Kia Sedona (2005 and Earlier)

hoyahenry · February 2002

Packing up to take to the open and winding roads of PA, NY and NYC over the next week. Just pushed over 650mi and need gas, so the next few readings should be in the post break-in phase. Will post the long haul comfort and mileage results when available. May also have some information on the heater performance in upstate NY.

tinman08 · February 2002

Well I officially have had my Sedona for 1 week(150mi). This morning getting into the van my son says there is a crack in the windshield. Sure enough in the middle of the driver side Wiper Blade a 10" crack. I go look from the outside and I dont see where a rock or anything has hit it. The crack looks like it started from under the trim and goes up. The Service Dept isnt open on Sat, but the manager says the service mgr will have to make the call on Mon if they will replace it. My insurance will cover it but I think it was from installation. Any one else developing a crack?
Also anyone getting more air noise from the Sun roof? The first few days no noise and now going 40+ with sun roof shut, there is alot more air noise.
Lastly, Be careful not to use to much force removing the Rear tail lense, I broke both clips.
I was just installing the back-up alert bulb.

A Florida Sedona

excelent3 · February 2002

Get a second opinion from a reputable windshield installer before going to your dealer. I suspect if there is no sign of a rock hitting it, it was a defective windshield from the start. Ask them if they have had other instances similar to yours. I seem to have some "air noise" also but it seems like my right side slide door is open when it isn't I don't think they have any sound deadening insulation in the side doors.

marcolius · February 2002

TowMeister:
Brought my poor neglected bicycle in for overhaul yesterday. Gonna get my fat keister out there this summer. Gotta put the bike rack on the van. I was looking over your advice on message #512, and I want to make sure I've got it right. Sounds like I can either put a Class III (2") hitch on the van and use my rack as is, or put a Class II (1 1/2") on and use an adapter, right? I found adapters easily on several websites.

And there's a small price difference and with normal tools and mechanical skills (I'm above possum but below chimp), I should be able to attach it myself, you think? IE, no welding? Maybe you could send me some carefully labeled digital pictures of the underside of the tail of your Sedona....bolt here, attach there....

I'm figuring that if I have any notion of towing in the future, I should just go ahead and put on the Class III. Never have towed anything, but you never know. My wife's more into Hiltons than Airstreams.......

excelent3 · February 2002

groth12345 · February 2002

Hi;

My friend may have to sell his Silver Sedona EX with just 3,000 miles (can assume 0% interest for 2 year loan). It has leather, sunroof and homelink. Willing to sell it for $3,000 under sticker. If anyone is interested they can email stevecevp@aol.com.

Thanks.

stever · February 2002

Try Edmunds.com's Used Vehicle PowerShopper at http://applications.edmunds.com/products/ups/, or eBay or one of the other sales forums out there. Town Hall isn't set up for ads. Thanks.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

newvan2 · February 2002

Does the ex come with floor mats for the front, middle and rear? My EX has mats in the front and middle, I am wondering if we are missing one row.

excelent3 · February 2002

You are not missing any mats.

lagavulin · February 2002

My EX came with a third row floor mat. It appears to be a factory floor mat because it is the same material as the first and second row mats, and it comes complete with cut-outs for the child-seat anchor points.

annam1 · February 2002

Hi everyone. We have narrowed the selection of vans down to the Honda and the Sedona. I don't need fancy, I just want reliable, safe and not to expensive to maintain. We drove the Sedona and it seemed like the exterior metal was thin and the inside furnishings, knobs, etc. were not sturdy. For those of you who own this vehicle, how has the interior been holding up? Has anyone had to return to the dealer for warranty issues? My husband thinks that Kia offers such a good warranty because they have to in order to entice buyers. Honda has excellent reputation and very good residual value but oh my, the wait for these cars! United Buying Service told me 13 months minimum. I'm leaning towards the Sedona.

excelent3 · February 2002

Well I guess I didn't get them either if that's the case. I'll be talking to my dealer about it.
There was other post regarding this same question previously. Maybe Canadian vans get the 3rd row and US vans don't. That would be strange to say the least.

Annan- I find the radio controls very high quality in feel, I think the heater control knobs feel a little light and plastic but certainly as good as my 2000 Windstar. They work very well. Don't forget the 5 star crash rating, Honda can't match that. I narrowed it down to Honda and Kia also. Read the Honda Ody board to get the real story. Highest maintenance/problematic vehicle in the Honda lineup. Kia did a supurb job designing this van, the warranty is offered to all Kias, it's not a matter of offering it as an enticement, but that they stand behind their product. If you don't believe this, buy the Honda with a 3 year warranty instead. I myself would much rather have a solid reliable vehicle than a great warranty. Most of us believe the Sedona will stand on its own, who wants to go in for warranty/service work all the time anyway? Their was a time when Hondas had a reputation for poor quality, back in the 70's the fenders were literally falling off the their cars. The Sedona has no inherant problems of any major concern. 500+ posts on this board verify the fact this is an outstanding first year model (in the US, 4 years overseas) .....immense value. It is the best selling minivan in Austrailia. P.S. Have your husband lift the hood of the Sedona, tinny? The Sedona weighs 4709 lbs, more than the Honda Ody, and the Ody is classified as a "full size" minivan,it is larger. I could have had my Ex Honda in 2 weeks, I went with the Sedona and have never looked back. Spend more, get more??? NOT. All the best :0)

bb8 · February 2002

I am in the market to shop for a minivan, went to visit the Kia dealer today for a Sedona EX test drive, sure enough there was none in the lot, got some brochure materials and went home.
Browsing through the list in the brochure, I found the brake is Front wheel disc and rear wheel drum, a 4 wheels disc brake is my preference, with this configuration in such a heavy van, I have one concern, Honda Ody has the same configuration in the last 3 years' model and was reporting disc brake pads needs replacement frequently, and was corrected to 4 wheel disc brake in 2002, just wandering if Sedona may have the same potential problem, the brake pads may wear out before 7k miles in city driving?

jlngwr · February 2002

Not being mechanically literate, I can only give you my experiences with vans and brakes. The Sedona has great braking, as good as any smaller car I've owned. In contrast, the Voyagers and Caravans I've owned had terrible brakes, even after just having front (disc) or rear (drum) brakes replaced! You literally had to stand on them sometimes and I was seriously afraid on occasion that I would not stop in time (and I don't tail-gate drivers in front of me). In fact, when selling these vans on my own, just after having brakes replaced, prospective buyers would comment on the poor brakes. Since both the Sedona and the Chryslers have disc/drum brakes, I don't know why there is this difference in performance. I had to replace brakes (either front or back, never at the same time) every 45K miles or so in the Chryslers and I do mainly city driving.

tinman08 · February 2002

From Post 603
The service mgr looked at the crack and he verified it as a stress crack and that it was covered under warranty. The interesting thing is there are 5 different winshields. The repair will be at the dealership but by a auto windshield company.

As for the sunroof air noise, what appears to be happening is when the sunroof fully shuts, the rear of the lid comes up. Well mine is coming up too much. There is a stopper at the front to stop the lid but something has moved the stopper forward. They will look into it at the same day as the windshield.

mom23girls · February 2002

re:annaml
I almost hate to say anything for fear of jinxing myself but, so far my Sedona is holding up great. The interior as well as the exterior looks as good as new.

excelent3 · February 2002

What's this about 5 different Windshields???

tinman08 · February 2002

The part department had 5 different versions. From what I was told, there are different tints, front window defroster, rain sensor. Mine has the defroster and the "tint". They had to order it. The service manager even didnt know that there were that many versions. As long it doesnt leak, I'll be happy...
Anyone order the Service Manual and wiring diagram from Helm? Are they any good?

akwilliams · February 2002

I am pleased I found your site before we made our purchase. I, like others, was skeptical about the quality of a Kia. I am impressed. Very solid construction -- which I suppose explains part of the 4700lb weight. Ours is a "misty blue" EX with platinum, abs, leather, homelink, and a spoiler (not by choice, but I can live with it). The dealer gave us all the numbers (let us take them with us). At the Ford and Honda dealership, we had to endure three rounds of "let me see if my manager will come down a little more." Then, when they found out we were looking at a Kia, they began to bad mouth the company and all of their models. When we left, I was convinced Kia had something worth giving serious consideration. I have not yet had the heater problem referenced earlier. Will turning it on and off periodically solve the main complaint? I am also curious about how the tires handle adverse weather. A carpoint.com review was critical of the tires. Has anyone had the opportunity to try a different tire?

excelent3 · February 2002

Congratulations on your new purchase! Those Ford and Honda boys are not very professional are they? Shame on them. You NEVER badmouth the competition, of course how many true sales professionals are there in the car business now adays.
To address your concern regarding tires, the Hankooks are in my opinion the better of the two, the others are Khumos. My experience has been the Hankooks come on the EX's and the Khumos on the LX's. This is what I have seen in the roughly 20 or so Sedonas I have seen. The Hankooks are impressive in my book, but it remains to be seen if they will produce respectable miles. They handle well, and have good side wall strength, offer very good traction in snow. No DOMESTIC new car I have purchased over the last 10 years had any kind of decent tire. I have read good reviews regarding the Hankooks so I am optimistic. The negative reviews have been on the Khumos, not sure footed on slippery or wet surfaces, spin out easily. With the power and torque the Sedona has, I scorch my Hankooks no problem on dry pavement! If you read previous posts regarding the heater, there seems to be a wide range of symtoms from no problem at all to excessive "scalding" heat. The consensus seems to indicate there is no actual heat temperature setting control to regulate the heat. My heat comes out warm, but not hot, and the single control setting does not affect the rear heat, but does the front. Kia is aware of this, and from what my dealer had told me will be addressing this, possibly offering to recall or retrofit an upgrade for charter owners. This would be the right thing to do to keep us early customers happy.

bb8 · February 2002

Tested drive the Sedona EX today, I am VERY VERY IMPRESSED. I like it.

I told the salesman I will be back Saturday to make a deal.

Can you folks give me some ideas what is a good price range to haggle, I want an EX with all options. Invoice + $, or MSRP - $?

Thanks!

stever · February 2002

Check out the True Market Value or click on the "What should you pay for a new car?" link on the main Edmunds.com page. Don't forget any ad fees or doc fees as you calculate your prices.

Good luck shopping and let us know how you do.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

treybrad1 · February 2002

I have no problems in saying that the Kumhos are far superior to the Hankooks, which dredge the bottom of the quality barrel.

-- November 30, 2001 -- FONTANA, CA KUMHO Tire USA performed well in Tire Review's 2001 Consumer Tire Brands Study. The ninth annual study was conducted via telephone by Babcox Research and asked 500 dealers one essential question: "How well do the tire brands you offer perform for you?"

Dealers were asked to rate the performance of each tire brand they carry on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) in a variety of categories, including product availability, line coverage, delivery, product quality, product innovation, fill rate and profitability. In the survey, dealers mentioned more than 100 tire brands, with Kumho ranking in the top ten in nearly every category.

"We didn't fare well in last year's survey, so we worked hard during the last year to make Kumho a more attractive partner to dealers," noted Mike Leverington, Kumho's director of marketing. "We've expanded our product line, our distribution system and our marketing efforts to dealers and consumers. We're pleased that the results of this year's Tire Review survey indicate that dealers are noticing our efforts, and we plan to continue working to earn their trust and business."

Following is Kumho's average score and overall ranking in each category of the Tire Review Consumer Tire Brands study.

Category Average Score Ranking
Product availability 8.3 4th
Line Coverage 8.0 5th (tie)
Delivery 8.4 5th (tie)
Product Quality 8.7 4th (tie)
Product Innovation 7.8 5th (tie)
Fill Rate 7.9 5th (tie)
Profitability of the Brand 8.4 2nd (tie)
Overall Average Score 8.0 3rd (tie)

and the Hankooks are much worse than average in all categories(or the bottom).

-- Jan 10, 2002 -- FRANKFURT (Reuters) Europe's largest car manufacturer, Volkswagen AG, has awarded Kumho Tire a contract to supply 200,000 tyres a year for the new Polo to be launched in the UK in February 2002.

The Korean manufacturer, currently ranked among the world's top ten tyre companies, has already begun supplying the 185/60R14 size of its Power Max 769 tyre to the German car maker.

Volkswagen's decision to award the contract to Kumho follows a rigorous inspection of the company's manufacturing facilities in Korea and a detailed examination of its highly advanced quality control system.

Although this is the first major original equipment supply contract Kumho has won in Europe, it is not its first association with Volkswagen; Kumho recently won an order to supply tyres for the Mexican-built VW Beetle.

Kumho is confident that the Polo deal will help to create wider awareness of the brand name and product range in the European replacement tyre market and anticipates that a high proportion of Polo customers will remain loyal to its product when they come to change their tyres.

Kumho's European Technical Centre near Birmingham was also involved in the development of the 769; working with the company's primary research institute in Korea to meet Volkswagen's exacting performance specifications for its latest small car.

Kumho UK managing director JM Kim said: "Kumho sees Europe as a key market for both OE and replacement products. We have invested heavily in our UK based test facilities to ensure our products conform to European standards and more than match our competitors in terms of price, performance and durability.

"This new association with Volkswagen will bring significant benefits for Kumho, particularly in Germany and in the UK, where we are rapidly building a strong replacement customer base for our high quality products," he concluded.

treybrad1 · February 2002

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/ecsta.jsp

Tire Rack is by far the best place to read tire evaluations and consumer surveys.

annam1 · February 2002

Where are people getting the safety/crash ratings on the Sedona from? The NHTSA web site does not have it listed yet. When I e-mailed them for this information they suggested I keep checking the site. To date, it is not listed.

excelent3 · February 2002

I bought my EX with all 5 options for just under 23K. According to other posts, others have done better. A great deal.

philliplc · February 2002

Noticed Kia is already advertising the NHTSA results on the Sedona page at their website (scroll down on the left)

http://www.kia.com/sedona/index.shtml

marcolius · February 2002

I got my EX with all the options for about 23,400. Better deals elsewhere, evidently, but they were hard to find in our area at the time, and 200 under MSRP was the best price I could find, ready to buy with a pre-approved loan.

As for tire reviews, I'm not sure a dealer survey or company press release provides the most impartial evaluation. I hope both brands give Sedona owners good service.

hoyahenry · February 2002

For some reason, the dealer invoice is not the same as listed on Edmunds. There have been hosts here on that issue, but no one has established why, as far as I know. It is $1000 greater than the Edmunds inv price.

That said, I got and EX with everything except the TT paint and spoiler for $22.6, plus tax and doc. That equated to $500 over "dealer invoice" (1500 over Edmunds invoice) invoice and $1200 less than TMV - but it was 12/31 when I drove it home.... I also got the 2.9% financing.

Given recent developments in the safety category, anything under TMV is gravy, but the $23K number referenced by Excelent seems right on. If you have to order the vehicle and wait, you may be able to do somewhat better since the holdback is fair game.

The most important thing, imho, is to insist on working with a dealership that wants your business. If you get the sense they're more interested in playing games, find another dealership. It seems like you should be able to save a trip and work this over the phone and via fax (to review and sign the sales contract.) I can't imagine anything worse than being in a dealership on the busiest day of the week, but that's just me.

marcolius · February 2002

Henry, I agree with you. I did a lot of phone and internet shopping when I was looking. However, in reading some of the posts by salespeople on the Inconsiderate Buyers bulletin board, it seems like they get deluged with fax requests, and don't always treat them seriously. They figure the inquiring person is using any quote they give to shop around and push down other dealers' offers. It seems there's no substitute for actually walking into a dealership when you're serious about buying.

It's a very amusing bulletin board, by the way; the sales people have lots of funny stories, and you can get a little insight into how they approach the customer.

And TowMeister, what's with #606? Have I stepped on your toes in some way? My veneration of your knowledge basis is sincere, and the inquiry was genuine, dude. Haven't found a web site with hitches specifically for Sedonas hitches yet, either.

hoyahenry · February 2002

I agree with you in general. The difference here is that a relationship with the sales person is established. The customer in this scenario should be able to conduct the remaining aspects of the sales process (i.e. close the deal - price negotiation and delivery date) via phone and establish a paper trail / confirm the results via fax.

stever · February 2002

This way to the Inconsiderate Buyers discussion. There's also an Inconsiderate Salespeople.... board too, lol.

Marcolius, I've reported your comments about the invoice price to the data people. Thanks!

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

excelent3 · February 2002

Major clarification needed! I answered to your post asking me about hitches and I had typed in this name reflecting on your wordage you used in that post. In good fun only. The body of the message never came through and I neglected to answer you back after that. Please accept my apology. I have posted numerous times that the Class to hitch made by Hidden Hitch #90995 is supurbly designed, barely noticable. Price: 109.95 at E-trailer.com.

Hope this clarifies things. Great to see all the exitement over the Crash Test Ratings!

marcolius · February 2002

Thanks, TowMeister
I figured you were just pulling my chain and maybe a spilled beer on your keyboard had shorted out the body of your message.

$109.95 I can certainly do.
No welding, I see from their product description. Any drilling, or can you use existing holes?

mom23girls · February 2002

I know that you lllooovvveee your Sedona, so when I read your Edmunds Review I knew it had to be an accident that you only gave it 2 sad little cars (next to the guy ready to invoke the lemon law)! The review went on to prove that. Oh well just thought you'd like to know maybe it can be adjusted to reflect your true opinion.

velvetelvis · February 2002

I have been actively searching for a Sedona EX for a few days now, passively searching for a minivan the past few months. The reviews by y'all and the value just can't be beat. Unfortunately here in Austin there is only one KIA dealer (a few others within 60 miles) All I want is ABS and Leather. The sales guy here told me that the only way to get ABS is with a sunroof. If any of you have been to Texas you know that there are only 2 weeks a year that it is actually cool enough (and not raining) to use one. All indications on the KIA homepage,etc. are that the dealer is not being straight with me. Lemme know if any of you have any insight into this. Thanks.

excelent3 · February 2002

Marcolious- you got style, and good humor, and yes I had one to many Wiezten und Doppelbachs. The hitch is a piece of cake "no drill" application. Just remove the two bolts in the frame on each side and use their screws to go back in (Longer) The rest is mounting the brackets provided to the two tow "loops". It's a little challenging...but even you can figure it out. Please note I went to U-Haul to have it wired with a 3-wire converter reducing to 2 wire. Cost 43.00 plus tax, not bad and its done right.

McMOM- Thanks for making me aware of the obvious error!!!!!! I hope I can change it, that Looks silllllly doesn't it ????

Velvetelvis- I wouldn't buy that line if I was a cokehead!!!! What a crock! Like previous posts have stated, move on to another dealer, get out of town! ABS may be more challenging to find down south.

excelent3 · February 2002

I have been trying to find this review for the past 20 minutes to no avail. Please advise where I find this. Excelent3

stever · February 2002

Excelent3, your review is at the bottom of this page:

Latest Customer Review.

Marcolius, our data people rechecked with their Kia contacts, who assures them that our invoice prices are correct. Maybe your dealer isn't showing you the "real" invoice?

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

excelent3 · February 2002

Thanks for forwarding the link, however I do not see anywhere on the page to be able to update or make a change, maybe you have some insight on this. In no way would I have ever rated this vehicle a two. Excelent3

akwilliams · February 2002

You can indeed get the EX without a sunroof and still get ABS. How do I know? We bought our car on a Saturday. We looked at three EX's on the lot and settled for the one with a sunroof and abs, I thought. When we got home, I realized it did not have abs. I felt a bit like a fool. We called the dealer first thing Monday morning and he agreed to swap the one we got for the only EX he had with ABS. It did not have the sun roof. BTW, the dealer did not have to let us switch. Under PA law, the deal was done when we signed. But, rather than give us any grief about re-doing all the paper work etc, they worked with us to make the exchange as easy as possible. We are not sure Ford or Honda would have --- at least not based on our experience.

pumpsky · February 2002

i just have to say this and most must be thinking it... ex3 do you work as a writer for a paper ??? and the hitching stuff ,this is a mini van not a horse!!!!! you claim to love this van but your review doesn't reflect that... and you owned all those expensive cars and now a sedona?? makes no sense to me. if i could of had a BMW i would have ,who are you fooling?? i enjoyed reading the postings but now i realize what is going on. a group of people patting themselves for buying a CHEAP mini van..pick.pick.pick is all you do. be happy with what you have. how i got caught up is i needed reassurance from people who own the sedona, it's a car and only a car... maybe you should get a family and GO HITCH YOURSELF i am outta here for good ,GOOD LUCK

stever · February 2002

Well, I'm not sure what brought that on. Anyway, Excelent3, I don't know the answer to your question about revising your consumer review. I'd start with the Feedback Form.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

excelent3 · February 2002

Bad hair day or what? I'm not sure I understand your comments nor will I try. LOL, EOM

hoyahenry · February 2002

Considering the recent experience of beav3, I thought I'd post this from the Ody problems board, fwiw.

#1593 of 1608 leaking oil/engine replacement by seeingred Jan 31, 2002 (06:08 pm)
I recently purchased a new Ody EX that immediately presented with an oil leak that requires a new engine to fix it. Apparently there is a NHSTA bulletin about it & it appears faulty casting at manufacturer. My vehicle now off road 15 days while short block engine is shipped across the country(long block denied). My vehicle should never have left the manufacturer, and now I need engine replacement and service work required. I had the car on the road three days and less than 300 miles.

akwilliams · February 2002

I noticed that Kia sells a bug deflector for the hood and a cargo net for the back. Has anyone tried either of these? If so, is the deflector a do-it-yourself package? Thanks for any information.

tinman08 · February 2002

I was looking into the Kia net also but I found one at Walmart for $16 that works fine and connects to the 4 factory hooks. It also contains 3 pockets and it comes with its own hooks.

.

marcolius · February 2002

Steve, you keep saying invoice price. I was referring to MSRP (see #629). Actually, I found the Edmunds data to be right on the money when when I was researching. Not many Sedonas in my area at the time, unfortunately. Should have waited until now to buy, but I wanted to unload my old car on the charity before year's end.

My guess is pumpsky spent too much on a car he's had problems with, and is sour-grapin' a little.

beav3 · February 2002

re:Hoyahenry
Thanks for your post on the Ody needing a new engine. It CAN happen to anyone I guess. The new engine is running great BTW. Beav3

excelent3 · February 2002

I have the bug deflector.I paid $70 for it at the Kia Dealership. It is an easy do it yourself install with a couple of clips, well designed, conceived, perfect fit, nice looking. Has the "Sedona" name on it.I did not opt for the wind deflector on the sunroof, there is no wind buffeting at all so I don't see the need.

Kia Sedona (2005 and Earlier)

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy