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A mechanic friend told me today that I could possibly have a wheel or 2 out of balance or possibly a bad tire. He said this is not uncommon in new cars. I will obviously check into both possibilities.
Jster381, please don't take the minor annoyances that I've had the wrong way. We love this car! As a salesman said to me a few weeks ago, "it's the best value he's seen in his 20+ years of selling cars." I know that may sound like sales babble, but when you look at what you get in the Sedona compared to any other new mini van you cannot beat the value! Plus I personally think it is a very "sharp" looking vehicle (if a mini van can look "sharp").
Like yolo posted, it is also nice driving a car that you don't see all over the highways. I bought a VW Golf GTI the first year they came out in '85 and look how that line has taken off! I am confident that my minor annoyances will be resolved. I haven't have the HVAC or door problems that have been mentioned in this forum.
frostbyte1, we also bought our Sedona in Leesburg and paid about $1100 under MSRP, also got a good price on one in Springfield, but liked the color and the sunroof on the one we bought in Leesburg.
I am going to get a speeding ticket in this darn van....it's just to much fun to drive...and man does it scream. When you floor it and let her wind out it has a slight pause in between gears, sounds just like you shifted with a manual. wonder why this vehicle does that. Now have 4,000 miles in 6 weeks and mileage is about 24mpg on the hwy on 87 octane.
We got a White one with the platinum cladding and grey leather interior ,all available options except the spoiler, ... its looks awesome. The sound system kicks butt, also enjoying the view from our new moonroof. This van is unbelieveable, I still can believe all of the features it has for the price. We paid $22,100 with 0% interest for 3 years... may start looking at Kia stock consumers are going to take notice of this vehicle and they have a new SUV coming this summer, may trade the other car for one of those... man talk about the "pink cloud".
We saved 7000 thousand dollars buy sayin yes to the Kia and adios to the Odyssey.. as Bogie once said "this could be the start of a wonderful friendship"..
It hasn't been to cold here in the burg, but I keep the heat on our feet and run the rear heater and eventually it does warm up and when it does, it gets hot!
I've put 600 miles in a week and a half and am getting 17 miles a gallon. Mostly in town, two long trips of about 150 miles round trip, Interstate. It is a pleasure to drive. So much nicer than the conversion van I had previously.
I do have a sound in the box where the gear shift is. When I took it to the dealer they said it was the mechanism that prevents the shift from engaging until the brake is pushed down and is a noise not to worry about. It sounds when I push down on the brake and get into gear. Brakes are performing fine and the noise is not bothersome but I did want to know what it was.
Is that not the best feeling next to driving the van? (and looking at the moon! Try that in an ody....) So does the price diff include the '$1000 who would leave the Honda dealer without it?' extended warranty and the 'you can't tow without it' $1000 tow package? Just curious.
Annam1: Thanks for the compliment, I think
I still have the intermittent break click, which the dealer could not reproduce and neither could I, consistently anyway. Based upon earlier posts here and the fact that I have my reservations about the post-fix consequences of having the dealer attempt to repair it, I have deferred any further action except to keep an eye on it.
As for extended warranty they wanted another $1300 .. SO lets see $32000 plus $1600 for taxes and 6% interest for 5 years... yikes ..looking more like 38000 for a minivan from our pals at Honda... I revise my figures... make that $16000 dollars saved buying the Kia... think I'll light a cigar !!
http://www.portabledvdstore.com/sustheatsys.html
Not sure what I plan to do yet... may buy a Sony Playstation 2, it also plays DVDs as well as the games , only costs $299. Then look for a 9 inch TV and I've seen those consoles to fit em in...
Then just buy converters for the power feeds.
Can buy more cigars with the change..LOL
Most manufacturers' holdback programs are a fixed percentage of either invoice or MSRP; they are not a fixed dollar amount (e.g. $500).
Many of the problems being reported by owners (e.g. gas pedal is too close) are not actual defects with a specific van. They are things that, for better or worse, were designed that way. These things are still "problems" but they're simply problems of a different nature. A problem with the design bothers me less in the long-term than an actual defect. A thorough consumer can learn about most of the design problems ahead of time; the things that break down over time are the real unknown.
I don't think the number of defects being reported here is very high, even considering this is a first-year model.
Am I still concerned about the long-term reliability of the Sedona? Yes. This is a very important factor in my car-buying decisions. However, I am confident that the Sedona will hold up fairly well, if not better, over the long haul. And the long warranty eased my concerns enough that I was willing to buy a Sedona.
The Sedona is wearing on me. I will NEVER buy a first year vehicle again (last one was a 95 WS - don't get me started), so if I buy one it will be model year 2003. I am a little concerned about the space behind the third seat - we REGULARLY haul five kids and their "stuff" to soccer/hockey/gymnastics/whatever. The bigger issue I have is simply longevity. Sorry Kia posters - history is NOT on your side here. They are, however, offering a very good warranty - which does help.
The Auto Show will be in Minneapolis starting March 9... We will do lots of "crawling" around at that time.
Again, Thanks for your information!
2004 Honda Accord EX-L Graphite Pearl
2007 Honda Civic EX - Atomic Blue
2013 Honda Civic LX - Crimson Pearl
dmslittle-
Have only seen one EX with cloth, and it didn't have ABS. Almost all EX's I've seen in VA have everything except spoiler. Personally, I could live without a moonroof, but it appears that to get ABS, I'll get that, homelink,& leather...and still save $.
To:Dmslittle, it is nearly impossible to combine cloth with other worldly extras on the EX. It seems that the leather is a standard extra?
To Bluedevils: Nice to see someone else has noticed the conjoined gas and brake pedal. I did not see other posts regarding this. I have found if I position my right leg differently then I am normally accustomed then the pedal seems farther. I position my leg more to the right and straight on to the pedal....good luck....I am giving free pedal lessons if you are ever in the Chicagoland area.
To All: I am still looking for other sliding door problems.. After close inspection the rear sliders are engineered differently. Maybe one of the engineers on this board can give me an analysis of the workings of the door!
And for Last: How does one know this difference between a design defect and a defective part of the van?
Oh one more thing:::::Have you noticed the paint thinning around the door edges and seams. I have parts that appear to be showing raw metal with some paint overspray?
Thanks
With the rear seat in this position, there are 21" of clearance between the door and the seat at the pivot point above the frame and hand hold. There are 16" between the seat frame handle and the rear door - can't change that of course. We have an average size stroller that is 19" wide outside wheel to outside wheel. Folded flat, it fits mostly flat, riding on top of the rear seat frame handle. Also note that the carpet is not the end of the cargo area. 3.5" of plastic are exposed when the rear hatch is closed. Of course, the seats ride at an angle and the door angles up to the top. Essentially there is little space, if any, between the head rest and the rear window in the fully slid back position. I have noticed that the Sienna rear seat and others have a similar looking fit vis-a-vis the rear hatch.
No sliding door issues on our EX. Each side closes with the expected zip and solid thunk sounds in the correct order. No thinning paint is visible around door edges.
Based upon your description, the passenger side door does not close properly. This should be demonstrable by using another vehicle to compare the action and sounds. If so, it is defective and should be covered by the warranty. I would not take the van back to the same dealership. I would call the service manager of another dealer and explain that you are having some problems with a new Sedona and that you would like to make an appointment with him/her personally to go over your list of issues/concerns. Do not provide the list/too much detail in advance if at all possible. They may be able to provide a more objective assessment of what is going on with your vehicle. Take pictures - get out the video camera, etc. Document -get everything in writing from now on.
Just providing another "data point" re: the sliding rear door topic...
BTW, when is the engine considered "loosened up" regarding gas mileage? I have almost 5K on mine and still getting the same gas mileage.
Here goes ! Long story short; got verbal deal on phone with Mgr. for $500 off LX on Sat.(if salesman said that-which he did, but later would say maybe to Mgr.)I went Mon. to get deal made. Mgr. backed out-only offered $422 off-salesman wimp-left me hung out. I walked. On way out of showroom while telling salesman 'bye' , heard Mgr. LOUDLY dissing me. Don't buy from Courtesey in Moline, Il. Salesman did call that evening to offer original $500,saying he went over Mgr. to owner. ( Don't believe it )
Have also been trying to deal with Matt @ Jim Miller Kia in Cedar Rapids, Ia. Nice young (?) man
but did not believe reports of discounts posted here. He does not have LX, so were dealing on EX, no leather or ABS. Won't go enough off for us. No Sedona for us before 0% expires. I think I might give up. Too much stress to get one around here !!
Will continue reading to keep up. Thanks to all.
I even had one email offer from a salesman for about $1,500 off MSRP on a loaded EX.
hoyahenry, regarding the door handle, are you suggesting to let it "go back in" (quit pulling it out, away from the door) as the door is close to shutting? I guess that would make sense. I'll have to try it out.
Rear hatch
Regarding the rear hatch, it's possible on our Sedona to close the hatch but for a little play to be left in the hatch. After shutting the hatch, there's some flex if you pull on the handle. You can tell that it's not quite closed perfectly. Closing it with more force seems to avoid this situation. This is a slightly disappointing sort of thing that, to me, indicates build quality that isn't quite top-notch.
I have a question concerning the floor mats in my new (yeah) Sedona. We only received mats for the front and the middle row but nothing for the back row. It this typical? If so does anyone know where to get a good mat that will fit between the back and middle rows? We have the gray interior.
Thanks
In CNY, (central NY) they are rare. The only suggestion I can make is to call a dealer and request that they notify you if and when one should arrive. I am postponing my purchase until May, (my husbands lease is up in June). Do not give up yet, it is possible that they could extend the 0% for a few more months. Also, I e-mailed Keystone Dodge in PA regarding the 1% over invoice pricing, of course it does not apply to the Sedona. The best he could offer is $700 off MSRP. (4 hour drive to the dealer)
2031 of 2032 tj_610 by jmurman42 Feb 26, 2002 (05:29 pm)
thanks for the question. I am the Internet Sales Manager here at my dealership. So, my deals are either a couple of hundred dollars under invoice or MSRP. Accords and Civics keep the numbers up, but Odysseys and S2000's pay the mortgage. It takes about 5-10 Accords or Civics to equate to one EXL/RES. This depends on wether there is any back end money or trades.
Does this answer your question?
Jerry
My take: Odyssey prices are "high" (in most cases, near or above MSRP) because that is what the market will bear. Honda is not flooding the market with Odysseys. This contributes to the fact that customers are willing to pay full MSRP to get an Odyssey in their driveway.
Odyssey prices are not "high" because of some conspiracy or other unethical business practices at Honda dealers. Granted, it sure seems that most Honda salespeople are pretty rude in their treatment of customers, and that's a bad thing. But "rude" and "unethical" are 2 different things.
Many consumers' total unwillingness to pay MSRP or even above MSRP contributes to Honda salespeople's rude behavior, in my view. The salespeople should still be professional, but it seems that many consumers are getting quite hostile and belligerent with their salespeople-- e.g. "there's no way I'm paying MSRP for this vehicle" or "I can't believe you won't even negotiate below MSRP with me."
People need to understand that MSRP is just an arbitrary number. Typically, it's a much higher number than the average transaction price for a vehicle, or the "market price." However, in many cases the market price is higher than MSRP.
The dealer should not be compelled to sell a vehicle under MSRP just "because." I hold no grudge against any dealer that seeks to sell a new vehicle above MSRP.
..peace
Supply seems to be pretty low around here. Charles Gabus Kia in Des Moines had a couple of white LXs last time I was there, but I don't know what kind of a deal they are willing to give. We didn't receive good customer service there so we walked. They also had 4 or 5 EXs with only Homelink or the spoiler.
We will be getting our van at Dick Witham Kia in Waterloo. The GM is a personal friend and has agreed to what I believe is a reasonable deal for this area (though it sucks considering that others are getting $1000+ off). He claims (and I don't know whether I believe him) that they haven't as yet sold any of their Sedonas under MSRP. We also have a trade in to consider, and getting a good price for that is important.
Sorry I can't be of any help! Do keep in mind that Kia may be extending the 0% financing (though it only goes up to 36 months right now). We won't be getting ours for at least a month, so I have no idea what the rates will be. Got my fingers crossed!
Good luck searching. Let us know if you find a better deal!
A.H.
I got an internet quote from Burdick in North Syracuse but they only offered me $200 under MRSP.
The salesmanager at Dorschel did indicate they are selling most of the Sedona's for MRSP but did not want to lose my business.
If you wait until May you should easily be able to beat this deal.
I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one in Ia wanting a good deal on a vehicle.
Still hoping to get it done sooner or later.
J.S.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/2002Vans.html
These were both disappointing answers, especially since his explanation for why Kia does not recommend synthetic wasn't very convincing or logical. Why does Kia, and many other manufacturers, explain how to change the engine oil in the OWNERS MANUAL if they don't actually allow you to do it without voiding your warranty? If this information is not intended as an aid to help owners change their own oil, which seems most logical, then what is it for?
I was also trying to get a feel for which oil weights Kia recommends - I was looking for more specifics than the generic chart in the owners manual based on ambient air temperatues. The gentlemen was of no help there, but he did answer my question about the factory-fill oil weight: it's 5W30.
I'll probably run 10W30 in our Sedona pretty much year-round. That seems appropriate here in Michigan.
I may still change the oil myself, some of the time: since Kia recommends such a long oil change interval, and a doubly long filter change interval, I could change the oil/filter myself halfway between and have the oil/filter changed at a shop or the dealer at the specified interval, and keep the warranty coverage intact.
I am sure they would recommend a KIA dealer do it as well.
We purchased a EX last night with all options except for a sunroof (ABS, leather, spoiler, two tone, and Homelink. When you take away tag and title and a vhs video system we added with the dealer, the price comes to $23,519 with zero percent financing. How does that price compare to other deals?
Two other points. We found it very difficult to find a variety of EX models without the sunroof here in the Atlanta area. The colors and options of those without the roof were very limited. Second, you simply can't drive an EX with a sunroof if you're over 6 feet. I'm 6'1" and my head almost touch the sunroof, even with the driver's seat lowered all of the way.
If the dealer did require documentation of proper service and the customer produced auto parts store receipts for oil and filters and a detailed log of work performed at home, I wonder if that would be enough. It probably depends on the customer, customer/dealer relationship, dealer, and manufacturer.
Technically, in order to refuse warranty coverage the onus is on the manufacturer/dealer to prove that the problem was caused by improper maintenance. Otherwise, it is assumed to be defective parts or workmanship by the manufacturer.