The 2003 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 electrical system. 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
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
6
4fires
STEERING
4
WHEELS
3
ENGINE
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
2
1fires
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2
SEATS
2
2fires
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
2
Total complaints57
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The breaks were changed due to grinding com to find out there was 1bolt on the break calibers put them on and it still grinds and can not stop”
“The breaks were changed due to grinding com to find out there was 1bolt on the break calibers put them on and it still grinds and can not stop”
“There been whining noise during accelerating and de-accelerate speed, I had someone look and thought I was braking system. Yesterday my son was driving it and turning right and we heard a pop, and the whole steering went out. We were almost killed on 134, he able back it up. Had someone else looks…”
“I have a 2003 kia sedona. I have had to have the alternator replaced 2 times in a months time. The dealership is saying now that the connector to the fan has melted because the fan is pulling too much voltage. But from what I understand from others, the issue is the connector and not the fan? I…”
“I have a 2003 kia sedona. I have had to have the alternator replaced 2 times in a months time. The dealership is saying now that the connector to the fan has melted because the fan is pulling too much voltage. But from what I understand from others, the issue is the connector and not the fan? I…”
“I have a 2003 kia sedona. I have had to have the alternator replaced 2 times in a months time. The dealership is saying now that the connector to the fan has melted because the fan is pulling too much voltage. But from what I understand from others, the issue is the connector and not the fan? I…”
“Tl* the contact owned a 2003 kia sedona ex. While making a left turn at 5 mph, another vehicle rear ended the rear passenger side of the contact's vehicle. The vehicle spun out of control. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed by the highway patrol and sheriff. The contact…”
“We have a detached garage, at 4:00 am our dog woke us up to her barking. She could hear the van horn blowing. When I took her out, I saw the van lights flashing and the horn was blowing. I could not stop the horn with the keyless remote. I woke up my husband, when he opened the door the dashboard…”
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 2003 Kia Sedona Ex as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.