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Comments
I'm hoping the seats will eventually 'come around' and respond to the leather conditioning regimen. So far, seats are still fairly dry. Only the driver seat has started to soften up; that must be due to the increased wear, which is a good sign. Others have reported similar results.
It felt good to vacuum out the Sedona and clean things up inside!
Does anyone else have a cargo carrier or have any suggestions?
Changes: I was tracking the conversation of the changes in the 2003 and I thought - "hey, I have that in my 2002". It does appear that there were some definite changes mid-stream in 2002. I have the gas cap holder in mine and the control for the front/rear wiper is all on one post - took some getting used to, but I have adjusted to it. - also the defrost on the front is to the left of my radio controls as it's own control.
Trunk Release - can you tell me where or if there is a trunk release on the inside of the van for back hatch? I am at a loss.
Carrier - I have a Thule and the bars should adjust to hold it. Honestly, though, I have not tried it yet. If I do I will let you know.
1. EPA mileage; I realize people are getting better than the EPA estimates but when you are shopping for a minivan and you see low figures it makes you hesitate - especially when the majority of your driving is stop and go city driving.
2. Heavy Weight; I didn't like the massive feel of the Sedona. It felt every ounces its weight when I drove it.
3. Turning Radius; On roads where I can make a U-turn with the MPV I had to do a 3-point turn in the Sedona.
4. Unproven Reliability
5. Looks; The Sedona looks too much like a Ford Windstar for my taste.
6. No traction control
7. No side air bags
8. Re-sale / trade-in; This was the least important of the things I considered but the track record for Kia/Hyundai is not good here.
MPV Dislikes;
1. Long shifter
2. Flimsy storage drawer under passenger seat
3. No power rear-quarter windows
4. No power door-lock switch on front passenger door.
Just my $.02
I like the way it looks and as far as the safety features [side air bags, traction control], I wish they were offered but no such luck. It gets a good crash test rating however.
We had a MPV today for a test drive and my wife didn't care for it as much as the Sedona. She liked the room of the Kia and the price.
We still have not made a decision on what to do. I like the Kia and leaning towards buying, but the reliability and resale factors are a big question mark. I am comforted by the number of posts I have been reading here from satisfied Kia customers - no matter that the vans are only two years old.
Thanks again for your comments.
http://money.cnn.com/2002/12/23/pf/autos/save_gas/index.htm
Good luck making a selection.
I called the dealership where I am in discussions on a new Sedona and they told me that the van requires oil changes every 3,000 miles and it cost about $30. I thought it was every 5,000?
The 6,000 mile maintenance involves oil change and tire rotation - standard
At 9,000 miles, the checkup requires oil change, coolant system check and brake inspection at a cost of about $100.
The 15,000 mile service includes oil change, brake inspection, coolant system inspection and fuel injection cleaning. Cost: $170.
Who ever heard of a cooling system needing inspected every 7,500 miles or so? This sounds pretty suspicious to me.
Can anyone tell me the real story behind "routine" maintenance on the Sedona?
I called the dealership where I am in discussions on a new Sedona and they told me that:
[1)] the van requires oil changes every 3,000 miles and it cost about $30.
That is the standard answer. There's 5000 messages on a dedicated forum on this topic elsewhere on this site. The severe service schedule calls for it, the normal (and there are a list of manufacturer requirements for normal, ymmv) is 7500. 5000 or 4 months will work well, imh-but-not-necessarily-warranty-protecting opinion. That said, $15 at Walmart every 17th trip
[2]The 6,000 mile maintenance involves oil change and tire rotation - standard
Again, standard answer. 7500 is the published interval. Cost at local garage, $10.00. DIY, 45 minutes and the one-time cost of a torque wrench (~$30).
[3]At 9,000 miles, the checkup requires oil change, coolant system check and brake inspection at a cost of about $100.
Coolant system check is easily done by you; perform monthly instead. You look at the bottle on the right side of the engine compartment (facing engine) when engine is cold. Green fluid needs to be above the line marked "full cold". Brake inspection; have it done by the guy rotating the tires. Total cost of 9,000 mi service, $10. Also, the quick lube places will be sure to check your coolant system at every visit for "free". If they find it is having an issue, then that could be $.
Now, at 9,300mi/10mo there is mention of an air conditioner filter replacement. I haven't a clue about that, so if anyone knows, I'm interested.
[4]The 15,000 mile service includes oil change, brake inspection, coolant system inspection and fuel injection cleaning. Cost: $170.
Uh, no. I've covered the others, but a fuel injection cleaning probably involves a can of cleaner poured into the tank. Buy two tanks of high octane 93 fuel if this even remotely concerns you, maybe. I'm not a big fan of fuel additives, so I'd recommend against the fuel injector cleaner unless there are symptoms.
Who ever heard of a cooling system needing inspected every 7,500 miles or so? This sounds pretty suspicious to me.
It is, but then you might want to think about which dealer you buy from based upon the 'knowledge' and ethical attitude of the service department. Just tell the salesperson that you are concerned that the service department has no idea what a Sedona is (you've got them on tires and the a/c filter at the least). Somehow I bet that your first 24 months of service will be free. Or, see if the next closest dealer has better answers; that may be where you want to buy your van.
The thing is, if there is a problem with the van down the road, and it's still within the warranty, how much of a hassle will I get from the dealer for not following their ridiculous maintenance schedule and paying the outrageous prices?
I have no problem going to another dealer and telling the current one where to head in. I need to make a few calls and see what's up.
Thanks again!
I think this covers it well. The link to the previous article mentioned within is also worth following.
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/maintenance/articles/43780/article.html
That's what I do anyway.
All that junk was just a way for the dealer to get more money out of you (and me).
Can anyone please tell me if their stereo does this?
Thanks,
Stacey
Can anyone answer this question?
Also - on the stereo - I have not noticed whether it maintains my previous settings or not. I will check, though.
Just got back from test driving a 2002 EX with 16,000 miles on it. The dealer is willing to part with it for $14,900. They have many others with similar mileage for the same price. Not much for resale value huh. Anyway my driving experience was pretty good but not the best that I've driven. That honor goes to the 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan EX. I would move on the Sedona just because of the price but I don't want to live at the dealerships' service department. Also, the 10/100,000 powertrain is not transferable. They are willing to give a 5/50,000 bumper to bumper. Just not sure what to do. Any advise?
Referring to a point earlier on the massive weight of the Sedona, a plus to this is the way it handles on a windy day along the highway. It hugs the road better than my Grand Cherokee with little side-to-side movement.
Re: weight, turning radius, and side airbags:
Weight: To me, Sedona rides and drives just fine. The van doesn't feel extra-heavy to me at all. I'm surprised you thought it felt so heavy. I've been in other minivans and didn't notice that any of them felt any heavier or lighter than any of the others.
Turning radius on Sedona is bad. This is something that is noticeable when parking - if I don't have the van lined up properly when pulling into a parking space, I sometimes need to back up and try again. It's an inconvenience, but not a big deal to me.
Re: side airbags, this would be nice to have on Sedona but since the side impact crash scores are quite good, I don't consider it a big deal. I'd rather have no side airbags and good crash scores than side airbags and not good crash scores. I'm not saying MPV has bad scores; I know they are good.
I wouldn't worry too much about not having every single check and inspection documented. I highly doubt there would be a situation in which a dealer tried to refuse a warranty claim due to certain minor factory maintenance items not being done. Even if they bothered to check and see you hadn't done certain things, they would need to demonstrate that the neglect of certain maintenance items contributed to the part failure, which would be hard to do.
I've been meaning to ask my dealer about the 9,300-mile 'A/C filter' replacement interval. I don't understand what this item is - does the A/C system actually have a filter? If so, how in the world could it require replacement every 9300 miles? I've never heard of an A/C filter on a vehicle before.
Perhaps this is a strange way for Kia to say 'cabin air filter' or something. The cabin air filter seems to be a more and more common thing on vehicles these days. I remember buying a new Merc Mystique (aka Ford Contour) back in '96. These vehicles were some of the first mass-market vehicles to include a cabin air filter, if I remember correctly.
If these are rental vehicles or something, I'd throw the normal depreciation estimates out the window. To me, a rental vehicle should be cheaper than a consumer-owned vehicle.
I'm very curious to know how this dealer has so many 1 year-old used Sedonas. I see very few used Sedonas for sale anywhere, which is to be expected since Sedona is a pretty new model. Are these rentals, lemon buybacks, etc.?
Just got back from test driving a 2002 EX with 16,000 miles on it. The dealer is willing to part with it for $14,900. They have many others with similar mileage for the same price. Not much for resale value huh. Anyway my driving experience was pretty good but not the best that I've driven. That honor goes to the 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan EX. I would move on the Sedona just because of the price but I don't want to live at the dealerships' service department. Also, the 10/100,000 powertrain is not transferable. They are willing to give a 5/50,000 bumper to bumper. Just not sure what to do. Any advise?
We are very pleased. The ride is quite smooth, stable and quiet at all speeds.
I have some nits, but nothing major:
1) Rear window wiper nut cover fell off somewhere;
2) the front struts have been fairly noisy recently in a low thudding kind of way over rough surfaces;
3) the middle row head rests have both failed in different modes. One is locked in the full down position (no big deal, but undesireable). The other cannot be reinserted because the catching mechanism is blocking the post hole while the little metal post that holds the plate has fallen in so that is cannot be removed to slide the locking plate back into position - so no head rest - a real problem for the occasional adult passenger;
4)The console temperature readout is always warmer by 5-9 degrees F; and
5)The gas quantity indicators are severely biased toward indicating empty (~14 gallons is less than half full and ~4 gallons remaining activates the low fuel light.
Other than those very small issues (nothing major-mechanical affecting safety or in-service time), the van is great, hauling us to and fro with various payloads. I think it really excels at highway hauling and utility of the interior configuration capabilities.
For what it's worth, I find that a pair of 2x6x8s makes loading and unloading seats even easier.
The rear window wiper nut cover fell off our Sedona too! Plus, it was missing from the 2003 Sedona in the dealer showroom I visited recently. Must be a pretty common problem. My dealer replaced it under warranty.
I'm guessing your dealer will resolve your headrest woes under warranty. Those things shouldn't be happening.
Our gas gauge and distance-to-empty trip computer readout are biased toward empty, but no more/less than other vehicles I've driven. Sounds like you may have a faulty indicator or something like that. Our low fuel light rarely illuminates, even though a fillup usually takes 17 or 18 gallons, which means there is 2.5 gallons or less of gas left in the tank.
How do you use the 2x6x8s to aid in seat removal? I just roll the seats out the rear hatch, pick them up, and set them down.
We have a 3 year old and two newborns. We were considering taking out one of the second row seats, putting our 3 year old in the other 2nd row seat, and the newborns in back.
Then we realized that the 'Latch' only applies the the 2nd row seats. So, now we are not so sure.
Any comments on what others have done?
* NAPA (made by Wix) part # 2086. Not in stock at NAPA store but next-day ordered for $13.14
* Wix should be # 42086
* Purolator #A35434. $24.95 (not in stock; available next-day) from Advance Auto.
* STP #AF3589 at AutoZone. $19.99 according to Autozone.com.
V111, I'd put both of the new additions in the middle row and the older child in the center of third row even though there's no latch for that seat, iirc.
I looked around; see Question 40 at http://www.car-safety.org/faq.html
But if I can get a decent paper filter from NAPA for $13.14, I may go that route instead.
Bluedevils, unless your air filter is real dirty, the maintenance calls for replacement at 20k -severe or 25k - normal.
1) Rear window wiper nut cover fell off somewhere [I noticed it gone after an automatic car wash but was replaced under warranty although dealer was hesitant]
2) the front struts have been fairly noisy recently in a low thudding kind of way over rough surfaces [This has always annoyed me. The dealer has checked the front end and says everything is tight. But a friend who has an 03 said his salesman told him this has been fixed for the new model. I'm still looking into this.]
4)The console temperature readout is always warmer by 5-9 degrees F [ Dealer says there is currently no fix for this]
hmmmm. Curiouser and curiouser.
I suspect that someone has just converted the recommended replacement of 15000km to miles and rounded down to the nearest hundred. At least they didn't convert it to every 9321 miles. This filter is designed to keep particles as small as pollen out of the cabin and they seem to work pretty well, but they are not cheap to replace. Every 15000km / 9300 miles seems very frequent to me, I think I'd take a look at it before just blindly replacing it according to the recommended interval.
Happy New Year to all.
No, I don't know what the filter is but it seems very likely to me. A lot of vehicles these days do have them and the replacement interval seems about right, maybe a little short. Both the vehicles I have owned with these filters suggested replacement every 20000km.
If only we knew where it was to inspect it and how to get one if needed.
Details:
2003 Sedona EX with moonroof, ABS, leather, and rear spoiler. Black with platinum two-tone lower cladding. Grey leather interior. MSRP $24,370. Selling price $21,350 plus tax/title/vehicle registration ($22,350 minus $1,000 rebate). No trade-in involved. 4.84% APR loan from Chase for 48 months. Same rate was available for 60 months. My parents have very good credit scores.
Negotiation was very easy - no b.s. and pretty quick.
Dealer agreed to the deal even though it had to swap a dealer for the van 60 miles away.
My parents are very happy with the van. They wanted the black/platinum exterior so badly, sight unseen, they were willing to take the grey leather interior even though they preferred the tan interior.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/TSBScans/sb629976.pdf
Any suggestions?
Options desired-
LEATHER,ABS,SPOILER,2 TONE,ALLOYS,OVERSIZED TIRES.
Please include name of dealer/salesman and best financing/rebate deal.
NOTE: OUT OF AREAS ARE WELCOME FOR COMPARISON!!!
THX,
OPA
You may not be able to get such a good price - the dealer went about halfway into the holdback on this deal, I suspect because it was month- and year-end and the sale, even at very low profit, was important to them. They gave this price even though they had to trade with another dealer to get the desired vehicle, which typically costs the dealer a few bucks.
You might try building your desired Sedona on carsdirect.com. They deliver anywhere in the U.S. via dealers that partner with carsdirect. Their price in my area was very good, but other folks in other areas were quoted prices much ($1,000+) higher.
Read the last 100 or so posts - there has been quite a bit of discussion on recent prices paid.
Question: what are you talking about re: oversize tires? All Sedonas come with 15" tires. If you want larger wheels and tires, don't work this with the dealer. Go to tirerack.com or tires.com (Discount Tire's online store) or a Discount Tire store and see what they have. A dealer is only going to mark up the tires and wheels more than these other folks. They may not even want to deal with this - I'm not sure how many dealers like to put non-factory size wheels/tires on new vehicles.