Owners of 2008 Kia Sedona vehicles report severe corrosion and cracking of the front lower control arms, a defect that triggered NHTSA recall campaign 16V387000. One owner's vehicle veered off a highway at 55 mph and crashed into a tree when the driver-side control arm fractured—the arm was rusted and broken in three places. Another reported the vehicle became undrivable with a corroded, cracked driver-side control arm. A third found severe perforating corrosion on the passenger-side control arm and photos clearly showing the damage, yet Kia refused coverage outside designated salt-use states, requiring the owner to pay for diagnosis before reconsideration.
Several owners heard rattling and clicking from the front end or felt the front wobble side to side. One mechanic found a control arm still loose after the dealer had supposedly completed the recall repair—it was even spray-painted as if already fixed. Multiple owners reported recall parts were unavailable for extended periods, leaving vehicles unrepaired despite safety notifications.
Compounding suspension issues, owners also document brakes that overheat and wear prematurely (failure at 7,000–21,000 miles), and tires that wear far faster than expected (24,000–40,000 miles instead of manufacturer ratings). These patterns suggest front-end geometry or alignment problems linked to the underlying suspension defect.
Failure modes owners describe
Corroded and fractured lower control arm
Front lower control arms corrode severely (especially on driver and passenger sides) due to salt exposure, leading to cracking and fracture. One incident resulted in the vehicle veering off the highway at 55 mph and crashing into a tree when the driver-side control arm failed during a curve. Another owner discovered the vehicle undrivable with a cracked, corroded driver-side control arm.
When: 171,000 miles reported in one crash incident; 85,000 miles for loose control arm; cracking observed at various mileages
Symptoms owners cite: Severe perforating corrosion on control arms; Control arm fractured in multiple places; Rattling noise from front end; Front end wobbling side to side; Abnormal sound from steering wheel; Cranking sound when driving or hitting potholes; Vehicle veered off road at highway speed
Repairs/costs cited: Control arm replacement required; one vehicle had recall repair performed but control arm remained loose and improperly repaired (spray painted as if already fixed); parts unavailable for recall repairs at multiple dealers
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 16V387000 (Suspension recall) issued for this defect; manufacturer denied coverage on vehicle outside identified salt-use states despite owner providing photographic evidence of corrosion; dealer told owner to pay for diagnosis before manufacturer would reconsider; some owners reported recall parts unavailable for extended periods
Brake overheating and premature wear
Brakes overheat and wear prematurely. One owner reported brakes failing at 7,000 miles with warped rotors and overheating; another reported front brakes wore out at 21,000 miles and replacement set lasted only 27,000 miles before requiring service again.
When: 7,000–21,000 miles for initial failure; 27,000 miles for premature wear of replacement brakes
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pulsation at various speeds; Excessive vibration in steering wheel; Burning odor; Warped rotors; Rapid brake pad wear
Repairs/costs cited: Brake pads and rotors replaced; rotors warped from overheating; brake failures coincide with heavy front-end wear pattern noted by owners
Excessive tire wear
Tires wear at an accelerated rate, possibly due to suspension geometry issues and heavy front-end loading. First set lasted 24,000 miles; replacement Goodyear tires expected to last 70,000 miles only achieved 40,000 miles.
When: 24,000 miles for first set; 40,000 miles for replacement set
Symptoms owners cite: Cupping on tires; Rapid and uneven tire wear; Tires do not meet manufacturer mileage expectations
Repairs/costs cited: Original tires replaced at 24,000 miles with Goodyear tires; second set did not meet expected service life
CV axle and rear bearing hub failure
Right front CV axle bearing and seal defect required replacement; right rear bearing hub also failed and required replacement. Both failures attributed to manufacturing defects by owner.
When: Mileage not specified
Symptoms owners cite: CV axle bearing and seal failure; Rear bearing hub defect
Repairs/costs cited: Right front CV axle replaced due to bearing and seal defect; right rear bearing hub replaced due to defect
Loose or improperly repaired suspension components
After recall repair under Campaign 16V387000, one owner found the driver-side control arm still loose and spray-painted as if repaired. Passenger-side wheel was also loose and needed replacement. Front end continued to rattle despite recall work.
When: 85,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Rattling noise from front end after recall repair; Front wheel loose; Control arm loose despite repair attempt
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer performed recall repair but work was insufficient; control arm was spray-painted and remained loose; passenger-side wheel needed replacement
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall performed under NHTSA Campaign 16V387000 (Suspension); however, repair was inadequate and defect persisted
Synthesized from 14 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.