We rarely/never use our chrome strip as a door handle. I almost always just grab the bottom of the tailgate to get it started downward, then push on part of the green painted tailgate to close it completely. And we still ended up with the rust problem on our 2002 Sedona - twice. Hopefully it won't come back again.
The damage can result from anyone doing it. Maybe the guy who washes your car, or changed your tires, or a lot boy at the Kia dealership, or a grocery bag guy. Anyone. Yes, the best place to press when closing the hatch, or any door for that matter, is somewhere along the edge of the door opposite from its hinges. I read that on the 2002 there may never have been an original rubber gasket between the horizontal piece and the tailgate. On my 2004 there is (was) a very narrow and thin rubber gasket which has a tendency to shift and/or fall out if someone presses on the bar above the license plate which flexes the tailgate sheet metal.
My Sedona LX has about 11,000 miles, and my local dealership has had it for a month. I took it in for a "Check engine light," and now 2 "bad sensors" and one "retooled" cylinder head later, I'm still waiting for word on what's wrong. Any ideas, or has anyone else had these kinds of problems? :sick:
Didn't get your e-mail, but yes the garage has sorted. It was a faulty exhaust valve on the engine. They aslo put a new tailpipe on. Now it has got it's power back, and hardly smokes at all. the only thing that I am thinking about now is that the headlights on dip are not very bright. I have bought some new (same watt) bulbs that claim to be brighter, but still sem a bit dim to me compared to my last car. The garage say that if you put higher watt bulbs they cna burn out the wires, so I am thinking of getting some extra lamps, unless I can think of anything else.
Hello their, Not a major one, but a bit annoying. The headlights on my Kia Sedonna seem to produce a weak beam. I have tried putting some new bulbs in that claim to be 60% brighter, but still seems dim to me (its not my eyesight). The garage say that it is not good to buy higher watt bulbs,as they can burn out the wires. Any Ides?
My windshield broke almost 2 years ago. Dealership repeatedly says its from a chip but cannot show me the chip. A glass dealership examined it and agreed its a flaw. Kia dealership says they've never heard of this being a problem on the 2002 sedona. can anyone give me a dealership that has fixed this problem so that i can call and get verification or something?? I was sitting in the drive on a cold day, defrosting the window when it happened. no stone in sight. thanks.
The dreaded brake and battery light had been coming on and off for several days. Tried replacing the battery and the brake and battery light stayed off for most off the day when my wife went to work and ran her errands. Then I made a short trip into to town and the battery light came on and it died leaving me stranded on the side of the road. Called Kia roadside assistance and had it towed to the local Kia dealer. Visited the service department the next day and talked to the service manager. I told him about the technical service Bulletin "Group Engine, Model Sedona, Number 010” (see post #761 by kiatech) but he said that it was “out of warranty”, and “not covered”. Our 2002 Sedona has 80,000 miles on it.
Today I got the bad news. Alternator has died. Dealer wants $235 for a new alternator; $35 for a new belt (seems the replacement alternator has a different size pulley hence the need for a new belt) and 3 hours labor for a grand total of $535! They also tried to sell me on a battery too. (Nice try but I told them it was only a day old. It will need to be recharged as it was run completely flat.)
Question #1) Has anyone had Kia work with them to replace the defective alternator for free or reduced price because of the service bulletin? If so, who did you have to talk to?
Question #2) Both Advance Auto Parts and Auto Zone list replacement alternators for the Sedona:
Advance Auto Parts For vehicle: 2002 KIA SEDONA V6 3.5 Liter FI Part No.12381 Worldwide Imp ALTERNATOR, Reman; 120 Amps; Warranty: 3 Year Limited Warranty, Ships in 1 day, $169.99, $50.00 core
Part No. 13967, Autolite Import IMPORT ALTERNATOR, Warranty: Lifetime Limited Warranty, Ships in 3 days, $104.99
Auto Zone DURALAST-IMPORT ALTERNATOR for a 2002 KIA TRUCK SEDONA Unit Price: $126.99, Core Value: $50.00, Part No. 12381 Weight: 7.0 lbs. Warranty: LLT, Availability: Online: Special Order, Store: Special Order Note: PREMIUM QUALITY REMAN, SOME NEW COMPONENTS.
Has any one tried one of these? How hard is it to install? I’m not afraid of some hard work and have plenty of hand tools, but I would draw the line if the engine has to be partially lifted out or if the A/C system has to be disconnected and recharged. (I have not been able to locate a service manual for the Sedona yet)
I was wondering if anyone has had problems with both sides of their rear fans working in their 2003 Sedona. If so please let me know what to do? Thanks
My 2004 Sedona EX has wear only on the inside edge of the right front tire. This is probably because the factory setting on the camber adjustment is slightly off. Did you ever solve your problem? If so, how? Is this a warranty item?
I have a 2000 Sportage and a 2004 Sedona (doubley blessed). Have had the Sedona in for check engine lights (misfire in cyl 2), front stub axel, rear hub bearings, acceleration problem, front rotors. 2 recalls, and now there is a spot of oil on my garage floor I need to take it in for. Anyway, my question really pertains to the Sportage, which has annual 4WD non-operational issues. I just brought it in again for no 4WD (was always vac hose before), but now they say it had water infiltration and the bill will be $1,400 (missed end of 5 year portion of warranty by 2 months). Are there TSBs on this? Should I be able to negotiate free repair based on known problems with the design. I understand that some have been coverted over to manual hubs. Any experiences welcome (Sportage forums have been closed). Oh, the Sportage also needs new rotors AND calipers (one frozen), and some kind of suspension links. Yup, I made my last loan payment in August.
I have 2003 kia sedona and the motor just went 2 days ago on my way home from work. No notice just a loud cranky noise and then every light on the dash lit up. Sent it to the dealer and they told me they found sludge and that they will not cover. My oil gets changed every 3000 to 4000 miles. I had no oil light warning or any check engine light warning and find this to be impossible unless when the engine went it was sooo hot that it burnt the oil up?? Does anyone have any suggestions.
If you have proof of oil changes then they will have to repair under warranty. Otherwise,it may be difficult to prove you were not responsible. Unfortunately, the burden of proof is on you. May want to check out the old Toyota Sienna problem boards (2000-2002). The Sienna had a sludge problem issue that Toyota was blaming on the owners for lack of changing the oil on schedule.
I brought my 2002 Sedona EX (37,000 miles)in last week to have them check my warped brake rotors. I assumed they would be under Warranty because I'm within the 5 year / 60,000 mile warranty. Well, because I live in Syracuse, NY, they are saying the rotors have rust and are warped and because of the salt used on the roads, they won't cover the rotors. I called Kia USA Headquarters and they said the dealer was basically justified in not covering this under warranty. Anyway, the dealership wanted $315.00 plus tax to install new rotors and pads. I'm sure I can do it cheaper myself. I was wondering if there was anything tricky about replacing the pads and rotors on the Sedona. I don't have Anti-Lock. And I've changed brakes on several other vehicles with front disc brakes.
Hello. Just found the forum. We have a 2003 (I believe) and really have had no issues thus far. Except mileage. At first, we got around 18 in town, and 26 or better highway. It started to fall off, until we were down to around 14/19 mpg. My wife is the primary driver, and she took it to KIA for a tune up, to be told the tune up would cost $120, and it really needed another service package which cost $500. This is supposedly the 30K checkup and includes injector cleaning, etc? Is this ridiculous or what?
As I said, other than the mpg, it has been a good vehicle.
Agree. If you can prove you properly maintained your van and it is still under warranty, then Kia should be paying for the repair. Several Toyota models (including the Sienna) had a sludge problem several years ago and Toyota did stonewall customers, but eventually came out with an 8 year unlimited mile warranty for sludge repairs if an owner can prove reasonable maintenance.
See if your state insurance commission can assist you or possibly a local consumers group. I am not sure if you can take action under lemon laws, because I believe that requires a dealer to attempt repair.
In the meantime, file on line complaints at http://www.nhtsa.gov (fed agency that could force Kia to take action if there are others experiencing similar problems), http://www.autosafety.org (consumer group), and http://www.ftc.gov (fed agency that investigates warranty fraud).
I contacted my lawyer today (the same one that i used under the lemon law last year). Since buying the van in 2003 I have had the a/c replaced 3 times plus went in a 4th to have a hose replaced, my power windows and locks went up and had to be fixed, my airbag light comes on so often I can't keep count. That all happened thru late 2003 til 2004 and in 2005 (after the suit) the alternator went up and had to be replaced. Now they want 6,000.00 for the motor. So now i wait to see what the lawyer thinks.
For those of you considering snow tires, I just put on Kumho KW11 Izen Studs. An excellent tire for a mixture of heavy snow, some ice ,dry roads and wet conditions so far. Very quiet on dry roads. I have heard however that they are not sold by Kumho in the U.S.A..
I really like this van and would be completely satisfied if this could be solved. To date here is what Kia has done:
1) 4 sets of strut mounts 2) 3 sets of struts 3) stabilizer links 4) Torsion bars
I have been pretty impressed with the desire to get this fixed btw.
I finally told Kia to stop throwing parts at it and to get a set of chassis ears on it. Chassis ears confirmed it was the struts. I was told by Kia that they would put aftermarket struts on to try to fix it but none were available. I called Monroe and couldn't get the time of day. Gabriel actually got me hooked up with the product designer for Kia cars (amoungst others). He said they were considering having the OEM manufacturer making them for them. Needless to say I think that idea hit the trash can after we talked for a bit.
The designer is now looking for compatible struts in the existing products. He will keep me posted and I will keep all of you posted. BTW after describing the sound to him and when it happens he said it sounds like there isn't enough oil in the struts.
if you google +kia +sedona +struts you will find a kia forum discussing this. one person's claimed this issue has existed for several model years. good luck.
IMO, you'll never get a dealer to replace warped rotors once the vehicle is past the 'initial' warranty period. By this I mean the period during which pretty much anything will be adjusted or cosmetic issues resolved for free. On many vehicles this is 12 months / 12,000 miles.
Our 2004 Chevy Malibu Maxx developed what must be warped rotors around 10,000 miles. I never took the car in and we are at 26,000 miles now. I'm not even going to have the dealer look at the brakes because I know it wouldn't be a warranty item at this point.
Brakes are a wear item and although rotors should not warp at 20-40k miles, it happens quite often and I don't know of any brands that typically replace/repair warped rotors under warranty.
Just to let you know, I had my struts and power steering replaced on my 2002 under warranty. it might be more than meets the eye! Most of my problems have seemed to come from the O2 sensor (I have given up on it, and learned how to live with it) I have had to have a blower motor replaced twice, I'm on my second brake job, the alternator went to Kia heaven (costing a battery and three trips to the dealer on some of the coldest Chicago nites, it seemed to die at night, go figure). This summer I had it tuned up at $600 bucks. When I can afford it I will have the timing belt changed (we are at 73,000). I'm sure that there are other issue's. In the near future, I'm going to post my complete service history.
Bluedevils, you might want to visit your GM dealer with the brake rotor problem. My '03 Malibu had the rotors turned at 9000, 30000, 45000, and then they were replaced at 56000 km all under waranty and at NO cost to me. Brake rotors should easily last the full waranty period with no problems if they were designed and built properly.
i might ask about it next time, but i think i waited too long. the rotors were definitely warped by 10,000 miles or less, but i never took the car to the dealer. you got the ball rolling at 9000km and that seems to be why they kept up the free work on yours.
The brake and battery light had been coming on and off for several days. Tried replacing the battery and the brake and battery light stayed off for most off the day when my wife went to work and ran her errands. Then I made a short trip into to town and the battery light came on and it died leaving me stranded on the side of the road. Called Kia roadside assistance and had it towed to the local Kia dealer. I visited the service department the next day. Talked to the service manager, Dewey (sp?), and described the problem. I advised him the battery was only 1 day old.
I called the dealer ship the next business day. Dewey says the alternator has died. Dealer wants $235 for a new alternator; $35 for a new belt (seems the replacement alternator has a different size pulley hence the need for a new belt) and 3 hours labor for a grand total of $535! They also tried to sell me on a battery too. (Nice try but I told him again it was only a day old. It will need to be recharged as it was run completely flat.)
Last Monday I called Dewey and told him to go ahead with the repair. My wife paid for the repair, and drove our Sedona home. She shows me the invoice, and to my shock and dismay they included a new Battery for $79.95 in the invoice for 539.10!
I called Dewey and asked why had installed a battery, which I did not authorize. He said the old one was bad and he did not go over the original quote. I reminded him of our previous conversations about the battery being only 1 day old and it had a 3 year free replacement warranty. He said he remembered that but there was nothing he could do for me. I requested the he take the battery back, and give me my original battery, and refund the $79.95. He refused, stating that I had approved the quote of $535.00. Again I reminded him that he said the $535.00 quote was only for the alternator, new belt and 3 hours labor. He still refused to correct the problem. I asked to speak with his manager. He gave me the number for a Michael White. I called Mr. White and he told me that Dewey had already told him what had happened and he refused to take the battery back and refund the $79.95.
I called Kia’s toll free service number and spoke to a man named Richard. He understood the problem and didn’t understand why the dealership would not take the battery back and refund the money. However that as far as I got with him, he said Kia Corporate doesn’t get involved unless it is a warranty issue. He did say that a letter would be sent on my behalf to Athens Kia and he gave me a case number.
I retuned to the dealership and picked up my original battery and put it on a charger overnight. So far the battery is charging just fine, so I will be able to use it.
I will be pursuing other means to remedy this issue. This is really sad as until now, I had good service from this dealer, but it has been mostly warranty repairs. I have recommended the Kia Sedona to family and friends. Two of which purchased Kia Sedonas. But now, I can not recommend Athens Kia to anyone. And I’m wondering if I should recommend the Sedona anymore.
Put the old battery back in. Call Dewey and tell him you will drive with the so called "bad" battery for a week. If there are no problems...drive it in and say you expect them to refund your money and take back their battery OR you will report them to the BBB,Kia , file with small claims court. If the battery is bad...maybe the retailer will prorate and refund most of your money instead of replaceing it.
FWIW...$79 for battery and installation is a good price.
The original battery will be going back in our van. It has passed a load test.
After being refusing to take the battery back and refund my money by both the service manager and the dealership’s general manager, I don't see what a personal appearance would do to remedy the situation.
Yesterday I did get a call back from Kia Consumer affairs. I’ll be calling them back today and see what they can do.
I have also filed a report with the local Better Business Bureau. And if it comes to it, I will take the issue to small claims court.
The reason they didn't refund your money is because they said the battery is bad. The point of the "personal appearance" was to show them that the battery they deemed "bad" is perfectly fine. I don't see how they can refuse to refund your money when the proof is staring them right in the face...but do whatever you want.
I occasionally post items on my 03 EX, but not too often have problems. Well I developed one the last few days. As you know there is the rear heater. This rear heater is fed by hot coolant from the engine via a supply line and a return line running under the body, much like the gas and brake lines. In certain areas these lines are 3/4" heater hose and are fine. Certain areas transfer to 3/4" pipes. These pipes are thusly mounted to the body via a 10mm bolt (at least 2 clamps). These clamps are not seperate, but welded to the pipes. That being described, here was my problem. I did my oil, filter and air last week. Yesterday I pull into the drive to see this 'patch' under where I parked the night before. I said to myself, 'darn, must not have the oil nut tight' so I sprayed grease eater to eat the oil. THEN I looked at the van. NO oil leak, but a COOLANT leak. One of the clamps mounting these cooling pipes had the most ulcerated cancer rust Ive seen yet. To the point of springing a leak and squirting coolant onto the catalytic conveter. The whole clamp assembly and the pipes welded within. I could/should have gone to the dealer, but I wanted this fixed with out new pipe/clamp assembly. Pretty easy fix. When I saw the second clamp set, there was the rust again, albeit not as bad, so I cut all that garbage out and have a perfect, permanent repair as far as I am concerned. Straight 3/4" heater hose from front pipes to rear pipes, and one plastic clamp I made myself. Cost me about $20 for coolant, 4 clamps and 8' heater hose. I used about 3' times two lines. Granted I live and drive in Mass. winters, and it WAS 26 degrees yesterday, but I got the van at the end of Feb. 03, so it has only seen TWO full entire winters. Every time I wash, it includes the under carriage. I hope this can help someone else, at LEAST get under and have a looky see for yourself, the worst clamp was directly next to the catalytic converter. Other than that, still running great and perfectly acceptable MPG.
Glad to hear that you were able to fix your problem without any dealer rigamarole involved.
I've got one concern regarding your repair though. Regarding the rusted clamp you said "..to the point of springing a leak and squirting coolant onto the catalytic conveter." as well as "...at LEAST get under and have a looky see for yourself, the worst clamp was directly next to the catalytic converter."
My concern is whether or not your repair is going to survive its proximity to the catalytic convertor come *next* summer when the outside temps are 90+ and you're sitting in stop and go traffic. I'm wondering if the reason there was a metal clamp and pipe there in the first place was just for this reason? Something to think about.
Maybe you'll have to consider devising some kind of tin heat shield between the hose and plastic clamp and the convertor.
Thanks spectraman, that is an excellent thought. I see exactly your point. I will be thinking of a better solution to the plastic clamp and of some sort of metal sheild. I am quite creative and appreciate your input. Unfortunately I was in a pretty pickle. I found the leak Thursday night with a major snow event to happen about six hours later that I HAD to drive in. It was too much of a leak to 'let go' till I could talk to the dealer Sat. or this coming Mon. My MA dealer is great, but they LOVE to tie you up. I had the CD player go bad, and they wanted my WHOLE van from Wed. of one week, till possibly TUESDAY of the next week. For a radio? Over my dead body I told them. So guess what? I went home, took out the stereo and DELIVERED it back to them! They near had strokes LOLOL! Stuttering about "you cant do that", "warranty' blah blah blah but they finally ordered a new one. The look on their faces was so worth the bother. Well thats my funny story for today, thanks again. NE03
Can anyone lead me as to what to do with regards to my 2005 kia Sedona. I have only had the car for exactly 3 months when I rear ended someone. I had already complained about the brakes a few weeks prior. Upon taking it to the shop after the accident I am finding out that I have bad rotors and a bad master cylinder. This explains why the van would not stop and I hit the car in front of me. They sent me home to order the part but the next day I realized that I should not drive it at all. They came and towed it and I now have a rental (at Kia's expense). However, I now have a ticket and a damaged van, not to mention the car in front that was hit. I have indicated to the service rep. that Kia is responsible for these costs. I think this is sad to send someone out in a van with the brakes the way they were. Myself and children were in danger as well as anyone else on the road near me. Do you have any documentation of brake problems to go to court with? Thanks
I have a 2003 Sedona, I have a problem at exactly 1500 rpms, My van is in the shop now to get fixed...I reported it as a transmission shifting point problem {chattering}...It seems to happen in city driving going about 38-43mph...did happen one time at 30mph..I think at a lower shifting gear...Will go away if I speed up and the rpms change and it shifts down......I thought it might be just a transmission adjustment...I'll let you know if I get it fixed...
I'm have posted this over on the "Sedona" forum too.
Has anyone any experience with either a DIY or after-market-dealer installed remote starter in a Sedona? We have an '05 LX and I'd like to put in a remote starter setup. Don't need a full alarm system although I could tolerate it if it was reasonable and with a remote receiver. I keep thinking the screwy door-lock system might get in the way somehow. (Remote starters aren't much good for warm-ups if you can't keep the doors locked!)
Anyone have handle or success story on what to use for a remote starter and where to get it? Any warranty issues here that anyone KNOWS about or has faced?
Got the sedona back with the shift chattering problem still there ...the dealership says I need to have the transmission serviced at my expense[$100]...I have 39k miles on the van .. user manual calls for service at 105k.. I'm know pleading my case to Kia usa...I guess the 100k warranty is not worth much...I'll never buy another Kia from this dealer if they treat me this way...
Kia should pay for whatever is needed to fix the transmission, so long as the dealership recognizes there is a problem. Telling you to pay for the diagnosis or the repair is ludicrous! Please keep us posted on your situation. I'm sure we are all very interested in how Kia stands behind its warranty. That warranty is a main reason many shoppers choose Kia.
How about posting the name, address and phone number of that dealer too? It would be a good warning to owners and shoppers to stay away.
After talking to the Kia HQ person...I got no satisfaction...They said if I had a problem I had to have the transmission serviced[$100] before they would look at it even though that may be a waste of my money...They claim that because I live in Florida, it must be having severe usage, even though I spend the summers up north..... Their warranty is a scam and worthless... the only option I have is to go to the BBB for arbitation...Which I will start tommorrow...If I lose there I'll post the Dealers name and phone number so other people won't be taken advantage of, as I was...Don't buy KIA for the Warranty, because they can void it any time, for no good reason...
Following the severe use maintenance schedule, would you be required to service the trans. now? Guess its about time for all of us to dump our Kias if the warranties are no good.
Under the severe use I would be required to service the trany...If you read the fine print everyone would have to be considered "severe Use" ...Problem may not be in the trany but may need a computer fix...Some very similar problems have been reported on a number of different vehicles as "lean engine stumble"...Basicly the transmission and the engine are out of sync at the shift points...Most noteably on the Lexus...The problems as discribed there are exactly the same as mine on the KIA...I'll talk to the dealership again today and see if they will do anything about it...
After meeting with the dealer and checking with 4 other car dealers in the area...I've found that Florida cars , because of the humidity and temp, are considered "severe Use" schedule...You would have to live in Utopia with constant 76 degrees temps and no humidity to qualify for any other...They just weren't telling people about it 3 or 4 years ago...now most of them have you sign a form to that effect, when they buy the car, also give you a Updated Maintenance schedule...One sales manager at a different dealer said he's been involved with a half dozen different cars and there all the same...KIA and Hyundi are more hard nose then the rest of them, when it comes to warranty work...
Kia warranty should come on a cardboard paper roller, so you could hang it in your bathroom next to the commode. Because, all it's good for is wiping, Kia seldom honors it!
Some folks, including me, have had nothing but good experience with their local dealer fixing things under warranty. We have been lucky and our 2002 EX was not afflicted with some of the more common mechanical problems with the early Sedonas (steering noise, AC troubles, etc), but we did have several things needing fixing/replacement/adjustment under warranty. Never were we refused; the dealer always tried to fix things and even though they weren't always sharp enough to get it right the first time, our van's problems have all been addressed in due time.
Being told that you need to spend $100 to service your trans even though it may not be the problem does stink. But Kia is not the only brand to employ these sorts of tactics. And they have somewhat of a leg to stand on if the severe service schedule calls for that trans service to have been done by now on a 39k mile van.
In the final analysis, is it really the end of the world for you to spend $100 on preventive maintenance for your van's transmission? Alternatively, you could do the work for maybe $50-60 at an independent shop and that should satisfy the dealer to proceed with the in-warranty investigation of your trans problems. Heck, the dealer might actually be right and maybe the trans service will resolve your problem.
Many manufacturers have the same sort of language regarding 'standard' or 'regular' duty and 'severe service'. Almost everybody falls into the severe service category. This allows the company to tout its long service intervals when most folks will need to do their maintenance more often-- on the 'severe' schedule. This is common practice and you guys shouldn't be going ballistic on Kia about it. Do I agree with it? No. But this isn't just a Kia thing.
We had our sedona for about 6 months with aprox 7800 miles. The 22 of december 2005 my wife was backing out of driveway couldnt disengage gas pedal once she first depressed it while backing out. She quickly put the car in neutral and turned key to shut off transmission. After reading this posting about cold start hesitation theres the strong possibility that the tempertaure played a part in transmission performance. It was towed to dealer who had stated there was nothing they saw that indicated to them what could have caused this however they were going to hold it till one of their techs came down to have a better look at it
A friend of mine bought a used 05 Sedona, it is coming up on the 30,000 mile service. Several Atlanta area dealers are "quoting" $399. That seems way out of line to me. What are other dealers charging in other areas? Thanks
Hi, I don'tknowif this will helpyour case, but I have a 2005 Sedona (currently in a lawyers hands for the Lemon Law) but one of the problems the dealership can't or WON'T fix is the breaks.I have 4,000 miles in 9 months. The Alloy wheel(front) sometimes get so hot youcan fry eggs on them.I can tell when they are getting hot becaude I can smell something like plastic burning. The dealership says I must have ran over a plastic bag !! They say they cannot duplicate this problem so everything is normal. I recorded the mileage (as did the dealer repair form) they said after road testing the van, they could not find ANYTHING wrong. The total road test was 1.8 miles !!! I can drive most any car with the hand break on for 1.8 mile and not have the wheel get hot. KIA is not a good vehicle and I am willing to wait the 3-12 months it take to get rid of it. I, for one, now realize how important it is to BUY AMERICAN at least to helpAmericans to keep their jobs. I know I can also get an American lemon,but at least it will be American. Anyways, the break part of your post interested me. Along with break problem, I also have shock problem,A/C problems, a rearend problem and only getting 11.5 miles per gal. and the dealer has asked me not to return for any of these problems because according to Kia Tech (that's right, mechanics no longer decide what is repairable or not)everything is NORMAL. :lemon: :lemon:
1.8 mile road test that seems about nornal. that is about what my KIA dealer does to me
they do not put any time into properly diagnosing problums. i fault KIA warrenty policy for this. time to duplacate a customer complaint appears to have be ok'd by a district rep first or the dealer will not get paid the time involved
next week i am taking my KIA in for some problums two very serious engine related
and i will not accept "can not duplacate problem" this trip. i am going to tell them to keep the vehicle untill they can in the mean tine i will be consulting a lemon law firm
I'm working on my second dealership now, the dealership where I bought it from,their service advisor told me NOT to bring the van back in there for anything to do with breaks,rearend noise,A/C , trip computer. He said everyting is NORMAL , so, I am now going to a dealership 5 miles away and you guessed it ----- same answers,, everything is NORMAL. I will be so glad when this LEMON is removed from my hands for good
Comments
Yes, the best place to press when closing the hatch, or any door for that matter, is somewhere along the edge of the door opposite from its hinges.
I read that on the 2002 there may never have been an original rubber gasket between the horizontal piece and the tailgate.
On my 2004 there is (was) a very narrow and thin rubber gasket which has a tendency to shift and/or fall out if someone presses on the bar above the license plate which flexes the tailgate sheet metal.
Didn't get your e-mail, but yes the garage has sorted. It was a faulty exhaust valve on the engine. They aslo put a new tailpipe on. Now it has got it's power back, and hardly
smokes at all. the only thing that I am thinking about now is that the headlights on dip are not very bright. I have bought some new (same watt) bulbs that claim to be brighter, but still sem a bit dim to me compared to my last car. The garage say that if you put higher watt bulbs they cna burn out the wires, so I am thinking of getting some extra lamps, unless I can think of anything else.
brighter, but still seems dim to me (its not my eyesight).
The garage say that it is not good to buy higher watt bulbs,as they can burn out the wires. Any Ides?
Today I got the bad news. Alternator has died. Dealer wants $235 for a new alternator; $35 for a new belt (seems the replacement alternator has a different size pulley hence the need for a new belt) and 3 hours labor for a grand total of $535! They also tried to sell me on a battery too. (Nice try but I told them it was only a day old. It will need to be recharged as it was run completely flat.)
Question #1) Has anyone had Kia work with them to replace the defective alternator for free or reduced price because of the service bulletin? If so, who did you have to talk to?
Question #2) Both Advance Auto Parts and Auto Zone list replacement alternators for the Sedona:
Advance Auto Parts
For vehicle: 2002 KIA SEDONA V6 3.5 Liter FI
Part No.12381 Worldwide Imp ALTERNATOR, Reman; 120 Amps; Warranty: 3 Year Limited Warranty, Ships in 1 day, $169.99, $50.00 core
Part No. 13967, Autolite Import IMPORT ALTERNATOR, Warranty: Lifetime Limited Warranty, Ships in 3 days, $104.99
Auto Zone
DURALAST-IMPORT ALTERNATOR for a 2002 KIA TRUCK SEDONA
Unit Price: $126.99, Core Value: $50.00, Part No. 12381 Weight: 7.0 lbs. Warranty: LLT, Availability: Online: Special Order, Store: Special Order
Note: PREMIUM QUALITY REMAN, SOME NEW COMPONENTS.
Has any one tried one of these? How hard is it to install? I’m not afraid of some hard work and have plenty of hand tools, but I would draw the line if the engine has to be partially lifted out or if the A/C system has to be disconnected and recharged. (I have not been able to locate a service manual for the Sedona yet)
I sure would appreciate any feed back on this.
Thanks,
Mark J.
As I said, other than the mpg, it has been a good vehicle.
Burt
See if your state insurance commission can assist you or possibly a local consumers group. I am not sure if you can take action under lemon laws, because I believe that requires a dealer to attempt repair.
In the meantime, file on line complaints at http://www.nhtsa.gov (fed agency that could force Kia to take action if there are others experiencing similar problems), http://www.autosafety.org (consumer group), and http://www.ftc.gov (fed agency that investigates warranty fraud).
Very reasonable price wise. $95 CDN installed
1) 4 sets of strut mounts
2) 3 sets of struts
3) stabilizer links
4) Torsion bars
I have been pretty impressed with the desire to get this fixed btw.
I finally told Kia to stop throwing parts at it and to get a set of chassis ears on it. Chassis ears confirmed it was the struts. I was told by Kia that they would put aftermarket struts on to try to fix it but none were available. I called Monroe and couldn't get the time of day. Gabriel actually got me hooked up with the product designer for Kia cars (amoungst others). He said they were considering having the OEM manufacturer making them for them. Needless to say I think that idea hit the trash can after we talked for a bit.
The designer is now looking for compatible struts in the existing products. He will keep me posted and I will keep all of you posted. BTW after describing the sound to him and when it happens he said it sounds like there isn't enough oil in the struts.
Our 2004 Chevy Malibu Maxx developed what must be warped rotors around 10,000 miles. I never took the car in and we are at 26,000 miles now. I'm not even going to have the dealer look at the brakes because I know it wouldn't be a warranty item at this point.
Brakes are a wear item and although rotors should not warp at 20-40k miles, it happens quite often and I don't know of any brands that typically replace/repair warped rotors under warranty.
I called the dealer ship the next business day. Dewey says the alternator has died. Dealer wants $235 for a new alternator; $35 for a new belt (seems the replacement alternator has a different size pulley hence the need for a new belt) and 3 hours labor for a grand total of $535! They also tried to sell me on a battery too. (Nice try but I told him again it was only a day old. It will need to be recharged as it was run completely flat.)
Last Monday I called Dewey and told him to go ahead with the repair. My wife paid for the repair, and drove our Sedona home. She shows me the invoice, and to my shock and dismay they included a new Battery for $79.95 in the invoice for 539.10!
I called Dewey and asked why had installed a battery, which I did not authorize. He said the old one was bad and he did not go over the original quote. I reminded him of our previous conversations about the battery being only 1 day old and it had a 3 year free replacement warranty. He said he remembered that but there was nothing he could do for me. I requested the he take the battery back, and give me my original battery, and refund the $79.95. He refused, stating that I had approved the quote of $535.00. Again I reminded him that he said the $535.00 quote was only for the alternator, new belt and 3 hours labor. He still refused to correct the problem. I asked to speak with his manager. He gave me the number for a Michael White. I called Mr. White and he told me that Dewey had already told him what had happened and he refused to take the battery back and refund the $79.95.
I called Kia’s toll free service number and spoke to a man named Richard. He understood the problem and didn’t understand why the dealership would not take the battery back and refund the money. However that as far as I got with him, he said Kia Corporate doesn’t get involved unless it is a warranty issue. He did say that a letter would be sent on my behalf to Athens Kia and he gave me a case number.
I retuned to the dealership and picked up my original battery and put it on a charger overnight. So far the battery is charging just fine, so I will be able to use it.
I will be pursuing other means to remedy this issue. This is really sad as until now, I had good service from this dealer, but it has been mostly warranty repairs. I have recommended the Kia Sedona to family and friends. Two of which purchased Kia Sedonas. But now, I can not recommend Athens Kia to anyone. And I’m wondering if I should recommend the Sedona anymore.
FWIW...$79 for battery and installation is a good price.
The original battery will be going back in our van. It has passed a load test.
After being refusing to take the battery back and refund my money by both the service manager and the dealership’s general manager, I don't see what a personal appearance would do to remedy the situation.
Yesterday I did get a call back from Kia Consumer affairs. I’ll be calling them back today and see what they can do.
I have also filed a report with the local Better Business Bureau. And if it comes to it, I will take the issue to small claims court.
That being described, here was my problem. I did my oil, filter and air last week. Yesterday I pull into the drive to see this 'patch' under where I parked the night before. I said to myself, 'darn, must not have the oil nut tight' so I sprayed grease eater to eat the oil. THEN I looked at the van. NO oil leak, but a COOLANT leak. One of the clamps mounting these cooling pipes had the most ulcerated cancer rust Ive seen yet. To the point of springing a leak and squirting coolant onto the catalytic conveter. The whole clamp assembly and the pipes welded within. I could/should have gone to the dealer, but I wanted this fixed with out new pipe/clamp assembly. Pretty easy fix. When I saw the second clamp set, there was the rust again, albeit not as bad, so I cut all that garbage out and have a perfect, permanent repair as far as I am concerned. Straight 3/4" heater hose from front pipes to rear pipes, and one plastic clamp I made myself. Cost me about $20 for coolant, 4 clamps and 8' heater hose. I used about 3' times two lines.
Granted I live and drive in Mass. winters, and it WAS 26 degrees yesterday, but I got the van at the end of Feb. 03, so it has only seen TWO full entire winters. Every time I wash, it includes the under carriage. I hope this can help someone else, at LEAST get under and have a looky see for yourself, the worst clamp was directly next to the catalytic converter. Other than that, still running great and perfectly acceptable MPG.
Glad to hear that you were able to fix your problem without any dealer rigamarole involved.
I've got one concern regarding your repair though. Regarding the rusted clamp you said "..to the point of springing a leak and squirting coolant onto the catalytic conveter." as well as "...at LEAST get under and have a looky see for yourself, the worst clamp was directly next to the catalytic converter."
My concern is whether or not your repair is going to survive its proximity to the catalytic convertor come *next* summer when the outside temps are 90+ and you're sitting in stop and go traffic. I'm wondering if the reason there was a metal clamp and pipe there in the first place was just for this reason? Something to think about.
Maybe you'll have to consider devising some kind of tin heat shield between the hose and plastic clamp and the convertor.
Keep us posted on how it goes!
-SM
Unfortunately I was in a pretty pickle. I found the leak Thursday night with a major snow event to happen about six hours later that I HAD to drive in. It was too much of a leak to 'let go' till I could talk to the dealer Sat. or this coming Mon. My MA dealer is great, but they LOVE to tie you up. I had the CD player go bad, and they wanted my WHOLE van from Wed. of one week, till possibly TUESDAY of the next week. For a radio? Over my dead body I told them. So guess what? I went home, took out the stereo and DELIVERED it back to them! They near had strokes LOLOL! Stuttering about "you cant do that", "warranty' blah blah blah but they finally ordered a new one. The look on their faces was so worth the bother. Well thats my funny story for today, thanks again.
NE03
Thanks
Sorry about the problems you're having. You might want to go to the NHTSA website to file a report and/or see if others have had similar problems.
NHTSA: File a Complaint
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Has anyone any experience with either a DIY or after-market-dealer installed remote starter in a Sedona? We have an '05 LX and I'd like to put in a remote starter setup. Don't need a full alarm system although I could tolerate it if it was reasonable and with a remote receiver. I keep thinking the screwy door-lock system might get in the way somehow. (Remote starters aren't much good for warm-ups if you can't keep the doors locked!)
Anyone have handle or success story on what to use for a remote starter and where to get it? Any warranty issues here that anyone KNOWS about or has faced?
Thanx!
Vanner
Telling you to pay for the diagnosis or the repair is ludicrous!
Please keep us posted on your situation. I'm sure we are all very interested in how Kia stands behind its warranty.
That warranty is a main reason many shoppers choose Kia.
How about posting the name, address and phone number of that dealer too? It would be a good warning to owners and shoppers to stay away.
Guess its about time for all of us to dump our Kias if the warranties are no good.
Being told that you need to spend $100 to service your trans even though it may not be the problem does stink. But Kia is not the only brand to employ these sorts of tactics. And they have somewhat of a leg to stand on if the severe service schedule calls for that trans service to have been done by now on a 39k mile van.
In the final analysis, is it really the end of the world for you to spend $100 on preventive maintenance for your van's transmission? Alternatively, you could do the work for maybe $50-60 at an independent shop and that should satisfy the dealer to proceed with the in-warranty investigation of your trans problems. Heck, the dealer might actually be right and maybe the trans service will resolve your problem.
Many manufacturers have the same sort of language regarding 'standard' or 'regular' duty and 'severe service'. Almost everybody falls into the severe service category. This allows the company to tout its long service intervals when most folks will need to do their maintenance more often-- on the 'severe' schedule. This is common practice and you guys shouldn't be going ballistic on Kia about it. Do I agree with it? No. But this isn't just a Kia thing.
What are other dealers charging in other areas?
Thanks
they do not put any time into properly diagnosing problums. i fault KIA warrenty policy for this. time to duplacate a customer complaint appears to have be ok'd by a district rep first or the dealer will not get paid the time involved
next week i am taking my KIA in for some problums two very serious engine related
and i will not accept "can not duplacate problem" this trip.
i am going to tell them to keep the vehicle untill they can
in the mean tine i will be consulting a lemon law firm