2004 Kia Sedona Complaint Log

HAD ENGINE AND TRANS PROBLEMS AT 1200 MI. FOUND METAL IN ENGINE AND COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY. HAVE HAD RECURRING PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES/ROTORS IN WHICH HAVE HAD ROTORS REPLACED AND NEW PADS AS WELL. HAS HAD VIBRATION IN ENGINE ON OTHER OCCASIONS IN WHICH FOUND CRACK IN SPARK PLUG. INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD NOT WORK. MY VAN WOULD NOT START ONE DAY AND HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO KIA IN LEX AND THEY HAD IT FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND WAS NEVER GIVEN A REASONABLE ANSWER TO WHAT IT WAS THAT CAUSED IT TO NOT START. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL, HOWEVER TO MANY OCCURRENCES FOR ANY NEW VEHICLE SO PLAN TO START LITIGATION TO DECLARE IT A LEMON! *NM

MY 2004 KIA SEDONA HAS HAD AN "AIR BAG" LIGHT ON THE DASH FOR SOME TIME. IT HAPPENED WHILE IT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY PERIOD, BUT THE DEALER DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR. HE SAID THEY WOULD ORDER THEM AND CALL ME WHEN THEY ARRIVED. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS WITH NO CALL WE WENT BACK TO THE DEALER AND WERE TOLD THAT SINCE WE DID NOT COME BACK, THEY THOUGHT WE NO LONGER NEEDED THE PARTS AND USED THEM ON SOMEONE ELSE'S VEHICLE. WE PROTESTED AND TOLD THEM TO GET THEM AGAIN. WHEN THEY ARRIVED, WE WENT BACK TO GET THE REPAIRS DONE. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER IT AND THE COST WOULD BE SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. THE EXTENDED "BUMPER TO BUMPER" WARRANTY FROM ZURICH AMERICAN COST $1,000.00 AND WAS TOTALLY A WASTE OF MONEY. THE VAN WAS IN WARRANTY WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST REPORTED. A CALL TO KIA PRODUCED NOTHING. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS UP TO THE DEALER. *TR

WHILE PARKED ON AN INCLINE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE DID NOT ENGAGE. VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARD UNTIL IT HIT A TREE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE DESCRIBED AS RUBBING COMING FROM THE REAR BRAKES. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, AND TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

DT: TOOK KIA, SEDONA 2004 4 TIMES TO DEALER FOR BRAKE FAILURE. THE BRAKES SQUEAKED A LOT, AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED PROPERLY. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. BUT, THEN AGAIN ONE COULD HEAR A SOUND ON THE BRAKES. CONSUMER WAS TAKEN BACK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR THE 5TH TIME. TO SEE WHAT COULD BE DONE. ALSO TRANSMISSION WHEN IN DRIVE AROUND 5 MPH, WANTED TO STOP, THEN JUMPED TO NORMAL. ALSO WHEN THE CAR WAS IDLING IN PARK OR STOPPING IT SHOOK. *AK

WHEN DRIVING THE VAN ANY SPEED. ONCE IT WARMS UP WITH THE AC ON THERE IS A LOUD GROANING/GROWING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR CARGO AREA OF THE VEHICLE. THE SOUND STARTS OUT INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN CONTINUES AND INCREASES IN FREQUENCY. *NM

2004 KIA SORENTO LEAKS OIL. FOUR TIMES IN FOR SERVICE, LATEST TIME JANUARY 5, 2005. TWICE DEALER REPLACED OIL PLUG GASKET. LAST TIME IN DEALER SERVICE DEPT SAYS PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE DESIGNED OIL FILTERS. DEALER GOES ON TO SAY KIA AWARE OF PROBLEM AND GOING TO REDESIGN OIL FILTER. DEALER DOES NOT KNOW WHEN NEW FILTER IS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE. IN MEAN TIME MY 2004 SORENTO CONTINUES TO LEAK OIL. FUMES FROM OIL BURNING ON HOT ENGINE CAUSING ME HEADACHES AND NAUSEA. DON'T BELIEVE DEALER EXPLANATION. USED TO HAVE A 2003 SORENTO WHICH KIA REPLACED BECAUSE OF MAJOR ENGINE PROBLEMS. NOW THE REPLACEMENT VEHICLE (2004 SORENTO) HAS OIL LEAKING PROBLEMS THAT ARE UNRESOLVED BY DEALER. GOING TO TAKE IN AGAIN BECAUSE FUMES SO STRONG IT MAKES IT UNDRIVEABLE EXCEPT AS A LAST RESORT. BELIEVE ENGINE IN 2003 SORENTO IS SAME TYPE ENGINE IN 2004 SORENTO. OIL LEAKING IN THE 2003 WASN'T AN ISSUE. ONLY IN THIS SORENTO 2004.*AK

WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKES AT ANY SPEED FRONT END VIBRATED. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ROTORS FAILED. CONSUMER STATED THAT ROTORS WERE ALREADY REPLACED, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SEDONA MINI VAN. THE CONTACT STATED THEIR RECALL 03V158000 CONCERNING ABS BRAKES WAS ISSUED IN 2003 FOR THE 2003 KIA SEDONA. THIS VEHICLE WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN THE RECALL. HOWEVER THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT INCLUDE 2004 IN THE RECALL. FRONT ENDS SHIMMIED WHILE BRAKING. SHE WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE RECALL STATED THAT THIS COULD CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES AND RESULT IN A CRASH. KIA HAS TURNED THE ROTORS AND PADS FOUR TIMES. WHILE MAKING A HARD STOP WHEN COMING OFF OF A FREEWAY THE FRONT END, STEERING WHEEL, AND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE SHOOK AND SHIMMIED. THE CONTACT HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE ON MARCH 14, 2004. THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT WILLING TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE RIGHT NOW UNDER THE RECALL. SHE WAS IN TOUCH WITH ARBITRATION, AND WITH CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO POSSIBLY APPLY THE LEMON LAW FOR THIS VEHICLE. SHE HAS A LETTER THAT WAS WRITTEN FROM KIA GENERAL SALES MANAGER, WHERE SHE TAKES VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE. THE LETTER STATED: THAT 2003 RECALL CAME FROM KIA MOTOR CORPORATION NOT FROM DEALERSHIP. THEREFORE, SHE MIGHT QUALIFY FOR THE LEMON LAW. ALSO, TOLD HER TO PURSUE THE PROBLEM THAT WAY. THE CONTACT HAS COPIES OF THE LETTERS AVAILABLE FROM THE AGENCIES THAT SHE CORRESPONDED WITH. THE CONSUMER ALSO HEARD A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE *AK *NM

OIL LEAKS - 2004 KIA SORENTO. COMPLIANT FORM DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO SELECT SORENTO AS VEHICLE MODEL WHEN COMPLETING THIS FORM. DEALER REPLACED OIL PLUG GASKET TWICE. BEEN IN FOR OIL LEAK COMPLAINTS 4 TIMES. LAST TIME THERE JAN 05, 2005 DEALER SERVICE SAYS PROBLEM IS OIL FILTER LEAKING BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE OIL FILTER DESIGN. DEALER SERVICE SAYS KIA IN PROCESS OF RE-DESIGN OF FILTER. WHEN NEW OIL FILTERS AVAILABLE DEALER SAYS UNKNOWN. FIND THIS EXPLANATION OF PROBLEM TO BE UNBELIEVABLE. DON'T BELIEVE 2004 ENGINE DIFFERENT FROM 2003 ENGINE IN THIS VEHICLE. WHEN LAST IN DEALER SERVICE ANOTHER CUSTOMER WAS IN FOR SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM; OIL LEAKS IN 2004 SORENTO. WAS IN MULTIPLE TIMES FOR A SOLUTION. USED TO HAVE SORENTO 2003 AND NEVER HAD LEAKING OIL, KIA REPLACED MY 2003 WITH A 2004 SORENTO BECAUSE OF MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH 2003. ENGINE OIL LEAKING WAS NOT ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH 2003. BELIEVE SAME ENGINE USED IN BOTH MODELS. DON'T BELIEVE PROBLEM IS OIL FILTER DESIGN.*AK

WINDSHIELD HAS SOME TYPE OF HAZE THAT APPEARS CLOUDY THROUGH THE DRIVER'S EYES. THE HAZE MAKES IT HARD FOR THE DRIVER TO SEE CLEARLY. *AK THE KIA REPRESENTATIVE INDICATED THAT THE HAZE WAS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE AND THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO CORRECT IT. *NM

REAR HUB CAP RECALL COULD NOT BE PERFORMED ON THE KIA SEDONA DUE TO LACK OF PARTS.*MR *JB