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Kia Sedona (2005 and Earlier)

1707173757688

Comments

  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    if you are having trouble, try pressing and/or slamming the seat back down into the latch-- pulling down on the top of the seatback might be the easiest way to do this. With our 2002 Sedona EX, I have problems when the seat seems to be partially but not fully latched. When the seat is fully latched, I generally have no problems and the seats come right out.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I'm sure the owner's manual has a standard graph of the various approved weights at various weather temperatures. All vehicle owners manuals provide this information.

    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.
  • navyairnavyair Member Posts: 202
    I use Mobil One 10 w 30. Have been using it in vehicles since it came out with no engine problems.
  • dishsnthingsdishsnthings Member Posts: 8
    i too use mobil one in the 10 w 30. i just did my second change at 8000 miles on the sedona. works just great. i always used it, including my 2000 sephia and 1993 dodge colt before that. as far as the seats, they really are large, heavy and very hard to load/unload, but i really like the seats and being male, i guess it doesnt bother me. really i dont take them out often enough to worry about a strained back. i must note that i have a very slight vibration, only showing braking from highway speeds to the ramp (i highway to and from work), i have made a few "light" panic stops, but nothing terrible. i think when the time for brakes comes, instead of kia rotors i will look into a heavy duty or vented rotor, perhaps bendix, or raybestos - any suggestions?
  • r2pnknhdsr2pnknhds Member Posts: 22
    i had the same problem with my 03 sedona when i first bought it, had it about 3 days, was stopped at a traffic light...when it turned green, hit the gas and on came the light, I was beside myself and totally pissed off when i got to work. I called 2 dealers, one wouldn't take me for 10 days! YES 10 days, and both told me to keep driving it as long as it didn't do anything funny?!!! well, i had only had the car for a few days how would I really know if it wasn't running exactly the way it should!? Anyway, they said it was a sensor and that i probably didn't put the gas cap on tight enough....I assured them i put it on tightly every time, guess they didn't want to trust a WOMAN...anyway, no problems since and I hope you have the same luck I did in it not returning!!!
  • jmcadamsjmcadams Member Posts: 2
    1) Make the interior lights stay on more than 1.1 seconds when entering the vehicle at night.

    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.
  • hoyahenryhoyahenry Member Posts: 399
    Good list. Some comments:

    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.
  • arjay1arjay1 Member Posts: 172
    I agree on the sensitivity, our headlights will turn on when driving under an overpass if it is cloudy out. I think the difference in other cars is the delay. The Sedona headlights turn on instantly when they sense a low light situation. There should be a delay to prevent them turning on under an overpass.
  • hoyahenryhoyahenry Member Posts: 399
    Well, just got back the latest lab results for the winter oil change here in the midatlantic, so I figured now is a good time for a status.

    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.
  • sedonathreesedonathree Member Posts: 4
    Hi,
    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!
  • navyairnavyair Member Posts: 202
    Hoya-
    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.
  • integradriverintegradriver Member Posts: 123
    Just finished the last (long) family trip of the year, and had to say that Sedona's are a lot more visible on the road this year. We started looking at vans about this time last year (OK, I wanted the Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring DVD that Kia was giving away), and we were hard pressed to even see a Sedona on the lot, let alone on the road. Saw plenty last week on the interstate between Delaware and Kentucky, even an identical blue/beige EX (and the tell tale blue glow of a TV in the back), and at about 14K mi (since April), I'm starting to feel better about our choice.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    hoyahenry, thanks for the analysis data. You also might consider posting your results on Bob is the Oil Guy's site. It's extremely specialized and I don't think the Edmunds folks consider it a competitor to this site.

    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.
  • smulveysmulvey Member Posts: 139
    I have 33,000 miles on my engine.
    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.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Thanks for the real world update. I love those. I also love the dead dino reports since I change at 7,500 miles with the discount store stuff too!

    Glad to see you're entering the 3rd year with so few issues.

    Steve, Host
  • thsu01thsu01 Member Posts: 31
    I live in the Bronx, New York. I have posted my Sedona MPG earlier. The follwoing is an update of MPG for my 11 months old Sedona (I bought it new last January). It appears that it is not going to get any better. Most of the time, there was only one passenger (my 4 years old son). The third raw seats had been removed (to save some gas).

    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
  • r2pnknhdsr2pnknhds Member Posts: 22
    in town I get maybe if i'm lucky 185 miles out of a tank of gas........pretty sad....when my husbands fullsize 4x4 dodge truck does better than my van on gas!
  • hoyahenryhoyahenry Member Posts: 399
    Glad to see you're entering the 3rd year with so few issues.

    Me, too! ;)
  • navyairnavyair Member Posts: 202
    For those wondering about how the van handles in winter conditions, I put the van through a major test last week. Drove up to New Jersey last Friday during the big snowstorm that hit the East Coast. My 2003 Sedona EX ran the gauntlet from rain, ice pellets, sleet, frozen slush, snow and high winds. Traffic on the New Jersey turnpike was restricted to 35mph.

    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.
  • jrush1948jrush1948 Member Posts: 22
    I have a 2003 Sedona EX with cloth seats.
    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?
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    We have a 2002 Sedona EX with leather seats. Soon after buying our Sedona, I noticed the same metal bar - don't remember how, maybe I was climbing on the driver's seat and my knee pushed down far enough to feel it. I thought it was odd - you shouldn't be feeling metal rods in a vehicle seat. But during normal use, my wife (5'5", average weight) and I (5'9", 180 pounds) don't notice it so it's a non-issue for us.

    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.
  • rnclemrnclem Member Posts: 3
    In the US, Auto makers are required to make the headlights be on before the Fog lamps can opperate.

    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.
  • ed39042ed39042 Member Posts: 1
    Has someone seen the difference of the 3rd row cloth seat of the sedona 2004 LX and EX?

    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.
  • sedonathreesedonathree Member Posts: 4
    jrush,
    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
  • dmoyerdmoyer Member Posts: 27
    Looking for comments about the Hankook Dynamic RH03 tire.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Look around Tires, tires, tires too.

    Steve, Host
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    are some/all of the new 2004 Sedonas equipped with the 'Hankook Dynamic RH03' tires? Some 2002 Sedonas had Kumho brand tires, and others had Hankook brand. Our 2002 EX came with Hankooks. If I recall, they are Hankook RA07 - note the word "Dynamic" is nowhere to be found on these tires, and the model is RA07.

    Perhaps Kia is using a different model of Hankooks on the '04 Sedonas?
  • navyairnavyair Member Posts: 202
    Hankook RA07's still listed as OEM for Sedona on the Hankook website.

    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.
  • thsu01thsu01 Member Posts: 31
    My last tank of gas (ca. 16.5 gallons) made 146 mile. This resulted in a MPG of 8.85 (city plus a little local highway).

    My next inspection is due next month (January). I don't know if I want it to fail or pass.
  • hoyahenryhoyahenry Member Posts: 399
    Just got back from the DC auto show. The 04 Sedona at the exhibition had the same Hankook RA07s that I have on the 02. It's going to be another 4 years before I have to consider replacements, but I sure don't know what would be better. They've been quite good. I've noticed some low speed slippage on snow that would be quite muted if the ABS were integrated with TCS. Not sure if it is the tires or the transmission arrangement.

    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.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    hoya, thanks for the update on the '04 at the auto show. It seems 16 city / 22 highway is closer to reality than the 15/20 rating on earlier Sedonas. Of course, some folks such as thsu01 aren't coming close to these numbers, which is hard to understand. I feel bad for those unlucky folks.

    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.
  • hoyahenryhoyahenry Member Posts: 399
    In my experience 40K is decent mileage for tires. The stock BF Goodrich tires on the Chevy are just reaching 50K and the wear indicators are almost flush.

    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?
  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    Don't leave your tires on your van for 6 years, that's too long. 3 - 4 years is about as long as I keep tires, they no longer have the suppleness of new rubber and will have poor grip in the wet or the dry.
  • hoyahenryhoyahenry Member Posts: 399
    Well, I find that hard to believe. Is there anything to back that up? Considering the possible safety ramifications involved, I'd expect that to be a more widely known suggestion, and the sidewalls to be stamped with "Born on" and EXP dates.

    Tires get resurfaced every time you drive them. They're rubber, not plastic.
  • huskyfan1huskyfan1 Member Posts: 2
    Just bought a Black / Gray '04 EX w/ Leather and ABS. I spent over 6 months researching various minivans and selected the Sedona for the value over the DC, T&C, Odyssey, and Mazda MPV.

    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!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Scotchguard the carpet, and use a leather treatment like Lexol occasionally on the seats. And pocket the $$$ difference.

    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
  • hoyahenryhoyahenry Member Posts: 399
    I concur with Steve. The Lexol has been a great find (something I learned of here, btw).

    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.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I'm a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to that kind of stuff. Interior and exterior dealer-applied protectants etc. are extremely overpriced and generally a total ripoff.

    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.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    In the past 12 months or so, I've heard a few folks on the Isuzu Trooper board discuss similar things about tire life - after a certain amount of time, usually several years, tires should be replaced regardless of how much remaining tread they have.

    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.
  • dishsnthingsdishsnthings Member Posts: 8
    Happy New Year all. Just thought i would write in today about an accident in my 03 Sedona a few weeks ago. I just got my van back yesterday brand new again. I thought people should know about my accident (not mine really). A car of high schoolers skidded out of a side street into busy traffic, and my van was right in line. My Sedona suffered a scratched bumper cover, cracked for about 6 inches and serveral small punctures. The teens were driving an 88 Thunderbird, and that car is now totalled. Yes I mean totalled. to this day i am still in awe ! i dont know the physics of accidents, but to explain the short way is to say that i was coming from six oclock and the kids came at me from the angle of 2 oclock. so it seems that the angle had alot to do with it. my Kia body shop was also in awe, no other damage to my van at all. the T'bird lost the entire fiberglass front end, damaged both front fenders and bent the hood where you could see through the windshield about 8 inches. thankfully none of the 4 of us were hurt at all. my thing is I FEEL SAFE ! when researching the Sedona and its safety ratings, it DID have the most expensive repair costs. my final insured bill was $694 = $331 for the cover, $150 for paint and the rest labor. granted this was not a "true head-on" but even so thank my stars the day i bought my Sedona!
  • navyairnavyair Member Posts: 202
    What was the estimated speed at impact?
  • fvpfvp Member Posts: 147
    Living in Pittsburgh, I read the article on the Sedona in one of the local newspapers and thought of you guys. It's been awhile since I've checked into the Sedona board and wanted to wish all a "Happy New Year". It good to see the Sedona is living up to your expectations as I am starting to see quite a few of them around western PA.
    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.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    Has anyone noticed rusting around the chrome grille on the front of your Sedona? I noticed this the other day on our '02 EX. It seems like a similar situation to the rusting around the chrome license plate strip on the rear liftgate. Our Sedona goes to the dealer on Monday so the rear liftgate can be repaired (repainted), and I'm going to have them look at the front grille.
  • briman2kbriman2k Member Posts: 20
    I noticed the paint wearing off around our front grill of our '03....The dealer installed an '04 grill to fix the problem. The '04 grill has a rubber seal around it to protect the paint on the hood, the '02 and '03 grills don't have this seal..

    Brian
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    Thanks for the reply. I'll mention this to my dealer on Monday. How bad was the paint damage on the hood around the grille? Did your dealer touch it up or repaint the whole thing? Did you have any rust developing?
  • jcrider2jcrider2 Member Posts: 46
    Having 35000 trouble free miles on my 02 EX van and comming into winter and a 2500 mile trip to Fl. I decieded to replace the tires. Checking with my tire dealer I found out not many 215/70/15 98H tires, other than Kumho or Hankook are aviable. The dealer told me safty wise he could only drop one speed rating so I went with a set of Michelin HydoEdge 98T rated 80000 mile tires. These are directional tires so can not be cross rotated. They ride very nice and the handling seens to be better than the Kumho's they replaced.
  • briman2kbriman2k Member Posts: 20
    No rust had started yet....the primer was just staring to show...I guess I got it just in time...

    Brian
  • killerkkillerk Member Posts: 55
    Hi, I live in Northvale, Bergen County, NJ.
    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.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    We picked up our Sedona on Saturday. Turned out to be a fairly pleasant service experience. Dealer had the car starting Monday and it was ready early Friday. List of items:
    * 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).
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