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Comments
Out of curiosity, I did email Kia Motors America shortly after we bought our '02 EX (in Feb 2002). I was informed that the factory fill oil was/is 10W30.
2) Make the fog lights brighter than 2 candle power and allow them to work WITHOUT turning the headlights on.
3) Make the automatic headlight sensor less sensitive or add a time delay. As daylight fades, I'm tired of the driver in the car in front of me asking why I was flashing my headlights at him.
4) Make the "panic button" on the remote a 2 button operation. I've woken up my neighbors too many times at 5 AM when it was still dark.
5) Add a compass to the overhead trip computer. Simple, yet effective.
6) Make the MODE button on the overhead trip computer larger than the hour and minute. After all, it is pressed much more frequently.
7) Keep the interior lights and headlights on for at least 15 seconds when exiting the van after you arrived at your destination and have turned the ignition off. The extra light helps when unlocking your house or getting passengers that require assistance out of the vehicle safely at night.
8) Make the delayed windshield wipers increase with speed as you drive faster. (Makes sense, doesn't it?)
9) Install a horn that isn't so whimpy.
10) Add turn signal alarms for those of us that forget they are on.
11) Lower the dashboard turn signal indicators to the bottom of the control cluster. Anyone over 6 foot tall may not be able to see them, or may have to adjust the tilt steering wheel to an uncomfortable position to make it visible.
12) Install an air conditioner that gets cold BEFORE I arrive at my destination.
13) Install a larger heater core so it warms up in less than 20 minutes of driving.
1) Make the interior lights stay on more than 1.1 seconds when entering the vehicle at night.
Yes, it could be longer.
2) Make the fog lights brighter than 2 candle power and allow them to work WITHOUT turning the headlights on.
I can tell when they're on...would like to be able to select them without headlights.
3) Make the automatic headlight sensor less sensitive or add a time delay. As daylight fades, I'm tired of the driver in the car in front of me asking why I was flashing my headlights at him.
Haven't noticed this one in 2 years.
4) Make the "panic button" on the remote a 2 button operation. I've woken up my neighbors too many times at 5 AM when it was still dark.
Don't have one...maybe that's better
5) Add a compass to the overhead trip computer. Simple, yet effective.
With the amount of steel in this van, not quite so simple.
6) Make the MODE button on the overhead trip computer larger than the hour and minute. After all, it is pressed much more frequently.
Okay.
7) Keep the interior lights and headlights on for at least 15 seconds when exiting the van after you arrived at your destination and have turned the ignition off. The extra light helps when unlocking your house or getting passengers that require assistance out of the vehicle safely at night.
I can go without this one, but it's common.
8) Make the delayed windshield wipers increase with speed as you drive faster. (Makes sense, doesn't it?)
In theory. I still think it will always be an art to figure out what is too faast and what is too slow.
9) Install a horn that isn't so whimpy.
Never used it. Makes chirp when I lock the vehicle- good nuf.
10) Add turn signal alarms for those of us that forget they are on.
I drive the car, not the other way around.
11) Lower the dashboard turn signal indicators to the bottom of the control cluster. Anyone over 6 foot tall may not be able to see them, or may have to adjust the tilt steering wheel to an uncomfortable position to make it visible.
Naw, heads up display would be much more effective.
12) Install an air conditioner that gets cold BEFORE I arrive at my destination.
???
13) Install a larger heater core so it warms up in less than 20 minutes of driving.
The HVAC system works fine for me in much less time.
Our 2002 Sedona EX is going to be two at the end of the month and has just passed the 15000 mile mark (no, I did not forget a zero, that's 15K). The van sees air temperature variances from about 0 to -10F all the way to 105F+ throughout the course of the year. It has been to out to IN, MI, PA and NY as well as plenty of time in and around urban and suburban DC. We have an EX with ABS sunroof and leather.
It has had two service visits, one for an electrical short in the driver door and one for the noisy A/C compressor (replaced).
The oil is Walmart 10W-30 SL from fossils. Doing my own changes with Trak Auto filter ($2.50), new drain plug gasket ($1.80) and the lab report ($19), the cost of an oil change is still less than $30. I changed the air filter at 12K.
Here is the lab report. This oil change was 11/22 and the previous change was 5/15 (or 6 months of all kinds of usage and weather):
The oil was in use 4328 miles, and all wear is at average levels and in the correct balance to show normal mechanical parts inside. Air and oil filtration (see silicon and insolubles) look okay. This was 10W/30 engine oil with no fuel, moisture or anti-freeze in it. The oil could have stayed in use longer! Try 6,000 miles for the next sample. [bold emphasis added]
So much for 3 months/3,000 miles, but I thought 6 months was a good general purpose/best practice limit. Coincidentally, I changed the oil in GM Ecotech-based sedan at the very same interval, which was based upon the oil change indicator in that car indicating the need for the change. Length of use and mileage would have been very similar, but I didn't pull the log to look at the GM mileage back in May. (It uses 5w-30.)
Also, we ran the I-95 gauntlet up to NJ and back one day this weekend for 400 miles - love this vehicle. Acceleration, passing performance, visibility, and comfort were all up to the ugly task.
I didn't want to rush into a review of my '04 Sedona EX until I'd had some time on the road. Well, 2mos later, I am completely impressed and still very surprised at the tremendous value this vehicle offers. Sure, It isn't quite as "cool"-looking as the Sienna or Quest, but all minivans, in general, are pretty dorky, IMO, so this point is quite moot.
I do like all the little things that KIA thought of that make a great deal of sense, like the auto headlights, the numerous storage compartments, rear 12V outlet, even the little band of elastic inside the glove box to retain the manual(ha!). The power sunroof is great and adds a little more fun to the otherwise mundane driving experience. I love the leather seats and the full coverage floor mats, and even the wood-oid accents on the instrument panel (they went a bit lighter on the '04 wood grain).
Some things I would've done differently:
- larger wheels than 15", at least offer the option
- put LED's around the Cruise buttons on the steering wheel so I can find those darn buttons in the dark and know which is which
-the chromed plastic trim(door handles, speaker bezels, etc) looks very cheap to me. The toyota has a similarly cheap looking black glossy plastic trim.
-The engine has plenty of power for me, but the MPG is obviously pretty low.
-why don't the fog lights work without the headlights? The best way to use foglights in fog is to turn OFF the headlights...hello?!
-add an external temp and compass to the trip computer
-as many others have said, make the doors auto-lock when the car is put in gear. I still dont understand the purpose of the doors relocking if you take too long to open one after pressing the remote to unlock.
I cannot believe I ALMOST spent >$10K more for the Toyota Sienna. Now, I'll just cross my fingers that this KIA thing has half the reliability of a Toyota.
oh yeah, and the dealership i used were liars and asses. I even watched one employee fight with a disgruntled customer to the point of "taking it outside". How poor!
Good to hear the results. My 2003 just passed 17k...wife has used it exclusively for long trips-I think 8k was our previous yearly record, but now we live 30 miles from shopping.
I"m using Mobil 1 and changing it around 7k.
Your analysis results make me wonder if the Sedona's 3.5L V6 is easy on oil in general, or you just happen to have an easy regimen, or your particular engine is easy on oil. Didn't sound like an easy regimen - 6 months in service seems to be plenty, sometimes too much, for plain dino oil.
I use a 5-50 Castrol synthetic.
At my last oil change I only got 4 quarts out.
I put 5 quarts in when I changed it.
I burned 1 quart.
My oil change interval at this change was
2500 miles.
The oil pas pretty soupy.
I think the culprit may have been the " high speed" driving I was doing.
Most of those miles were at 70 MPH on the interstate.
I may be that there is more blowby on the rings at those speeds, or maybe the PVC valve.
Other than the oil consuption the engine is very smooth and quiet.
Fule economy on this weekends 1,000 mile jaunt to the mountains was good at 22-25 MPG on several tanks of gas.
Lower speed of 65 MPG yeilds top milage.
I was surprised at good milage since we were running the snow tires now.
Glad to see you're entering the 3rd year with so few issues.
Steve, Host
Tank No. 20 to No. 23 involved a 240 miles interstate round trip plus a one hour idling with A/C on. I got 10 - 11 mpg in the city with a little bit of local highway milages. I got 13 - 14 mpg when there was 1/4 to 1/3 of highway milages. It is quite rediculous to see a tank of gas can't even run 200 miles in the city.
--------------------tank-------------tank----total--total
tank--meter--miles--gallons--mpg---gallons--mpg
1-----190----240----17.42----13.8---17.42---13.8
2-----430----216----15.04----14.4---32.46---14.0
3-----646----232----18.45----12.6---50.91---13.5
4-----878----250----18.02----13.9---68.93---13.6
5-----1128---197----14.51----13.6---83.44---13.6
6-----1325---250----17.95----13.9--101.39---13.7
7-----1575---251----18.23----13.8--119.62---13.7
8-----1826---242----17.08----14.2--136.70---13.7
9-----2068---232----16.52----14.0--153.22---13.8
10----2300---254----17.52----14.5--170.74---13.8
11----2554---198----17.07----11.6--187.81---13.6
12----2752---188----18.72----10.0--206.53---13.3
13----2940---261----18.62----14.0--225.15---13.4
14----3201---215----18.17----11.8--243.32---13.3
15----3416---185----18.10----10.2--261.42---13.0
16----3601---171----15.45----11.1--276.87---12.9
17----3772---223----16.08----13.9--292.95---13.0
18----3995---169----15.84----10.7--308.79---12.9
19----4164---168----16.51----10.2--325.30---12.7
20----4332----14-----1.92-----7.3--327.22---12.7
21----4346---114----15.04-----7.6--342.26---12.5
22----4460---257-----8.88----28.9--351.14---12.9
23----4717---225----18.85----11.9--369.99---12.8
24----4942---185----16.58----11.2--386.57---12.8
25----5127---196----16.71----11.7--403.28---12.7
26----5323---183----15.56----11.8--418.84---12.7
27----5506
Me, too!
The heavy weight and front wheel drive made handing excellent. Only felt slippage on one spot...pure ice coming down the Delaware bridge.
Only one minor complaint: Had to keep defog on high to keep side windows clear, and temps cranked up. Weather was so extreme that this was a minor inconvenience.
The drivers seat is loose and creaks and clicks when I shift my weight or push forwards and backwards with my legs.
The Dealer has fixed it two times and most recently replaced the lower unit including the seat cushion but it still moves and makes noise.
I am 6'2" and weigh 225 lbs. When I sit in the drivers seat my right hip presses against a metal bar that runs under the left and right halves of the seat cushion. I can press my thumb between the seat cushion and my hipbone and feel metal with little cushioning.
I tried sitting in a Sedona with leather seats but feel the same problem.
I tried a padded cushion but it didn't help much.
Is this a defect or just a lack of quality in the seat padding?
Any suggestions for a fix?
It would seem that a fairly dense piece of foam would help, but that's a pretty tacky and impractical solution unless you throw a seat cover over it.
Sorry this is a problem for you and sorry I don't have any suggestions. At 6-2, 225 it's not like you are some giant. That's a pretty common size person, and Kia should not be building seats in which people can feel the metal structure underneath the cushioning.
The idea behind the doors relocking after you unlock them and put things in the back is that people always put things in the back and then walk back into the mall and forget to relock the car. If you open anything except the back hatch you override this function. Adjustable option settings would be better.
I bought a Sedona 2004 EX with cloth seats, somehow the 3row seat does look like the 3 bucket seat. It's very uncomfortable for a passenger to sit in the middle due to the hinges that bother your tailbone. Has anyone had this experience?
Thanks.
yes, I have noticed "bottoming out" (literally) on the KIA seats, particularly when I sit in the 3rd row, which is just too annoying for me to do. I weigh 180#.
I imagine this problem will get worse as repeated sitting definitely causes cushion foam to lose it's integrity.
On a related note, there are add-on seating surfaces that work well, but look ugly. I own a hinged seat called the "Sacro-Ease" (available at every back store i have ever been to) which provides a fully supported surface which is better for your pelvis and back than any stock automotive seat anyway. I may buy a new one that matches my interior and start using it again if the cushion problem gets worse.
cheers
Steve, Host
Perhaps Kia is using a different model of Hankooks on the '04 Sedonas?
BTW, It might not have been updated, but I didn't see RH03's listed.
If they continue to wear this well, will probably stick with them when they wear out. I've been happy with both wet wx and snow performance with the RA07's.
Happy New Year, and a great year for driving in 2004 to you all.
My next inspection is due next month (January). I don't know if I want it to fail or pass.
The sticker on the 04 listed EPA mpg estimates at 16/22 (improved over the 15/20 originally listed), with the small print showing 13/19 for all city and 18/26 for all highway. These numbers are consistent with my real world experience.
I haven't been overly impressed with the wear of our Hankooks. We are at 30k miles now and I think these tires will need to be replaced by 40k at the latest. Based on the sidewall treadwear numbers, I was expecting better.
My estimate for replacement was 45K, which is still 30K away... yeah, yeah, I need to drive it more.
I would guess the sidewall numbers are relative to the weight and duty the tires get. The ability to leap off the line also wears the tires faster.
Just curious, are you rotating all 5 tires, or just the 4?
Tire Safety: Don't Ignore the Rubber on the Road
Steve, Host
Tires get resurfaced every time you drive them. They're rubber, not plastic.
During the purchase I was pitched the treatment packages; exterior and interior. Exterior was for undercoating which I've heard is bogus, and then add'l work to protect the paint and finish. Exterior didn't sound so compelling. Interior did though. They mentioned protection of the seats and carpet. Does anyone know if this is useful or a good value? We have the black EX w/ light gray leather and carpet and I would like to keep it as nice as possible for as long as possible. If not this treatment package does anyone have any suggestions on other types of pre-treatments? Thanks for your help!
The exterior stuff (besides undercoating, which can do more harm that good) is just wax. Not worth paying the dealer for it either.
Steve, Host
What I can suggest is that you come up with a plan for the exterior paint. It seems to scratch easily. I would find a car detailer or two and talk to them at length about this to see if they really know what they are doing and have them give it a first rate exterior waxing - or whatever makes sense.
Some other thoughts, there's no magic to this, despite the mystique the dealer plays up. I was not expecting the Teflon sealer for the exterior paint discussion I had with the dealer - later I was very glad I decided that my doubting left eyebrow - the one that curled into a question mark at the suggestion/recommendation- was right. Avoid that, too!
At the end of the day - the car performs a function most of us would rather not think about - to transport the occupants safely and securely. It's important to understand that the vehicle may be sacrificed (totalled) for that safety and security. None of this stuff really adds anything to that; it's an investment that is totally unrecoverable when the insurance company writes the payout check.
If keeping the seats in good shape and comfortable, and the exterior looking nice, adds to the sense of safety and security (I think it does), then by all means take care of those, but only to a point.
With leather seats, I don't think there's a whole lot that ANYBODY can do to protect them. You keep them clean with a leather cleaner and you keep them conditioned with a leather conditioner. Lexol is a great conditioner, but there are other good ones.
At first, I was skeptical of this notion but I have sorta bought into it. Fortunately, we put 15-25k miles a year on our vehicles so the tread will be worn out before the tires get too old. I'd hate to replace 5 year old tires that have half the remaining tread life.
Our 03 Sienna is also doing fine. It will be a year old next month and we have about 10,000 miles on it. No problems except for a squeak in the second row captains chair that was tough to identify. Gas mileage has been around 21 MPG in city/highway driving.
Hope all your miles in 2004 come safe and smooth.
Brian
Brian
If any of you could recommend a dealership (or to avoid one) I'd greatly appreciate it.
I'm also close to Rockland County, NY.
I didn't get to review ALL the postings. So what are the most noticeable modification from 2003 to 2004 model? Thx in advance.
* repaint rear decklid due to rust around chrome strip above license plate (common issue on early Sedonas)
* oil change
* tire rotation
* install new seat belt in middle row passenger side seat (part was ordered on previous visit)
* examine keyless entry poor performance
* examine hood for rust around front grille similar to rust on rear decklid
The total bill was 39 bucks - very reasonable for an oil change and tire rotation, especially at a dealer . They found no problems with the keyless entry, which was the only disappointing and annoying, though not surprising, thing. The rear decklid was repainted, and they also repainted the hood which I thought was great since I had only asked them to look at it. They must have agreed it was a problem! The seat belt was installed, although I haven't checked it for proper operation. The paint work has been tough to inspect due to the van being dirty from road grime and salt.
Overall, a thumbs up for Dick Scott Kia of Waterford, MI (northern Detroit suburb).