Kia Sedona problems

saabturboid · May 2005

Kiabuyerfool,

Sorry to hear you are so unhappy with your Sedona. FWIW, I have had none of the problems with our '04 Kia that you mention, other than a minor moaning from the A/C. We've never bothered to have this looked at since it doesn't really bother us, and believe it or not, the van has NEVER been back to the dealer for any repair since we bought it. It has been perfect. I've performed my own oil changes, which is the only maintenance it's needed. We've got 11,000 perfect miles under our belt. The only complaint I have is the gas mileage. We've never seen 20mpg, even though Kia claims 22 highway.

The only thing that is making me re-consider our purchase is this fire issue. If there is some sort of tendency for these things to catch fire I don't want my family to have anything to do with it. Quite frankly, I'm surprised that Kia is recalling the vans for an arguably minor hub issue, while nothing is being said about fires. I'd hope the NHTSA is all over this.

- Chad

skulbalski · May 2005

Not quite sure this is where the problem is located, but it sounds to be in the general area (rear passenger side). I have a 2002 Kia Sedona EX and LOVE IT! I currently have 65,000 miles on it, but after about 10,000 miles, a funny hollow whistling sound comes from the vehicle once it is warm and traveling at a consistent speed, generally above 30 mph. Does anyone have this same problem and if so, do you know what it is? I just chalked it up to a car with personality.

erikklein · May 2005

My 2002 Sedona LX also has A & B trip odometers. I know for a fact that the B odometer goes to 4 digits (maybe more). I use the "A" for mileage between gas fill-ups and the "B" for mileage between oil changes.

bucspasm · June 2005

I just got my '02 out of the shop last week for the throttle cable recall. Within a couple of days, I too "acquired" the low hum, accompanied by the feeling the emergency brake is on. And when I make a sharp right turn, the brake light goes on and off and the bell rings a couple of times, like as if I left the emergency brake engaged.
The e-brake is not deployed. Goes back to the shop Saturday. I certainly wished I had seen a site like this before purchasing this gas guzzler. CarMax was chomping at the bits to get this off the lot, I think. What the hey?

Beware of the infamous bad alternator. Had that replaced a week before last. I have 4,000 miles left on the warranty. My fingers and toes are crossed.

kiatech · June 2005

Service bulletin Engine Group 10

Sedona Vans built BEFORE 2/28/03 have an updated alternator issued to improve charging system performance at idle. It IS NOT nor will it be considered a recall. Its not an safety issue.

To have an alternator installed,only under warranty,under basic 60k,you must complain about discharge of the charging system at idle. I would use the excuse as follows. At night with the headlights on,my headlamps dim. That should be good enough to have the alt isntalled at your local dealership. Vehicles out of warranty will NOT have this done as a good will issue.

Enjoy the info.

Kia Tech

normanfinbar · June 2005

I also have about 40k miles, but my Sedona is a 2002. Haven't had any significant problems and haven't had any warranty work done yet. Kinda wonder about all the probs kiabuyerfool is having. Says it it is not driven much, only 40,000 miles in the last 17 months. Thats a lot of miles!! When would you have time to put it in the shop 15 times.

Norman Finbar

bluedevils · June 2005

kiatech, great info you are providing.

we have a 2002 EX with 52,000 miles that has been relatively trouble-free. Are you recommending that folks still under 60k miles, get the new alternator even if no problems have been observed with the original alternator? I have a short list of things that need attention at our dealer and would be glad to add a free new alternator to the list.

kiatech · June 2005

Reread the post again and make a decission afterwards. I just gave you the info and also how to make the complaint. What you do with it is up to you. Remember the ones that have already had their alt replaced,and it would be with the updated one,this info DOES NOT apply to you.

Sincerely
Kiatech

bluedevils · June 2005

I don't recall this topic being discussed much lately. Our 2002 had a 'repair' done by dealer several months back. Of course the paperwork from dealer does not detail what was done, and I don't remember the advisor having much detail to share with me verbally. The one part I do remember is they had to repaint the tailgate, which required removing the badges and either replacing with new ones or reattaching them.

I thought the fix was supposed to involve adding some sort of cushioning around/under the chrome strip so it would not rub on the paint any more.

Well, ours has now gotten much worse than it was before. Noticeable rust bubbling in a roughly 1 square inch area next to left corner of chrome strip and right corner of chrome strip. Obviously whatever was done, was not up to snuff.

Our van will be going back to have this addressed again; I'm just wondering if there's something specific I need to say or request to make sure the job gets done right. We already took the van back 2 times to have the new badges reinstalled, and still it's not done. I don't even remember why-- parts weren't all in the first time, or they came in but got sent back to Kia, or something silly.

jjinternet · June 2005

My 2002 Sedona is doing the same thing with both the brake and charge light coming on att he same time. I'm just wondering if anyone found out the reason why this happens. Thanks!

kiatech · June 2005

Most likely it is the result of the alt going to discharge. But the alt itself my not the be cause. The 120 amp fuse,the main fuse,if the cables to it are not tight,it will go to discharge resulting in you complaint,most likely. If all the circuits are good,i.e. wiring then most likely the alt is the issue and can be replaced under warranty provided its has less that 60K on it. If not,you will have to flip the bill.

With the sumer months coming on this is when the owners of the vans that I outlined in a previous comment will see the issue. Even if you dont and your fall under the umbrella of the time frame I gave for alt update,use the complaint that I stated and you should be able to get it replaced under warranty. Remember if you dont make the complaint about dimming lights,or as the above person mentioned,alt and brake light coming on,then the alt will not be replaced. You have to make the complaint.

Sincerely
Kiatech

jaywolf · June 2005

Spectraman,
Sorry that I took so long to respond to you, you could say I'm acting like Kia. You see, I was a little offended that you would doubt my claim. Even though it happened 3 weeks ago... it is still very fresh in mine and my two young children's minds. Not only was I a witness to the destruction of my vehicle along with thousands of dollars worth of property, but so were my three and six year olds along with about 20 other small children from the McDonalds play room. That is until a McDonald's employee evacuated the play room for fear of my Sedona exploding and thus shattering the glass of the play room. Fortunately for McDonald's the only glass shattered was from my 03 Sedona Ex. As to posting photos I most likely will in the very near future, but I warn you.... that they are not only informative, they are disturbing. Any family who owns a Sedona remember... this happened while the car was parked with no keys in it. Also, it has happened to someone else whose Sedona was parked in the garage in the middle of the night. Sedona drivers or should I say Sedona parkers beware. Hey Moms please think twice before you leaveyour kids in the car. I know most moms have strapped their kids in the car seat and started down the road only to remember that they forgot something in the house. You go back home turn the car off, leave the kids in the car, run into the house to retrieve the forgotten item. Please remember that it only took minutes to engulf my car ( and lets not forget the toxic smoke that also poured from the Sedona!) Also this car had twenty one thousand miles on it and was just inspected two months before hand. No fore warning of any problems and it ran perfectly.

pbud · June 2005

The radio/AC mount on my 2003 Kia Sedona gets extremely hot. My first trip to service proved futile because the problem could not be reproduced although the service tech had seen this problem. He indicated that a part corrected the problem. My second trip to service again proved futile as the service tech said that it occurs when the radio is playing because the mount lacks insulation. It occurs when the radio is on or off. The mount feels as if the sun has been beating on it for hours and hours.

Has anyone had this problem? If so, were and how was it corrected?

Many thanks,

Pat

bluedevils · June 2005

"Sedona Vans built BEFORE 2/28/03 have an updated alternator issued to improve charging system performance at idle. It IS NOT nor will it be considered a recall. Its not an safety issue."

kiatech,

I've read your post a few times but am still confused about which Sedona build dates qualify for the new alternator. Ours is a 2002 EX bought in Feb 2002. Don't recall the exact build date but it is obviously before 2/28/03.

Which Sedonas are eligible to have a new alternator installed-- those built BEFORE 2/28/03, or those built AFTER?

I can't tell if your comment means that the pre-2/28/03 Sedonas already have the improved alternator (i.e. NOT eligible for replacement), or if they have an alternator that is too powerful/aggressive and drains the battery too quickly (i.e. eligible for replacement).

bluedevils · June 2005

what do you mean by the 'mount?' Can you describe where that is?

Our 2002 EX's stereo front faceplate becomes very warm after 1-2 hours continuous use. I have seen similar behavior before on other vehicles and I do not consider it a big cause for concern. Your situation may be something totally different, though. Our stereo definitely cools down when not in use.

pbud · June 2005

The mount is the faceplate that lays on top of the lighter, knobs for the AC and heat, and the radio.

The mount gets extremely hot, not just warm. In fact, the Kia tech mentioned that the mount is now a faded black color where it gets hot.

Thanks

caldem · June 2005

Our Kia Sedona also recently caught on fire spontaneously. The keys were out and the engine started on its own! The car ignited in front of our 7 year olds school and began while my wife and daughter were still in the car. Luckily they got out, but they inhaled some of the toxic fumes. The fire department had to put the fire out. There were many children around when this happened and many people could have been hurt. The dealer has told us this is an insurance issue and not their responsibility. Jaywolf please contact me as many of the details are similar. caldem@pol.net

bluedevils · June 2005

This is getting more and more disturbing.

How many different Town Hall members have reported a fire in their Sedona? Are we up to 3 or 4? I suppose I could search through the thread and check...

jaywolf · June 2005

When did your Sedona catch on fire? Did you contact the nhtsa, I'm sure they are going to be very interested in hearing from you. They're looking to open an active investigation on the Sedona fires.

spectraman · June 2005

JW:

Under the circumstances, I understand your frustration.

My earlier post suggesting a link to some photos and other supporting documentation only had two intended goals:

1. To ferret out any possible anti-KIA trolling (which sad to say DOES happen in the anonymous world of the Internet for ALL car makers)

and

2. (and more importantly..... ) To doubly emphasize the possible dangers of a hidden defect in the Sedona model line. Nothing says it like a picture! Your post (along with supporting photos and insurance investigation report) may be the catalyst to alerting others who have experienced this to go to this website and file a formal complaint:

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

If an inordinate amount of similar complaints come streaming in, then the NHTSA will be forced to investigate. There's a current recall of nearly a million Ford trucks and SUVs for a similar spontaneous combustion scenario due to a faulty cruise control unit. Check that out here: http://www.ennislaw.com/ford_recall.html

Keep in mind that a good investigative report on the cause of the fire (which I'm sure your insurance company ordered) supporting a defect and not an errant dropped cigarette will be very useful in backing up your complaint.

I'll admit I'm a new supporter of Hyun-KIA, but not to the point of sacrificing people in car fires!

Please keep us posted here on this forum!

Thanks!

-SM

jenny93 · June 2005

Hello, new to the site, but I have been reading the posts and have been saying, "yeah, yeah, me too..." Especially for the rust on the tailgate by the license plate. We have a 2002 Sedona with 38000 miles and noticed the rusting about a month ago. We took it into the dealer to have the serpentine belt changed and pointed the rust out to them. They said we had to contact Kia directly. Haven't done that yet.
We also had a few electrical problems and I am wondering if it is the alternator problem that has been discussed.

bluedevils · June 2005

Contact Kia directly?! That's not how vehicle warranties work. What a load of b.s. It is the dealer's job to fix the problems. That is one reason why the dealer exists.

What exactly did they say that you need to tell Kia? Is the dealer claiming that this is not covered under warranty? I''m pretty sure there was a TSB about this problem and dealers should be well aware of it.

saabturboid · June 2005

Well, I've heard enough. One random fire could be passed off as a freak occurrence, however multiple fires on this list of only a small number of Sedona owners is telling. I can't believe Kia hasn't already issued a recall for this. Is it going to take a tragedy before this is taken seriously? Kia recently issued a recall on some rear axle problem that no one has mentioned as having on this list. Why aren't they dealing with what seems to be a much more serious, and seemingly common problem? Are they afraid to admit fault?

I refuse to put my family at risk with something that seems Kia could easily fix by recalling the vans and replacing the electronic component that is causing these fires. Because of these concerns I am selling my '04 Sedona after only 12,000 trouble free miles.

Part of my decision is based on 5 little crosses I see on the side of the road every morning on my way to work. A few years ago a different brand minivan burned there and 5 kids didn't make it out. My family will not befall the same fate if I have anything to say about it.

bluedevils · June 2005

I understand your concern. I probably should be more concerned than I am so far. But what's to say the replacement for your Sedona won't be a fire risk, either?

spectraman · June 2005

JW:

If you need some cheap (ie: free) and easy webhosting for your Sedona fire pictures, go to: http://www.freeservers.com .

I'm sure that many of us on here would appreciate seeing them.

Btw, has your insurance company issued a report yet on the cause? One other person's insurance said that a fire started behind the steering wheel in the dashboard.

-SM

erikklein · June 2005

I'm curious about something. This board has been around for almost 4 years and we're just starting to hear about fires now.

Why could that be?

Perhaps because it is only happening on late models??
Perhaps it only happens after a certain amount of usage (years, mileage)??

Can those who have information about such fires please post details of their vans (LX / EX, Options (ABS, etc) , Model Year, Date of Manufacture, Mileage, Outdoor conditions when fire occurred (hot/cold outside; using heat or A/C), etc.)?

Thanks. I'm a bit worried too.

richardson · June 2005

We have a 04 Sedona Ex with 14000 troublefree miles. Now I am also worried about a fire. I went to the government safety site and could find not one complaint about fires. If these are really happening to Sedona, why isn't anybody reporting them? Jim Richardson

spectraman · June 2005

Jim:

I *was* able to find at least two entries under the 2003 Sedona electrical categories on the NHSTA website. The stories sound like the ones from this website, so I don't think that they represent additional events. It does however seem to lend credence to the submissions on Edmunds as far as them being "real".

It will be interesting to see where all of this heads... if anywhere.

-SM

mnkids2kias · June 2005

I was wondering if anyone had any more ideas on the raw gas smell?

See my may post

keo829 · June 2005

Hello

I have recently found this message board, wanted to know if anyone has heard or had a transmission replaced. I have a 04 sedona w/17000 miles on it and is being replaced today at dealer. My engine was also replaced in Jan/05 at 12000 miles. except for these two MAJOR problems I have no issues with the sedona.

jaywolf · June 2005

Bluedevils comment is true, "But what's to say the replacement for your Sedona won't be a fire risk, either?" From my personal experience...KIA IS A HORRIBLE COMPANY! They do not stand behind their vehicles or 10 year warranty. True, they are not building Sedona's to catch on fire on purpose...yet their answer is "Inconclusive" therefore "Not" our responsibility. With today's technology I find it hard to be inconclusive. But I understand Kia's reasoning...let us screw the innocent consumer! Who cares if a handful of Sedona's catch on fire. Fires burn evidence...so...therefore we "Kia" are free and clear. So what's a few disgruntled consumers...what can they do to the mighty Kia? Well saabturboid if you never buy Kia again...lets let Kia worry about that because obviously they are not worried about Sedona's that catch on fire.

jaywolf · June 2005

we have/had a 2003 EX with 21,000 miles on it. The fire happened on a warm,rainy spring day. The van was parked close to an hour when the fire started. That day the CD player was used along with the wipers. I had no problems with the van, in truth, I loved my sedona. I thought I was driving an upscale cheap car by owning the EX. But now my opinion of the Sedona went from love to FEAR! Be afraid of Kia! I was just informed that my van was so badly burned that Kia is not responsible. Their inspector found the source of the fire to be inconclusive... therefore Kia will not own up to it. Be afraid, be very afraid... Kia recalls rear bearings because of 4 warranty claims, yet on this sight #584, #657, and #685 all have had fires that started in the steering area while parked. But remember, Kia is not responsible. I repeat be afraid!

jipster · June 2005

Well, if you are that "afraid"...do something about it. Consumer protection agency,BBB, whoever. Kia won't do anything unless they start to feel some pressure. A lawsuit is usually a good start. If the departed Kias remains are still available, hire a private mechanic to look at it.Who knows...YOU may save some lives...if the facts are on your side.

kiatech · June 2005

Okay,Seems like everyone is on the bashing bandwagon,from the last few post I have read. If you really dislike the car or any car for that matter,the best thing that I think alot of people would suggest is either start walking or get a bike. But then again those two things have risks in of thereself's. Now that I have either made a few mad or at least gotten your attention lets move on and address some of the above mentioned issues.

1.I to the best of my memory never mentioned anything about the face plate around the radio getting hot because of usage. Lets take a sec and have a look at the van you own and also lets use a few terms that I am sure you know. Your van is one of the best examples of what a greenhouse effect is and what it can do. It has 8 peices of glasss attached to it and is one of the best generators of heat you could ever find. Of course things are going to get hot. Look at the windshield. It heats the dash and all of its components very well. The faceplate's leading upper edge is in contact with the sun in just about every situation.
2. I have yet to see a single van brought into the dealership that has caught fire. I am not calling anyone a lier by any means. I have seen burned harness's before and damage as a result of a fire but it was created by the owners own ignorance. Lets explain that last comment for a minute. The power outlets are designed for very simple electrical things to be used. It is not meant to have a 5 pigtail adaptor hanging from it with 5 things that draw enough amps to make your local power company send you a bill. I have seen aftermarket add-ons cause more issues also. In my opinion,if it isnt a option from the manufacture,dont get it. Wiring harness's do not like things added to them that werent suppose to be there in the first place.

3. The updated alternator is offered for one reason only. During idle the alt would not charge because it wasnt turning fast enough because the pully is to big,in some cases. Engine's engine compartment heat also plays a role in it also. That is why the issue is seen more in the summer months. It does not have a single thing to do with the electrical fire issues that people are chatting about.

kiatech · June 2005

Laptops,dont ya hate them,lol.

The updated alt just has a smaller pully on it so that it will charge at idle. Thats it. Nothing special. I have mentioned how to complain about getting the updated version under warranty only so I will not go through that again.

4. Rust around the liftgate or anywhere for that matter. If its under warranty it should be addressed without having to call anyone. If the dealership has a bodyshop,then they can fix it or have it subletted out to a bodyshop for repair. It isnt rocket science. If you arent satisfied call kia consumer affairs or ask to speak the DPSM,when he comes back to the dealership. He visits once a month.

5. The warranty. Its a great warranty and if there is a issue,I am sure you arent telling use all the story. This is how the drivetrain warranty works basically. It is YOUR job to maintain YOUR car,not kia. If you dont do the maintaince on your vehicle as described in the owners manual and something goes wrong,its on you as the owner,not kia .Dont come in and complain the the motor has blown up because you as the owner didnt change the oil. I have seen it time and time again. The worse case was 32k on the engine and it still had the assembly line oil filter on it. Transmissions work in the same way,if you dont maintain it and something goes wrong,its not kia's fault,its YOURS. Every manufacture just about plays by the same rules as far as maintance goes. Do what you know your suppose to do when it comes to taking care of your vehicle and when a issue comes up chances are it will be taken care of without a single frown.

5. Yes there is a recall on the rearwheel bearings. The reason is as follows. Some of the bearings just werent packed with enough grease in them and or moister had gotten in the bearing creating rust and in turn both situations would cause the bearings to begin to roar after wear began to take place. I have seen roaring bearings but have never seen a single wheel locked up because of bearing failure.

Last but not least. I am just trying to shead some light on the situations that are above mentioned by people. Car is a car is a car .Everyone is going to have issues regardless of the manufacture. Some will freak out about them and others will take them in stride. if you think the high end dollar cars dont have issues your sadly mistaken. No car isperfect nor will it ever be.

Sincerely
Kiatech

saabturboid · June 2005

Hey Kiatech,

This is not a situation to make light of. This isn't just a mechanical failure that can be an inconvenience; people can die. I don't think anyone here is saying that all Kia Sedona's are fire death traps. We just want to know why three members of this list have had their Sedona's burn, and all similarly I might add. It seems they all burned after being driven and then parked. Imagine if a van started on fire in an attached garage after it was parked and them proceeded to burn someones house down.

If Kia stood up and took responsibility and admitted a certain component was defective in these vans, and then took the next logical step of a recall to inspect and/or replace said defective part, then I would keep my Sedona and have a lot more respect for the company. But, to claim the fire(s) are not their responsibility and wash their hands of the situation tells me they are more concerned about their public image than the safety of people riding in their vehicles.

For those with burned Sedonas, I have a question. Were all of them '03s? Perhaps a certain batch of what ever component is causing this was bad? This may be limited to a certain production run that could easily be fixed/ replaced by Kia. The rest of us may be worrying for nothing, but for our own safety as long as Kia refuses to admit anything is wrong we can only assume the worst.

Chad

kiatech · June 2005

Three members in this forum have made the complaint according to what you just posted. Over 50 thousand of these vans have been sold in the USA alone. I never said that there was or wasnt a issue. I just made the statement of what I had seen. I think you are taking the wrong approach to my statements. I did say that all the issues I had seen were customer created. Not manufactured created. I can only tell you what I have seen and I will tell the truth about it also. If I knew there was a issue,after what i have posted in here you dont think I would let the forums know. I would.
What I would suggest is the ones that did have the issue,post the dealership that the van was taken too.Post the pictures. Like I said,I have never seen one that has burned If the vans are burning to the ground I really do find it hard to beleive that no action is being taken. I for one would want it looked at.
Sincerely
Kiatech

bluedevils · June 2005

It is disappointing to me, but not surprising, that Kia is not admitting fault. It is much tougher, in today's litigious society, for a manufacturer to admit fault for a SERIOUS situation such as a fire hazard than to admit fault for something more minor like a wheel bearing problem - especially when no reports of injury have been received regarding the minor problem (I don't know if that's the case with the wheel bearing issue; I'm just trying to make a general point).

If Kia came right out and admitted the fire hazard, they would have some serious lawsuits on their hands.

To me, that's what it boils down to-- in today's society, the manufacturer feels it cannot afford to open such a large and potentially damaging can of worms - i.e., fire hazard. So they play dumb and say the cause of the fire was inconclusive.

Folks, if this is happening to you - you need to take legal action. There's no other way to go about it. Hire an attorney. Get advice on how to proceed, i.e. refute the dealer's/Kia's claim that the cause was inconclusive. Get to the bottom of it.

ksex03 · June 2005

Hi All,
I just found the rust around my gas tank where the gas tank cap screws in.
My dealer tells me that it's o.k. to have rust around it and it won't hurt the van.
It this true? Is it o.k. to have rust go into the gas tank like the dealer is saying?
Did anyone have this issue?

monty2222 · June 2005

I have a 2004 with 10,500 miles on it. Had it in about a month ago for road noise, a hum like tire noise. They ended up replacing the front right stub drive axle, and right rear hub bearing. That fixed it. They also addressed a check engine light which said Misfire in cylinder 5 (it did idle a little rough for a while).They replaced that spark plug. Now for the last few weeks I am seeing increased hesitation when I accelerate from a stop. When I hit the gas it either just bogs down for a few seconds and takes off, or bucks, then bogs down a couple cycles then takes off. This is a hazard pulling into traffic. Of course I took it to the dealer and it did this all the way there. But when they test drove it, it was fine. I re-checked and it was fine (no check engine light ever on this). I drove home and of course when I stopped at a light there, it did it again, and still does. I'm sure it has uneven acceleration even at speed, but it's just hard to notice, plus it will downshift which distracts from noticing the hesitation. Anybody else have this? I am suspecting a fuel system problem?

saabturboid · June 2005

Yesterday I read an article on fire problems that apparently Ford is having with some of their trucks/SUVs. Apparently in that case Ford has tracked it down to a cruise control switch that can malfunction. Even Ford has not recalled all vehicles with this switch, but only a few.

Another statistic mentioned in the article surprised me. It said there are 100,000 non-accident related automotive fires every year. It didn't say whether that was just in the U.S., or world wide, but either case that is an astounding number.

All of this has me a little unnerved and not sure what to think. In any case I am still going to sell my Sedona but until then it will be parked in my driveway and not in my garage just in case.

Chad

kiatech · June 2005

Production date of your vehicle .It can be found in the drivers door jam.

jaywolf · June 2005

Kiatech... Yes we all know that one of Kia's selling points is a 10 year "powertrain" warranty, what about the Bumper to Bumper? Doesn't 21,000 miles and 15 months old fall under "Warranty"? Call me crazy, but I didn't think steering columns were one of your normal replaceable parts. Oh, I forgot, Kia can't be worried about defective parts that cause fires, because they can hide behind "inconclusive, therefore not our responsibility". My insurance company settled this in a blink of an eye. Why? Because their independent inspector found the fire source to be an electrical defect in the steering column. I was called by "Kevin" out of the New Jersey office first thing on Monday after the fire on a Friday. I was still is shock and pretty much cried during the interview. He point blank asked me what I wanted out of this in the end. He also informed my insurance company that they were looking to give me a replacement vehicle. Sorry but, you couldn't pay me to place my four kids into a Sedona again. I settled with insurance. In the end, I will get my deductible back. The only issue I have is the rental. Kia should pay for it. But silly me, they are not responsible for flames shooting out of the steering wheel area. I guess it must have been a "Gremlin". Hey Kiatech, next Sedona you service, maybe you should put in a trap, you may make history by catching a gremlin. (At least I didn't lose my sense of humor, only money and security!)

jipster · June 2005

Why you jumping all over kiatech? All he did was give information and his experience on the matter. By all means be mad at Kia...but take it easy on poor ole Kiatech. Seems like he is just trying to help you folks out.

verama · June 2005

We got our 2005 Sedona in february 2005. It was been a great van, until recently. My wife told me that sometimes (maybe 2) when she turned it on, the engine would be accelerated and the Steering wheel was to hard to move. She turned it off and back on and everything was ok. We called the dealer and they told us if it happens again to take there. It didn't happen until a cuople of days ago, where because of the acceleration and the hard steering wheel she hit another car. It is a very dangerous problems since it could have been on the hwy or someone could have been hurt.
Has anyone had a similar problem with their Sedona's. It is ramdom and very hard to reproduce. We need to know how many out there could be having similar issues.
Thanks

monty2222 · June 2005

Production Date 2/04, I bought it 8/04. Hope this helps.

mvegas · June 2005

av@meetingcontact [av@meetingcontact.com]

Go ahead and open the attached e-mail if you want to see photos of the results
of the dashboard damage

jaywolf · June 2005

Spectraman,

A picture is worth a thousand words... My Sedona Fire is "real"
go to .... http://community.webshots.com/user/jaywolf8

It took this long to post the photos, because of my 03 Sedona I am out thousands, and I was looking for a way to post them for free. Thank god for webshots!

As far as your comment, "It will be interesting to see where all of this heads... if anywhere." If you own a Sedona and have children, you should "head " to your nearest non-Kia dealer and get a minivan that doesn't catch on fire while parked.

bluedevils · June 2005

holy cow. nice photos. just an fyi, some of your descriptions were truncated - you may want to go back and update them.

i am surprised at how much i was affected emotionally by your pictures.

hearing people talk about how their sedonas caught fire, even though i'm a sedona owner, somehow it was just talk and did not seem that serious. seeing the pictures, i had this almost shaky feeling come over me.

very sorry for the damage to your child's emotions and to the vehicle. hopefully owners can make enough noise to get kia to acknowledge the problem and correct whatever may be causing it.

please keep us informed of your insurance company's progress with kia.

Claires · June 2005

Scary pictures. As a few members mentioned before, I do hope you've contacted the nhtsa about this: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

ClaireS, Host
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Kia Sedona problems

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