Faults:

Air conditioner noise, fixed without problem. Sliding door stuck, fixed without problem. Stress fracture in windshield, so far Kia refuses to fix this.

General Comments:

Other than the fact that our windshield has started cracking from below the seal, just left of the center, this is a good van for the price. Until Central Kia in Plano started sharing the Irving dealerships service manager, the service has been excellent, but now I'm not at all impressed. I will judge if I will purchase another Kia based on whether they take care of this issue or not. Unfortunately I've already referred about 15 people to them.

Faults:

The only problem is the windshield.

General Comments:

Had the car about 18 months, the third (yes third!) windshield cracked last month (16 Mar 03). Been chatting with KIA about fixing it since then. Apparently, they are NOT going to do anything about it.

Windshield Recap:

September 01 (late) bought Sedona

October 01 (mid) windshield cracked

December 01 (late) windshield replaced

February 02 (mid) windshield cracked

April 02 (mid) windshield replaced

March 03 (mid) windshield cracked

In all cases the windshield crack originated near (within two inches of) the rubber windshield seal.

I have two other Kias, (Sephia, Spectra) that have not had any windshield cracks.

Faults:

Initial inspection:

Power lumber support on driver's seat not working.

Loose wood grain trim on dash.

Compact disk bin door latch not functioning.

Fuel efficiency is not good!

A few small error on the company web site and owners manual have been noted.

General Comments:

Initial impression on first 2000 kilometers:

The Sedona is exceptionally smooth and quiet, it has plenty of power and handles reasonably well although does experience a bit of body roll in harder cornering.

The air conditioning is powerful, but remains quiet. Sun roof is a pleasure.

The seats are very comfortable and the separate reclining rear bench seat was appreciated (this vehicle is equipped with a leather package).

No rattles or squeaks could be detected.

Other than fuel efficiency this vehicle is very impressive especially when comparing its price to the competition. So far I am very satisfied.

Long term reliability, dealer and factory support and resale value are unknown.

Overall I am looking forward to a very pleasant ownership experience.

Faults:

No problem so far.

General Comments:

This is a great minivan with plenty of power and great convenience features at low price.

Also its safty is great. It got all 5 star ratings for all 4 test categories (front, side, etc.) from NHTSA. There is only other car which got all 5 stars: Ford Windstar and side air bag. I can tell how well the Sedona is built because it received the 5 star ratings even without side air bags. I believe the Sedona is a perfect family car.

Faults:

The radio started 'clipping' within a week. Dealer replaced it immediately, and tossed in a free oil change for the inconvenience.

General Comments:

The first week we had it, we took a road trip to Colorado, climbed Pike's Peak, ran the back road to Cripple Creek. Flawless performance on a 3-day, 2500-mile breakin run. And absolutely NO 'road-weary' feelings. Comfort is SUPERB.

We're now six months and 12000 miles into ownership, and the real admiration for our Kia continues unabated. Smooth and rapid acceleration, crisp (for a van) handling, extremely comfortable and quiet ride. We live on a very rough dirt road out in the country and STILL don't have any rattles or squeaks.

UPPERS: Comfort, reliability, performance, solid design, a feeling of real luxury (take THAT, you Lexus Owners). Five REAL WHEELS to rotate!

DOWNERS: Gas mileage so-so (about 20 on the road) but well worth the extra power. Tweeters have a tendency to buzz as stations start to fade.

FINAL NOTES: My wife and I are both over 50, and have owned many vehicles over the years. Neither one of us has ever been so impressed with a new car as we are by this one. Price was never really a factor in our buying decision. We're looking forward to the introduction of the new Kia SUV this summer, and plan to swap in the Toyota for one.