I bought a Kia Sedona LX three months ago. I don't have any serious problem with this minivan but i also observe that tyres are leaking air. What could be the reason? is anybody knows or have a problem like this?
I am restating my original post on this, but apparently no one has an answer. Do you?
"I have an EX-2002 Sedona , two tone black and silver. I purchased the mud-flaps and was going to install them myself, but they do not appear to fit. The dealer tells me that they gave me the right part number and checked it twice, but the flaps indicate that they are for the RIO (maybe the same part #). They are part #'s KL000-51-840 and KL000-51-870. On the two tone the front appears to have molded mud-flap as part of the side and there does not appear to be a place for the mud-flap and neither part seems to fit the back.
Anyone else had this problem or have advice regarding this problem?"
We have had our Sedona for 7mts. now. It has 6500miles on it.We really Love it. The only problems we have encountered are when it is first started , it dosent want to shift until completly warmed up.When you put it in reverse it hesitates/surges before finally going into gear. Have been to dealership they said a KIA transmission has to be fully warmed before moving it.
Doesn't sound right unless you have been having 20 below zero weather. Check your owners manual for the drive off/warm up procedures. Most say "wait for the airbag light to go off" which means the sensors have completed self tests.
Dealerships have trouble keeping good mechanics. Maybe that is the case here, of one who just plugs in the computer and thinks it will solve it for him. I think I'd ask to talk to the service manager. I've found that if you treat them the way you wish to be treated, they generally reciprocate.
You should not need to wait until the transmission is 'fully warmed' (however that term is defined - could vary widely) to shift into gear on a modern automobile. Your dealer gave you the easy answer in hopes you will accept the behavior of your vehicle as is. Be persistent and polite and make sure you indicate to your dealer that the current behavior is neither normal nor acceptable.
Steve! or any one who can help me out! Great site you have going. I've learned alot about my Sedona van from the responses. Help me out if you can. I've read a ways back regarding a few problems from owners having their windshields crack for no reason at all due to the fact that a defect in the glass and some or many have had the dealers replace them from Kia. I would like to know if possible where all the posts are so I have some proof to show the dealer and or Kia about this problem. Thanks Jeff P.S. I live on long island N.Y. and we just had a snow storm. While driving home from work the windshield developed a crack from the bottom center running up and curving towards the drivers side about seven inches. There is no evidence that anything hit the glass! It's starts from below the rubber molding and goes up. Thought I'd tell everyone before I call the dealer.
I have seen several posts related to this issue in the Kia Sedona forum, but cannot give you specific posts to refer to. Unfortunately there are over 2800 posts so far, so it might be time consuming to find the subject you're looking for. If I recall correctly, the dealers involved had no problems replacing the damaged windshields under warranty with new, thicker ones, provided that the damage was not caused by stones etc.
Someone, I believe jondot, just provided the post numbers for several windshield-related posts. They are back in the 2500s and 2600s. I bookmarked them for future reference.
Andrd I just came thru a bad snow and freezing rain storm this past week and had a probblem with the wipers icing and not cleaning the windshild. I had the defrosters and the wiper heat strip both on and still had to stop and knock the ice off the wipers. I,am wondering if that little deflector on the defroster vent is misdirecting the heated air to high up the windshield to do any good at the very bottom of the glass. I have the Kuhmo 798 tires with 22000 miles on them and they preformed very well during this storm. Havent had any probblem with them loosing air. Also I just bought the service manual from Helms. [ printed in Korea ] It has a lot of information in it but also leaves a lot out. I also want to get the electrical manual but it,s out of stock at this time.
KIA offers now a $1000 discount on 2003 SEDONA. I bought my 2003 EX just 3 DAYS prior to the announcement. CAN ANYBODY TELL ME IF I CAN REQUEST/APPLY FOR THE DISCOUNT? I really feel unfortunate? Thanks...Sam
had my sedona 6 weeks. i like it overall except climate conrol (or lack of control).1st- when i turn position selector to the foot mode w/ heater on, warm air comes out under dash(which is normal)but cool air also comes out of the windshield defrost vent.
2nd- also when using rear heat or air, the temp. selector is usless. either HOT AIR comes out the floor vents when r.heater button is pressed or when r.heater button is not pressed(using the A.C. mode)the only option i have is COLD AIR out of the upper vents. so basically when you get the temp. where you want it you have to turn the rear air off or it will get to hot or to cold. POOR DESIGN
road_master70, I haven't made those same observations with our 2002 Sedona. We've had ours since February, which means it's been through plenty of hot/cold/moderate weather temps. And I've never had a problem keeping the cabin at the desired temperature. We typically don't use the rear heat/air too much - usually just to speed the initial cooling/warming of the cabin, then we switch it off.
I will try to remember to check and see what type of air our Sedona pumps out of the various vents when the selector is in the 'foot' position. Cold air out of the defrost vents does not sound like a good design choice, but I haven't noticed that yet.
I have a 2002 Sedona and I don't have control over the rear-heater temperature except fan speed. I do have control of the a/c that comes through the rear top air vents.
Is this normal operation?
I also have trouble with my transmission. Most o the time it is fine, but often it will take a long time to change gears or even switch into another gear. I keep getting told nothing is wrong though it did greatly improve when the dealership replaced the PCM.
Not sure if this helps you, but in order to get heat from the rear heating/cooling unit, you must press the "RR HTR" button on the dashboard. The heated air comes out of a vent near the floor by the right-side 3rd row passenger's feet - it's a totally different mechanism than the overhead vents that blow the cool air.
Yea, I know there is a rear heat button on the dash and it works fine. I was just stating that I wasn't able to control the temperature of the rear heater, just the fan speed.
Seeley5060, I've been on vacation the past week and am just catching up. Try the Advanced Search if you haven't yet found those messages the other members were referring to.
I understand that your situation is normal. The temperature control knob does not control the rear heat. That rear unit is either on full heat or off. All you can control is the fan speed. We just use ours to heat the van up when we begin the trip and then switch it off. For us, once the van is warm the front unit does the job of keeping the van comfortable.
Arjay1 is correct. The reason is fairly simple. You need a cold air source to modify the temperature since the coolant temperature is (more or less) a constant at normal engine temps- hot.
There is no outside inlet air intake in the rear heat exchanger area to modify the rear temperature. The temperature control on the dash controls the damper to mix cold air with hot air coming through.
By the way, there are ventilation ducts under the front seats pointing at the feet of second row passengers. Those are connected to the front system and therefore supply the modified air selected on the temp control knob. I consider the rear heat supplementary. I've noticed that the design of that heat exchanger provides warm air faster from the coolant than the front system.
Hey All, I spoke with a Kia tech at a dealer about the cracking. His comment was that there was extremely hot air blowing on the windshield as soon as the van started up. In cold climates, the temp. differential would cause the glass to crack. Just like your mother told you never to set your hot coffee on the dashboard when you started your car in the winter. I haven't had a chance to check out the difference on the '01, but my '02 has little deflectors over the vents. Maybe this has been the fix.
When I recently went to the Auto parts store to buy an oil filter for my 2003 Sedona and my wife's 2000 Elantra they gave me the same oil filter for both. Knowing that Hyundai makes the Sedona I was not concerned. After changing the oil and putting on the new filter I started the van to check for leaks. Within seconds there was oil pouring from the filter. I checked it and made sure it was tightened properly. It still leaked after starting the van again. I put the old filter (made by Hyundai) back on and it did not leak. I've checked numerous auto parts web sites and they all recommend the same filter. Has anyone else had this problem? Should I just use the manufacturer's parts every time? Any input would be appreciated.
P.S. The only problem with the van was a squeaky drivers seat which the dealer fixed immediately. Other than that the van is a great value for the money. I previously owned a Dodge Caravan which had very few options other than air conditioning.
I pick out my own filters at the auto parts stores. I'd rather look up the correct filter in the book myself rather than trust the salesperson, who may not even bother to look it up.
What filter did the store sell to you? I'm curious to know if it actually should have worked (may have been a faulty sample), or if it was a completely wrong size.
everyone has seen the Sedona commercial where is says you can buy one starting at around $19k. Well i went to the dealer, and he came right out and said, for $19k your not getting hardly anything, not even 4-wheel drive! Now my point is this my girl friend bought a 2002 Honda cr-v with all wheel drive, power mirrors and locks, a/c cdplayer with cassette, cruise control, etc etc. and she Only paid $20k and some change..!!
So i asked the dealer, ok tell me again why i would go with kia again? Because there is one thing for sure kia's resale value is a joke! My sister had a kia and she couldn't practically give that thing away! anyone who has owned a kia knows what i am talking about. And there is always the Proven reliability issue.... I was just shocked that i could get a Honda, with awd and the options mentioned for $1000 more than a striped down kia with 2 wheel drive.
This is for Sedona problems, not Sorento complaining. Sorento does not compete with CR-V. A 4WD CR-V for $20k is a pretty good buy. But that doesn't make the Sorento a crap choice. They are very different vehicles with different strengths and weaknesses. E.g. Sorento has a 192hp 3.5L V6 while CR-V has a fairly wimpy 160hp 4-cylinder.
ONLY 32 more hp for 2 extra cylinders. 50% more pistons but only 32 more horsepower. Is it a dohc engine? Don't toyota make them celica's and matrix with a 1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve VVTL-i 4-cylinder (180HP!) and the kia is 3.5l? i guess it is a mildly tuned engine. Ho well. I just learned something new.. "peace, love, and recycle"
What's your point? Obviously, Kia has not squeezed as much horsepower out of its 3.5L motor as it could have, or as much as other manufacturers squeeze from motors of the same displacement. Yes, CR-V has only 32 fewer horsepower. But how much useful grunt does it have? What is the max torque and what does the torque curve look like? I may be going out on a limb here, but I'm willing to bet a couple bucks that CR-V has far less torque than Sedona or Sorento, or any other vehicle with a 3.5L motor.
If you crank your CR-V to 5000+ RPM every time you shift, the speed difference between CR-V and Sorento/Sedona will be much less. But that's not how I drive, and I think most folks don't drive that way. I like Toyota vehicles, but I have no interest in a 1.8L motor that puts out 180 hp. Sure, there's 180 hp. But it's still a dinky 4-cylinder with no torque. And I have no interest in 7000 RPM and the noise level and effort level associated with driving that way.
Sure, I wish Kia's 3.5L motor put out 230hp instead of 195. But the 195 isn't totally out of line with other recent 3.5L outputs - Montero's 3.5L has made 200hp for a while now. Odyssey's original 3.5L made 210hp, and I think that was only if premium fuel was used.
Yes, Sedona's motor is a DOHC design. Geez, I can't believe I just took 3 minutes to respond to your post.
Solid, attractive, Plenty of power, good value, best warranty, drives like a car, my wife and son love it.
Bad Points:
Poor, poor, poor Quality control. Good components, good materials used. Put whoever assembled it did a poor job, and no QC follow up to correct it. I have purchased 6 new Hyundai cars in the last 2 years, plus 1 Kia Sedona EX because Hyundai doesn't have a Van in it's American line up. What can I say about the Hyundai's? All great, normal correctable problems to be expected with a new car. The Kia line uses 2 Hyundai drive trains in there line up. The Optima which is the Hyundai Sonata, and the Sedona which is a similar drive train to the XG 350. This is not issue with Hyundai, I've bought a 2003 Hyundai Tiburon and Sonata LX, since I have had problems with the Sedona. Seat belt problems, Electrical problems, couldn't find out, put in new battery. Change my oil every 2000 miles. Went into another Kia dealer, he said you have a cam seal leaking, check it every day until part comes in. 2 weeks go by. Go to another Kia dealer, puts dye in the engine, I go back 2 days later, it is leaking like a water fall. It ran good, someone probably did not torque it down when installing in the Sedona, poor QC follow up. Since my wife needed a car for a couple of days, asked if the could give me a loaner, a Rio anything, or a rental car. No can do, Kia won't allow it. Rented a car from Hertz for a week, then replaced the Sedona EX with a new Sonata LX for my wife. The kia dealership said they would put a new Engine in the Sedona. That was the first week of October. I checked the dealer yesterday, they are waiting on head bolts. I told them a new long block doesn't need head bolts, the heads are already on it, ready to drop in. There is the start of the problem, I wonder if the same guy that assembles the Sedona, provides the correct parts, and sets up the electrical system. Serious QC problem. Same thing happened to Edsel, good car just improperly put together. It not the faliure of the components, it's the putting them together correctly. I will not let my wife drive this Van again, I don't trust my love ones in it. I'm not bashing the Sedona, it's just a machine that has a very serious Quality Control problem. I guess I should consider myself lucky, I was going to buy a new Sorento in January. Hyundai own's 51% of Kia, I hope that they can get Kia's act straight before it damages their reputation. If one of you Sedona fans are interested, my silver Sedona EX with TV and DVD and game ports and only 11,000 miles on it will be for sale, if I ever get it back from the dealer, I've E-mailed Mr. Chung, CEO of Hyundai and Kia in Korea with my request for a buy back, but as expected haven't heard back yet. The local dealership has been great, and were interested when I gave them the article about the weak alternator
Sorry to hear about your Sedona problems. Obviously, you have gotten one of the really bad units. I haven't heard anyone else on Town Hall with such serious and recurring problems. There's not much to say - you have every reason to be furious with this car, the dealer, the manufacturer.
On the other hand, most Sedonas are surely not having the same level of mechanical problems as yours. I wouldn't blame you for not wanting to consider another Sedona or even another Kia - a bad experience with a vehicle can ruin that make and model's chances with that customer forever.
One way of looking at it is this: if you were willing to try another Sedona, it surely would be a better specimen than your first one.
Bought a Hyundai Sonata first year they were in the States...great car, good value, nice features...but couldn't get away from the dealership for more than 30 days w/o some problem occurring...3 of 4 power windows replaced, 5x for a/c (in summer, in South Texas, door locks, reverse gear of tranny.
Sold the car when I was moving x-country. Xtended warantee was transferable.
However, IVO quality improvements, would say you got the "built on Monday" lemon.
I've heard various anecdotal stories about the day on which the assembly workers do their best job. Generally it's Wednesday. Do you think differences from day to day are still prevalent in plants here in the 21st century?
I have a 2002 Sedona, at 28,500 miles it started using a lot of oil.The dealer said it needed a new engine,Kia said if I can't show them proof of oil changes ,such as receipts they will not warrenty the engine.I do my on oil changes,I don't save my receipts from every thing that I purchase.What can I do?
Seems like it would be on Kia to prove that the oil changes were a factor in the engine failure. Your state AG's office could help you (most states have a consumer protection division with an auto expert around). The "zone rep" or Better Business Bureau may help too.
Failing that, you could escalate it with a letter from a lawyer with an affidavit from you talking about your oil change practices - that should get their attention, especially if you can find some receipts.
On the "Your Thoughts about Kia" forum, a guy who works with lemon law cases in a multi-state area has mentioned 1 Sedona with engine-related trouble. Other than that, I haven't heard reports from any Sedona owners of significant engine problems. Several folks have had the TSB performed for the cold hesitation, but that's about it.
Sounds like you are in for a legal fight. 28k+ miles is enough for Kia to be able to blame the engine failure on the engine oil, if they try to say you never changed it.
You might want to visit the aforementioned forum and catch up on some posts from zueslewis. He has had very bad experience with Kia not stepping up and making things right for its customers. I'm not trying to depress you, but thought the info might be helpful.
Here's an update with the the gasoline fill up our 2002 Sedona EX. Putting in the nozzle half way seems to fill up the gas tank more than putting in the nozzle all the way. But even with the halfway in nozzle, when the auto-latch on the nozzle kicks off the dispenser, the gas gauge still doesn't read all the way Full.
The only way to get it to all the way Full for us has been to "top off." Topping off is not good because gas can spill out onto the pavement. Being an employee of an oil company, I can tell you that not only is this a waste of gas, this is not good for the environment. The gas can seep into the ground below.
The lower plastic cladding on our Sedona EX is coming loose in some spots. This results in a small gap between the van's body and the cladding. I really didn't think it was a big deal, but I decided to bring it to the attention of my dealer when I was there for an oil change.
The dealer ordered new cladding and it is currently being installed under warranty.
Any one else with the two-tone paint have a similar problem with their cladding?
One last request: can anyone recommend a good replacement wiper blade?
Thanks for the info on cladding - I will look over our 2002 Sedona EX tonight. Separation there seems like a bad thing - dirt and other junk can get in there. I wonder if the metal underneath the cladding could rust quicker if the problem goes unfixed.
We haven't swapped out the wiper blades yet. Usually I run winter blades here in Michigan during the snowy season, but so far the OEM blades are working fine. It's the SPEED of the wipers that bugs me.
I have been away from the Van boards for a while and I got a little nervous when I saw this "Sedona Problems" board. I'm glad to see that it is not filled with problems. Many posts here are posted in the wrong place. Other problems are being covered under warranty--that is what the warranty is for. The oil filter leaking is not a Kia problem--he got the wrong filter. Yes, it is encouraging to know the Sedona has been out this long and it does not seem to be producing many headaches!
Hi all... I am a new 2003 Sedona EX owner. That van runs great, but I got a check engine light a few days after I bought it... The dealer had it looked at, and it came back with an random misfire code. They cleared the code and could not reproduce the problem so they did not do anything. They said if it happens again, let them know. Well I've got the check engine light come back on again about a week later and I bet I'll get that misfire again. Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks.
Well, 3 days ago I was filling up and was lucky to avoid a CEL... The pump kicked off 2-3 gallons before I thought it should, so I started filling again and after about another gallon or 2, gas started pouring down the side of the van. Not a ton, but more than the typical "I'm gonna round this baby up to the next-nearest $0.25 mark oops it trickled out a little bit" that I seem to do occasionally. This is a bad habit that I should break.
Yeah, it took a few tanks for me to quit. Now I just pay by credit card and try to ignore the price that the pump clicks off on (unless it's obvious it stops too early). Usually I can't stand it and round to the next nickel though :-)
I always pay by credit card and still feel compelled to round up. Next nickel would almost always be safe, but I am usually greedy and go for the next half-dollar. Sometimes that gets me into trouble. The upside is it compels me to ahve the vehicle washed immediately.
Blue - ironic that you of all people "tops off". Don't you know you're wasting money that way? Ever notice that when you start the pump the dollar and gallon indicator start moving before the pump actually begins to deliver gas? That's because the pumps are not super accurate. Oh sure, they work fine in a controlled fill to measure accuracy, but repeated stopping and starting of the pump is one sure way to make it inaccurate - and not in your favor I might add. And I thought you were all about thrift;-)
No, I hadn't noticed the gas pump behavior you just explained. I will need to pay more attention!
It does amuse me that people see me as some sort of spend-thrift or penny pincher. I am all about *value*, which is not the same as *cheap*. bdaddy, I saw your smiley wink, so I'm not taking great offense to your comments. But it does bother me to see that my perception around here is not quite consistent with my own views of myself re: automotive stuff.
Comments
"I have an EX-2002 Sedona , two tone black and silver. I purchased the mud-flaps and was going to install them myself, but they do not appear to fit. The dealer tells me that they gave me the right part number and checked it twice, but the flaps indicate that they are for the RIO (maybe the same part #). They are part #'s KL000-51-840 and KL000-51-870. On the two tone the front appears to have molded mud-flap as part of the side and there does not appear to be a place for the mud-flap and neither part seems to fit the back.
Anyone else had this problem or have advice regarding this problem?"
Steve, Host
Dealerships have trouble keeping good mechanics. Maybe that is the case here, of one who just plugs in the computer and thinks it will solve it for him. I think I'd ask to talk to the service manager. I've found that if you treat them the way you wish to be treated, they generally reciprocate.
P.S. I live on long island N.Y. and we just had a snow storm. While driving home from work the windshield developed a crack from the bottom center running up and curving towards the drivers side about seven inches. There is no evidence that anything hit the glass! It's starts from below the rubber molding and goes up. Thought I'd tell everyone before I call the dealer.
Good luck.
I have the Kuhmo 798 tires with 22000 miles on them and they preformed very well during this storm. Havent had any probblem with them loosing air. Also I just bought the service manual from Helms. [ printed in Korea ] It has a lot of information in it but also leaves a lot out. I also want to get the electrical manual but it,s out of stock at this time.
2nd- also when using rear heat or air, the temp. selector is usless. either HOT AIR comes out the floor vents when r.heater button is pressed or when r.heater button is not pressed(using the A.C. mode)the only option i have is COLD AIR out of the upper vents. so basically when you get the temp. where you want it you have to turn the rear air off or it will get to hot or to cold. POOR DESIGN
is this common among other owners?
I will try to remember to check and see what type of air our Sedona pumps out of the various vents when the selector is in the 'foot' position. Cold air out of the defrost vents does not sound like a good design choice, but I haven't noticed that yet.
I think your Sedona needs a trip to the dealer. Our '02 EX does not behave as you've described...
Is this normal operation?
I also have trouble with my transmission. Most o the time it is fine, but often it will take a long time to change gears or even switch into another gear. I keep getting told nothing is wrong though it did greatly improve when the dealership replaced the PCM.
Steve, Host
There is no outside inlet air intake in the rear heat exchanger area to modify the rear temperature. The temperature control on the dash controls the damper to mix cold air with hot air coming through.
By the way, there are ventilation ducts under the front seats pointing at the feet of second row passengers. Those are connected to the front system and therefore supply the modified air selected on the temp control knob. I consider the rear heat supplementary. I've noticed that the design of that heat exchanger provides warm air faster from the coolant than the front system.
I spoke with a Kia tech at a dealer about the cracking. His comment was that there was extremely hot air blowing on the windshield as soon as the van started up. In cold climates, the temp. differential would cause the glass to crack. Just like your mother told you never to set your hot coffee on the dashboard when you started your car in the winter. I haven't had a chance to check out the difference on the '01, but my '02 has little deflectors over the vents. Maybe this has been the fix.
P.S. The only problem with the van was a squeaky drivers seat which the dealer fixed immediately. Other than that the van is a great value for the money. I previously owned a Dodge Caravan which had very few options other than air conditioning.
What filter did the store sell to you? I'm curious to know if it actually should have worked (may have been a faulty sample), or if it was a completely wrong size.
So i asked the dealer, ok tell me again why i would go with kia again? Because there is one thing for sure kia's resale value is a joke! My sister had a kia and she couldn't practically give that thing away! anyone who has owned a kia knows what i am talking about. And there is always the Proven reliability issue.... I was just shocked that i could get a Honda, with awd and the options mentioned for $1000 more than a striped down kia with 2 wheel drive.
4-cylinder (180HP!) and the kia is 3.5l? i guess it is a mildly tuned engine. Ho well. I just learned something new.. "peace, love, and recycle"
If you crank your CR-V to 5000+ RPM every time you shift, the speed difference between CR-V and Sorento/Sedona will be much less. But that's not how I drive, and I think most folks don't drive that way. I like Toyota vehicles, but I have no interest in a 1.8L motor that puts out 180 hp. Sure, there's 180 hp. But it's still a dinky 4-cylinder with no torque. And I have no interest in 7000 RPM and the noise level and effort level associated with driving that way.
Sure, I wish Kia's 3.5L motor put out 230hp instead of 195. But the 195 isn't totally out of line with other recent 3.5L outputs - Montero's 3.5L has made 200hp for a while now. Odyssey's original 3.5L made 210hp, and I think that was only if premium fuel was used.
Yes, Sedona's motor is a DOHC design.
Geez, I can't believe I just took 3 minutes to respond to your post.
Glad you took 3 minutes to save my time!!!
Performance 10/10
Practicality 10/10
Value for money 10/10
Overall rating 5/10
Good Points:
Solid, attractive, Plenty of power, good value, best warranty, drives like a car, my wife and son love it.
Bad Points:
Poor, poor, poor Quality control. Good components, good materials used. Put whoever assembled it did a poor job, and no QC follow up to correct it. I have purchased 6 new Hyundai cars in the last 2 years, plus 1 Kia Sedona EX because Hyundai doesn't have a Van in it's American line up. What can I say about the Hyundai's? All great, normal correctable problems to be expected with a new car. The Kia line uses 2 Hyundai drive trains in there line up. The Optima which is the Hyundai Sonata, and the Sedona which is a similar drive train to the XG 350. This is not issue with Hyundai, I've bought a 2003 Hyundai Tiburon and Sonata LX, since I have had problems with the Sedona. Seat belt problems, Electrical problems, couldn't find out, put in new battery. Change my oil every 2000 miles. Went into another Kia dealer, he said you have a cam seal leaking, check it every day until part comes in. 2 weeks go by. Go to another Kia dealer, puts dye in the engine, I go back 2 days later, it is leaking like a water fall. It ran good, someone probably did not torque it down when installing in the Sedona, poor QC follow up. Since my wife needed a car for a couple of days, asked if the could give me a loaner, a Rio anything, or a rental car. No can do, Kia won't allow it. Rented a car from Hertz for a week, then replaced the Sedona EX with a new Sonata LX for my wife. The kia dealership said they would put a new Engine in the Sedona. That was the first week of October. I checked the dealer yesterday, they are waiting on head bolts. I told them a new long block doesn't need head bolts, the heads are already on it, ready to drop in. There is the start of the problem, I wonder if the same guy that assembles the Sedona, provides the correct parts, and sets up the electrical system. Serious QC problem. Same thing happened to Edsel, good car just improperly put together. It not the faliure of the components, it's the putting them together correctly. I will not let my wife drive this Van again, I don't trust my love ones in it. I'm not bashing the Sedona, it's just a machine that has a very serious Quality Control problem. I guess I should consider myself lucky, I was going to buy a new Sorento in January. Hyundai own's 51% of Kia, I hope that they can get Kia's act straight before it damages their reputation. If one of you Sedona fans are interested, my silver Sedona EX with TV and DVD and game ports and only 11,000 miles on it will be for sale, if I ever get it back from the dealer, I've E-mailed Mr. Chung, CEO of Hyundai and Kia in Korea with my request for a buy back, but as expected haven't heard back yet. The local dealership has been great, and were interested when I gave them the article about the weak alternator
http://www.autofan.com/forum_thread.asp?message=3268
On the other hand, most Sedonas are surely not having the same level of mechanical problems as yours. I wouldn't blame you for not wanting to consider another Sedona or even another Kia - a bad experience with a vehicle can ruin that make and model's chances with that customer forever.
One way of looking at it is this: if you were willing to try another Sedona, it surely would be a better specimen than your first one.
Sold the car when I was moving x-country. Xtended warantee was transferable.
However, IVO quality improvements, would say you got the "built on Monday" lemon.
Failing that, you could escalate it with a letter from a lawyer with an affidavit from you talking about your oil change practices - that should get their attention, especially if you can find some receipts.
Steve, Host
Sounds like you are in for a legal fight. 28k+ miles is enough for Kia to be able to blame the engine failure on the engine oil, if they try to say you never changed it.
You might want to visit the aforementioned forum and catch up on some posts from zueslewis. He has had very bad experience with Kia not stepping up and making things right for its customers. I'm not trying to depress you, but thought the info might be helpful.
The only way to get it to all the way Full for us has been to "top off." Topping off is not good because gas can spill out onto the pavement. Being an employee of an oil company, I can tell you that not only is this a waste of gas, this is not good for the environment. The gas can seep into the ground below.
The lower plastic cladding on our Sedona EX is coming loose in some spots. This results in a small gap between the van's body and the cladding. I really didn't think it was a big deal, but I decided to bring it to the attention of my dealer when I was there for an oil change.
The dealer ordered new cladding and it is currently being installed under warranty.
Any one else with the two-tone paint have a similar problem with their cladding?
One last request: can anyone recommend a good replacement wiper blade?
We haven't swapped out the wiper blades yet. Usually I run winter blades here in Michigan during the snowy season, but so far the OEM blades are working fine. It's the SPEED of the wipers that bugs me.
Steve, Host
Steve, Host
You've got to get off of your topping off jones,
It does amuse me that people see me as some sort of spend-thrift or penny pincher. I am all about *value*, which is not the same as *cheap*. bdaddy, I saw your smiley wink, so I'm not taking great offense to your comments. But it does bother me to see that my perception around here is not quite consistent with my own views of myself re: automotive stuff.