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Called Kia's roadside assistance and they were very helpful. Dispatched service, only alternative was to tow. The manual says if light is on steady the van can be driven... so I cancelled the tow drove 2 miles to get home, van sitting in driveway. Dealer has Saturday service, hope its minor...is the honeymoon over ?? Only 700 miles on the van.. will update tomorrow.. keep fingers crossed.
Excelent3
Steve
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A note to all those folks who drive without their seatbelts at least some of the time and all those anecdotal stories of people you know who survived a crash while unbelted:
Don't be stupid! The point is that wearing a seatbelt increases your likelihood of surviving a crash. Nothing is ever guaranteed in this life but it makes sense to have the odds in your favor. If you are really worried about being able to get out of the vehicle after a crash, you should be lobbying for manual door locks and windows, since failure of the electrical system after a crash is much more likely to trap you in the vehicle than seatbelts. You can also buy a simple tool that will slice through the seatbelt material if the lock is jammed. Get one if that will put your mind at ease and, for God's sake and the sake of your family--BUCKLE UP EVERY TIME!
What would cause the spark plugs to mis fire?
Just hope its not anything serious.
Key points:
1. Bragging about it's top performance status in NHTSA crash tests.
2. Down play IIHS crash test, 5mph bumper test do not reflect a real-world collision.
3. Kia check it's files and NHTSA's files, no complaints of low speed airbag deployments in the Sedona.
4. Kia took step of instituting a production running change in Sedona's airbag system so next time it would pass the test. (no mentioning of doing anything for the current Sedona Owner).
5. Use seat belt.
Looks like there is no recall, what do you think?
I am disappointed that Kia has chosen to wait until someone gets hurt before doing anything constructive for current owners. All I require is some proof that this was a fluke. Is there any? It doesn't sound like it's in that letter.
I wonder if the hood protector does really protect the hood ?
Is it true that sport visors will reduce wind noise when the windows are open ?
If this is true then would they reduce the wind noise when the windows are closed ?
Thanks everybody for all the useful information that I found in this forum.
My fully dressed white Sedona with leather seats and sunroof (or moonroof) is now enjoying a train ride across Canada from Vancouver to Montreal.
I am a real estate agent and my car is my office, I almost live in it. I did a lot of research and found it to be the most suitable for my business. I will remove one of the back seats to accommodate my open house directional signes and all the tools and stationary that I carry around. Fully dressed for thousands less than all the basic vans. zero interest for three years, Five years power and train, five years (bottom to top) and five years roadside assistance.
Sedona will be more suitable than my Jeep Cherokee. In the past few months I drove around two clients whom I was afraid that they will deliver their babies in my Jeep. Both delivered their babies few days after buying their new houses. Next client can deliver in my Sedona, it is large enough for that and the back seat that I left there can accommodate a midwife.
I hope somebody have the answers for my three questions.
Steve
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SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Steve
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SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
A few years ago I recall a Lexus model (I can't remember which) was tested and achieved a 5 star rating. However it also drew a comment that it's airbag timing could have been improved and Lexus being Lexus they adjusted the timing and submitted another car for testing. Truly the pursuit of excellence but, of course, not at Kia prices.
1) Who said it was under-powered and what were they smoking? It had plenty of power. Even my lead-footed wife thought so (she still longs for the days of her sports cars).
2) Does the heater ever heat up? We drove it about 20 minutes and never felt warm. Maybe I need the post # of how to run the controls correctly.
3) All we could find with ABS was with leather and sunroof. Do they make the EX with ABS and cloth? We really hate leather.
4) Two dealerships did not have any with ABS and told us that was because the MO Highway Patrol issued a report that ABS caused more accidents than prevented. Any thoughts on that?
5) Did you get used to the odd pedal placement. I had to put the seat back almost the entire way so my long legs could comfortably be on the pedals, then my arms were stretched.
Anyway, we were impressed, but if we cannot get ABS with cloth, we may have to look at an MPV.
ABS only helps is you use it right. Many people do not know the proper way to brake with ABS, so they end up not getting the benefits of the ABS.
I doubt Missouri has as many ABS Sedonas as everyone else. Unfortunately, ABS Sedonas seem to be pretty scarce. They are out there; you just have to look hard or get a dealer to find one for you.
Thanks for the info. Acutally, we found three with ABS in the exact colors we wanted (white/plat or black/plat), they just had leather and sunroof.
I hate paying the exta $1,500 for options that de-value a vehicle in our eyes (we just don't like them).
Regarding changing my own oil, I still need to CALL Kia USA. The email I received basically said this was not allowed (if you want to maintain warranty coverage), but a recent call to my dealer's service department produced the expected 'just keep your receipts and fill out the log in your glovebox, and you'll be fine' response.
The owners manual does not state that you CANNOT change your own oil. In fact, it implies in a couple different places that Kia is okay with owners performing their own routine maintenance.
Thanks for listening
Exactly what is the proper way to brake with ABS? It is my undertanding that ABS is designed to keep the wheels from locking up. This occurs most frequently in a panic situation where the driver has little time to react. "Most people" under panic situations will stomp on the brakes (which would lock up the wheels in a vehicle not equipped with ABS). A vehicle that is equipped with ABS prevents the wheels from locking up to maintain controllability of the vehicle under braking conditions.
There isn't any specific way to "use" ABS. It is a safety feature similar to air bags, TCS, LSD, or BFD that doesn't require driver intervention to operate properly.
4200 miles and no problems. Great van.
We don't like leather either and had decided to give up on the ABS, but ironically we'll be ending up with both (long story). Our EX is on it's way and will hopefully be here in a few weeks.
I would suggest calling or sending emails to all dealerships in your area inquiring about Sedonas with ABS. It seems to me that the supply of Sedonas (in this area at least) has been increasing over the past month or so. Maybe you'll get lucky.
I sat in a Sedona with leather last week, and I do find it to be pretty nice leather. We also seriously considered the MPV and found it to be a very nice vehicle! In the end, the Sedona was just a better value for us, but I think either van is a good choice.
Good Luck!
A.H.
I visited all the dealer and found exaclty what I wanted, only with leather and sunroof which I do not want. Can't decide whether to go with ABS/leather/sunroof or scrap ABS and get cloth.
That is the basis for my claim that many people don't use ABS properly. If you don't stomp on the brake pedal, then you are not getting maximum braking performance and are not likely to activate the ABS functionality.
It's great that this device worked for you. Still, you should be aware that this item is neither tested nor recommended by any carseat manufacturer. While the manufacturer claims to meet appropriate safety standards, the truth is that there are no NHTSA or government standards that regulate or test any aftermarket products for child restraints. As such, assume you are using the device at your own risk. Be especially careful that they are locked properly so that they won't become a heavy projectile in a crash, and also that they are not damaging your seatbelts.
As a certified technician, I have found that there are not too many vehicle/carseat combinations that are incompatible. I can get most carseats to install properly in most cars. I would highly recommend that anyone considering any aftermarket product should visit a local certified technician for a free checkup before you buy. Many hospitals, public health, police and fire departments have a certified child passenger safety technician on staff.
Also see:
http://boards2.parentsplace.com/messages/get/ppcarseats217/9/4/1.html
When we started looking for a Sedona (under the assumption that you could order them the way you want) we wanted an EX with ABS and two-tone paint. After about a month of looking, the only Sedonas we could find with ABS were fully loaded (and there were only a few of those to be had in Iowa).
My husband and I disagree about the necessity of ABS in the first place, and he finally talked me into giving it up. I would not, however, give up the two-tone paint (I just really like the look). At the time (2 months ago) we couldn't locate any with cloth and two-tone paint either.
We have an old friend (was in our wedding) who is the general manager at a dealership that sells Kias. He claimed that his Kia rep owed him a favor and that he would try to get us one exactly as we wanted. After some checking, he informed us that ABS was really hard to get (we knew that by then). We said nix the ABS. A week later we were told that getting the two-tone paint (black/platinum) would require either the sunroof or the leather. We told him OK on the sunroof. He called back a few days later apologizing and said it would have to be the leather.
I know it sounds like we were getting the runaround, but I had already discovered most of these things by talking to other dealers in our area. Our friend even offered to paint a one-color EX to look like the two-tone paint so we could get cloth (said the dealership would warantee the paint job). We decided that wasn't what we wanted to do.
So, to make a long story even longer, we decided to "order" a black/platinum (two-tone) with leather as the only option. After some uncomfortable negotiating (he's a friend, but he's still a car dealer) about the price of the van, the deal was made. We were happy!
Our friend called back 10 minutes later saying that he had found the exact van in port in Korea. He could get it allocated to his dealership and have it in 3-4 weeks. There was just one problem -- the van had ABS. He said he would give us the ABS at invoice and my husband said do it (knowing I would be happy).
So after about 2 months of looking and negotiating, we are patiently waiting for our black/platinum EX with leather and ABS. It should be here during the first half of April.
I don't know if another dealer would be able to locate one in Korea like we did, but I'm sure there are others out there willing to "dealer locate trade". If it hadn't been for my insistance on the two-tone paint, we probably would have gone with an EX with no options (I have seen a few of these around). We liked the cloth, and feel that the EX has plenty of equipment to begin with.
After all my rambling, I guess it comes down to how strongly you feel about ABS. There has been some lively discussion on this board about the value of ABS (I'm sorry I don't know the exact posts -- maybe someone else can help with that). Here's an article I found on the topic: http://carpoint.msn.com/advice/news_9201_6.asp
I guess I feel a little safer having the ABS, but I would have given it up to get the vehicle I wanted. Ironically, I ended up getting the leather so I could have the two-tone paint (how strange is that?!). The ABS was just a bonus.
Good luck making your decision! Either way, I think the Sedona is a great choice.
A.H.
Thanks for the info. The link was VERY interesting reading. I'll make the trek to the local PD and have the seats checked with and without the units. Can't take any chance with the kids.
Thanks
big_guy, we agree. I suspect that the biggest issue is that most people over 25 started driving non-abs vehicles. As such, they either have never had an incident, or couldn't steer when they did because there was no ABS. The more I think about it, the more I think that AAA and others have mis-identified the "problem" with ABS. They indicate that drivers are surprised by brake pedal feel. I hypothesize that it has to do with:
1) Tunnel vision taking over in an accident - drivers focus on stopping in the distance remaining to not hit the car in front of them
2) not having a real-time accident avoidance plan (e.g., I can steer right from the middle lane because there are no vehicles in that lane right now, or vice versa)
and 3) not steering the vehicle around the accident because the decision to do so was abdicated when plan b was not a forethought. As a result, the extended stopping distance results in rear-ending the next guy. Just my hypothesis, but my real-world experience is that they work and can be used properly to effect a different outcome.
mfbono: While not a particularly useful comment, I have yet to have a car that didn't have a few kinks. In fact, it sounds like the engine computer did a great job.
On leather, I like it, but I am quickly learning that it is far more maintenance than scotchguarded cloth. All things considered, I'll adapt, but it is worthy to note that there's alot of surface area to cover with the Lexol. Speaking of which, I see very little residue after applying it and I have yet to get the right cloth to "remove" whatever it is I am removing - that firm stickiness impedes cloth travel and adds to the work. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I was in BabiesRUs the other day, and they have something called a LATCH kit. They had several brands (Evenflo, Century, Cosco,etc.), and they all ran around $25.
All Sedonas come with the new LATCH system to attach child seats more easily (I think it's only in the second row seats). If you look in the crease of the seat (between seat and seat back) there are two metal U's sticking out (on either side). Newer car seats come equipt with clips that attach to the metal U's.
My cars seats are old, so I am considering getting one of the retrofit kits to attach the carseat more securely. The kit is basically a length of seatbelt with a tether strap clip at each end. You thread it through the car seat where the seat belt would normally go. I'm sorry if I'm not describing this very well.
I plan to check into the whole latch system as soon as I have my van (baby's not due till June). It might be an option to consider for those having problems with the seat belts.
Also, my 4 yr. old is in a booster seat. I've always been uncomfortable with the fact that the booster seat doesn't really "attach" to the car. It just positions the regular seat belt for the child, but moves around a bit in turns, etc. I might also get a LATCH kit to make the booster more secure.
Just one more option to consider. Hope this helps someone.
The bottom line? Were you satisfied with the dealers handling of your problem? If so then you will have nothing to worry about.
The reason for the shortage of ABS may be that all the ABS-equipped EXs landed north of the border. My own observation locally is that the middle trim level (EX, no leather/sunroof) is the most popular.
With regard to the discussion on the merits of ABS, all I can say is that having driven both, I am definitely a convert to ABS, but as bluedevils implied in an earlier post, it does take some adjustment to the way you brake. A couple of weeks ago, I was driving in an unfamiliar city at night in the rain, trying to read a map (I know, I know, not too bright... but I was wearing my seat belt!) I glanced up just in time to see the red traffic light rapidly approaching. I applied the brakes, but my immediate reaction was to apply them gingerly. My last van (Caravan) had a nasty habit of locking the rear wheels in a situation such as this, resulting in the back end sliding to one side or the other. The only way to prevent this from happening was to modulate the brakes using "threshold" braking techniques, meaning that you carefully apply brake pressure until you sense that the wheels are going to lock, then you release the pedal slightly. Anyway, back to my story. I realized that I wasn't slowing down terribly quickly, so I literally stood on the brakes. I felt the ABS activate (brake pedal vibrates) and the van stopped on the proverbial dime! I glanced over at my wife and we both said "wow" in unison.
So what's the moral of the story? If you have the option, go for the ABS, but practice some panic braking before you get in a situation where you're going to need it.
I'm not sure if this will agree with the owner's manuals out there but this is what the scoop (supposedly) is:
California Kia Sedonas
NORMAL Service: Inspect timing belt at 60K and 90K miles. Replace timing belt every 105K miles.
SEVERE Service: Inspect timing belt at 60K and 90K miles. Replace timing belt every 60K miles. (Timing belt for non-California Sedona is also replaced at 60K miles during severe service.)
Non-California Sedonas
NORMAL Service: Replace timing belt every 96K miles.
SEVERE Service: Replace timing belt every 60K miles.
Steve
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SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
I would recommend against waiting all 96K - just me, your mileage may vary (ymmv). If it is a serpentine belt, it should be fairly easy to see if it's looking cracked, glazed and/or dry with a few small (1/32" or smaller) pieces missing here and there. If so, it needs to be changed. If in doubt, get it out.
On oil, I saw the traffic on the Chevron. Definitely looks like something I will start using. I see nothing that would indicate that the warranty would be an issue, but it would be nice to receive a straightforward ackowledgement to your inquiry.
http://www.car-safety.org/latch.html
Good luck!
The friend said the LATCH system is required on all 2002 model year vehicles (not sure if this is 100% true). So they are still using their Mighty Tite on their 1999 Blazer.
I see the point about the Mighty Tite not being government-approved or whatever, but I fail to see how it could be anything but a safety benefit. I.e., how could it hurt? Can someone offer a more specific scenario regarding how the Mighty Tite could be harmful or unsafe?
We have 3 cars and 2 different types of car seats. Our car seats are rear-facing for another couple months. I have never been able to get any of the car seats installed tight enough to make me feel comfortable about it. We have a next-door neighbor with 2 kids whose car seats (forward-facing) are extremely tight, and a sister-in-law who is a pediatric nurse. Even with their help, the results were unsatisfactory. Several months ago, we went to the county health department and had a certified car-seat person help install the infant car seat/base in our 1998 Isuzu Trooper. She had a heckuva time with it and noted that our Trooper's rear seat was a very tough place to properly install a car seat.
What's my point? I am fully convinced that it is, quite often, nearly impossible to install a car seat tightly and properly without the aid of alternative devices such as the Mighty Tite or the LATCH system. If you do not have a brand-new vehicle, the LATCH system is not an option. However, this seems like a great alternative to the Mighty Tite for all Sedona owners. But I will not be throwing away my Mighty Tites, nor will I stop recommending them to friends.
I hope things get easier when we are able to change our car seats to forward-facing in a couple months.
Main points of the letter:
* Highlights Sedona's good crash test performance
* Downplays the results of the airbag deploying in the IIHS bumper test and declares this test does not reflect a real-world collision
* Sedona's airbags are intended to deploy above 8 mph
* Kia and NHTSA have no reports of low-speed airbag deployments - this is no surprise. Even if there was a safety issue with the Sedona's airbag system, there are not many Sedonas on the road yet.
* A production change will be made so Sedona's airbag does not deploy the next time IIHS conducts the same test on it.
Most important result of my call to Kia: In mid-April, dealers will have a tool that they can use to adjust or reprogram the airbag system on existing Sedonas.
The lady on the phone was not helpful at all, nor was she interested in listening to anything I had to say. My goals for the call were very modest: 1) Officially register my safety concerns about the airbag deploying in one of the 4 IIHS bumper tests. 2) Find out if Kia is willing to make the same "running production change" on Sedonas that have already been built and sold, such as ours.
The call lasted about 7 minutes. I was polite. About 5 minutes of it was the lady telilng me why there was no reason to worry. Some of what she said:
* Specifically mentioned the other test results (IIHS offset frontal - she described the results as 'outstanding' or some other superlative, and NHTSA 5-star).
* Specifically mentioned the Volvo S80 and how the same thing happened to that vehicle in an IIHS test back in 2000.
* Stated that the IIHS bumper test was NOT a safety test and provided no information about the safety of a vehicle.
I finally was able to respond. I told her I was very pleased with the Sedona's overall safety performance in the IIHS and NHTSA tests (because I am). I tried to tell her that the airbag deploying in a bumper test IS a safety concern to me and several other folks with whom I chat about Sedonas on the internet, but she kept cutting me off! She finally mentioned that dealers would have a tool by mid-April and would be able to modify Sedonas that are already in consumers' hands. According to the lady on the phone, it's a simple matter of scheduling an appointment with the dealer. That was the news I was hoping to hear. This conflicts with the letter, though, which mentions a PRODUCTION change and not a change to existing units.
I was impressed that Kia responded so quickly to the IIHS results and the Dateline publicity. It's no surprise that they denied any safety issues - this is typical automobile manufacturer behavior these days. The fact that they are making a change to existing and future Sedonas is the good part. With this last action, Kia has now handled this situation well, in my view.
What I want to know is this: If I change my own oil, keep a detailed log and receipts for oil and filters, is my warranty intact? I have emailed and called Kia, but they have not given me a straight answer. The email basically said "no" you cannot do this if you want to maintain your warranty. The phone call response was 'I haven't heard anything that would invalidate your warranty if you change your own oil. Just make sure you save your receipts from the Kia filters and Kia oil that you buy.' The lady also mentioned that you must use Kia parts (not true, according to the owners manual). I can't imagine that Kia actually puts its logo on motor oil! Filters, sure. But oil? I doubt it.
My interpretation: yes, you can do that. But we reserve the right to void your warranty if/when you have a warranty claim, on the grounds that you did it wrong, you shouldn't have done it yourself, etc.
Why would Kia explain the engine oil/filter change procedure in detail in the owners manual, if they did not support owners doing this procedure themselves? What other intended purpose could there be for including this info in the owners manual?
The service advisor at my dealer had the common-sense answer: keep a detailed log and keep your receipts, and you won't have a problem. That is probably true, but I was looking for a definitive answer from Kia.
Just to be safe, I will probably have a shop or the dealer change the oil every 7,500 miles or so. I find all of this very annoying!
BIGGEST complaint. I agree that the pedal placement is odd/uncomfortable and I am only 5'7". Feels like they are too close/too high. Keep wanting/wishing there were an indentation/well for my heel. Other thing I thought/haven't looked into is maybe the pedals are too far from each other. This may simply be a result of them being closer than I am used to but always feel like I have to move my whole foot to go from one to the other.
Getting ready for a 1800-2000 mile trip from WV to FL at end of week. Anyone have any suggestions for seat placement to lessen the discomfort of pedal placement. I have tried several settings and none seem great. Seat at highest position/slightly tilted back may be most comfortable but haven't been on extended trip yet.
My experience as a technician is the reverse. It is the exception rather than the rule where a carseat will not fit adequately. Of course, I install many seats at checkup events, and am familiar with various seatbelt systems, locking clips and other methods of fitting various seats in a variety of vehicles. Unfortunately, most parents don't have that experience or training, and are often stuck with a model that has confusing or incomplete instructions. If they don't know about free carseat checkups provided by trained technicians, products like this are appealing. Incidentally, though you probably didn't intend it, I wanted to clarify that LATCH is not an alternative device. While new, LATCH is a fully regulated and tested system for carseat installation governed by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (225) and endorsed by carseat manufacturers on certain models.
If a device like Mighty Tite is the only way to install a seat properly, then I certainly wouldn't dismiss it's use in those cases. My suggestion is to visit a local technician before resorting to such a device not recommended by the manufacturer of your carseat. Better yet, seek out a senior technician/checker, technician instructor or a checkup event where a more experienced tech can help in case you do have a difficult combination.
"? Can someone offer a more specific scenario regarding how the Mighty Tite could be harmful or unsafe?"
The manufacturers of this device gave a presentation at last year's conference on child passenger safety. It generated significant interest in the Q&A session. The two biggest scenarios are seatbelt damage and the risk of the device becoming a projectile. Apparently, some had observed that the device frayed seatbelts when ratcheted tightly, or that it had been ratcheted so tightly that the energy absorbing features in the seatbelt had been stretched and were no longer providing the force limiting feature designed into them. In the extreme, the seatbelt retractor could also be damaged. Another concern was that the device is rather heavy, and in the forces of a severe crash it could be pulled off the belt, making it a dangerous projectile and leaving the carseat unsecured.
Risks like these may not be high, but my opinion is that when the lives of my kids are at stake (motor vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of kids 1-14), I would take every precaution to reduce the chance of injury. Since carseat checks are free, and usually take only 30 mins or so, it's really not much more difficult than making a trip to the store to buy an aftermarket device. Personally, I'd even recommend a second opinion and/or buy a new carseat which might fit better in my car before using such a device.
Incidentally, I did find this in the CPSlist archives:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cpslist/message/9671