The 2020 Kia Sedona is sold in the U.S. as a gas minivan. The most efficient version, the Sedona, is EPA-rated at 21 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 20 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
2020 Kia Sedona
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
Configuration
Powertrain
Drive
Engine / motor
City
Hwy
Comb
Annual fuel*
Sedona
Gas
FWD
3.3L 6-cyl
18
24
21
$3,200
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 41407.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates
Configuration
Smog rating
Emission standard
Where it can be sold new
SmartWay
Sedona
5 / 10
California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70
All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards
—
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: EX/SX, L, LX/EX). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada
Length
201.6 in
Width (body, without mirrors)
78.3 in
Height
68.5 in
Wheelbase
120.5 in
Track, front
68.5 in
Track, rear
68.9 in
Curb weight
4,420–4,740 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear
57/43
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 3 configurations: L 5-door Van FWD, Lx/Sx 5-door Van FWD, Sxl 5-door Van FWD. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
The 2020 Kia Sedona is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (1)
Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical
Electrical System
SC192
5,385 vehicles86% reported repaired
ProblemKia Motors America (KIA) is recalling certain 2020 Sedona vehicles.The battery positive (B+) terminal nut on the alternator may not have been tightened properly during assembly, possibly causing it to loosen over time.RiskIf the alternator B+ terminal nut loosens, electrical arcing may result, increasing the risk of a fire.FixKia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the alternator B+ terminal nut, tightening it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began August 14, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC192.
These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Whether any of this applies to one specific Sedona
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2020 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Kia publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2020 Kia Sedona, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
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Parts & accessories for the 2020 Kia Sedona
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sedona. While driving approximately 30 MPH on a main road, the steering wheel started shaking abnormally and became difficult to control. The vehicle was driven to a tire shop and then to an independent mechanic.
Wheelsat 65,245 milesJan 14, 2026NHTSA owner report · ODI 11711006
March 2024 just before hitting 100,000 miles I started having oil consumption issues. Current milage is 137,300 About 10,000 miles ago my check engine light came on. I took it to an auto parts store and it was reading bank 1 O2 sensor. I took it for an oil change and never scheduled for the sensor replacement due to life events.
EngineJan 2, 2026NHTSA owner report · ODI 11708408
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed with battery failure. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced.
Sliding door malfunction. Door will not hold its weight and full force closes or opens if operating at an inclined position
StructureMay 20, 2025NHTSA owner report · ODI 11662099
I received a letter from Kia America, Inc. extending the warranty on the high pressure fuel pump on my 2020 Kia Sedona. They claim that the fuel control valve plunger may wear unevenly and over time become stuck in the open position. They state different things can happen including stalling.
Fuel/Propulsion SystemJun 3, 2024NHTSA owner report · ODI 11592280
Oil consumption test failed. Told by dealer the first part of the repair is not covered under the power train warranty because my vehicle is not listed on the list of affected vehicles even though it has the GDI motor that is listed. It's a V6 and not a 4 cylinder and the V6 is not on the list.
Power TrainMar 29, 2024NHTSA owner report · ODI 11580142
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Kia itself: 1 death-or-injury claim on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 8.0 per 100,000 built. Every Sedona model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP
Configuration
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Rollover risk
VAN FWD
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★☆
13%
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Extended coverage on file1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC365) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting an important Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to improve the emissions software logic in the Electronic Control Module (ECM) to ensure compliance with emissions regulations on the 2019-2020 MY Sorento vehicles manufactured from January 24, 2018 through Octo
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver while parking, by calculating distance based on the difference in signal transmission and reception times between the vehicle (ultrasonic sensor) and an object. The membrane
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP REPLACEMENT (WTY034) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information associated with the ‘Warranty Extension Program’ (WTY034) to diagnose the ‘Malfunction Indicator Lamp’ (MIL)
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2308) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the In-Panel Module (IPM) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on
This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced.
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGICUPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2308) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the In-Panel Module (IPM) or Body Control Module (BCM) system on c
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints
Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMV
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Kia Sedona failed the emissions check on 2.5% of first inspections — close to the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.8% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%).
New York inspections2.5%
failed emissions
488 initial inspections of 479 vehicles.
Measure
The 2020 Sedona
Every 2020 vehicle
Behind it
Failed the emissions check
2.5%
2.2%
485
Failed the safety inspection
1.8%
1.6%
488
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit
0.20%
0.19%
488
Miles driven a year
11,131
9,980
odometer at inspection
Average odometer
70,333
62,630
odometer at inspection
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2020 vehicle” is every 2020 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2020 Kia Sedona, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 20V399000, covering Electrical System. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2020 Kia Sedona?
NHTSA gave the 2020 Kia Sedona 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it B (85/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2020 Kia Sedona?
For the 2020 Kia Sedona, the best EPA combined figure is 21 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2020 Kia Sedona?
Transport Canada measured it at 201.6 in long, 78.3 in wide (body, without mirrors), 68.5 in tall, on a 120.5 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 4,420–4,740 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2020 Kia Sedona?
Owners have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Kia Sedona, most often about engine, structure, unspecified. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2020 Kia Sedona?
The EPA smog rating for the 2020 Kia Sedona is 5 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2020 Kia Sedona?
The manufacturer has filed 64 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2020 Kia Sedona, most often covering electrical system, engine, structure. The most recent is dated 2026-09-10. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2020 Kia Sedona do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Kia Sedona failed the emissions check on 2.5% of first inspections — close to the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.8% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
Data
Held
Source
What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations
1 configurations
EPA certification records
Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates
1 configurations
EPA emission certificates
Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls
1
NHTSA recall campaigns
A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints
20
NHTSA complaint database
Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings
1 tested
NHTSA NCAP
Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins
64
NHTSA manufacturer communications
Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations
none
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports
none
NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01
No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
12 fields
NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns
What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions
7 fields
Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications
Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment
none
Manufacturer press kit
We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.