I wanted to let you all know what will happen in a Sedona and maybe any other mini van equipped with a side mirror that is spring flexible if clipped with enough force. Yesterday, I was going to pick up one of my kids, thank God I was the only one in the front seat. As I topped a crest in the road there was one of those big county mowing machines that cut the limbs off of trees and brush coming toward me. He wasn't mowing but just driving along not paying attention and was way over on my side. The country road was very narrow and my only choice was to try to swerve around him and yet stay out of the ditch as much as possible. I thought I was clear in good shape when I heard the bang of a rifle shot simultaneously with incredible amounts of shards of glass spraying all over me. Evidently something was sticking out even farther from his machine that wacked my side mirror. The impact slammed the mirror into the drivers window and thus the explosion of glass everywhere. Every single square inch of glass in the window completely shattered into fragments the largest of which was about the size of a pencil eraser, and the smallest was slivers, enormous amounts of it. I had glass everywhere. The force even embedded pieces in the steering column, I even had it in my mouth as I was chewing gum, but God was really with me because not even one sliver got in my eyes! With no sunglasses on that really is a miracle! The mirror was still attached to the vehicle. The outer casing and mirror broken. It was obvious the force of the hit on the spring attachment slung the whole thing into the window. Very dangerous! I would certainly have preferred the mirror to be knocked off of the van! The repair estimates are around $1,000 if we try to take the scratches out of the door paint and replace the steering column cover. Sorry this is so long but hopefully it could help keep someone from injury.
Glad that you are alright. Not sure if you know, the windows when broken are designed to do exactly what you described it did. This is a function of safety glass. PS. is your login name representative of your kids? Do you have 23 girls?
Tires**I have a screw in one one of my tires. The dealer is going to PATCH it today. What if anything is better or safer a patch or a plug.
I will also have the dealer do my first Oil change today at 3k...with a new oil filter. OK I am young and old fashioned. I am not going the recommended distance on the oil changes. I have a 91 Blazer,with 125k never missed and oil change (original owner) and it still purrs, although only to Home Depot and back. Make it a GREAT DAY!!
newvan: The patches I've had used are combinations of a patch and plug. They pull the tire off the rim, drill the hole out a bit, clean and scuff the interior side of the tire, apply some glue, remove the paper on the sticky side of the patch and pull the plug through the hole until the patch meets the interior tire surface. Any excess plug is snipped off on the exterior and the tire is re-rimmed, rebalanced and reinstalled (following a soap bubble test to see if the patch is holding). My understanding is that this is how it should be done. It has worked well for me. I hope that helps.
Thanks.....To clarify my name, Ha! I guess it is questionable, it's mom to 3 girls!
Also, I thought the estimates to repair it were not as bad as they could have been in light of the bumper incidents people have had. I just want everyone to be careful, give yourselves plenty of room, no matter what you drive, and just to know that this can happen. In my case I did all that I could do, except take it to the ditch or slam on the brakes and there might have been a remote possibility that it could have been avoided. Have a good day.
So glad you are allright! Your story gave me the shivers because I have thought about that scenario after having some whacks on my side view mirror. They are much larger than my old Caravan and have hit them (on very slow speed) when pulling up to ATM's and McD's take out windows. I definitely have to remember to leave space for them in close situations. I wear glasses, maybe better use safety glasses from now on (just kidding).
'Glad you weren't hurt, mom23girls. I take it you weren't able to stop the driver of the vehicle that hit you. Did he drive off? I was glad to see your driver side window is safety glass. In watching the online video of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's offset crash test for the Sedona on msnbc.com, I'm concerned with the rear passengers' side glass. From the video, it appears that this side glass is not, in fact, safety glass. In the slow motion segments, large glass fragments seem to be falling outside (and probably inside) the vehicle. Is this not a requirement for minivans? The Sedona did well in the govenment's side impact crash tests. I wonder if the crash dummies were "injured" by flying glass.
The spring loaded outside mirrors can be a convenience for getting into and out of tight places. It's easy to roll down the window(s) and pull the outside mirror(s) toward you. But in this case being knocked off the van definitely would have been the way to go.
I'm also glad you are mom to 3 girls, not mom to 23 girls!
What happened after the accident was as distressing as the event itself. The county employee knew there were no witnesses and that he would be in a heap of big trouble. To make a long story short, he continued moving and pulled his mower over(it still took up the center lane at that) He lied through his teeth, saying that I got too close to him. The Mo Highway Patrol officer behaved extremely unprofessionally. He took my statement totally out of context on his report and then began yelling at me when I pointed out that this is not what I said. By this time I had a couple of witnesses to his behavior as well as my actual statement. They even saw the mower pull over to the side of the road but didn't actually see the contact itself. Keep in mind this whole time I am sitting in my van afraid to move in all of this glass and in total shock that this happened. Never once did I argue or even talk to any of them except to give my statement. The officer took the county employee in front of the mower where no one could see them and when they came out he had them leave while he yelled at me. Less than 2 hrs. later my husband drove by and the glass had been totally cleaned up, you wouldn't have even known there was an accident! I believe I saw ourlaw enforcement at its finest. I'm focusing on the positive. It could have put my eye out, injured my kids, done more damage to the vehicle etc., etc. Sorry, so long. I know that this doesn't fit strictly on the Kia subject matter, but thanks for letting me vent.
My Sedona EX's CD player has been acting up. Twice now it has cut off sound to the right speaker only when playing a CD. I've tried different CDs so I know it's not a problem with the CD. The strange thing is turning off the stereo and then turning it back on fixes the problem. Any clues as to what could be causing the problem? I'm going to have the dealer check it out when I take the Sedona in for an oil change. Our dealer charges $23 for an oil change including a car wash. Curious what other dealers are charging for an oil change - any comments?
Update on the rear bumper: I've tried to get estimates for the damaged bumper, but the body shops apparently do not have the figures for the Sedona (too new). I showed them the cost figures from Kia's website, but they don't trust anything on the web...so I'm still waiting until the estimators get an update disk that has the Sedona parts.
Drove past while eating at Wendys. Silky Beige most attractive Sedona. Sorry about mom23girls accident. Sad mower operator not honest. Very glad mom not hurt too bad. Thanks for sharing story to warn rest of us.
Sorry about your accident. I never imagined the 'breakaway' side mirrors could be more dangerous than the fixed ones. I always considered them 'better' since they would break off and not damage the body in a collision, as a fixed mirror likely would.
It seems you must have some sort of official and/or legal recourse against the police officer? I know that's less important than the fact you weren't injured, but what happened is not right and you have every right to complain about it.
Thanks Bluedevils and JCRider2. I shake is not very prominent and my husband can barely feel it so I decided to wait a little longer to see if it adjusts itself. I will make sure to check the tire pressure. Thanks for that advice. We leave for Florida tomorrow so the real test is this weekend. So far I really love my new Sedona! I am amazed everyday at all the bells and whistles it has. Still trying to get used to how much gas it uses though.
I ordered some accessories from the dealership and once they put in my customer number, I got the accessories cheaper than the price they originally quoted. I will post on here when I get back from vacation what I paid for each thing but I can tell you that the front end mask was a lot cheaper than I have seen posted on here. Somewhere around $90.00. In all I got the front mask, sunroof deflector, cargo net and sport visors for the side windows (that help keep the rain from coming in when the window is cracked). I will let everyone know how well they all work.
Although I prefer Odyssey, Silky Beige Sedona EX was very attractive. Sedona owner report higher mileage than EPA. Maybe EPA test inaccurate. Tust owners experience more than government tests. No I have not bought Sedona.
We just passed 5000 miles on our Misty Blue/Plat EX. No problems so far. In fact, the van drives so nice that every couple weeks the Mrs. and I swap so that I can drive it and even out our miles (her drive to work is 4 times mine). We have experienced the occasional rattle, but nothing that "sticks around" very long. I find the acceleration to be great. I like the view fore and aft(we have removed the rear most head restraints). The build quality is impressive in most every way. It is rock solid (as the crash tests prove). I also discovered what I call the credit card holder under the left air vent. It is perfect for holding the parking garage card I use to get into the parking deck at work. Other manufacturers could learn something from Kia with this handy item.
Mom23, I am glad you were not hurt. Sorry the states finest were not. You might consider lodging a complaint with his superiors.
Has anyone installed a new sound system or speakers in their van? The factory system is o. k., but it is a far cry from the one in our 300M and I miss that when I drive the van.
We've got the upgraded Chrysler sound system in our Grand Cherokee probably similar to your 300M and I can sympathize with you on the Sedona's. I think the main thing it’s missing is highs. The dash mounted tweeters just aren't enough. I would hate to replace this unit, though, for a better one; I think its probably good enough. It's got to be a fairly expensive unit and more yet for a better one. Also, an aftermarket stereo would be more appealing to thieves. I wish it had a clock, too, as mentioned in earlier post(s). I like to be able to see the time and outside temp on two displays simultaneously. It has a display for one but that’s it. Shine a flashlight into the display and you can see the place for the numbers on the right hand side.
BTW, we have the Misty Blue/Plat EX, too. 'Love the color combination. Initially, we had debated several colors. The misty blue in the brochure and on the Kia web site isn't even close to the actual color. When we saw one in person, that sealed it.
My 2002 Sedona EX has factory Radio/CD/Cass. In the manual, "Appendix" page shows "how to set clock..." with "time" button. However, mine and other pages showing the same button as "scan". The display area suppose to showing 'TIME' , upper right side, is not displaying at all times. Has anyone set this clock in the radio?
Also, I 've got 2 regular keys, 2 spare(valet) keys, and 2 remote keys(which works interchangeably, means I can lock with one remote and unlock with the other....) Also I got 2 key tag with 2 different numbers. When I tried the valet keys, both doesn't do anything. Ignition or / and door lock.. (I guess the dealership mixed up.) Also owners manual doesn't describe what valet key will do. Anyone has similar experience?
There are no clocks in our radios. I wish there were. The Audio Owner's Manual you're referring to is apparently for more than one slightly different models. Look at the model numbers on the front cover.
The large head key is for the ignition, doors and glovebox. The smaller head key is for the locking sliding box under the passenger seat.
I'm surprised to hear the negative comments. I'm no audiophile, but I am into stereo gear and I appreciate good sound. I've been impressed with the overall performance of the sound system on our Sedona EX. The tuner seems solid. CD and FM radio sound seem good.
I actually thought the clarity was good, and bass extension was decent for a non-subwoofer system. The stereo also plays pretty loudly before distortion sets in.
The other area I was impressed with was detail. I'll need to compare the same CDs in our other vehicles and at home, but I thought I was hearing details that I hadn't previously recognized. Perhaps that's because the Sedona is quieter than our Isuzu Trooper, or perhaps it's because the sound system is better. Probably both.
Bluedevils, we traded a Trooper for our Sedona and I suspect the lack of road noise is responsible for most of the difference you notice between the Sedona and the Trooper. Our Trooper has a decent system, but at speed, it struggled to drown out the noise of the engine.
Don't get me wrong, I am satisfied with the Sedona's sound system, considering the price of the vehicle, but it cannot compete with the infinity sound system in our 300M. I was just wondering if anyone had tried changing out speakers or the receiver and what their results were.
akwilliams, why did you get rid of the Trooper-- needed more room/more seats?
In the garage with the engine off, the Sedona's stereo still outperforms the Trooper's. Both have high-mounted separate tweeters as part of a 6-speaker package. The Trooper really lacks clarity/detail in the highs, even though I have swapped out the crap stock speakers with Polks (the door-mounted tweeters are still stock).
I think the road noise has something to do with it (Trooper sounding worse than Sedona), but the basic sound quality is lacking too.
My first post here...read the board for advice before purchasing our black/platinum EX 2 weeks ago (thanks for all the info!). Really love the van; previously owned 2 Quests and like the Sedona better (other than missing the TV for the kiddies).
Here's my question: Just after purchase, hubby noticed the Rear A/C switch on the dash was not illuminated and this irritated him immensely. Took to dealer and had to first prove that it should be illuminated which we did. Ordered part; part arrived; we took in today and had noticed in the meantime the power lock button on the driver's side armrest also is not illuminated although the power window buttons are; dealer fixed AC switch (broken wire, not switch afterall) but said the lock button shouldn't illuminate and that he checked 2 other Sedonas on the lot. Incidentally, the rear window controls also aren't lit. Can anyone pls tell me if this is the normal operation on their EX? It's driving my hubby batty and I don't want to part with the van for another day(s) while it's in the shop for a lightbulb!!
I just went out to the garage and checked our Sedona EX. With the lights turned to "on," the headlights won't turn on if the key is not in the ignition. However, the interior illumination is functional.
Our Sedona EX illumination is the same as yours. On the driver's door, the 2 window switches are illuminated but the lock switch is not. Also, the power window switches in the 3rd row are NOT illuminated.
Bluedevils, we got rid of the Trooper because, you guessed it, we wanted two more seats. It was one of the best vehicles we have ever had. The only time it was in the shop (from 96 to 2002) was when I got rear ended. My wife misses it on snowy days.
I plan to take the Sedona down to one of those after market stereo places to get an evaluation of the system. Maybe a new speaker or two is all it needs. The wife uses it more than I and she has no complaints, so if the cost is too much, we will stick with the factory equipment.
I think the door lock switch should be illuminated. It would be nice if the window switches in the 3rd row were too, but that's not as surprising/disappointing as the lock switch not being illuminated.
Hey, bluedevils, sorry for the late response, but I've been out of town. I did have a helper when I installed the Hidden Hitch....but it was my 7 year old daughter! Does that count? I needed a stool or cardboard box to hold the hitch up while I was getting the attachment bolts started, but otherwise no assistance. (Other than, "Daddy, do you need this now?" BONK! "Ow!!!" "Sorry") The toughest part is getting the bumper bolts on the Sedona loosened. They hold the hitch on, so you reuse them. I needed a long stiff pipe on the end of my rachet for more leverage. Some of the other bolts were a little hard to reach, but no big deal. They recommend tightening the bolts to a certain torque; I used a torque wrench, but I'm not sure it's really necessary. The thing works GREAT with my bike rack.
Called my local dealer regarding hitch. They quoted me 129.95 to install a Class III Curt hitch. Price sounds good after looking around web, especially installed. Anyone have any experience with Curt hitches? Thanks.
Thank goodness I got the van back yesterday, before a big wedding that all 3 girls are in Saturday. It just wouldn't do to have all those expensive hairdos blown all over the place!
We got a good deal on the repairs $539 basically we just paid for the mirror/window and labor. They were able to buff the vast majority of the scratches out of the paint. We found out that we even had broken glass inside the passenger door, can you believe that, the window wasn't even rolled down?! We found out the hard way when the window got stuck in down position on Mother's day. Imagine one window busted out with plastic over it, one window stuck in down position, LOVELY!
I removed the headrests on the 2nd & 3rd row seats and can now see beautifully! It was simple to do and I recommend others to do so as well.
I've got 9,000 miles on her and no noteworthy complaints. I drove her some 400 miles to St. Louis averaged 80 mph, tons of get up and go. I have no clue what my gas mileage was but I have no compaints. One tank took me all the way to St. Louis, drove around town shopping/seeing ballgame etc. and took me out of St. Louis about 30 miles before I stopped to get gas and the reading showed I still had about 47 miles to go before I ran out! I think that's pretty darn good! The funny thing was that I had no idea where we were going into St. Louis, so I had to literally ride my brother-in-law's bumper to our destination. I kept my eyes on his bumper at all times partly to keep from rearending him and partly to be close enough to keep others from cutting in front of me. They were amazed at how well I was able to stay on top of them in their Toyota Camry...so was I...the brakes were great!
Ody, if you're not careful you're going to be converted.
I removed the headrests on the 2nd & 3rd row seats and can now see beautifully! It was simple to do and I recommend others to do so as well.
That's not a good idea if the seats are occupied. They are head restraints not head rests and if they're not in place they cannot protect your neck if you get rear-ended.
We removed the 3rd row headrests the day we bought the van. We also have three young girls and as long as they are short enough that their heads recline on the seat back anyway, that should be okay, don't you think?
I hadn't thought about that angle Grandtotal. Our Plymouth Voyager before the Sedona didn't have head restraints on the second or third row seats at all, so it never occurred to me that they were safety additions.
There are many articles on edmunds and other sites, about how headrests are a safety vest in an accident. If you are in a seat without a headrest there is potential to snap the neck and head.
I also did as darlasha, removed 3rd row headrests soon after purchase. I was having serious vision problems and my kids (and their buddies) are still too small to reach the headrests. Someone suggested (several hundred posts ago) to switch the 2nd and 3rd headrests with each other to enhance vision. I tried that too, but my vision was still too restricted.
we removed the headrests right when we took the van home. I do agree that it is very dangerous for an adult (or tall child) to ride in the seat without them.
Since we normaly only use 2 or 4 seats I just fold down the third row so that solves the head rest probblem. Plus it gives us more stroage space when going shopping or traveling. Do any of you have complaints on being able to read the Sound System display in bright sunlight? I think the color of the display needs to be changed to a color easier to read such as green, which my Chevy truck uses..
My dealer in Yonkers, NY asked me to bring in my JD Powers survey so they could make sure it was filled out and mailed in. They were offering a free gift if I would do that. I did and they gave me a set of KIA rain guards to go over the front windows. They look good and work great at keeping the rain and excess wind out when the windows are down a few inches.
A note to all you nit-pickers who complain about a switch not being lighted and sound not being the best and a whole host of other little things. REMEMBER WHAT YOU PAID FOR THIS VEHICLE FOLKS! You could have gotten another van with all these items available for only 5$ to $10 grand more! Personally, I don't care about these little items and I'm happy and laughing all the way to the bank.
I think the point is, we like our Sedonas so much and cannot find fault with anything MAJOR, that the little nitpicky stuff is the only stuff we can complain about.
From time to time, I have pointed out some very LITTLE things that I wish were done differently on this van. But overall, I still love the van and I think it would be a good value at $5k more than we paid.
I received a courtesy phone call from Kia dealer's service manager who asked me to bring in my Sedona for a free service check/adjustment next Monday, and didn't tell me what the service is, any idea, folks. My Sedona has been running like a dream, so far so good at 5k miles, I don't know what is the issue, I'll keep you post next week.
I went the distance. The computer shuts down when there are about 32 miles till empty. The empty guage pins empty well before that. On empty there is still about 50 plus miles of gas remaining. When I filled up I put in 17.6 gallons of gas. I think this qualifies for fumes. PS. This was only a test and a game, I always try and fill up at half tank...it is easy with my incredible speed pass. I have had it for years..great invention.
**Palm owners. If you like to track gas mileage, there is a great little tracking program available. It can be found on CNET. I use it and have incredible history of my fill ups and gas mileage. It is all fun.
*Question regarding the HEADRESTS, If I take off the third row headrests, then I will not be able to see the vibration of the third row seats. If I don't see the constant reminder of how these seats are vibrating and rattling, does that mean I won't be able to hear them either?
Glad you got Sedona fixed already. Local Kia dealer ad: 2002 Sedona LX for $18,550. Looked again at Kia Sedona yesterday. Agree Sedona is even better bargain with $1040 discount from low sticker price $19,590. Front seats very comfortable with great room for legs and feet. V6 engine, 5 speed automatic, front and rear Air, etc. Foot rest both front seat better than my 2001 Ody EX. Front passenger legs not hit glove box like Ody. Main problem no magic seat and small room luggage space behind 3rd seats. Sedona nicer than I remembered first test drive. For $6000 less for Sedona LX than Ody LX, probably buy Sedona now instead of Ody. Still love 2001 Ody EX but Sedona real bargain $8000 less than my Ody EX last year could live without power sliding doors and take less luggage or passengers. Happy Sedona owner mileage much better than EPA estimate.
newvan2: Nope, you will still hear the seats. I stopped my rattle by folding the rear seats down. It works great as long as you don't need to use them.
ody01: It's great to hear a comparison from a current odyssey owner. Especially one that was as biased as you were initially.
This van seems to be getting people's attention. My wife has even had people approach her in a parking lot that wanted to get inside and check it out.
I am having problems with the keyless entry. Most of the time it does not work at all, (unless we are at the dealership) and it does not matter how close we are to the van.
Ody01: I am in shock! To read your compliments on the Sedona aaanndd gently criticize the Odyssey is almost too much in the same post. Welcome on board!
Headrests: I think my girls, being shorties, will be alright in the seats without the head restraints but I'm going to check for sure. With other passengers the head restraints will definitely go back in, especially since they are so easy to take out and put in. Thanks for the correction guys. Everyone will just have to help me see who's behind me when the van is full.
I'm looking forward to having installed a flip down t.v. behind my sunroof before long. Anyone have any comments on theirs?
Comments
Yesterday, I was going to pick up one of my kids, thank God I was the only one in the front seat. As I topped a crest in the road there was one of those big county mowing machines that cut the limbs off of trees and brush coming toward me. He wasn't mowing but just driving along not paying attention and was way over on my side. The country road was very narrow and my only choice was to try to swerve around him and yet stay out of the ditch as much as possible. I thought I was clear in good shape when I heard the bang of a rifle shot simultaneously with incredible amounts of shards of glass spraying all over me. Evidently something was sticking out even farther from his machine that wacked my side mirror. The impact slammed the mirror into the drivers window and thus the explosion of glass everywhere. Every single square inch of glass in the window completely shattered into fragments the largest of which was about the size of a pencil eraser, and the smallest was slivers, enormous amounts of it. I had glass everywhere. The force even embedded pieces in the steering column, I even had it in my mouth as I was chewing gum, but God was really with me because not even one sliver got in my eyes! With no sunglasses on that really is a miracle!
The mirror was still attached to the vehicle. The outer casing and mirror broken. It was obvious the force of the hit on the spring attachment slung the whole thing into the window.
Very dangerous! I would certainly have preferred the mirror to be knocked off of the van!
The repair estimates are around $1,000 if we try to take the scratches out of the door paint and replace the steering column cover.
Sorry this is so long but hopefully it could help keep someone from injury.
Tires**I have a screw in one one of my tires. The dealer is going to PATCH it today. What if anything is better or safer a patch or a plug.
I will also have the dealer do my first Oil change today at 3k...with a new oil filter. OK I am young and old fashioned. I am not going the recommended distance on the oil changes. I have a 91 Blazer,with 125k never missed and oil change (original owner) and it still purrs, although only to Home Depot and back.
Make it a GREAT DAY!!
newvan: The patches I've had used are combinations of a patch and plug. They pull the tire off the rim, drill the hole out a bit, clean and scuff the interior side of the tire, apply some glue, remove the paper on the sticky side of the patch and pull the plug through the hole until the patch meets the interior tire surface. Any excess plug is snipped off on the exterior and the tire is re-rimmed, rebalanced and reinstalled (following a soap bubble test to see if the patch is holding). My understanding is that this is how it should be done. It has worked well for me. I hope that helps.
Also, I thought the estimates to repair it were not as bad as they could have been in light of the bumper incidents people have had.
I just want everyone to be careful, give yourselves plenty of room, no matter what you drive, and just to know that this can happen. In my case I did all that I could do, except take it to the ditch or slam on the brakes and there might have been a remote possibility that it could have been avoided. Have a good day.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/726512.asp?0si=-
The spring loaded outside mirrors can be a convenience for getting into and out of tight places. It's easy to roll down the window(s) and pull the outside mirror(s) toward you. But in this case being knocked off the van definitely would have been the way to go.
I'm also glad you are mom to 3 girls, not mom to 23 girls!
I'm focusing on the positive. It could have put my eye out, injured my kids, done more damage to the vehicle etc., etc.
Sorry, so long. I know that this doesn't fit strictly on the Kia subject matter, but thanks for letting me vent.
Update on the rear bumper: I've tried to get estimates for the damaged bumper, but the body shops apparently do not have the figures for the Sedona (too new). I showed them the cost figures from Kia's website, but they don't trust anything on the web...so I'm still waiting until the estimators get an update disk that has the Sedona parts.
Sorry about mom23girls accident. Sad mower operator not honest. Very glad mom not hurt too bad. Thanks for sharing story to warn rest of us.
It seems you must have some sort of official and/or legal recourse against the police officer? I know that's less important than the fact you weren't injured, but what happened is not right and you have every right to complain about it.
I ordered some accessories from the dealership and once they put in my customer number, I got the accessories cheaper than the price they originally quoted. I will post on here when I get back from vacation what I paid for each thing but I can tell you that the front end mask was a lot cheaper than I have seen posted on here. Somewhere around $90.00. In all I got the front mask, sunroof deflector, cargo net and sport visors for the side windows (that help keep the rain from coming in when the window is cracked). I will let everyone know how well they all work.
No I have not bought Sedona.
I also discovered what I call the credit card holder under the left air vent. It is perfect for holding the parking garage card I use to get into the parking deck at work. Other manufacturers could learn something from Kia with this handy item.
Mom23, I am glad you were not hurt. Sorry the states finest were not. You might consider lodging a complaint with his superiors.
Has anyone installed a new sound system or speakers in their van? The factory system is o. k., but it is a far cry from the one in our 300M and I miss that when I drive the van.
BTW, we have the Misty Blue/Plat EX, too. 'Love the color combination. Initially, we had debated several colors. The misty blue in the brochure and on the Kia web site isn't even close to the actual color. When we saw one in person, that sealed it.
In the manual, "Appendix" page shows "how to set clock..." with "time" button.
However, mine and other pages showing the same button as "scan".
The display area suppose to showing 'TIME' , upper right side, is not displaying at all times.
Has anyone set this clock in the radio?
Also, I 've got 2 regular keys, 2 spare(valet) keys, and 2 remote keys(which works interchangeably, means I can lock with one remote and unlock with the other....) Also I got 2 key tag with 2 different numbers.
When I tried the valet keys, both doesn't do anything. Ignition or / and door lock.. (I guess the dealership mixed up.)
Also owners manual doesn't describe what valet key will do.
Anyone has similar experience?
The large head key is for the ignition, doors and glovebox. The smaller head key is for the locking sliding box under the passenger seat.
I actually thought the clarity was good, and bass extension was decent for a non-subwoofer system. The stereo also plays pretty loudly before distortion sets in.
The other area I was impressed with was detail. I'll need to compare the same CDs in our other vehicles and at home, but I thought I was hearing details that I hadn't previously recognized. Perhaps that's because the Sedona is quieter than our Isuzu Trooper, or perhaps it's because the sound system is better. Probably both.
Don't get me wrong, I am satisfied with the Sedona's sound system, considering the price of the vehicle, but it cannot compete with the infinity sound system in our 300M. I was just wondering if anyone had tried changing out speakers or the receiver and what their results were.
In the garage with the engine off, the Sedona's stereo still outperforms the Trooper's. Both have high-mounted separate tweeters as part of a 6-speaker package. The Trooper really lacks clarity/detail in the highs, even though I have swapped out the crap stock speakers with Polks (the door-mounted tweeters are still stock).
I think the road noise has something to do with it (Trooper sounding worse than Sedona), but the basic sound quality is lacking too.
Here's my question: Just after purchase, hubby noticed the Rear A/C switch on the dash was not illuminated and this irritated him immensely. Took to dealer and had to first prove that it should be illuminated which we did. Ordered part; part arrived; we took in today and had noticed in the meantime the power lock button on the driver's side armrest also is not illuminated although the power window buttons are; dealer fixed AC switch (broken wire, not switch afterall) but said the lock button shouldn't illuminate and that he checked 2 other Sedonas on the lot. Incidentally, the rear window controls also aren't lit. Can anyone pls tell me if this is the normal operation on their EX? It's driving my hubby batty and I don't want to part with the van for another day(s) while it's in the shop for a lightbulb!!
Really appreciate any help.
Our Sedona EX illumination is the same as yours. On the driver's door, the 2 window switches are illuminated but the lock switch is not. Also, the power window switches in the 3rd row are NOT illuminated.
I plan to take the Sedona down to one of those after market stereo places to get an evaluation of the system. Maybe a new speaker or two is all it needs. The wife uses it more than I and she has no complaints, so if the cost is too much, we will stick with the factory equipment.
I did have a helper when I installed the Hidden Hitch....but it was my 7 year old daughter! Does that count? I needed a stool or cardboard box to hold the hitch up while I was getting the attachment bolts started, but otherwise no assistance. (Other than, "Daddy, do you need this now?" BONK! "Ow!!!" "Sorry")
The toughest part is getting the bumper bolts on the Sedona loosened. They hold the hitch on, so you reuse them. I needed a long stiff pipe on the end of my rachet for more leverage. Some of the other bolts were a little hard to reach, but no big deal. They recommend tightening the bolts to a certain torque; I used a torque wrench, but I'm not sure it's really necessary.
The thing works GREAT with my bike rack.
We got a good deal on the repairs $539 basically we just paid for the mirror/window and labor. They were able to buff the vast majority of the scratches out of the paint. We found out that we even had broken glass inside the passenger door, can you believe that, the window wasn't even rolled down?! We found out the hard way when the window got stuck in down position on Mother's day. Imagine one window busted out with plastic over it, one window stuck in down position, LOVELY!
I removed the headrests on the 2nd & 3rd row seats and can now see beautifully! It was simple to do and I recommend others to do so as well.
I've got 9,000 miles on her and no noteworthy complaints. I drove her some 400 miles to St. Louis averaged 80 mph, tons of get up and go. I have no clue what my gas mileage was but I have no compaints. One tank took me all the way to St. Louis, drove around town shopping/seeing ballgame etc. and took me out of St. Louis about 30 miles before I stopped to get gas and the reading showed I still had about 47 miles to go before I ran out! I think that's pretty darn good! The funny thing was that I had no idea where we were going into St. Louis, so I had to literally ride my brother-in-law's bumper to our destination. I kept my eyes on his bumper at all times partly to keep from rearending him and partly to be close enough to keep others from cutting in front of me. They were amazed at how well I was able to stay on top of them in their Toyota Camry...so was I...the brakes were great!
Ody, if you're not careful you're going to be converted.
That's not a good idea if the seats are occupied. They are head restraints not head rests and if they're not in place they cannot protect your neck if you get rear-ended.
However, if the passenger is short enough, a headrest really shouldn't be necessary. So darlasha, I don't think you have anything to worry about.
A note to all you nit-pickers who complain about a switch not being lighted and sound not being the best and a whole host of other little things. REMEMBER WHAT YOU PAID FOR THIS VEHICLE FOLKS! You could have gotten another van with all these items available for only 5$ to $10 grand more! Personally, I don't care about these little items and I'm happy and laughing all the way to the bank.
From time to time, I have pointed out some very LITTLE things that I wish were done differently on this van. But overall, I still love the van and I think it would be a good value at $5k more than we paid.
My Sedona has been running like a dream, so far so good at 5k miles, I don't know what is the issue, I'll keep you post next week.
PS. This was only a test and a game, I always try and fill up at half tank...it is easy with my incredible speed pass. I have had it for years..great invention.
**Palm owners. If you like to track gas mileage, there is a great little tracking program available. It can be found on CNET. I use it and have incredible history of my fill ups and gas mileage. It is all fun.
*Question regarding the HEADRESTS, If I take off the third row headrests, then I will not be able to see the vibration of the third row seats. If I don't see the constant reminder of how these seats are vibrating and rattling, does that mean I won't be able to hear them either?
Local Kia dealer ad: 2002 Sedona LX for $18,550. Looked again at Kia Sedona yesterday. Agree Sedona is even better bargain with $1040 discount from low sticker price $19,590. Front seats very comfortable with great room for legs and feet. V6 engine, 5 speed automatic, front and rear Air, etc. Foot rest both front seat better than my 2001 Ody EX. Front passenger legs not hit glove box like Ody. Main problem no magic seat and small room luggage space behind 3rd seats.
Sedona nicer than I remembered first test drive. For $6000 less for Sedona LX than Ody LX, probably buy Sedona now instead of Ody. Still love 2001 Ody EX but Sedona real bargain $8000 less than my Ody EX last year could live without power sliding doors and take less luggage or passengers. Happy Sedona owner mileage much better than EPA estimate.
ody01, I'm glad to see you were open-minded enough to take the Sedona for a second spin around the block.
ody01: It's great to hear a comparison from a current odyssey owner. Especially one that was as biased as you were initially.
This van seems to be getting people's attention. My wife has even had people approach her in a parking lot that wanted to get inside and check it out.
I am having problems with the keyless entry. Most of the time it does not work at all, (unless we are at the dealership) and it does not matter how close we are to the van.
Headrests: I think my girls, being shorties, will be alright in the seats without the head restraints but I'm going to check for sure. With other passengers the head restraints will definitely go back in, especially since they are so easy to take out and put in. Thanks for the correction guys. Everyone will just have to help me see who's behind me when the van is full.
I'm looking forward to having installed a flip down t.v. behind my sunroof before long. Anyone have any comments on theirs?