2003 Kia Sedona Ex

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SEDONA EX. FOR QUITE A LENGTH OF TIME, THE CONTACT NOTICED A HUMMING NOISE IN HER VEHICLE THAT SHE THOUGHT MAY HAVE BEEN HER TIRES. SHE THEN FELT A VIBRATION THROUGH THE FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL PERTAINING TO THE WHEEL BEARINGS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP AND THEY INFORMED HER THAT THE WHEEL BEARING FAILURE WAS SO SEVERE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE MECHANIC SHOP. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,355 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN.

VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING NORMALLY UNTIL A RIGHT HAND TURN WAS ATTEMPTED AT A STREET INTERSECTION AT WHICH TIME THE STEERING WHEEL JAMMED AT APPROXIMATELY THE TWO O'CLOCK POSITION. IT TOOK ALL OF MY STRENGTH TO GET THE WHEEL TO TURN PAST THIS POSITION. ONCE ACCOMPLISHED I AGAIN HAD THE SAME DIFFICULTY RETURNING TO THE TWELVE O'CLOCK POSITION. THIS SITUATION CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DRIFT INTO THE OPPOSITE TRAFFIC LANE. FORTUNATELY THE LANE HAD NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO MY MECHANIC'S SHOP. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECTIVE UNIVERSAL JOINT IN THE STEERING COLUMN (INTERMEDIATE SHAFT). THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD SEEN SEVERAL CASES RECENTLY INVOLVING THE SAME VEHICLE AND THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAD USED UP THE FOUR IN STOCK FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON 02 AND 03 KIA SEDONA VEHICLES. THE PART IS CURRENTLY ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER BECAUSE OF DEMAND. MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP WAITING FOR PART AVAILABILITY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SEDONA EX. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTS TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, IT WILL NOT AUTOMATICALLY RETURN TO THE PROPER POSITION. THE FAILURE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING COUPLER ASSEMBLY WAS BEGINNING TO FREEZE. THE FAILURE IS CAUSED BY LACK OF LUBRICATION THAT CAUSES THE COUPLER ASSEMBLY TO RUST. AS A RESULT, THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKS INTO ONE POSITION. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 103,000. UPDATED 04/03/08: KIA DID NOT MAKE THE STEERING COUPLER ASSEMBLY WITH GREASE FITTINGS AND THE STEERING IS STARTING TO FREEZE UP INTERMITTENTLY MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GUESS WHEN IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL WHILE DRIVING. IT'S VERY UNNERVING.

THE HYDRAULICS THAT KEEP THE HOOD AND THE BACK OF THE VAN OPEN ARE NOT WORKING. SO YOU ARE STUCK HOLDING THEM OPEN (AND THEY ARE VERY HEAVY) TO PUT IN GROCERIES, ETC. MY DAUGHTER HAS HURT HER HEAD A COUPLE OF TIMES TRYING TO HELP ME KEEP IT OPEN TO GET THE GROCERIES OUT. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO BE DOING THIS. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON THE INSIDE SOMETIMES WORKS, SOMETIMES NO. THE BACK AIR ADAPTER FOR THE A/C KEEPS FALLING OUT OF THE CEILING. THE A/C ITSELF SOMETIMES WORKS AND SOMETIMES DOESN'T. THE SEATS IN THE BACK KEEP COMING UNDONE. THE VAN EATS THE TREAD OF THE TIRES EVEN WITH CONSTANT REPLACEMENT AND ROTATIONS AND BALANCES. THE SLIDING DOORS STICK ALL THE TIME AND MY DAUGHTERS HAVE ALL HURT THEM SELVES TRYING TO GET IN OR OUT FROM THE SLIDING DOORS. I AM AFRAID OF CUTTING OFF FINGERS HAVING TO FORCE IT OPEN OR CLOSED. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLE HAS A LATCH THAT BROKE SO THE HANDLE IS HALF ON HALF OFF. NOW WHEN I FILL UP ON GAS MY VAN WILL JERK WHEN I DRIVE IT OUT OF THE GAS STATION FOR A GOOD 20 MINS. MY GAS GAGE MOVES!! I CAN SEE IT DECREASE WHEN I DRIVE. THE GAS MILEAGE WAS APROX. 18 MPG NOW IT IS DOWN TO 12!!! THIS CAR IS A DANGER!! *TR

I HAD MY SEDONA 2003, THE POWER SEAT RECALL WAS MADE 4 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT(FIRE START ABOVE FUSE BOX), THE DEALER IS NOT TELLING ME THE TRUE ABOUT IT, BECAUSE THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY INSPECTORS FROM KIA MOTORS COMING DOWN TO INSPECT THIS MINIVAN. THERE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 6 MONTHS AN THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO START WORKING ONE IT OR A SIMPLE AS TELLING ME WHY THIS HAPPENED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO CLEANED THE BRAKES WITH A HARDWARE KIT. THE PROBLEM RECURRED, AND THE BRAKES WERE CLEANED TWO MORE TIMES. A COUPLE WEEKS LATER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS BACK TO THE DEALER, WHO SUGGESTED THE ROTORS BE CUT. THE PROBLEM RECURRED A FIFTH TIME, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHO REPLACED THE FRONT ROTORS AND SHOES. THE PROBLEM RECURRED 3-4 MONTHS LATER, AND THE FRONT SHOES WERE SHOT. THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT BRAKES WORE QUICKLY BECAUSE THE REAR BRAKES WERE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTICS, AND DETERMINED THAT THE DRUMS WERE OUT OF ROUND AND THE REAR BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP TIGHTENED THEM IMPROPERLY. THERE WERE NO FURTHER REPAIRS MADE BECAUSE THE SERVICE DEALER REFUSED TO PERFORM WORK ON THE VEHICLE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. NEITHER FRONTAL AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. A SERVICE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED. UPDATED 12/04/06. *JB

ON TUES. THE 3RD OF OCT. 2006 I WENT TO START MY 2003 KIA SEDONA AND IT WOULD NOT START SO AAA WAS CALLED, THEY CAME AND JUMPED THE BATTERY AND IT WAS ALL SET TO GO. THURSDAY THE 5TH I NOTICED CONSOLE NEAR RADIO WAS HOT TO THE TOUCH. FRIDAY OCT. 6TH 2006 I WENT TO GET INTO MY CAR AND I COULD NOT GET THE DOOR OPEN. I NOTICED THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED AND BLACK. WHEN I FINALLY GOT INTO THE CAR THE DRIVERS SIDE WAS COMPLETELY MELTED BY A FIRE THAT OCCURRED SOMETIME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. THE CAR WAS TOTALED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY, THEY ARE GIVING ME CASH VALUE FOR IT AND NOW I AM STUCK WITH OWING MONEY ON A CAR I DON'T HAVE. THEY ARE CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME KIND OF MANUFACTURING DEFECT. IT WAS A 2003 AND I PURCHASED IT ONLY 6 MONTHS AGO. NO ONE WAS HURT BUT EVERYTHING WAS DAMAGED AND I AM AT A LOSS AND DON'T KNOW WHAT I CAN DO. *NM

2003 KIA SEDONA WHICH WE BOUGHT BRAND NEW HAS HAD A PROBLEM ALMOST SINCE WE PURCHASED IT, INITIALLY WITH RUNNING ROUGH, THEN TRANSMISSION INTO STALLING, OR LOSS OF POWER AND ALMOST STALLING, WHEN ACCELERATING ONTO A HIGHWAY OR OTHER MAIN THOROUGHFARE WHERE RAPID ACCELERATION IS REQUIRED FOR SAFE ENTRY. WE HAVE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AT WHICH WE PURCHASED IT NUMEROUS TIMES. EITHER THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM, OR THEY MADE REPAIRS WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. ON OCTOBER 4, 2006, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT ON A BUSY 4 LANE ROAD WHEN IT STALLED AND COULD NOT BE STARTED AGAIN, LEAVING HER STRANDED IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE POWER CONTROL MODULE THIS TIME, AND WE GOT IT BACK TODAY, OCTOBER 6, IN THE LATE AFTERNOON. I DROVE TO A DESTINATION 17 MILES AWAY AND BACK THIS EVENING. IT STALLED SEVERAL TIMES, AND ALMOST STALLED SEVERAL MORE TIMES, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE ONTO A HIGHWAY OR A MAJOR LOCAL ROAD. I NARROWLY AVOIDED GETTING INTO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT SEVERAL TIMES TONIGHT. THIS VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS. *JB

THIS VAN HAS BEEN A PROBLEM EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, THE CD PLAYER DOESN'T WORK ANY MORE. THE ALTERNATOR WITH OUT AT 40,000 MILES. THE FUSES INSIDE KEEP BLOWING. THE AIR CONTROLLER IN THE BACK IN FALLING OUT OF THE CEILING. I HAD TO LEAVE IT WITH THE DEALERSHIP FOR OVER A WEEK SO THAT THEY COULD FIND THE HESITATION PROBLEM IT WAS HAVING WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE DISTRIBUTOR CABLE, THIS WAS AT ABOUT 17,000 MILES AND THAT WAS ALSO THE MILES AT THE 2ND BRAKES JOB. IT NOW MAKES A NOISE IN THE BACK OF THE VAN THAT SOUNDS LIKE A MOTORCYCLE IS COMING UP BEHIND YOU. I JUST HOPE WHATEVER IT IS IT DOESN'T BLOW LIKE IT SOUNDS LIKE IT COULD. I BOUGHT THIS VAN BECAUSE I HAVE A 1 YEAR OLD AND A 4 YEAR OLD SO I REALLY DON'T WANT TO CRASH WITH SUCH PRECIOUS CARGO. THANKS, ROSE ANN. *NM