Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Kia Sedona owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I have a 2004 Kia Sedona ex, and was returning home from a family vacation, was driving along and heard a loud noise come from the back passenger side, the van started shaking as if I had a flat tire, I started applying my brakes to pull over, then I heard a loud pop, the back corner went down. Out my rear passenger side window I looked and saw my entire wheel flying through the trees on fire. I had literally no stopping power, luckily I got my vehicle stopped safely because I had my family and mother in law with me at the time. I see there was a recall about this situation, but I don't remember any notification about it, and now I have to pay $2500 to have it fixed, the same amount I paid to go on vacation.
Dt: the contact stated that while driving the left rear passenger wheel came loose from the vehicle with the tire as well as the lugs nuts still intact. The contact was able to coast into a gas station before the wheel came completely off. Before this incident recall 05V232000 repairs were performed on rear wheel bearings for water by a local Kia dealership. The dealership inspected the inside wheel bearings . The vehicle was towed back to the Kia dealership. The dealer could not determine why this occurred, and could not find any moisture within the bearings. The vehicle is currently at the dealer for repairs.
Thumping noise from front end..wheels or struts. Usually occurs at slow speeds on uneven surfaces. Not as noticable at higher speeds. This concerns me because something is apparently loose and vibrating yet they have yet to correct the problem. If you look at ww.Kia-forums.com and look under Sedona, you will see numerous people with the same problem and Kia has yet to fix it. I guess they won't be happy until the front end falls out or something. People have had their whole front end basically replaced and still they have the problem.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Kia Sedona. The vehicle was involved in recall # 05V232000 regarding the wheel bearings. The contact' s vehicle developed brake failure shortly after the recall repair was performed. The contact heard a loud grinding noise when stopping the vehicle, and the stopping distance was reduced. The failure occurred intermittently. The dealer replaced and repaired the brake pads, drums, and rotors, but the noise continued. The current mileage is 61,000, and failure mileage was 13,000.
Dt: consumer received a recall notice on rear outer bearings. Consumer could not get repair work done at dealership because they did not have enough parts to fix the recall . Consumer was placed on a waiting list, but no calls were returned. Concerned, consumer called Kia. And was told they only received 400 parts a week from Korea to supply all of their us dealerships, and did not offer any time frame as to when the repairs could be handled. No repairs at all, but has not been experiencing a problem.
2004 Kia Sedona ex. There is a hydraulic system containing a reservoir which controls rear brake force on turns and other braking maneuvers. This reservoir is subject to leaks (location -- between rear wheels). Leaking from this reservoir and low pressure triggers the 'check engine' and 'brake failure' lights. Temporary fix is to refill the reservoir, but this leakage problem appears systemic from manufacture. If left unattended, control over the rear braking system is severely diminished.
Dt:contact attempted to have a recall taken care off but the parts were not available from Kia. They were on back order. Contact was told by the dealer and by Kia they were on national backorder . He has been told that back order will take approximately 2 weeks. He was concerned because the recall was for damaged outer wheel bearings. He knew there was damage to the wheel bearings, and that he was driving an unsafe van, and transporting children in the van.
Dt*: the contact stated the rear passenger side tire fell off while the contact was jacking up the vehicle. The non service dealer determined this occurred due to the wheel bearing disintegrating. The front driver side wheel bearing also disintegrated. The manufacturer had a recall #05V232000; regarding the wheels, but the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the VIN.
Bad misfire in motor causing the cruise control to turn off and trans to slam out and then back into over drive,came close to getting hit in the rear on I-95. I have had this van back to Kia miney times and its still not fix. All so the last time I had the van for service I complained abut a bearing noise they did not fix it the noise is getting worse.
While driving at 10 MPH ,my daughter and I heard a clunk in the rear of our 2004 Kia Sedona lx. I was heading for a repair shop as a result and heard a second clunk and pulled off on a side street and drove 200 feet when the wheel bearing assembly came apart and the whole wheel flew off the van.
Suspension complaints in other Sedona years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2004 Kia Sedona?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the suspension of the 2004 Kia Sedona, 9% of the model year's 213 complaints. The component named most often is front › wheel bearing (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Kia Sedona suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2004 Kia Sedona, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Kia Sedona suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 24,000 miles, and 58% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.