Kia Sedona (2005 and Earlier)

javadoc

Did you try ca@kia.com yet? That's supposed to be their "Consumer Affairs" email contact address. Or you can call them at 1-800-333-4KIA.

/javadoc

stever

We debated a bit about removing the researcher message - the hotmail account was probably a "throw-away" one so that if someone adds it to a spam list, future spam will go to a deadletter box somewhere after the project is completed. The poster's IP address from their registration appears legit, but we couldn't raise them.

So we've deleted the request and are going to have the sales staff contact them to see if we can sell them something :-)

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

yzf

Mjsu:

I agree with some of the other posters, don't let a bad dealer sour you on your choice. I happened to be driving on a local highway and saw a Sedona on the road. I can understand the appeal - its a sharp looking minivan!

Hopefully you can find another dealer. The one you dealt with is doing some things of questionable legality. Case in point, manufacturers don't have to mark major components of their vehicles under the Theft Prevention and Cost Savings Act if their vehicles are rated low theft. By law, manufacturers apply for theft rating (high or low) with NHTSA prior to introduction of the model. Based on six separate criteria, the vehicle can be rated either low or high theft. If a vehicle gets a "high" theft classification, the parts must be marked AT THE FACTORY. They can NOT be marked at the dealer. Your dealer is feeding you a line of bull. Secondly, if the dealer is reconfiguring vheicles, you should call NHTSA and report them. New vehicles must be accompanied by a Monroney sticker - that's the big sheet that's attached to the side windows of new cars with the price, features, options, fuel economy, etc. on it. That sticker is printed at the factory and MUST accompany the vehicle by law. Dealers are NOT allowed to take equipment out of the vehicle (that would make the Monroney inaccurate) or otherwise modify them so they do not conform to t he description on the label. Of course, they can add options, but then must supplement the Monroney with an addendum sheet listing what was added and the price of those additions.

Good luck and watch out for those crooked dealers!

mikeymike01

The e-mail address provided by javadoc does work. The address is: ca@kia.com.

I've e-mailed Kia at that address and have received prompt replies. I'm not sure who is reading and replying to e-mail requests because the replies I have gotten read like the Kia manual - broken English sometimes.

Kia.com sure sounds more legit than a hotmail domain. Why wouldn't Kia use Kia_Research@Kia.com instead of a hotmail account? Makes you wonder if the hotmail account is indeed Kia.

Kudos to our Host, Steve, for checking out the details.

excelent3

My much anticipated first towing experience took place today and the Sedona passed with flying colors, and begging for more. I towed an 1500lb Jayco Eagle 10 popup today about 100 miles. The 150lb tongue weight barely dropped the vans rear end, hardly noticeable. No sweat, the engine didn't even sigh...let alone moan or groan. The transmission if left in overdrive would definitely downshift at every slight little knoll in the road. You really have no choice but to disengage the electric overdrive, which is the proper way to tow anyway. My Toyota Previa gave me some lattitude in this area depending on the weight of the trailer. With this trailer I could have easily left it in overdrive, with minimal downshifting. Apparently the 5 speed Sedona tranny does not give you that lattide, at least at this stage of the game I'm at with 600 miles on the van, engines still very tight. Overdrive is just to tall, and even in low drive it fished for the lower gear at times. Power was never an issue, and I can tell you also the frame combined with the steel unibody feels much stronger and more rigid....A VERY SOLID INFASTRUCTURE. Absolutely no hint of body flexing. Tires also performed admireably, no rolling or swaying what so ever.
It took me about an hour to put on the no drill Hidden Hitch last night, a very simple install. Rolled bar construction, perfect fit into existing bolt holes, just remove the four bolts that are positioned in the frame and install. Hitch tolerance is about 1/2" below bumper. This hitch I would highly recommend because installed it is barely visible from the rear of the vehicle. They did a first rate job designing it. Excelent3

stever

To clarify, the research outfit was a third party one - not a Kia in-house department. Ergo, no kia.com email address or Kia IP there.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

philliplc

Just purchases an LX in Portland, Oregon - $18970 out the door, reasonable dealer experience. Not sure what I think overall yet, but it seems to be the best combination of warranty and features by far for someone looking to spend that amount and no more on a mid-size minivan. It will be interesting to see what happens with depreciation on these - hopefully it won't be too much worse than the competition. Considering Kia's reputation, I was pleasantly surprised by the general positive tone of the previous 500+ posts here.

My question is - is it normal to hear an audible click from the break pedal every time it is depressed? This happens in all gears, presumably some sort of break switch activating. Not heard this on my other vehicles, though. Brakes work fine, although they feel kind of mushy.

Thanks,

Phil

jimjps

The 3.5 Kia and Hyundai engines are most likely the same engines since Hyundai and Kia are really in the same organization. Hyundai has a long history of using Mitsubishi built or designed engines. I still believe the previous info that the 3.5 is a Mitsubishi design.
Regardless, it seems like a damn good engine and light years ahead of the pushrod relics they put in the big US vans.

excelent3

I noticed a clicking noise when depressing the brake while the van is NOT running the other day, however with the vehicle running is did not make this noise. It is probably a switch or relay. Being that it is brake (safety) related I would have that checked out.

marcolius

Excelent3: You are obviously a TowMeister. Now, when you talked about not using overdrive, specifically how do you do that? Do you start in 'D', and then at about 30 mph, slip into '3'? And then stay in that gear while on the road? Start in '1', shift to '3' at about 20? Start in and stay in '3'? Surely you can't be going 70 mph while in '3'; that'd be redline and trans damaging, right? Of course, one probably doesn't GO 70 with a trailer.

Also, what is the size of that hitch you described? Can I install one on my Sedona and use it for my 2" trailer-hitch bike rack? And do you have to be a TowMeister-skilled person to easily do the installation, as you described it? The hitch on my Aerostar got donated to charity along with the Aerostar. Poor charity.

philiplc: I have not noticed any clicking on my brake pedal, and I also would recommend having it checked. Had a similar problem after brake work on my Aerostar, though it seemed to actually be coming from the brakes. Brought it in twice only to get, "We didn't hear anything when we test drove it". Finally had the service manager ride along while I drove it, and he said, "Yeah...I hear that....Gee that's not normal." Of course it seemed to help that I had my fingers around his neck, snapping his head like a hooked tuna, and holding it out the window, while I shrieked, "NOW DO YOU HEAR IT, YOU MORON?!?!? DO YOU HEAR IT NOW!?!?!?!?!

Turns out they had forgotten to install some sort of retaining pin when they reassembled the brakes, so the cable/lever assembly bounced against the drum or whatever, when I stepped on the brake. Of course, they were very apologetic, offered to pay me for my time, gave me a free loaner, and sprang for a relaxing massage and a latte.

Nah.

Zilch.

excelent3

To address your questions:

Sedona has electronic overdrive which can be disengaged via a button on the left side of the shifter (located below the shifter release knob), at which time you will see a "O/D off" indicator light go on, on your instrument panel. Just leave your gearshift lever at the Drive position as you normally do. By doing this you disengage the overdrive, thus keeping the transmission turning at a higher RPM, preventing it from lugging, keeping it cooler. You will notice this by watching your tachometer. I think this is why the factory installed the Tranny cooler as a standard feature (located on the right front side of your grill, in front of the radiator). The 5 speed transmission will offer a "taller" gear ratio in Drive even without the overdrive engaged than a 3 or 4 speed setup. Again, I noticed that with the OD off, it was still downshifting, which was minimal.

The Hidden Hitch (http://www.etrailer.com ) is a Class II 350 lb tongue weight 3500lb capacity. The main feature is it has a 1.5 inch reciever tube. You need a 2" or Class III, thats basically the only difference between the two, is the reciever opening size. A Class III costs more (not much more) can accomadate your bike carrier. Aesthetically I like the smaller opening and the lower price, less visible in a Class II. You can buy an adapter for the Class II, which slides into the receiver, and has a 2" opening on the other end to slide your rack into. If I did not have a hitch on, I would go the Class III route and forget it. Drawtite and I think Dalaan both make a Class III for the Sedona, and U-Haul offers one also (Reese) I believe the Drawtite is a no drill application, ( I was quoted $134.00 ) and if you have a set of ratchet sockets you can easily install it yourself. Der TowMeister

philliplc

Thanks - getting it checked out today. Also noticed my brakes tend to grab at the end of moderately hard stops, particularly when wet. Also taking it in because I noticed one sliding door inside handle doesn't unlock the door from the locked open position, and rear dome lights don't turn on individually. Not pleased.

Phil

marcolius

Phil:
Bummer, man. Keep us posted. Is your dealer responsive, or jerking you around? And did you fiddle with all the light controls? You know, there's a master switch for the rear dome lights that has to be on before they can be controlled individually in the back. Same with the rear heater. They're both on the dash, on either side of the radio, I believe.

beav3

Well, it's been one week to the day and my Sedona has its new engine installed. I picked it up this morning. Seems to run great just like when I picked it up new. They said they don't know what happened to the original engine, except that it had an oil distibution problem internally. They said it's the first one they'd had a problem with and was probably just a fluke. I hope so. The dealer was great. They put put me in a rental for a week. Had the van cleaned inside and out when I went to pick it up. Of course no cost for anything. So, now I have a Sedona with 2000 miles on it and an engine with 100 miles on it.

philliplc

When dome light master switch is on all 4 rear dome lights go on and can't be switched off individually. When master switch is off, they are off and can't be switched on. Dealer has been friendly so far, although suggested on the phone that the brake click was normal - it's obviously not, and is actually loud enough to be quite annoying. Will let you know what happens today.

Thanks,

Phil

excelent3

Kudos to your dealership that took care of you! Can't expect more than that. AS consumers we should let the factory and dealership know when good things take place, not just when they treat us like dirt. Let the dealer and the factory know you were treated right. They appreciate it! You'll be the "brake in" expert on this board!

excelent3

Really opened it up today passing a truck on a two lane road...this thing really flies!!!!! Maybe I have a high strung van, I just can't believe the acceleration. No wonder my fuel indicator doesn't stay at "Full" very long, after 35 miles it's already dropping. MPG has not been anything to brag about here in the great north. Last tank combined was 15.4...pretty poor. I realize it's early in the game...cold out...tight motor..etc but I'de give up a little of this abundance of power for better fuel economy ) Excelent3

mcperr

Excelent3;
The Sedona manual states that 4th gear in the van is 1:1. Thus 5th is a true overdrive. Most 4-speed automatics have a direct-drive (1:1) ratio 3rd gear with 4th as an overdrive. Little wonder that the Kia's are so quick off the line with an extra lower gear. Should be great for towing.

Re: Leather Seats
Someone posted above that the seating surfaces are leather while the seat backs and head rests are imitation. This morning one of our van's headrests bonked me on the head when I pulled a sweater out from under where my thoughtful wife had stored the passenger-side two rear headrests of our Sedona. One head rest had a bit of material sticking out of where the metal posts enter. They are definitely covered in leather. Nice, soft leather, I might add.

excelent3

Hey, I'm glad to hear it, the more leather the better! What's your perspective on the back and sides of the seats? Hard to tell is'nt it?

korling

Just returned from a quick 190 mile round trip from San Angelo TX to Abilene. I was passing a car on the highway and when I looked down I was doing 95. Not a bit of shimmy or vibration. Of course my wife said slow down and I did. Whoever said the Sedona is under powered must not have taken one for a highway test drive. I do have two small problems though. I took it in yesterday because the check engine light stays on. (I know it's a gas cap thing) The dealer said I had over-filled the tank. He reset the light and I thought no problem. Then today the light came back on and stayed on and I haven't even put gas into the van since I got it back yesterday. Maybe I have a defective gas cap. Also my son pulled the headrest off the middle seat today and the spring in the retaining clip slipped. Now I can't get the headrest back on. I plan on taking the van back into the dealer on Monday to get both items fixed. Other than that, we LOVE our new van.

philliplc

Had a very positive experience with the shop at our dealership. It did take some convincing to get them to see that the loud clicking noise when the brake pedal was depressed while in gear wasn't normal, but they agreed to order a new solenoid, and took care of, or ordered new parts to resolve the other problems. Shop manager was very friendly, offered use of phone for long-distance call, and provided key blanks without charge when we asked. Guess any new vehicle would be subject to minor bugs - van is great otherwise - fun to drive, solid overall feel to workmanship. This should have a happy ending after all.

excelent3

I've posted previously that I highly recommend Lexol. I went to get a bottle at a leather shop (shoe repair) today and I was somewhat surprised at the the size of the bottle being so small (6oz) for $5.75, (I hadnt' bought a bottle in probaly ten years, because this stuff lasts a long time, loke everything else it has gone up.) I let the very well known and reputable owner of this shop talk me into a product called Meltonian Leather Treatment, a combined cleaner and leather conditioner. He said it does not leave a residual like Lexol does. The residual never really bothered me over the years, it did not harm anything such as my clothes. I put this Meltonian stuff on and it had a nice clean smell, soaked in pretty fast and dried. The next day I noticed my leather really did not feel any different at all, it still seemed dryer than it should. I went back and returned the product and today applied Lexol and what a difference! There is no comparison, my leather is much softer, more pliable and smells reeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaalllllllyyyyy goooooooooood!!!!

..............Lexol is still the KING! ....................

shouchen

Hi everyone. Thanks for the answers to my questions about the leather in the Sedona. My wife and I bought an EX with everything except the sunroof and spoiler on Saturday. Most things are very good, but there were a few inital problems. The biggest one is that there is a distortion in the windshield right where the driver looks when driving. The dealership has ordered a new windshield. The tires were overinflated and out of balance -- also taken care of by dealer. And the little lever on the driver's power seat was broken -- a new one has been ordered. It is good to know that the initial problems are going to be taken care of.

My first fuel mileage calculation, with about 95% highway driving, was 22.1 MPG. This should improve as the engine gets a little more use, from what I've heard.

I'm very pleased with the amount of power the engine has. I don't know what the reviewers where thinking...

The headrests are leather, as mcperr said.

And... I remember reading somewhere that the radio does not have a SEEK function. This isn't true. The two buttons in the lower-left corner of the radio (labelled "SEEK") perform the seek function.

Should I go ahead and put Lexol on the new leather, or is it OK to wait 6 months or so? Do I need separate cleaning & conditioning products? What would you do, excelent3?

marcolius

And where do you get Lexol? Can you get it at Wal Mart, or do you have do go to a leather specialty shop, Leather-Lion Tow Meister man?

Mark

big_guy

I had a chance to take a look at the Sedona at the local Auto Expo. I was pretty impressed. It seems to have all the necessary cubbies and cup holders plus it is a good looking van. I currently am on the last year of a 3 year lease with a 2000 Dodge Caravan Sport. We have had no problems with the Caravan to this point. I will be looking to replace the Caravan at the end of this year. My wife is the primary driver of the minivan and noted that there isn't any space under the back seats of the Sedona. There is space under the back seats of the Caravan. My wife likes to keep a couple of blankets stashed under the second row bench and keeps things like snacks for the kids, ice scrapers, snow boots, (we live in the Rocky Mountain Area and get a lot of snow and like to prepare for events where we may need to bundle up and have something to eat in case of an emergency). The design of the Sedona seats does not allow for any storage under them. This may take the Sedona out of consideration for us but we will see as the end of the year apporaches.

Just an observation that I wouldn't have picked up on but someone who uses the vehicle regularly did notice.

marklj

FWIW - I did my own oil change last week. I removed a blue oil filter with HYUNDAI written on it. Also mine took a full 5 quarts. The manual says some about it being 4.3, but I was not sure what the 4.3 was...liters, quarts, ???. 5 quarts puts the oil level just a fraction above the full mark on the dipstick.

excelent3

First, Lexol will not hurt a thing, only protect and preserve it! Put it on right way. You can go to the Lexol website and they will tell you where it can be purchased as far as retail outlets, again, any good tack or leather shop, Fleet Farm is mentioned on their site, Pep Boys, and Ace Hardware has it. I would also get their cleaner. I put Lexol on yesterday as previously posted. You won't be dissappointed! Wipe off the residual, it has a somewhat tacky feel to it at first but once it dries its fine, won't hurt your clothes. Marcolious, I like your name...it has class.....Ceasar Marcolius maybe?

newvan2

I noticed after test driving the Sedonna that the rear door is quite light and is able to pop my wife in the head...Has anyone had an experience with this door?
Also, I am skeptical of the price and the options compared to similar vans. I noticed the sliding door handles to be made of plastic. Any comments or broken handles out there. Other then this I am interested in receiving as much feedback about this vehicle as possible to help us make or not make our decision.
Any personal "crash test thoughts"?
Thank you

excelent3

Maybe they should have made the door heavier, might have made a great giuotine or what ? LOL

brenice

I recently e-mailed a complaint about the lack of temperature control for the rear heater. Per the dealer the air is just going to come out hot because its set with just a heater coil. I was looking for a solution along the lines of the front control where cooler outside air can be included in the mixture in order to keep the van's cabin area more temperate. It appears that the only way to do this is to open the rear windows, which may not work all the time due to inclimate weather and outside wind noise on the highway. Having to open windows in a "modern vehicle" is just not satisfactory in my opinion. Maybe if they get enough complaints, Kia may retro fit some type of control. If anyone is interested here is the e-mail address: ca@kia.com

wes19

I have also complained about the rear heater. and KIA is aware of the problem and will most likely correct it on future models.

This is the price we pay for buying a vehicle within 6 months of its introduction.

I just keep reminding my dealer of the situation and he keeps reminding KIA... and so it goes....

brenice

On my part I should have checked how the rear heater operated. I assumed that the temperature could be controlled. And you know what they say about assuming.

lagavulin

Hello. This is my first post to the town hall, although I've been following along for quite some time now. On Saturday, we take delivery of our new Sedona - Green EX with leather and sunroof. I ordered it December 28. I didn't expect it to take so long to arrive.

A question to those who have tried to get Kia to follow up on the uncontrollable rear heat problem: any luck getting it resolved? It appears to be a design oversight, but some of the previous postings seem to indicate that the dealer could either make an adjustment and/or order a part. What should I demand from my dealer when I pick up the van on Saturday?

marcolius

I for one haven't had any problem with controlling the rear heat, so it may not be universal. Tell 'em your concerns, then take it out and try it.
And please....
Is your sign-in name a reference to my absolute favorite of the heavenly nectars of Scotland?

excelent3

I have a Sedona which was manufactured on November 15th, 2002, as stated on the inside of the driver door. The single heater control accurately delivers the same temperature heat to the rear ducts as the front ducts in my van. I am wondering if there is possibly a damper involved in delivering the proper mixture to the rear. If so, it may be malfunctioning. I had a similar challenge in my Previa, cable was not functioning properly, result was excess heat coming through. I would bet this may be the problem.

lagavulin

Thanks for the info. I will certainly check out the heater operation when I pick it up.

P.S. Marcolius: If by "heavenly nectar of Scotland" you mean "moss water passing over rocky falls, steeped in mountain air and moorland peat, distilled and matured in oak casks", then you are an obvious connoisseur of the finest of single malts ... but I think that discussion belongs in another forum!

brenice

Can you control the temp of the air flowing from the rear vents? Mine only comes out one way "super heated".

excelent3

I just went and tested my rear heater. The front heat setting dial has no effect on the rear heater. Although, it is not terribly hot, there was not change when I turned the dial to coldest setting. I does however change for the front. I have a feeling since I have a later version they put in a colder thermostadt because my heater really doesnt get real warm like it should.
I will definitely bring this to the attention of my dealership!

brenice

I didn't think you could vary the temp at all. I believe this is an over sight on Kia's part, which I hope they will correct. After my last 300 mile trip and having to constantly turn the heat on an off, I finally cracked the back vent windows and was able to give my kids some measure of comfort. I also found out that if you sit next to the vent, it feels like its broiling you. Good luck.

excelent3

Definitely sounds like you have a higher temperature of heat coming out than I, and there is definitely no adjustment. Since my last post I have called my dealership and they are going to forward me the name/ number of the regional service rep for my area. I will contact him (I hope!) and post my findings. Excelent3

brenice

No, the dealer claims they don't have a fix, just that Kia is aware of the problem. Here is the reply I got from last e-mail to Kia and my reply to them: Thank you for your correspondence. Please review your owners manual on page 4-44 and 4-45 on how to operate the heater system. If you still have concerns please contact your local Kia dealership for assistance on how to operate your vehicle.

Paul, thanks for your reply. I have consulted the manual and the dealer. It turns out that I cannot control how hot or cold the air comes out in the rear. Per the dealer the air is just going to come out hot because its set with just a heater coil. I was looking for a solution along the lines of the front control where cooler outside air can be included in the mixture in order to keep the van's cabin area more temperate. It appears that the only way to do this is to open the rear windows, which may not work all the time due to inclimate weather and outside wind noise on the highway. Hopefully at some future date Kia may come up with a solution to this problem.

brenice

keep me abreast with what happens, I'm hoping that with enough complaints, Kia will correct this problem just to maintain customer satisfaction. If you have a number of somebody to contact please post it, I will be happy to give my two cents worth.

excelent3

Brenice-

I have been very pleased with my dealer and have stated so previously on this board, I realize that is not always the norm. Most of the time we consumers neglect to praise the dealer when we are expertly serviced, we are quick to only find time to complain when things go wrong. I am confindent that I will here from them and I will address this issue at that time, and how they intend to remedy it. This is an excellent forum with informative content that can benefit us "Charter" Kia Sedona owners. I would hope that Kia is aware of this forum. Excelent3

excelent3

I have just received and sent back my survey from J.D. Powers. It pertained exclusively to my buying experience with the dealer. Can anyone tell me if us new owners get a more in depth survey at a later date which may address problems, suggestions, etc.? Excelent3

brenice

I have mixed emotions regarding my dealer experience (the sales end left a bad taste in my mouth). So far I have not needed any real service (only two oil changes and a tire rotation) on the van (after 7,000 miles) It has impressed me with its performance and quality. I will be taking it in some time next month for some minor squeaks I'm hearing, and I will try to remember to keep everyone abreast of the quality of service I receive.

jlngwr

Yes, there is another survey that you will get regarding service. I don't remember the details, it's been a while. I received the second survey about a month after the first one. I didn't need any service in that time so I didn't feel like I had anything to contribute to this survey. I wonder if they send another survey later on - when I might have something to say!

excelent3

Yes, that is precisely my point. You would think that the "powers" that be would want to learn about any challenges, ideas, input, etc. from the consumer after they have had time to experience and evaluate the vechicle....lets say at 10,000 miles or so. You would think they would want to ask us what they could do to improve the vehicle. I certainly have a list of suggestions, and I am sure most owners would have some constructive input.

mikeymike01

I've been looking for a good, inexpensive digital compass for a long time. I think I may have found one in the "digital Compass" by SWC. This product is available at Sam's Club for under $10. I bought mine at Sam's.

I coudn't find the compass online at samsclub.com so you may have to check your local Sam's Club. By the way, on the back of the package it says Distributed by SWC, Bentonville, AR 72716. The UPC Code is 6-81131-40385-6.

The compass has a large, Indigo lighted LCD display and it has a virtual spinning compass. The display shows the heading in degrees and also with a one or two letter abbreviation (i.e., N, NE, etc.).

Set-up is easy. You mount the compass using the included Velco pads. Calibration is easy - you then do a 180 degree turn in your minivan or car.

I've installed the digital compass in my car ('94 Acura Integra) and it works like a champ. I plan to install another one in our Sedona soon. I'll report back on how well it works in the Sedona.

excelent3

Could you tell me why you enjoy a compass ?
I never considered one and am curious, aside from knowing what direction you are headed are there any other benefits? Excelent3

marcolius

Ex/leather/tow/meister/lent3:
Lexol website tells me that Trak Auto carries their products. There's one right around the corner from my house. (Walking distance, which has unfortunately come in handy a couple times during the Aerostar Era.)
And Marcolius was a nickname bestowed on me by a colleague while we were both stationed overseas. He had quite a historical and literary bent, and he liked the sound of it.
More than once, having a spare key in my wallet has saved me much time, money, and angst. Haven't gotten one for the Sedona yet. Did I read somewhere above that they don't make flat key blanks? Not sure I can fit that hunk of plastic on my regular key neatly into my wallet....
And...a compass? A cool gadget, man. I carry a fire extinguisher, a multi-head screwdrive, a crescent wrench, local ADC maps, and one of those aircraft aluminum head-bashing flashlights in my cars.

Mark