2006 Kia Sedona

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SEDONA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE BATTERY, BRAKE, AND ABS WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL MONTHS LATER. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000.

ON THE MORNING OF THE INCIDENT I DROVE TO WORK (APPROX 25 MILES) AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH WITH NO INCIDENT. AFTER PARKING I ENTERED MY WORKPLACE. DURING LUNCH I GOT IN THE VEHICE AND BEGAN TO TRAVEL TO A NEARBY REASTAURANT. I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN THE VHEICLE'S HOOD BECAME UNLATCHED AND OPENED. THE HOOD OPENED WITH SUCH FORCE THAT THE HOOD LIFT STRUT SUPPORTS BROKE, ALLOWING THE HOOD TO OPEN, OVER EXTEND, OBSTRUCT MY VISION, AND STRIKE THE WINDSHIELD. UPON STRIKING THE WINDSHIELD THE GLASS SHATTERED. I SLOWLY PULLED TO A NEARBY PARKING LOT, TOOK A PICTURE WITH MY PHONE,AND CLOSED THE HOOD. I LATER CALLED KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-333-4542 AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT. I WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER OF 13015302. I WAS ADVISED TO PROCEED TO AN AUTHORIZED KIA DEALEARSHIP AND BE SEEN FOR NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 16V-389. IF THE LATCH WAS FAULTY, I WAS TOLD THAT KIA WOULD COVER THE COSTS OF REPAIRS. WHEN THE DEALERSHIP WAS CALLED, I WAS ASSURED THAT THERE WERE NOT RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE, WHEN TO THE CONTRARY, I WAS SENT A RECALL DOCUMENT SC134 FROM KIA CASE WORKER, BILLY WELLS. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. I DROPPED THE VEHICLE OFF FOR THE APPOINTMENT. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 4 HRS THE LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP SERVICED THE VEHICLE AND PRODUCED PAPER WORK STATING THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE EQUIPMENT.

AFTER STOPPING AT STOP SIGN DRIVING ON A CITY STREET (SPEED LIMIT 30), I, MADE A RIGHT TURN AND THE LEFT (DRIVER) SIDE, REAR SLIDING DOOR UNLATCHED AND SLID WIDE OPEN. MY DOG ALMOST SLID OUT BUT HAD HIS LEASH ON AND I MANAGED TO GRAB IT BEFORE HE WENT OUT THE DOOR. I GOT OUT AND SLAMMED THE DOOR MANUALLY, TOOK OFF AND MADE ANOTHER RIGHT TURN WHEN AGAIN THE SAME DOOR SLID WIDE OPEN AGAIN. PARKED SAFELY AND TRIED CLOSING DOOR BUT IT WOULD NOT STAY SHUT EVERY TIME I TRIED TO CLOSE THE DOOR IT WOULD OPEN ON ITS OWN AT LEAST 6 INCHES REMAINING LOOSE IN ITS TRACK (SO WHILE DRIVING IT WOULD SLIDE BACK AND FORWARD. I THEN TIED IT CLOSED/SHUT BUT IT WAS CLEARLY VERY DANGEROUS SO I CONTACTED MY LOCAL KIA THE NEXT MORNING AND TOOK IT IN. KIA COMPLETED 2 OTHER RECALLS BUT THOSE DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE. KIA REPORTED THAT THEY TRACED THE ISSUE BACK TO THE REAR DOOR CONTROLLER WHICH WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALLS BUT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM SO THEY RE-TIED THE DOOR (SIMILAR TO HOW I HAD) USING MY STRAP. I DECLINED TO PAY TO HAVE THIS FIXED AS KIA HAS ALREADY ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS SO IT IS HAPPENING FREQUENTLY - HAD A PASSENGER BEEN IN THAT SEAT ON THE HIGHWAY THEY COULD HAVE LITERALLY BLOWN OUT THE DOOR ONTO THE HIGHWAY. I THINK THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. MY KIA DOOR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET AND IS AVAILABLE TO BE LOOKED AT IN DETAIL AS NEEDED. AT THE VERY LEAST OTHER KIA OWNERS NEED TO BE MADE AWARE OF THIS SO THAT CHILDREN (AND ANYONE SITTING IN THE REAR SEAT) ARE NOT HARMED OR KILLED. I DO HOPE THAT KIA DOES ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE.

I RECENTLY HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY 2006 KIA SEDONA WHERE THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAYED ON CONSTANTLY REGARDLESS OF WETHER THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED. THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAYED ON EVEN IF THE VEHICLE WAS OFF. IT WAS CONFIRMED TO BE THE "BRAKE LIGHT SWITH" WHICH I FOUND WAS UNDER RECALL. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO KIA OF CERRITOS WHO REFUSED TO PERFORM THE RECALL AS IT TURNED OUT THE RECALL WAS ALLEGEDLY PERFORMED IN 2009. I SUSPECT IN 2009 THE PART WAS EITHER NOT REPLACED OR THE REPLACEMENT SWITCH HAS THE SAME DEFECT AS THE ORIGINAL. I CONTACTED KIA FOR CLARIFICATION AND THEY TOLD ME THEY ONLY PERFORM RECALLS ONCE.

OUR 2006 KIA SEDONA BEGAN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT NO CRANK CONDITION THAT LEFT US STRANDED MULTIPLE TIMES WITH KIDS IN THE CAR AND TOWING EXPENSES TO A MECHANIC ONLY FOR THE CAR TO START RIGHT UP AFTER GETTING THERE. THIS LEAVES THE MECHANICS SCRATCHING THERE HEAD AND SENDING IT BACK TO US. WE KNOW NOW THAT THE CONDITION IS CAUSED BY HIGHER THAN NORMAL RESISTANCE ACROSS THE BURGLAR ALARM RELAY LOCATED IN THE IN PANEL MODULE. THIS IS A NON-SERVICEABLE PART BY KIA AND IF FOUND DEFECTIVE REQUIRES THE ENTIRE MODULE TO BE REPLACED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE PART IN AND OF ITSELF IS CHEAP BUT BECAUSE IT IS A NON SERVICEABLE PART THE ENTIRE PANEL HAS TO BE REPLACED AT ABOUT $500. PLUS THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE DEFECTIVE PART WILL MALFUNCTION AGAIN. THE ISSUE WAS FIXED ON LATER MODELS MADE AFTER 2007. DESPITE KIA ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT IS A PROBLEM, DUE TO NOT ENOUGH FIELD COMPLAINTS THEY REFUSE TO RECALL THE DEFECTIVE PART AND FIX THE MISTAKE ON 2006/2007 KIA SEDONA'S. THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME AND LEAVE YOU STRANDED. TURNING OFF YOUR CAR AT THE GAS PUMP, TURNING OFF YOUR CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET, TURNING OFF YOUR CAR AT THE SUPERMARKET, OR ANYWHERE COULD MEAN YOUR LEFT STRANDED! KIA HAS SENT OUT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TO THEIR DEALERSHIPS EXPLAINING THE CUSTOMER CONCERN. THIS WAS INTENDED TO HELP TECHNICIANS DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER THIS DOES NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE THAT THEY HAVE CAUSED FOR THE 2006 2007 SEDONA'S THAT WERE MADE WITH THIS NON-SERVICEABLE RELAY. THE BULLETIN CLEARLY STATES THAT IF THE PART IS FOUND DEFECTIVE THAT THE WHOLE PANEL HAS TO BE REPLACED HOWEVER KIA DENIES ANY RESPONSIBILITY IN FIXING THE MISTAKE DESPITE FIXING IT AND LATER MODELS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH FIELD COMPLAINTS FOR THEM TO WORRY ABOUT IT.