2003 Kia Sedona

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SEDONA. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE POWER WINDOWS WERE INOPERATIVE. UPON INSPECTION, A TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE CONSOLE BECAUSE IT WAS BLOWING THE FUSE IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE FUSE MELTED AND SMOKE ENGULFED THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE ENGINE WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON FOUR OCCASIONS AND THE CONSOLE AND CONNECTOR WERE REPLACED. NONE OF THE REPAIRS HAVE CORRECTED THE FAILURE. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS REFERRED BACK TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,284 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 48,000. UPDATED 02/05/09 *BF UPDATED 02/06/09. *JB

I PURCHASED MY 2003 KIA SEDONA IN NOVEMBER 2005. SO FAR THE FOLLOWING HAVE BEEN REPAIRED OR REPLACED: FRONT HUB ASSEMBLY LEFT SIDE ONCE, RIGHT SIDE 2X'S, THE ALTERNATOR, THE WIPER MOTOR, TWO RECALLS, THE BATTERY, NOW AT 65,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION IS SHOT AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE TIMING BELT HAS BEEN REPLACED. HOWEVER THE WARRANTY COMPANY SAYS THEY WONT REPLACE IT BECAUSE THE COST OF THE REPAIR EXCEEDS THE VALUE OF THE CAR. THIS IS SIMPLY OUTRAGEOUS. I HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR EVERY SERVICE NEEDED. TRANSMISSION, OIL FILTER ECT. *TR

I HAD GONE TO LUNCH AND STOPPED BY THE GROCERY STORE FIRST AND THEN WENT BY THE GAS STATION FOR A MOMENT. WHEN I CAME OUT, I GOT INTO MY VAN AND IT WOULD NOT CRANK. NO WARNING, NO PRIOR TROUBLE, NOISES, SLOW CRANK, NOTHING. IT WOULD NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO CRANK. I HAD TO WALK BACK TO WORK. LATER THAT EVENING, MY FATHER CAME TO LOOK AT IT AND WE ASSUMED IT WAS A DEAD BATTERY. WE REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE BATTERY LIGHT AS WELL AS THE BREAK LIGHT REMAINED ON. MY FATHER SUSPECTED THE ALTERNATOR. WE CALLED THE KIA DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD US THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON ALTERNATORS, BUT AS USUAL, OUR VIN NUMBER DID NOT SHOW UP AS ONE RECALLED. $400.00 LATER, I AM WONDERING WHY OUR VEHICLE WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. WE HAVE SPENT NEARLY $2,000 ON "WARRANTY MAINTENANCE" JUST TO MAKE SURE NOTHING GOES WRONG AND IF IT DOES IT SHOULD BE COVERED. UNFORTUNATELY FOR US, WE SPENT WELL OVER $1500.00 ON OUR 60,000 MILE MAINTENANCE TO INSURE THE WARRANTY STAYS IN AFFECT JUST 3 MONTHS AGO. OF COURSE, WE ARE TOLD NOW THAT THE ALTERNATOR IS NOT COVERED AFTER 60,000 MILES. WHY AM I PAYING SO MUCH MONEY IF NOTHING IS GOING TO BE COVERED. *TR

OUR SEDONA HAS BEEN UNRELIABLE FROM 15,000 MILES ON. I LOOSE SLEEP OVER THE FACT THAT MY WIFE AND CHILDREN ARE IN THIS VEHICLE EVERY DAY TO GET TO AND FROM SCHOOL AND OTHER DAILY ACTIVITIES AND ERRANDS. IT IS BACK IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE SAME RE-OCCURRING PROBLEM - A SHOT ALTERNATOR. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THIS COMPONENT HAS BEEN DAMAGED, TWICE BEFORE DAMAGING THE BATTERY AS WELL. I PRIDE MYSELF IN KEEPING OUR VEHICLES SERVICED NEARLY TO THE RECOMMENDED SCHEDULE, BUT THIS MINIVAN IS JUST NOT A QUALITY BUILT. I HAVE READ OF OTHER COMPLAINTS, AND SIMILARLY OUR MINIVAN ALSO BUCKS WHEN IDLE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, IT BUCKS WHEN TRAVELING UNDER 40 MPH, AND THE AIR CONDITIONING UNITS ARE AS LOAD AS AN INDUSTRIAL TYPE FAN. *TR

THE JUNCTION BLOCK (FUSE BOX) LOCATED BEHIND THE COVER NEAR THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PEDAL PARTIALLY BURNED AND MELTED AT TWO PIN CONNECTORS. THE ADJACENT WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR ALSO PARTIALLY BURNED AND MELTED. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE DASH INDICATOR FOR THE DEFROSTER ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED EVEN THOUGH THE DEFROSTER WAS NOT TURNED ON. WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF, THE DASH INDICATOR FOR THE DEFROSTER REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE BATTERY WAS DEAD THE NEXT DAY. AFTER JUMP STARTING THE VAN, IT WAS DRIVEN TO THE LOCAL KIA DEALER WHERE THE MACHANIC IDENTIFIED THE JUNCTION BLOCK DAMAGE. KIA HAS PROPOSED TO REPLACE THE JUNCTION BLOCK AND ENTIRE DASH WIRING HARNESS FOR $1,934.19. THE COST OF THE JUNCTION BLOCK IS $19.95, BUT THE COST OF THE WIRING HARNESS IS $1,067.65. THE BALANCE OF THE PROPOSED COST IS LABOR AND TAXES. KIA DOES NOT PROVIDE THE HARNESS CONNECTOR AS A SEPARATE PART. I CALLED THE KIA HELP LINE AND PROVIDED A VERBAL REPORT TO A CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT, AND WAS TOLD THAT KIA CAN DO NOTHING ELSE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. I LOCATED 12 RELEVANT ODI COMPLAINTS FOR 2003 SEDONAS AND 2 RELEVANT ODI COMPLAINTS FOR 2003 SEDONA EX MODELS, ALL RESULTING IN DASH FIRES. I DID NOT SEARCH OTHER MODEL YEARS. IT MAY HAVE BEEN MY GOOD FORTUNE NOT TO EXPERIENCE A VEHICLE FIRE, AS WELL AS COMPELLING EVIDENCE RELATED TO THE CAUSE OF THESE OTHER REPORTED FIRES.

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SEDONA. THE VEHICLE WAS TRYING TO START BY ITSELF . THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE ON AND THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE VEHICLE AND FLAMES ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND PUT THE FLAMES OUT BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED. THE FIRE WAS FIRST NOTICED FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE WHERE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS LOCATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT OPERATING UNUSUALLY BEFORE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS BEFORE THE FIRE WAS NOTICED. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER HUSBAND AT THIS POINT THEY BELIEVED THIS WAS STARTED FROM THE LOW JACK INSTALLATION WHICH WAS INSTALLED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE POLICE REPORTED TO THE SCENE, AND AFTER ARSON WAS RULED OUT THEY HANDED THE SITUATION OVER TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE CONTACT GOING THERE TONIGHT TO PICK UP THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S REPORT. *AK THE HORN DID NOT WORK.

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT 2003 KIA SEDONA CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING FOR AROUND SIX HOURS. THE FIRE STARTED UNDERNEATH THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE DASHBOARD AREA. THE INSIDE OF THE VAN HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE VAN WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP UNTIL THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER LOOKED AT THE VAN. THE VAN WAS DRIVING FINE AND WORKING IN GOOD SHAPE PRIOR TO THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. T A FIRE INVESTIGATOR CAME AND INSPECTED THE SCENE. THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR CONCLUDED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE FIRE. THE CONSUMER JUST TOLD KIA ABOUT THE FIRE, AND THEY WANTED THE CONSUMER TO GET A COPY OF THE FIRE REPORT ,AND THEN THEY WOULD TALK TO HIM. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL HIM. AN INSURANCE AND FIRE REPORT WAS TAKEN, ALTHOUGH THE CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE A COPY RIGHT NOW OF THE REPORT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TOOK PICTURES ON THE NIGHT OF THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE TO THE HOME. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT COME OUT OF GEAR FOR THE WRECKER TO TOW IT.*AK

2003 KIA SEDONA WITH APPROX 48,000 MILES, PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED IN THE PARKING AREA OF MY TOWNHOUSE COMMUNITY. WENT TO OPEN THE DOOR REMOTELY USING THE KEY RING AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. EVENTUALLY HAD TO MANUALLY OPEN THE CAR AND NOTICED THE ENTIRE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND DASHBOARD AREA HAD LITERALLY MELTED INTO THE FLOORBOARD. APPEARS AS IF THERE WAS SOME KIND OF ELECTRICAL SHORT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BONNEVILLE KIA AND DUE TO MY EXTENDED SERVICE CONTRACT IMMEDIATELY SET UP A RENTAL. THE SERVICE REP AT BONNEVILLE SAID HE HAD NOT SEEN "ANYTHING LIKE IT" AND WAS TO CALL HIS FACTORY REP AND RECOMMENDED I CONTACT MY AUTO INSURANCE CARRIER TO BEGIN THE CLAIMS PROCESS. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS INCIDENT SEEM WAY TO CLOSE TO OTHER COMPLAINTS FOUND ON OUR WEBPAGE. CLEARLY THERE IS SOME KIND OF DEFECT THAT KIA NEEDS TO ADDRESS. OTHER THAN SERVICE FOR OIL CHANGES AND TIRE ROTATION, ONLY KIA BONNEVILLE HAS PERFORMED MAINTENANCE ON THIS VEHICLE. PURCHASE DATE WAS DEC 2003. *JB

DROVE 2003 KIA SEDONA 4 OR 5 MILES. GOT OUT TO EAT AND IN ABOUT 5 MINUTES OR LESS THE INSIDE WAS FULL OF SMOKE AND THE DASHBOARD WAS IN FLAMES BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL. USED FIRE ESTINGISHER BUT DID NOT GET THE FIRE OUT COMPLETELY AND FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. I HAD HEARD THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS HAPPENING ON OTHER 2003 KIA SEDONA'S. HAVE CONTACTED KIA AND THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL INSURANCE COMPANY CONTACTS THEM.