2002 Kia Sedona LX from North America - Comments

The Sedona broke down less than 2 hours after I purchased the vehicle and drove it home. Dead battery, or so the dealer said. It actually turned out to be the alternator, or so they said after they had the vehicle 19 of the first 21 days I owned it. It's been in the shop about 11 times in less than 1 year for problems like leaking power steering pump, no cruise control, fuel pump quit working, A/C quit working, and been in the shop 4 times for the same "alternator/battery". (It's in the shop as we speak) I also failed to mention the automatic transmission wasn't so automatic. I would put it in gear and take about 5 seconds to engage. When it did engage, it felt like I left the transmission on the road! (It would jar the whole van) It's been a nightmare and to make matters worse, the dealer I purchased it from and the local KIA dealer don't give a care about my van or my problems! They "fix" the van at they're leisure, sometimes the van will sit at the shop for over 2 weeks before they even diagnose it. I understand they're busy, but I have 2 children and 1 vehicle and they won't even give me a loaner or a rental. I have to pay for the rental out of pocket. I feel sorry for anyone who buys a KIA.

Biggest mistake I ever made on this purchase!

Do you still own it or have you taken the hit and traded it? I've owned since new a 2002 Sedona which now has 103,000 kilometres (60,000 miles) on the odometer and I am now experiencing the same electrical fault, battery etc, you did.

For some obscure reason the emergency brake and battery dash warning light come on and just today, the radio quit. At this very minute I'm writing this the van is parked halfway up my driveway with a dead battery. Can you let me know if you resolved the problem with your van.

Thanks.

JW Barrie Canada.

Well, I found out what the problem was, a failed alternator, just out of warranty. Kia and the dealer only wanted $1,100 to install a new one. I feel much better now, its been a couple of months and I'm back on solid food.

For those of you who are having a problem with the KIA Sedona 2002's - specifically the Alternator.

After 2 1/2 yrs the first alternator went, KIA towed it to the shop and it was replaced under warranty. Then less than 1 yr later the alternator went again. Again the dealership replaced it under warranty. To add insult to injury KIA also advises me that the battery is shot on the van, but of course it had nothing to do with the 2 fried alternators, so I had to pay the $150.00 for a new one. I picked up the van on my lunch hour drove back to work, went home got all three kids in the van and head off to my sons baseball game. Let me tell you there is nothing like the feeling of travelling down the road and having the alternator go, you loose everything, steering, lights everything. Managed to get pulled over to the side of the road without getting into an accident call KIA and have the car towed there. Amazingly in less than 4 hours of picking up the van it had blown another alternator.

After a few harsh words in the service department with manager, they agreed there "MUST" be something more to what was going on. Sure enough the entire wiring harness that connects to the alternator was rusted through, there by causing a short in the system, thank god no fires. So yet another Alternator and a new wiring harness this time - all covered under warranty.

I would suggest that next time you have the alternator go on you have the service department throughly check the wiring harness.

My big concern is that the service department should of been checking the entire system including the wiring when they were replacing the alternator, how could they have missed that and I really don't like the feeling that my life and the lives of my children can be taken so lightly.