How many miles can a Kia Sedona last? When you’re in the market for a new or second-hand Sedona, that’s, of course, a very reasonable question to ask. After all, you’re probably looking to get the most bang for your buck. In this blog, we’ll look at this question in great detail but first, let’s start with a quick answer:
On average, a Kia Sedona lasts between 190.000 – 210.000 miles. A Sedona needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs about 0.3 times per year, with a 10% chance of severe problems. Furthermore, Sedona owners spend an average of $495 per year on repair costs.
Having said that, we’re certainly not done. Below we’ll first explain in more detail how many miles a Kia Sedona can last. After that, we’ll also show you how much a Kia Sedona costs per year and which production years are the most and least expensive. Furthermore, we also discuss the common problems that the car can have. Read on!
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How Many Miles Can A Kia Sedona Last?
When you are in the market looking to buy your next ride, it’s a must to know how reliable it would be and how much would it cost to maintain. We have done rigorous testings to come with the results that can help you decide whether or not the Kia Sedona is reliable.
On our reliability scales, the percentage of cars crossing the 150k mile mark should be more than 3%. If, after the rigorous testing, we get to see a number above 3%, then we would know that this van is quite reliable.
| Amount Of Miles | Percentage Of Cars |
| Cars With 150.000+ | 8.74% |
| Cars With 100.000 – 149.000 | 20.25% |
| Cars With 45.000 – 99.999 | 40.31% |
| Cars With 0 – 44.999 | 30.70% |
It turns out that the Kia Sedona is reliable indeed. 8.74% of Sedonas on sale in the used market had crossed the 150k mile mark, which shows that these vans are reliable and can easily cover thousands of miles. The highest mileage seen on the odometer comes out to be 240k on average, while we expected to see a number close to 300k.
Sedona’s that are still under 45k miles were less than 50% of the total number on sale, which suggests that they might be reliable, as not many of the owners are selling at lower miles. If you are looking for Kia Sedona, make sure that you get one of these in the lower mile range.
We have plenty of other tests to which we will subject the Kia Sedona and retrieve the data that will allow us to give a proper verdict on whether or not Kia Sedona is reliable.
Also read: Types Of Gas A Kia Sedona Takes (All Generations)
How Reliable Is A Kia Sedona Compared To Its Competitors?
This next test on our list would help us better understand what the competitors are offering against the Kia Sedona. We will also get to see the differences in the reliability of Kia Sedona vs. competitors.
| Model | Sample Size | Cars With 150.000+ Miles | % Percentage Of Cars With 150.000+ | Highest Mileage |
| Kia Sedona | 1052 | 92 | 8.74% | 240000 |
| Toyota Sienna | 4670 | 741 | 15.87% | 300000 |
| Honda Odyssey | 5939 | 927 | 15.61% | 300000 |
| Chevy Pacifica | 3828 | 91 | 2.38% | 260000 |
After scrutinizing all the data, we have come to know that even though Sedona had performed better than an average car would, but in the van world, that better-than-average is not an option. Hondas and Toyotas have set an amazing benchmark which is undoubtedly extremely hard to compete with.
Not only a bigger percentage of Hondas and Toyotas are crossing that 150k mile mark, but they have also given better highest mileages on average, 60k miles better than a Kia Sedona.
This test has concluded that Kia Sedona isn’t bad in and of itself, but the competition is tough. We still have more tests on our plate that we will perform, so stay tuned; Kia Sedona might shine in those tests.
How Reliable Is A Kia Sedona Compared To Other Kias?
This is going to give us a clear understanding of Kia’s reliability in general. This data will also give us knowledge of where the Sedona stands among its brethren and how better or worse it is than its own badge mates.
Like before, we will compare the percentages crossing the 150k mile mark, and we will also compare the highest average mileage.
| Model | Sample Size | Cars With 150.000+ Miles | % Percentage Of Cars With 150.000+ | Highest Mileage |
| Kia Forte | 5860 | 105 | 1.79% | 230000 |
| Kia Optima | 9,043 | 218 | 2.41% | 230000 |
| Kia Niro Plug-in | 894 | 3 | 0.34% | 140000 |
| Kia Sedona | 1052 | 92 | 8.74% | 240000 |
| Kia Sportage | 6702 | 170 | 2.54% | 270000 |
This data has been completely in favor of the Kia Sedona, suggesting that Kia Sedona is the most reliable Kia of all. The reliability is not up to Toyota’s level but guess what, even BMWs and Audis can’t compete with the big reliability giants, let alone a Kia.
With all this data analysis, it’s clear that if you want to save some money and go for a Kia Sedona instead of a Toyota Sienna or a Honda Odyssey, we recommend going for the latest models with low miles, ideally from 2018 onwards.
How Much Does Maintenance Cost Per Year?
It’s important to know the annual maintenance cost to set the budget right on top of the buying cost. This data will also give us an insight into the reliability of each model year.
| Model Year | Annual Maintenance Cost |
| 2010 | $527 |
| 2011 | $544 |
| 2012 | $589 |
| 2013 | $574 |
| 2014 | $561 |
| 2015 | $426 |
| 2016 | $423 |
| 2017 | $399 |
You would have to spend $495 on average for maintenance each year.
As you can see from the data, the newer models have considerably fewer maintenance costs than their predecessors. It’s because the Sedonas are getting better with each coming year, and all the other Kias are improving as well.
They are moving towards better reliability each year, and they might be able to catch the reliability giants after some time. The only thing lacking is their customer service, which greatly depends on what dealership you are going to; some would have better service than others.
Kia Sedona Common Problems
The earlier Kia Sedonas have received a terrible reputation because of their reliability issues. There have been numerous reports on how many faults it had. These common problems were a huge negative for Kia Sedona.
As you can see from this data, there haven’t been any major issues with these Sedonas lately, and the future looks promising.
NOTE: Before buying a used car, I always like to make sure the vehicle isn´t having any problems that you should be aware of. The easiest way to do this is by buying an OBD2 scanner. These scanners can easily be plugged into any car you’re interested in, and they’ll give you a rundown of potential problems.
Wouldn’t Detect The Kia Smart Key
This is a common problem that is specific to Kia’s Smart Key. The van sometimes fails to recognize the key, and the anti-theft module would prevent the car from starting.
Noise At The Engine Startup
This is caused by a faulty timing chain tensioner, a common problem across many of Kia’s lineups, including the Kia Forte. It’s a problem with the older models. Kia has revised its timing chain tensioner to solve the issue. If you have a tensioner problem, then you would have to buy that revised one.
This replacement will cost you about $1500, so make sure if you are in the used market, the engine shouldn’t have a rattle, and if it’s an old one, it would be better if the timing chain tensioner has been replaced already with the revised one. The tensioner problem has been reported in models up to 2017.
We don’t have enough data for the later models to tell you for sure if the problem persisted.
AC Compressor Noise
A defective compressor clutch is causing this annoying sound and vibration. There is yet again a revised part, which would solve the noise problem, and that replacement will cost you about $640.
Transmission Issues
It mostly happened with the older models. You would see the check engine light and will experience shifting problems. To fix this problem, you would have to update the software, and the problem is expected to go away with that.
Power Sliding Door Won’t Shut
This mostly happens in warm weather. The new parts are being revised so that they won’t have these issues anymore. This problem has been reported in models up to 2016.
CD Player Not Working
To fix this issue, you can reset the system, and the player should work. You need to disconnect the battery and reconnect after 15 minutes, and you are good to go.
Ignition Coils May Fail
Engine misfires are common in these Sedonas, caused by a faulty ignition coil. A replacement is going to cost you around $300. This was a common issue until 2006.
The Doors Wouldn’t Close In Very Cold Weather
This is a common problem reported until 2010, and this problem can be solved by adding improved cables.
Is a Kia Sedona A Smart Buy?
59% depreciation in 5 Years is a lot. This is a little more than what we expected. Normally, most of the vehicles would see an average 50% depreciation in the first 5 years.
Kia Sedona has seen many improvements in recent years and has gained a lot of following in the automotive industry. Now the question is, should you really spend your hard-earned money on a Kia Sedona?
First, you need to know whether the timing chain issue has been resolved a 100%. Ask the dealerships if they would replace it under warranty, and if everything seems okay, then going for the new ones wouldn’t be that bad of an option. And if you are in the used market, prefer the newer ones with lower miles, ideally from 2018 onwards.
Engine quality has always been an issue with Kias, so make sure to replace engine oil in regular small intervals. Don’t listen to what the dealership tells you; they would give you too good to be true miles interval so that the maintenance cost seems less overall, but if you want to keep your engine healthy for a longer period, then look no further; we have got you covered.
Kia Sedona Maintenance Schedule
A well-maintained car can last much longer, so you wouldn’t want to go wrong in this area. It’s important to know about the maintenance schedule of your van to ensure that it stays healthy for a longer period.
Normally the manufacturers give a farfetched schedule that looks good on papers and would show low maintenance cost, but you should dump that schedule because your van won’t last that long with their schedule; you would have to replace stuff earlier to ger better performance and longer life.
Before/On Every 10,000 Miles
- Change Engine Oil
- Replace the oil filter.
It’s actually better to change these before/on 7500 miles for best performance and long-lasting protection.
Before/On Every 20,000 Miles
- Replace the passenger compartment air filter
- Inspect the tires
- See if there’s any prevailing rust
- Check for any fluid leaks
- Tire replacement if necessary
Before/On Every 40,000 Miles
- Replace the air intake filter
- Replace the transfer case fluid
- Inspect the evaporative control system
- Change the automatic transmission fluid
Before/On Every 60,000 Miles
- Inspect the spark plugs
- Inspect the ignition coils
- Have an engine diagnosis with a scanner tool and see for any abnormal reading.
- Inspect the electronics system
- Inspect the brake pads and rotors
- Drive belt replacement
- The manufacturers recommend changing the first coolant at 60k miles and the later ones after every 30k miles. It depends on different factors, you should check the color of the coolant to tell which one is it.
If it’s the silicated one, you would have to change after every 30k miles, and if it’s the extended drain coolant, you can change it after 100k miles.
Before/On Every 100,000 Miles
- This is where the suspension components start to wear out and you might have to replace the worn-out ones
- If you haven’t had a detailed service of your van up until this point, then have it. It will help thoroughly clean those nooks and crannies where cleaning hasn’t been done before. You would also be able to spot some problems which weren’t apparent before,
Other Maintenance Tips
- Make sure that you keep your Kia Sedona clean because as a rule of thumb, you would be able to keep it maintained as well.
- Don’t let mud stay on your Sedona, mud contains moisture and moisture causes rust.
Hi! My name is Stefan; I’m the owner and lead writer at TheDriverAdviser.com.
I’m an active writer on this blog myself, as well as a novice car mechanic. For the really technical stuff, I find writers with experience as a mechanic or who have studied mechanical engineering.
Read more about our fantastic team on our about page!