5) · 2011 (6) · 2012 (5) · 2014 (1) · 2015 (3) · 2016 (4) · 2017 (4) · 2018 (3) · 2019 (2) · 2020 (1) · 2021

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.