Faults:

The engine was "replaced" in 2003 and had coolant problems since. It gave up again Dec 31, 2006 and cost me heaps for repairs. The engine was rebuilt due to overheating where it fact I could have prevented this if I did not force to drive it. With the overheating, the cylinder heads needs to be replaced, gaskets included and O-rings. Thermostat needs replacing and radiators serviced. This could have ensured no coolant loss and more years of performance and could have only cost $800 to $1,500 (incl. labor).

The repairer I got rebuild the engine - with replacement pistons (3), rings, valves, gaskets, radiator cleaned, thermostat replaced, and other incidentals included.

Now, my Kia Carnival Classic 2000 is driving like new. Surprisingly, the work done by the repairer is outstanding, but they don't want to work on a Kia anymore due to spare parts being scarce and Kia Motors provided no help in giving the service manual (it not a copy, hints on how to fix it). If only they helped, it could have not taken us 7 months to rebuild the Kia Classic Carnival.

God bless them.

General Comments:

The car is really good, spacious, and economical.

If only Kia helps those who are willing to standby their product throughout.

Faults:

What hasn't??

Currently on its 3rd engine.

2nd gearbox and needs a new one as we speek.

Fuel pump failure.

Warped brake disks replaced numerous times.

Exhaust system broke off from the engine.

Seats are worn seriously.

Engine mounts broken.

Gear selector snapped.

Hand brake cable snapped.

Only 56000Kms old.

General Comments:

Worst car ever made. I should have stuck with a japanese brand like Toyota, Honda or Nissan, but the cheap price swayed me.

Has trouble going down the freeway at 110Kph, and once a hill comes up, you need to pull it back to second gear and crawl up it. Even semi trailers go past me.

Handles so bad it's not funny. Worst body roll of any car ever.

Zero to 100 in about the time it takes to put it on the back of a tow truck and then let the truck move it.

It has left me stranded around 15 times, and about $3500 in towing fees alone.

In the time I have owned this pile, my other car (a Nissan Maxima 1998) has had not one problem at all with it.

Shows that Japanese know how to build cars and the Koreans don't.

Only a fool would buy this car.

Next year I'm buying a second hand Honda Odyssey. and I know from experience that it will perform faultlesly. I should have gotten it in the first place. (Kicking myself now)

Faults:

Fuel Injector needed replacing.

Several spark plug leads replaced.

Left side sliding door jambs_ rollers had fallen off and door would slide a bit and then jamb- I fixed it myself by making new rollers from a pair of cut-down 6mm sockets.

Front bumper clips keep coming undone- the whole front bumper feels as if it is about to fall off.

Fog lamp has filled with water from driving in the wet (not from actually going through deep water with it, but just driving on wet roads).

CD player/radio is impossible to work out- the owners manual has no instructions how to set the clock, the radio stations or anything. The CD skips with the slightest bump this is the genuine KIA badged player.

Wheel trims rattle constantly.

Auto gearbox starts to overheat on hot days and strange things happen such as getting stuck in 3rd gear or hunting between 3rd and 4th at several times a second.

There is an occasional low frequency vibration from the brakes or steering.

General Comments:

As a relatively cheap to purchase people mover it seems like good value.

It is very comfortable to drive and the kids love the little things like the overhead reading lights in the back, the rear airconditioner controls and the rear cup-holders.

The engine is underpowered when there are four or more people inside.

The stereo is great, once you have worked out the controls and if it doesn't skip. It is annoying that it switches off when you start the engine- e.g. parked waiting outside the school for the kids, listening to a CD, the kids come out of school, get in and then I start the engine, have to then turn the CD player back on and search through the tracks to find where I was up to.

Interior finish is good, but the plastic trim seems to scratch relatively easily. Some of the trim doesn't seem to fit very well.

Front and rear bumpers are held on with a few plastic clips and the front bumper in particular is very loose, with several clips broken. My wife did gently nudge another car (not enough to even scratch the paint) but enough to break the bumper clips.

The sheet metal is extremely thin and dents easily, especially in the carpark from shopping trolleys. The paint finish is quite good.

This car is built for comfort, not speed, and although it has been up to 140kph with a full load of children and Christmas presents, it doesn't inspire confidence trying to go fast on a windy road. Drive it like a bus- slowly around the corners, don't rev it hard and take a little more time to get there- perhaps that is why it is so comfortable to drive and be driven in.