hello, my name is
nathan pitman.

I’m really sorry to read how much trouble you’ve had with it and Kia themselves. Better luck with the next motor.  If you want good Customer Service – then maybe a look through the JD Power Survey might help support any future choices, well, maybe.

Hi Nathan

I too had the same problem with the rear doors to start with, but fortunately, it seems to have cleared itself up.

However, My problem is with the key fob being able to open the rear doors, even when they are locked.

I accidentely did this from inside our house, only to find 2 hours later that the rear door had been standing open all that time

My insurance company tell me that in these circumstances, I wouldn’t be covered.

My dealings with Kia Motors UK customer services, leave a lot to be desired. They don’t see this as a problem, saying that this is the way it has been designed, and if at all worried, don’t use the key fob.

I explained that I could have saved about £2000 and bought the manual door version, so that is not an option.

On telling the agent that I would be writing to Mr Philpot, he said I was wasting my time,. as he wouldn’t see the letter.

I did anyway, last Monday, so will wait to see the outcome

What the hell did you buy a Kia for? 

European cars are much more thrustworthy.  Opel, Ford, VW, Seat, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Renault even Fiat and Skoda.  You can just pick any European car and they will work just fine. (I didn’t mention Citroën because I’m not fond of it myself, but it could complete the list).

If you are still planning to buy an Asian car you might consider Toyota or Mazda.  But avoid the Asian/American/Britisch cars unless you can afford to pay a huge amount.  Those cheap cars (Kia, Hyundai, Daewoo, ...) are just trash.

Choosing a car because it’s cheap in the beginning is not a good decision.  Have you ever seen a 15 year old Kia?  A 15 year old Golf will still run and can even generate some money in a sale (well not much but still).  So it’ll all cost you in the end.  The value of a 4-year old Asian car drops well below the value of a 4-year old European car.

So if you have any proud, just buy a European car.

PS: Still looking for good value for a lower price?  Consider Skoda or Seat, those cars are build on the same line as some VW-models, a lot of parts are the same.

Hi Nigel, sorry to hear that you too are having problems with your doors. Rear passenger side was the same one we we had the greatest problems with.

The last time they had the car in (for a week) they spent time adjusting the alignment of the door by tiny amounts and that seems to have fixed it for the most part.

The doors do still occasionally play up but as it’s an intermitent fault I’ve lost the will to keep taking it back over and over again. :/

Interested in your door problem because I am experiencing the same problems with my 08 Sedona TS. Its worrying that you can walk back into a car park only to find your door open (many occasions) or walk onto your house drive to find your back seat with a pool of water on it (many occasions).

I have spoken to my dealers and they believe it is an alignment problem that can be cured with the fitting of a rubber washer (due to be carried out on next service0. I will update when work is carried out. It only happens with one door,rear passenger side.

I have also experienced the frozen door problem where they will not move but to be fair my wife has a Honda and they would not open and my MD has a top of range Subaru and he had same problem. Apart from these faults the car so far is OK and I am just coming up to 20,000 miles. Some of the other problems would seem to be “Dealer caused” and so far I am lucky that I have not had these problems.

I would never puchase anothe Kia or any car from West London MC High Wycombe.

I first had trouble over the purchase (5/12/2008) in that because the VAT changed before I paid for my New Ceed SW they agreed to reduce the price by 2.5% but on collecting the car they tried to convince me that the VAT had reduced by 2.5% of 2.5% but when I refused to pay and told them to keep the car they agrred with me.

Then after 6 weeks I could not lock the doors and to my surprise they have no emergency system to do so. I took the car back and they said they could do nothing they were to busy but I told them I could not lock the car thus this made my insurance invalid. They told me that it was my responsiblity not theres. I told them that I was not taking the car home put the keys on the counter and told them to ring me when it would be ready for collection. They quickly did something to the car that enabled the doors to be locked and asked me to bring it in the next day. I did they repair it and I was able to lock the doors.

One week latter 19/1/2009 the doors would not lock agian so I have returned the car and since Monday they have been unable (today Thursday) fix it. WLMC have refuse a loan car so I rang customer services at Kia and am having trouble getting them to provide a car despite the fact they say they will. They are not interested in the fact my car locking system has broken down and taking so long to fix.

A very frustrated Kia owner but not for long.

Hmm, yes looks like they have nuked my review. That’s a little poor… I think I’ll submit it again!

Have Parker’s removed your review? Can’t see it on their site anywhere…

Hi Del, thanks ever so much for you advice! I’ll be sure to send all future correspondence to the MD and copy it to customer services! I’m planning to send another letter during the next few days. :)

hi again,

Your personal letter of complaint must be addressed to Mr Paul Philpott Managing Director of Kia Motors UK.

Yours,

Del

dear nathan,

My firend glen richardson has told me of your plight and I must agree something must be seen to be done, especially to address the safety factor lacking in the dodgy Kia you unfortunately own.

It is obvious that in the terms and conditions of service you signed to accept the vehicle in the condition it is in at present, but they must have a duty of responsibility to correct this, after all it is in their own interests to address all quality assurance complaints.

As a businessman myself I would find out the name and address of the Head of Kia Motors and put your complaint on his desk, ignoring the dealerships who have ignored you so far.  After all it is in his interests to deal with such a serious complaint, especially the health and safety aspect of the problems.

Secondly, it is very important you copy this letter to the current Transort Secretary and your local Member of Parliament with copies of correspondence so far, that would show the Head of Kia Motors you mean business.  This letter must include the support you have recieved so far from your friends on Facebook etc, this is proof that you are taking your complaint very seriously and will not take no for an answer.

If you receive any support from the Transport Secretary and your MP and you will, Kia will have solicitors who will try to block any complaint if the Head of Kia motors refuses to help you with this problem.  If this happens you must analyse the Terms and Conditions of the Sale and fight your case.  It is also very important you create a written history with the Head of Kia Motors to prove their lack of duty to you.

I could go on and on because I rarely lose any legal wrangle if I am in the right.

Yours sincerely,

Fred Delahunty (Del to my friends) .

Amusingly, you’re now ranked #3 in google uk for “dont buy a kia”, this thread should help too…

Dont buy a kia

Thanks for your support Matt! In answer to your question ‘Why did we buy a Kia in the first place’?

I was slightly nervous about buying from a brand I had no experience of but having heard of no horror stories and taking the warranty into account I felt assured. We purchased the car primarily because it was perfect for our needs at the time and when compared to comparative models from other manufacturers it was seen to hold value better over 3 to 4 years.

Unfortunately none of the above is of any relevance at all when the car simply does not work as it should! :/

Hj Nathan

Further to mine of the 18th

Today I had a phone call from Kia customer service dept at 4.55, saying that they had got my letter to Mr Philpot and it would be put on file. However, it wouldn’t make any difference to the answer. so it is a waste of time writing to said MD

I would therefore go along with the idea of saying ” Don’t buy a Kia Sedona”

All the best

these sliding doors seem to be a big problem on the sedona , mine wont open from the leaver or the the buttons , i have to get out and open them , its been in the dealer twice now and they cant find the problem , maybe third time lucky.
will let you know.

i have to say that i’ve had problems with opening my doors too. i have to get out to open them, but my main issue is the struts on the front end. today will be the seventh time i’ve had to deal with the issue because they refuse to replace the strut. its an 05 sedona. the warranty on the struts is still good. i highly expect them to feed me more crap talk when i pick it up this afternoon. kia of high point is on my list for who not to buy from. stay away, the warranty is a lie.

I fully sympathize with people who have experienced problems, particularly when the problem seems to be the same one repeated over & over. However I am delighted with my Sedona TS which I purchased from the Milton Keynes dealership in December 08 following unsatisfactory dealings with my local dealership over discount and part exchange. I have not encountered any problems with the vehicle and the doors have always operated as intended.

I have had an old Kia Sedona for just over a year now. So far so good, with only minor problems. It drives well and the interior is comfortable.  It’s been good for family and work.  The parts do take a while to arrive though, so I have taken to ordering service kits, parts etc. myself and once they have arrived, booking the car into the garage for servicing.  Its a bit of a strange car in some ways.  There are some things which I think are genious and very well done, whist other aspects, like some of the buttons being on a grey, unlit background, just daft.  I think it was designed by a really clever bloke with the help of his dim-wit brother.  I can imagine the conversation with his parents, “Look after your simple brother dear; he won’t get a good job without your help.” I wouldn’t buy one new but if you were considering a cheap old, second-hand voyager, they are still worth a look, as they tend to have better interiors.

My god were do i start? I have owned my Sedona since Oct 06.

I have so far had the following done..

three headlinings replaced
heating controld replaced
A/C pipes replaced
Air purification sensor replaced
Tail gate locks replaced twice
sliding door faults total 20 + lost count now
in 20,000 miles in went through 6 tyres on the front
runs rough everytime in rains
cuts out every now and then, then re starts
IMV Valve replaced
MAF sensor replaced
Camshaft sensor replaced
Crank shaft sensor replaced
Fuel filter hoses replaced
New radio
rear wheel bearings now need replacing
Waiting for a complete new lock set (key does not fit locks)

I’m sure there is more! over 60 visits the EMG Cambridge Maaike from KIA sent a Technical guy to have a look, his report said i was driving it with my foot on the brake while accelorating! he was in the car with me at the same time!!!!

Moral is DO NOT BUY ANY OF KIA’S PRODUCTS ESPECIALLY SEDONA’S

KIA UK / EMG Cambridge now no longer respond to emails or return calls.

My Kia required new front tyres at 14000 2 new batterys new power steering unit,new starter relay
and now the bonnet opened whilse driving smashing the windscreen very lucky we were only driving at 45 mph, The cars under two years old Never again

I feel the same way about the Sedona.  I would never had look at a Kia except that I needed to hire a 7 seater whilst on holiday in Scotland and I got a Kia Sedona and I was impressed (turns out it was US spec as it had a dimmer mirror and additional footwell lights)

Anyway, I bought the car and it has been back to the garage on numerous occasions with problems with the doors.  The there was a problem with the electrics which meant the car would open a back door when locked (and woke up one morning to find the contents of the car were taken).

This has now been repaired by the dealer who confirmed the cause to be faulty electronics.

Now there is a leak in the power steering which makes the steering really heavy.... when will this end?

Would I have another KIA?  No even if you gave it to me.

I’ve had my 2007 Kia Sedona for almost 3 years now with no major issues.  The service at my dealership in Scottsdale, Arizona is second to none.  Kia and Hyundai, quite possibly, are the best value in minivans and SUV’s....at least in the United States.

bought the car from available car as i do conditioning on cars found there was leake on seal shown them this told me cant find it shown them again as i had put leake detection in system they eventualy did it. had a wobble on steering been told its the drive shaft replaced it costing £156 went to cornwal 2 weeks ago this popped out with damage now theres a legal battle front 2 tyres wearing. been told need steering rack ,hand brake does not fully engage, recalled for back wheel bearings from kia.would i buy another kia probably yes seeing it as a 7yr warranty but have a twin wheel caravan to pull

hi.were do i start i bought a 2007 auto sedona in oct had to have the first one replaced as we were nealy in a bad accedent with it due to lack of throttle responce it just would not pull away, the car was in and out the garage more than i had it .the tyers needed replaced to and brakes also sliding doors not closing properly. after being nealy in a bad accident kia finaly agreed to give us another like for like ,whitch we thought was good but guess wot we got it and on the same day the wippers stoped and it had to go back in ,then we had it a week and the doors wasnt shutting and was operning wen driving, with four kids in this is very dangerus.so it went back in again. we had it on the road a month and guess wot it needed brakes doing and antiroll bushes we got it back and realised we needed two front tyers at 14000 miles .just as we thought it was all sorted geting it back two weeks later the car lost power going up a hill coming of my holidays ,with four kids in and 3 adults i was not amused one bit pulling away on rounderbouts and junctions was very dangers and i was frghternd to drive it, after being nealy in an accedent with the first one .it went straight into the nearest kia dealer which was bordercars ,they had a machanic test drive it and also agreed the car was not pulling away right ,they had it three days just to tell me that the car was supossed to run like that yes a big joke i was by now livid i phoned kia custemer services to be told that sum one would investigate it and get back to me ,and they never did i had to phone again and again even to be given a name of a superviser that wen i asked for again did not exsist. i finaly got a lady who asked me wat did i wont and that was normal for the car as the other complaints i have had with the car. the car was taken to walkingshaws in cumbria were i bought it from they had it again i was propper fed up,i wasent even given a car to take my kids to school ,they agreed after a week to hire one for me and sent one what was to small for all my kids to fit in i had to get on to kia again finaly i got one two days later my car was suposed to be right yea suposed to be it had ,had more updates once again and was seemingly accoring to them fixed. hummm i drove it two week and came to a junction and yes it did it again i have give up. i have had to sell the car for a big loss i hope people are listerning and dont get a kia they are more trouble/ there in the garage more than you will have them and for those of you have no trouble count your sells lucky very lucky coz kia services aint intrested wen people have trouble with there cars and i have had two identicle cars with the same fault i say no more just dont get a kia

i have had my fair share of the kia sedona nightmares please stay away from this car however desperate you may be,i and my partner bought a brand new kia and thought we had the car of our dreams in 2008 but just within 3 months of having the car the steering started to pull to one side i took it to christchurch tyers to balance the steering they were very good and helpfull and i ahve since been back there countless times as they are the only ones who seem to know and sort out the problem but kia dealers have been of no help because they kept telling us that the computer could not identify the problem,well taik of the sliding doors i only experienced this problem during the winter and when the car was warm enough the doors were working,but recently my battry ran out AA had to start the car for me on two occassions and when i took the car to kia it took them 2 weeks to get a new battry, they didnt even give me a coutersy car to use at the moment when i drive the management light keeps flashing i took the car for service to kia dealers in ferndown on monday but they told me the computer couldnt show any fault am frustrated i dont know what to expect next with my children in the car.please dont buy this car rather buy a ford galaxy instaed

Have just stumbled upon this thread having been told by our local Kia garage that despite all the evidence to the contrary there appears to be nothing wrong with our relatively new Sedona.
I am going to be very fair with Hidsons in Rainham because I believe they are genuinely trying to help but they are not being supported by Kia.
We too had an old Sedona diesel automatic - it was a bit of a tank and I hated driving it, but it did the job and was reliable and (relatively) economic.
Earlier this year we traded it for an ex-Kia (I now know this means ex-rental) Sedona LS Diesel Auto and was pleasantly surprised at how much better it felt to drive - just a shame we couldn’t get one of the electric doors to close when we got home!
This has been in and been attended to but it still reopens the door on our driveway unless we park at a certain angle, but we have learnt to live with it (though I am still dubious about why it closes and we still get three chimes?!).
More worrying is the HUGE drop in economy, and the two whole seconds delay that has to be factored in between pressing the accelerator and actual power delivery - not a circumstance I am at all happy about when trying to commit to a busy junction or roundabout.
Oh, and we just changed both front tyres at 10,000 miles and the vehicle pulls badly to the left at low speed despite three seperate attempts by the tyre people to set up the alignment; fortunately it feels OK above 30mph.
We are picking the car up again tomorrow and if there is the slightest hint of the engine pick-up problem still existing I shall be writing to Kia’s General Manager and their finance division who technically own the vehicle as we are on their 0% finance arrangement.
My interest in posting this information is primarily that there is a common thread of discontent and that is neither good for us as owners, nor for a manufacturer that is trying to establish themselves as a credible and quality oriented UK supplier; is there any scope in collectively pooling all of these experiences and making appropriate representations through a trade body or conceivably the courts?
So long as things are kept objective and businesslike I will be happy to receive any further comments or advice either through this forum or at my email address of - Thanks

Well today was another excellent adventure in owning a Kia. Our poor compensation for all the troubles we’ve had with our car was a free service from Kia. We’d only just had our car serviced so naturally were not able to make use of the free service immediately.

I recently booked the car in after receiving the yearly service reminder from the local dealership and quoted the reference number on the letter from Kia. Today upon taking the car in I was informed by the lady on the service desk that the letter had an expiry date for the offer and this had passed just 10 days earlier.

First off it seems a little odd that a good will gesture from a multi million pound business would have an expiry date, secondly you’d think given the history of faults that we’ve had to endure with our car that Kia might show a little flexibility and ‘do the right thing’ by their customer… yes, you guessed right… they couldn’t give a flying badgers arse.

Despite my protestations that it would be seriously worthwhile investment in brand image for them to extend their offer by 10 days they were absolutely resolute in refusing to do so.

I’m a little bemused as to the purpose of their ‘customer services’ department, they seem hell bent on demolishing what little positive brand image Kia has.

As I explained to the customer services representative on the phone this morning all they achieve with this attitude is give people like me even more fuel with which to discredit their brand and deny them customers.

hi
across the road from my mums house,, the people who lived there purchased a sedona brand new. When i went to my mum and dads the following saturday there was a tow truck there taking away the kia, when i asked what was wrong, they said the gearbox had broke ater just 5 days
rubbish from kia

Hi Nathan. After searching for information about Kia Sedona’s I stumbled across your site. I’d been toying with the idea of purchasing one for my growing family but safe to say you’ve “put me right off” :)

Thanks for posting details of your experience - you’ve probably saved me a lot of stress!

well i baught a older second hand kia sedona 2.9 crdi and it is a dream just pulls and pulls loads of tourq tops off at 100 mph and thats with all 7 seats full good respnsive stearing quiet a bit basic on the trim good paint cummfy ride,so buy pre 2006 old style

The KIA slogan makes me chuckle (it is the only way to relieve the irritation): “The Power to Surprise”. Man they sure live that up to the max...I am surprised how many times my car has been in the shop for the same issue!

i bought a kia sedona 06 with 20000 on the clock had it 4 months the clutch needs replacing phoned kia (main offices) about the problem thay did not want to know i told them how long would thay reccomend the clutch lasts on the car and the cow put the phone down on me!!had to buy 4 new tyers as passenger side tyers (front and back)both worn on outside wall now steering has become a problem i struggle to keep it in a stright line i have had tracking done all spot on but still dont feel right. and now the electric drivers seat motor needs replacing and i thought that i had a bargin!!! i think i just bought someone else’s problems!!

Thanks for posting these issues.  I have recently aquired a 2007 Sedona with an odo reading of 41000.  I wasn’t expecting to experience any of your forementioned issues, but just this am on my way out the drive the vehicle just ‘shut OFF’.  It restarted right away but we were in the lanes of traffic .... very frightening.  Strangely enough, I am familiar with these types of problems as I have owned several baboons arse quality cars over the years.  I am fortunate to live in a place that has law to protect me from these types of issues being a financial burden on me .... if I am alive to have them fixed. 

My life is so boring; I need a good FIGHT.  *calls KIA customer service ................*

T.B.C.

Nearly bought a Kia c’eed last year! Narrow miss I’d say, I am very happy with my Toyota Avensis now!

Customer services to provide us with a like for like replacement vehicle for a period of a week while they had our vehicle in to resolve the issues with the doors.Car Accident Compensation

Ha Ha haaaaaahhh.  Well, after reading hundreds of posts and blogs regarding the issues with the Sedsucka, the van finally did it.  It completely died, no lights, no dings, no whistles! DEAD!  I felt young and foolish for thinking it couldn’t happen to ME, then, I laughed while remembering all the things I read about this vehicle. 

Scary thing is that it died during my lunch break .... and I love my lunch break!  Seriously though, it died while driving on a winding two lane road at a very busy time of day and .... of course .... on a blind curve with no run off area. 

Anyway, the van started to do the same thing as several times prior.  It would cut out and regain its power, cut out and regain power, all while rolling down the road ... however, during all these times a ‘code’ was never set.  I think you all know, without that ‘code’ the mechanic can do nothing.  They apparently don’t know where the engine is without a ‘code’ to tell them it is under the hood (bonnet) They apparently do not know how to find the faulty part without the ‘code’.  I guess it’s simple logic really, plug the scanner in and it tells you where, when, and, what to fix.  It’s a no brainer, IF you have the ‘code’.  What the frig! If it dies, and, there is no code; what then?  Will they say they, “can’t fix it until there is a code.”

I remember being 10 years old in my back yard, learning how to diagnose a vehicle’s issues, my brother and our father by our side.  we changed the ignition timing and adjusted the carbuerators.  Vroom VROOOmm!

Ha, today’s mechanics were prolly still at mum’s breast at 10 years old.  Then playing video games till their eyes bled.  Put a 1970 Chevy Malibu SS with the 454 cu in big block engine in front of them and they would be lost, “where’s the tps”, “where’s the ecu”, “where do I plug in my scan tool”? 

All in all, it is good to know, I was still covered under that warrantee.  Kia roadside assistance worked well and had me to a dealership within an hour.  I spoke to the dealer’s service manager.  He was reluctant to work some magic regarding a rental, but after hearing what I had been thru, he waved his wand.  The rental is .... ha ha ha of all things a Hundai, yeah I know, but it runs and it is free.  I should be getting a call from the service manager today.  Any takers for a bet that it is the alternator?

Well .... Thanks So far as I have had the van back for 75 miles and no signs of trouble.  The dealship mechanic did however point out that the trans fluid was either low or needed changing. 

They discovered a Kia bulletin about a faulty fuse box.  Did some diagnostic testing and determined that they should replace the fuse box.  well at least it wasn’t the Coolant temperature sensor that caused the issue as pointed out by the first dealership I visited.

Cheers

till we meet again ...........

I am so glad i found this blog. I have just decided to change my extremely reliable mx5 sport for a Kia… Why? Well an mx5 doesn’t fit well with 1 child, 2 labs and mum and dad....even as a second car…

I was endevouring to buy the serento however after viewing today and realising the boot area wasn’t as big as what i had expected, i resigned myself to the sedona…

But now,.after reading this blog.. Kia will not be getting 1pence of my money.... no chance...This blog is scarey… Safety and security has to be a top priority as does reliability. All of which this car doesn’t provide. I will be calling Gravells to cancel my test drive tomorrow.

Perhpaps i will stick with Mazda. We own 2 and had only minor probelms which HG Bryers in Carmarthen have been happy to resolve quickly each time....with no hassel

Thanks Again

Liz

Thank goodness for this blog…

Hi Liz, glad I’ve saved someone the pain of owning a Kia. I need to write a follow up post really as we recently managed to sell our Kia Sedona and bought a Ford Galaxy from our local Ford dealership.

I’ve had Fords in the past and they’ve been good but not great… however we’re over the moon with the Galaxy. It’s an excellent car, well built, well considered and much more efficient. Ok so it doesn’t have the sliding doors but the space in the back is immense and it just works!

I think Mazda do a MPV with sliding doors, Honda also have a large family MPV. Unfortunately Toyota no longer do a large family MPV… they’re without doubt the most reliable of the bunch from experience.

Well.  After another 1500 miles of New England winter driving, I have not had a hiccup whimper whine from the old bag of bolts.  My sense of doom is fading as I log mile after mile of trouble free driving. 

As with all things mechanical, I expect glitches followed by solutions.  Thank you Kia for having a solution for my issue.  Here’s to them having continued success .....for you and you and you!

I am writing this with some foreboding as I do not wish to tempt fate - BUT… since Hidsons at Rainham attended to our Sedona we have had a reasonably trouble free experience and in the recent snow and ice it really has given a good account of itself despite having none of the wizzy gizmos my Volvo saloon has got with its anti-skid winter settings. Contrast this with two of our neigbours with their ‘ultimate driving machine’ BMW’s that managed to get nowhere!
Anyhow we have learnt to live with the obviously not-quite-correctly-matched turbo that still catches us out occassionally but is otherwise not too bad now that the auto-box was reprogrammed to provide a much better driving dynamic, and we now know that on short journeys it is really thirsty but actually not too bad on a longer run.
The doors are now behaving (though I still hate not being able to operate them unless ‘park’ is engaged but I can understand why this has been done for safety), and the pull to the left is only slight and disappears at around 30mph anyway.
The only issue we have since encountered, which is very minor to resolve but I still have not done it, is that the positive battery terminal connector is very slightly too large so that even when fully tightened it sometimes needs the bonnet up and a wiggle before we can get the engine to turn-over and start; all it needs is a shim of copper so I have made a note to get one sorted tomorrow.
Full marks go to the folks at Hidsons who have been genuinely helpful and candid about their experiences (not all good) with the Sedonas, and though I am currently sceptical that I would buy another Kia, I would certainly give them a chance to sell me another manufacturer from their franchises.
What I do keep reminding myself though is that the Sedona does serve it’s purpose of shifting the family, and often friends or Grandpaerents too, in some comfort - and it was cheap (relatively).
So credit when credits due, but I want to give it another couple of years before I’m singing it’s praises.
Andrew

I have had three Kia’s, two Sedona’s and a Sorento each car done at least 45000 miles. I drove them all round Europe in temps ranging from -30c to +40. I never had any problem with any of these cars and would recommend them to anyone. It seems that you have been unlucky and that’s about it. I had a similar problem with Ford many years ago that most people here have had with Kia, it does not make all Fords bad. I would say that I would rather own a Kia than a Ford.

was thinking of buying a sedona know having second thoughts
have got 2005 galaxy at the moment drives well but having air conditioning problems
also looking for larger mpv and sedona fits the bill only other that size i think is the voyager which is more expensive to buy and run and from what i hear is not problem free either

Well...What can i say?

I have had the gearbox replaced by KIA UK, door module has been replaced as well. All seems fine. Although i have had issues in the past, i still think KIA Sedona’s are the best in the league.

I would buy another i think to be honest. Only this time i shall research the new version / engine / gearbox before i do.

From experiance, i would suggest anyone that has issues with the Sedona to not give up with KIA UK if under warranty still.

Hi All,

I have to say that I have owned a Kia Sedona since 2002. It now has 110,000 miles on it. We have had only minor issues (as can be expected with any car). It drives great, and handles winter condition much better that most cars. Also can’t beat the 5 star safety rating...Not sure you are all having so many problems...Maybe all of your cars were build on a Monday??

have decided to take the plunge and have ordered new sedona option 2, option 1 air conditioning only seems to have vent in front none to middle and rear seats.
the 7 year warranty did it for me in the end.
will keep you all informed.

Ha .... As I trudge thru week after week of awful winter conditions here in central Massachusettes, my 2007 Sedona has transformed my once skeptical mind. 

I now have 46,700 miles and not so much as a sniffle!

Good for you!  Ordering with option 2, the 3 Zone system is worth every penny.

@brad - yes I think there’s a chance our car was built on a Friday afternoon actually. The fit and finish on collection was appalling. We had interior panels that were not flush in various places. In retrospect we should have refused to accept it there and then.

@tom - best of luck with the car, our problem was that the warranty becomes pretty much irrelevant when you’re trudging back and forward to the garage every month and are left stranded without a suitable replacement vehicle. :/

All problems aside, my 2006 / 07 (130,000 miles now)is the business in the snow. Handling it very well. All seems well with it now. As i said in the last post, i will buy another one in the future.

hi we purchased a 2 year old Kia 5 years ago and is has been excellent.we had an espace before and it was the worse nightmare you could imagine! In fsct th only prob is just now the engine sometimes turns over from a cold start but the engine doesn’t start.This is the first problem though in 5 years so have booked it in to chester kia - the most friendly garage ever ! ( unsual to find in my expereience)
thanks Paul

thanks paul i am buying with chester kia and have heard good reports about them
still awaiting delivery of the car

Got a Kia Sorento new 3 years ago .. no problems whatsoever and a fantastically economical buy. About to sell it second hand and very small depreciation.
I think you just have to accept you had a vehicle from a bad batch and had really poor after sales service from the dealer.

I had to smile—what will all the positive reports being recently added, I wonder if Kia PR bunnies have been at work trying to turn around the real stories of woe?

(Nathan, have they been posted from the same IP address by any chance? :-)

Having said that, our Kia is now behaving itself after numerous trips to the garage to have the doors repaired and the alarm logic replaced (it started unlocking and opening the back doors at night—who is going to replace my ipod which got nicked?)

Would I recommend a Kia --not a chance.

@James I did check IP’s but they are all fairly different so maybe the PR bunnies are a bit more savvy these days. ;)

Our Sedona used to unlock itself and open the rear doors all of it’s own accord also. Mostly when we had gone shopping during the day which is handy. Luckily no one ever took anything. I would not have been amused to come back to the car and find all 3 child seats gone. :!

Hi Tom
You will find Kia Chester straight and very reasonable with costs.Danny in charge of servicing will give you genuine advice and not try get you to spend when not needed etc. Hey James and Nathan, i am not a Kia bunny sent to give pr stuff. Look if you had half the problems i had with my Espace then moan in triplicate!! seriously, there will be Espace owners out there who will have had a1 expereince with the car.The way it goes i guess.But i do feel for you guys as it really is a pain when cars give probs..
I was actually going to go for another espace ( i know some of us are slow learners!)around 2-3 years old.I actually spoke to the espaces owner but one who was in the forces. He just said why on earth do yuo want an espace...get a kia sedona-plenty of room never let me down not expensive. It was one of the best bits of advice i ever had...May the LOrd shine his Face upon him...I am a happy bunny with my kia ( and so are my family mummy bunny and the little bunnies). And finally when we visited Paris a couple of years ago which was the most common taxi being driven...surely the FRench Espace....was it a bird was it a plane ..with those sliding doors for the parachuters… no it was ..around evry corner to cries of BRAVO...the KIA SEDONA

@ Nathan,

Sorry you went thru the troubles with your Sedona and now we are praising it all over your trash the sedona blog. 

Suffice to say I also found a dealer with a competant crew and not to far from home.  : -)

I will however tell you that I had the door not close thing hapen just yesterday.  I happen to not get to up tight and remembered that I had my mitts on the doodad that projects off the pillar where the door closes.  *Nathan’s blog will be fired up again* but I did two things: turned off the power to the auto doors and tried to manipulate the sensor on the pillar ... hahaha they are snug so I don’t realy think it moved all that much, but I felt strongly enough to give it a go.  So, I closed the door with the power off and as it should ... it stayed closed! got in and turned the power back on ... whaLaa.  slid open and closed with no problems.

I have another thousand miles on the beast of burden with that being the only hiccup. 

@Paul,

Ha I went with an Escape’ to a dealer with a “sale” going on ... Hahaha thinking a new Escape’ might be in order as there are certain Ford traits that hold true across all models.  “Do NOT own them after 60k miles or be fore warned F = fix, O = or, R = repair, D = daily”

Boy, when I saw they had a trade-in of a Sedona sitting in the lot, I knew I had found my replacement for the Escape’ .... for all the negatives this blog had and the ability of a competant dealership to ‘deal’ with the problem.  I am excited to drive her around and listen to the 250 ponies pound the pavement while in my heated leather saddle.

Here’s to yours, and may you all have better days ahead. 

Peace,
Matt S

I guess the issue we experienced was that we got lumbered with a dud car and then this was only worsened by poor customer service following that.

I think car manufacturers as a whole need to start learning that in situations like this they either need to work much harder to resolve the problems that a customer is having or just put their hands up, admit fault and replace or refund the vehicle.

Lack of positive action just winds the owner up and gives them more and more ammunition with which to discredit the brand.

Maybe if we’d been blessed with a dealership that put the customer first things would have been different. As it is I’m still paying off the loan on the Sedona despite it being long gone.

As you say… may we all have better days ahead. Hopefully blog posts like this will just give manufacturers more reason to strive for excellent customer service.

:)