2002 Kia Sedona LX from North America

Summary:

Good value for the money, and great warranty

Faults:

First year a coil was not working, making driving very jerky, but it was immediately fixed.

I needed to bring in the van once to the dealer because the check engine light was on - turns out my gas tank was not closed tight enough.

Air conditioning stopped cooling all the way after 3 years, fixed by warranty.

General Comments:

Can't beat the warranty with KIA, and the dealership has always been helpful and very customer service orientated.

The 5 star rating for crash test safety was one of the main reasons we bought this van.

This van is a lot more affordable than most on the market.

It seems to have a lot of power, and is a comfortable ride.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th September, 2005

29th Sep 2005, 15:23

Apparently, you're one of the lucky Sedona owners, albeit few and far between according to most of the other reviews.

Upon initial analysis, it seems that there are many more negative comments regarding Sedonas' than positive. I wonder if this is just a matter of circumstance or reality.

According to your review, your Sedona has accumulated to date, a total 32,000 miles. I'm wondering what proportion of this is city versus highway mileage and under what type of conditions IE: normal or severe driving conditions.

12th Jun 2006, 15:14

Wow are you lucky. I'm in tears as I write this because after just paying for the replacement of my KIA Sedona LX 2002 alternator, both front rotors (2nd time), both headlights (2nd time) I have just found out that my catalytic converters (all 3) are plugged. Yes, $3000.00 plus!! Even the extended warranty I bought won't cover them. I have 88,000 miles on my car. I have three children to transport.

2002 Kia Sedona EX 3.5 from North America

Summary:

No regrets on buying our Sedona

Faults:

Some rust started to appear above the rear licence plate housing area. I contacted Kia and they are willing to fix the problem.

General Comments:

Perhaps we're just lucky, but we are very happy with our van. We shied away from GM, Ford and Chrysler minivans after hearing horror story after horror story from people we know that have owned them. The Odyssey and Sienna were what we really wanted, but their excellent resale value made them out of our price range. We took the middle ground and took a chance on the Sedona.

It's comfortable, looks good, and has been reliable and trouble free. We've had it on a road trip already and it was competent and quiet on the highway.

I'm very particular about keeping track of fuel economy and our van has been consistently achieving better than published estimates which is good, as fuel economy isn't the Sedona's strong point.

I'm surprised at the number of disappointed Sedona drivers here. The Sedona has sold very well, I see lots on the road, yet when we shopped around, we found that very few were for sale... not what I'd expect if the dissatisfaction rate was very high.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th September, 2005

16th Sep 2005, 11:15

Sorry to hear you bought a Sedona. Truly, a vehicle and company not worthy of praise. Give it a little time and you'll find out for yourself. Get back to us in about six months and tell us of your adventures with your Sedona as well as Kia its dealer network.

You're in for a shock when you see how much Kia wants for parts and the frequency you'll need them. Ask a Kia dealer how much the 96k (60,000 mile) maintenance will cost you, if you make it that far. Better still ask a few dealers the same thing. Don't let your mouth hang open too long and don't forget to breath. Oh, one more thing, the warranty is as good as the dealer network.

The reason you don't see many used Sedonas for sale is that most people have resigned themselves to paying them off as much as they can simply because Sedonas have worthless trade in values. I hope you didn't pay more than scrap value for yours. I own a 2002 Sedona, had it since new, 115k (72,000 miles) on the odometer. I think the trade in value is about a dollar a pound , maybe a liitle less. If you think I'm kidding, go find out for yourself.

You get what you pay for folks, and the Sedona is a prime example of that. Granted Ford, GM and Chrysler make road trash but at least they're worth something when its time to dump them.

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