Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61-75, 76-77
Many people will be shocked when they find that Kia (USA) IS COVERING UP A HUGE AND CHRONIC PROBLEM with the SEDONA!!
RUST!!!
We have discovered that there was a bulletin that has gone out to Kia dealers in the US that involves the way the front grille and back door area that surrounds the license plate (the chrome fixture that houses the lighting above the license plate, etc.) is installed, it creates a jagged scratch into steel that will rust soon after you have purchased the car.
We have RUST holes forming and have been offered a re-painting on a NEW CAR of which we have had for only a few months?!
RUST on a new car with less than 7,000 miles is not acceptable.
The fact that the dealership knew the exact problem and showed us more spots that will rust soon is a little scary!
The fact that the KIA Service DIRECTOR said there was a mistake made in how they were manufactured and they received a bulletin about this (THE CUSTOMER WAS NOT GIVEN THIS DISCLOSURE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE AND/OR EVER AS A RECALL) shows there is a huge fleecing going on.
We were excited to purchase our SEDONA based on the 5 star safety rating because we have kids, but the problems is with the car's assembly and process in which the fixtures are installed. It is sub-par and defective. KIA was learning as they go it would seem to allow these cars on the market when they know the problem, We have not received any documents on this as a recall so I am to assume that they don't want us to know, why would they send a bulletin to the dealers, but not the consumer? They must think we the consumer are dumb or something or maybe we will think the RUST is not a problem on a new car with a few thousand miles!
No one wants to get body work done within months of buying a new car that has (not) been in an accident!!
We are not happy about this at all and plan to spread the word about it. Be warned the KIA REPS have their wording together to make you feel as if the 10 year warranty is all they need to offer you and it's your problem that the car is rusting and that they will paint the spots that are rusting and that's all, and no it is not a factory paint job, but it will look real nice...
Is this a correct way to run a car business? Do not be fooled by a comment made on this review: that it is a competitor trying to hurt business, because we are not!
I own a KIA SEDONA with mechanical problems under the hood and rust holes after a few months of purchase on a new vehicle and hope you do not have the same problem if you own one. We definitely don't recommend you buy one even if the 5 star rating and nice rebate make you think you should..
KIA has some things to learn about customer service and yes they are moving huge numbers in the USA and that's great for them, but it takes more than sales to validate your product. Millions of people buy fast food everyday, but we all know that's is not really the best thing to do right?
I did my part in saying this so hopefully more people will come forward with their problems before it's to late.
Sad, mad and confused.
The other problems this minivan has is that there is major belt noise and/or Air condition problems that made us have to take the car in to find the problem several times of which there was no real solution.
KIA USA is enjoying major success with the sale of these minivans right now, but I hate to say once they start rusting there will undoubtedly be a huge amount of sad, mad, and confused people who want answers as to why a new car would rust IN A FEW MONTHS OF PURCHASE!!
It's a big mistake for KIA USA to think it is acceptable to be rude to it's customers and offer the paint over the RUST?! To cover up the problem vs. admitting the screwed up! This huge and disgusting manufacturing mistake is a problem KIA is trying to cover up and it is only a matter on time before this cheating of the US consumer is brought into the light.
Buying the Kia brand is a mistake. The Kia Corporation is not very smart in how they are dealing with unsatisfied customers. I predict a huge backlash in the very near future from several unhappy customers.
I made a big mistake buying a KIA.
Yes, I agree 100%
I have a 2002 Kia Sedona with the exact same problems and with the same response from the dealer. Kia should own up to their mistakes and replace the hood and rear hatch door to make up for the poor workmanship.
I'm in the "Lemon Law" process with mine. It has been to the dealership at least 10 times for unscheduled repairs. The AC compressor has been replaced 3 times. It has been to the dealership an additional 4 times with the same trouble. The driver's seat was loose, the side cladding started peeling off, one of the rear seat-belt pre-tensioner stopped working, the windshield has been replaced four times. The van is now leaking oil and the brake rotors are warped. I've had it!
I haven't had too many problems with my Sedona. However, this past weekend we stopped for about 10 minutes and when we got back in the car it would not turn over (crank). It sounded like it was going to, but like maybe no fuel was getting to it. We bought this 2002 Sedona in March 2003 used and the dealership, since we have driven it off the lot, has just been horrible. The car did not come with a manual or a key to the box underneath the passengers seat. The dealership really didn't care and made it extremely hard to even order these parts (no we still don't have a manual or the key). I still have to have the car towed somewhere so someone can work on it to get it to crank again. Do I want to take it to the dealership that sold it to me? Not unless I want to be abused, belittled, and taken advantage of. Kia really needs to work on their customer service. If anyone has had this problem with the cranking of the car any information would be much appreciated. Maybe it has a reset button that just needs to be reset. You can email any suggestions to galarza5@cox.net.
I also have a 2002 Sedona with 20k. I have had the car in the shop numerous times for the same issues, ac, fuel pump, fuel lines, stalling, surging, ect, I have been told that is now fixed it was in the shop 2 weeks! It still surges, and stalls, I was told that because I live in a high altitude climate that I need to use only the "cheap" gas and only certain brands. I changed my gas and it still does not drive properly, I want to trade it in and will lose 10k on the original purchase price. WOW.
I have the same problem too... but I need a copy of this bulletin to prove our statment... currently been fighting with kia for 18 months!!!
They even tried to sell me a new car for MORE MONEY and add on 5 more years for a loan... I am very disappointed with kia and it's managers for avoiding me this whole time.
Now lets do some math
37 000$ canadian car and loan interest
18 months payments on a rusting kia
+ 50$ more a month to get me into a 2004 kia for 5 years
= a 60 000$ car... that's actually 2 kias sedonas!!!
I HIGHLY suggest NO ONE ever buy a kia. the headache it has caused my family and myself is terrible. it is an awfull company to deal with so SAVE YOURSELF and listen to these "proud kia owners"
I agree 100% as well.
My 2002 KIA has been rusting around the back tailgate, front bumber and tiny rust "pits" all over the sides...
I guess it goes with: a bad battery (that left me and my family stranded), slipping transmission, both headlights going at the exact same time (funny how this was my fault @ $70) Buzzing blower, squeaky interior, inside trim falling off, anti-lock brake failure and EXTREMELY poor gas mileage. Maybe I expected too much from a vehicle that I bought brand new 1 year ago that's now literally worth half what I paid for it. I went to go trade it in for something else, but who can afford to loose $14,000 on a $31,000 (1 year old) vehicle. This sure says something about KIA vehicles in the market. Junk. Absolute Junk.
I would like to add that Kia Sedona is not a reliable car. We have owned a 2002 Sedona since Nov. 2001; So far we have had shocks replaced, transmission (this took 6 months to get Kia to admit it needed a new one), door handles, electrical work, front brakes, two or three recalls on seats, new driver's side seat, and once again it has stalled and would not start. We wanted to take it to the dealer for a new battery, but their "special Kia battery tested was broken" and could not do anything with the car until the battery tester came in. So we replaced the battery on our own (75.00) and then two days later it died again. Alternator? Kia will not admit the faults with this car and continues to brag about it's 5-star rating. Someone should look at all Sedona owners and the repeat problems this model has. The service department that we have to deal with for warranty work does little to make the customer feel satisfied, even after continued complaints.
As with the others I have to agree 100%! I have just returned from the KIA service dept for the 6th time in less than 2 years with my 2002 Sedona. I have had the belt screeching that is mentioned, we have had the paint job and now there is a tensioner problem that not only could they not fix today, but told me I had to wait 2 days for the part to MAYBE come in and then I wasn't even offered the rental car that I am supposed to get with my warranty service. On top of that, as soon as it's done with this mess, I'm taking it BACK to the body shop because the rust around the license plate fixture is back in force. I am in a hurry to fix these problems and then I"m going to unload it as fast as I can before I have too many more problems. Do we have any rights in this matter or are we all just suckers for buying a car with such a "great" warranty? I will never purchase a KIA again and I will do my best to keep my friends from ever buying one.
We have a 2002 Sedona with the same problems, too -- rust, A/C starting to fail... I have an appointment for the Regional Rep to "inspect" the rust spots this week and determine whether or not they will be covered under the warranty (the same guy, who, incidentally, was called in to inspect this van when it broke down SIX TIMES in the first month we owned it). Good thing I know now that these are common problems. We're seriously considering getting rid of this vehicle before something like the transmission goes, because apparently, we'll be SOL on the warranty.
We also bought a brand new 2002 Kia Sedona. Within a few months, problems started to arise.
The plating on the interior door knobs was peeling, the driver's seat was loose, paint started to bubble up on the roof and on the top of the rear bumper. The rear latch to the hatch would not lock when we locked the van with the remote. Two months ago, the air conditioner began to cut out off and on. Now there is an intermittent strong smell of mildew.
The dealer was condescending when we complained about the problems as they arose. Their solution for the paint problem was to dab touch up paint on the spots in question. When we picked up the van, handed us a bottle of touch up paint. Apparently they knew more spots would appear... My wife has scheduled numerous appointments to meet with the regional representative about the paint problem and her overall dissatisfaction with the van. She has yet to see him. Each time the rep was to be at the dealership, she would get an excuse as to why he was not there. This is nothing short of stonewalling.
Thank you to all who have written in to comment on their experiences with their Kia Sedona. We thought we were the only ones out there!
I feel bad for all of you who have had problems, however, I bought a 2002 Sedona EX in August of 2002 and haven't had any problems at all except for the rust on the back tailgate. The dealer fixed it promptly and we were on our way. Our van now has 37000 miles on it and it has been perfect. I can't imagine that I am the only person that purchased a kia sedona that is happy about the decision??? I'm going to run this van into the ground, due to the low resale value (not worth trading in). I would have to say that besides the resale value, it's been a pleasant experience. Sorry :)
My Sedona has many problems. Let's start with the passenger and driver side doors will not open from the inside. The slider doors won't open from the outside. The airbag light is on all the time. The front strut makes all kinds of noise. The arm rest is broken. Finally the check engine light goes off and on like christmas lights. HELP JIM IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
I feel sorry as well to any one that owns a kia, and is having problems. I own 3 kia's and they all have been a blessing to me and my 4 children. The things with cars that a lot of people don't realize is that they are machine built and they all can't be perfect. But also if you bought a 2002 or newer you get a heck of a warranty, so you aint paying for nothing. Me personally I strongly would tell everyone to get a kia. God bless KIA america.
10 years 100k mile; 5 years 60k; Gotta love it. KIA COUNTRY.
I had the same belt screeching problem. The dealer changed the belt twice and I tried belt dressing too. Finally the pulley came off and that must have been the problem all along. If the belts screech, have the pully replaced before you are left stranded like I was. Also, an electrical fault in the driver's seat adjustment switch caused the battery to drain. Tailgate latch rust comes standard. Rear headliner fell out of the rubber molding along the back window, common problem, I fixed with caulk and 10 clamps, but the dealer was willing to replace the entire headliner for free. All else fine, knock knock. 15 highway, 20 city, just like EPA says. 27,000 miles and counting.
Since I bought my 2003 KIA Sedona I have had 4 occurrences of which the brakes fail and I cannot stop. It's always the same symptom it never deviates. First, I hear a buzzing (almost electrical) sound that gets louder when I press on the brakes. The brakes will go soft at first and not stop me then they go hard where I can't press on them at all. I am unable to stop when this happens. Each time it has happened I am going under 30mph. The dealer states they can't do anything unless they can replicate the problem when it is brought in for service. I'm afraid an accident will happen and someone will be hurt. Knowing at some point I will not be able to control the brakes and stop the car is a constant concern I have with this car.