Seat complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2018 | 2 | 4% | 107,000 miles |
| 2017 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2016 | 5 | 2% | 48,000 miles |
| 2015 | 6 | 4% | 125,000 miles |
| 2011 | 1 | 2% | 0 miles |
| 2010 | 1 | 3% | 109,000 miles |
| 2009 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2008 | 3 | 2% | 80,000 miles |
| 2007 | 3 | 2% | 72,000 miles |
| 2006 | 6 | 2% | 35,000 miles |
| 2005 | 3 | 2% | 7,000 miles |
| 2004 | 6 | 3% | 61,000 miles |
| 2003 | 10 | 5% | 46,000 miles |
| 2002 | 19 | 8% | 72,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The front passenger seat, occupant detection system wiring harness was never repaired by the dealer I had taken the vehicle to the dealer several years ago and he gave me a $8000 estimate to replace the electrical system!
My mother and her friend were driving approx. 35 miles per hour when the right rear wheel went off the road causing them to go into the frying pan river in basalt, co. There was approx. 42.1 degree slope. My mother was the passenger. We retrieved her pictures and video. She was video taping with her cell phone at the time of the accident. The passenger window was down. She said, "oh [redacted]", and appeared to reach to remove her seatbelt. They went into the river. They were found at 4:30 pm with car submerged in water and both drowned. No damage to the car. The side airbags had gone off and the front windows were up with the airbags sticking out when they were found. The front airbags did not go off. My concern is that my mom knew she would get out but when she took a deep breath the airbags knocked her air out. And we know the windows were down but went up. …
We have had multiple seat latches fail on our vehicle. We have attempted to WD40 the mechanism and have ensured there is nothing in the tract but the second row passenger seat as well as the larger drivers side third row seat are not latching onto the tract. The mechanism moved freely but they are not latching into place. I had submitted a safety recall claim for our second row seat a while back as it created a significant safety issue with our child in the seat. Now the rear seat is having a similar problem. The biggest issue is that it will seem that it is latching and then during times of safety concerns (occupied while driving) it unlatches. My son was sitting in the rear and lurched with the latch causing him to bite his tongue. The second row seat has yet to be fixed, and moved around while driving further causing a safety concern.
The passenger side second row outside seat is not latching into place appropriately and thus slides forward and back in the track upon breaking or accelerating. We did not know it became faulty until my 5 year old was seated while driving and upon vehicle breaking his chair flew forward in the track and jolted him. He nearly face planted into the front seat, and if we were driving any faster and needed to suddenly stop for something to avoid collision, or god forbid, been in an accident, I have no doubt he would have been. My husband has been attempting to find the exact reason but he can't tell yet if it is some sort of spring mechanism failure or if there is another explanation. That seat is 100% not safe for use until it is fixed and continues to slide back and forth in the track whether or not it is occupied. …
Driver seat just broke from the slide frame seat just falls back and is not safe to drive the seat is very badly designed should not have broken.also sliding door driver's side got lock were it doesn't open at all.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that the driver and passenger seats would move back and forth independently whether the vehicle was accelerating or at a stop. The contact stated that the seats would not lock into place and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for further inspection. The dealer replaced the locking mechanism on the driver side seat, which worked for one month but the passenger side seat was not repaired. The manufacturer stated that an inspector tested the vehicle and determined the seats should be moving and was normal for the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 19,000.
Tl contact owns a 2007 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that he was unable to lock the second row seat back in place after it was removed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test that confirmed that the failure was caused by the seat rail locking system which needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted, but denied assistance with the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 72,000. Updated 04/15/11 the consumer stated the seat appear to be latch when they are not. The dealer diagnosed the problem as a misaligned seat rail that was mounted on the bottom of the floor. Updated 08/18/11
While driving on the highway the driver's power seat moved back on its own and the controls to move the seat were non-responsive. The driver had to release the seat belts to slide forward on the seat in order to reach the pedals. Had to pull over and turn the vehicle off before the power seat controls would work again. After getting back on the road, the same thing happened again. If this had happened when the driver needed to stop, they would not have been able to reach the brake pedal. Took the vehicle to the dealership the next day. They kept the car all day and were unable to diagnose or reproduce the issue and returned the vehicle to us.
Related recalls (2)
Seats
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with power seats, the wiring under the front seats could be misrouted, allowing contact with metal seat components.
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.
Seats › Mid/rear assembly
On certain passenger vehicles, some of the second and third row seat strikers installed on the vehicle floor pan have been improperly heat treated and could break in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat strikers. Owner notification began April 25, 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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Kia Sedona years have seat problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (19), 2003 (10), 2004 (6), 2006 (6) and 2015 (6) model years. Seat complaints make up 8% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Kia Sedona seat problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 05V-463 (seats, Oct 5, 2005); 03V-135 (mid/rear assembly, Apr 3, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Kia Sedona seat problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles; 53% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the mid/rear assembly (9 mentions), followed by the front assembly › power adjust (5).
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.