Kia Sedona Reviews – People have different priorities when they set out to purchase a car. If yours require that you get a minivan with a spacious cabin, that is very dependable and quite easy to maintain, then you should consider the Kia Sedona.
CarEdge.com has it that Kia Sedona has a resale value that went down 59% after 5 years.
How Reliable is the Sedona?
When it comes to how reliable the Kia Sedona is, RepairPal rated it at 4.0 out of 5.0. The car also came out on top when compared to 8 other cars of the same category.
Generally the vehicle is really comfortable and this is made even better with its roomy cabin. It is reliable and can very well meet your day to day driving needs.
Another lovely fact about the Kia Sedona is that provided you are properly maintaining it and servicing it as required it will be in good condition for a very long time, and can last you for over 200,000 miles giving you really good value for your money.
Speaking of maintenance, do not be of the assumption that maintaining the vehicle will cost so much as that is not the case at all. When compared to other cars that fall in the same category you will see that the Kia Sedona is cheaper to maintain.
Common Issues with the Sedona
Although the Kia Sedona is quite reliable, the truth of the matter is that it operates with an engine and as long as that remains the case, some issues or problems can crop up once in a while or after a period of time.
Different model years of the car have issues peculiar to them and we will look into that right away.
Starting Complications
For 2002 to 2016 Kia Sedonas one of the most common complaints is starting complications.
Some persons believed that this issue is because of the cars’ vehicle immobilizer control module, which when it doesn’t recognize the push-to-start Kia smart key would activate as though the car is being stolen, hence the complication.
The Kia Sedonas of the model years already mentioned at the beginning of this point might probably only start when you manually insert the key into the ignition.
But even at that, there are still some car owners who complain that their car still refused to start even when they have inserted the key and tried to turn on the ignition. This may probably kick in at about 110,000 miles.
To handle this issue of starting complications, you can get for yourself an improved version of the Kia smart key.
You should however bear it in mind, that this issue could also be indicative of wiring issues. It wouldn’t hurt to have the car checked out by a professional just to be very sure as to what exactly the issue is and to enable you handle the problem appropriately.
Failing Crankshaft Position Sensor
2005 Kia Sedona’s common issue is with its crankshaft position sensor. The car owners who experienced this problem shared that it may occur to high-mileage cars at about 160,000 miles.
Some of their complaints include the car loosing acceleration, jerking, or completely stopping. This is not an issue to be taken lightly as the signs it displays can lead to complications and accidents on the road.
If you discover that your car has a crankshaft position sensor issue, the best cause of action is to visit a professional, so that the problem can be handled as soon as possible and appropriately.
Premature Alternator Failure
Premature alternator failure is a common complaint with the 2002 Kia Sedona. It could happen at about 59,000 miles.
Some of the car owners complained of always having depleted batteries and always replacing their batteries before discovering that they have a faulty alternator. Some of them handled the problem by changing their alternator and belt.
If your belt is not the proper size, it could also result in your car breaking down.
Upon finding out that your car has alternator issues, it is recommended that you contact a professional to carry out the replacement.
Heavy Vibrations When A/C is On / Blowing Hot Air
This issue is with some of the 2002 to 2014 Kia Sedonas and the issue may become noticed at about 89,000 miles.
For some car owners, the malfunction is in the form of heavy vibrations accompanied by abnormal rattling sounds each time the A/C is on.
In other cases, the A/C will be blowing hot air instead of cooling one or will completely stop functioning.
You can either decide to fix the A/C compressor if you think that will be better for you, or you can replace the A/C compressor clutch assembly. It all depends on what you discover after checking it out.
Bear it in mind that the amount you will spend to fix it up depends on the level and amount of repairs to be done.
But it is advised that you opt for a solution, that you are not just comfortable with but one that also addresses the issue.
Abnormal Startup Noises
This issue of abnormal startup noises is common with 2002 to 2017 Kia Sedonas. You may start to notice this at about 90,000 miles.
This abnormal noise at startup was described by some of the car owners as loud knocking noises that would go on for about four or five seconds.
There have been a couple of guesses as to what could be responsible for this noise and some say it is as a result of incorrect oil levels. But supposing the oil levels of your Kia sedona is correct and you still hear the noise, then it could be attributed to a bad timing chain tensioner.
The car manufacturers are very much aware of this and in trying to stay on top of the situation, have made available an improved timing chain tensioner.
You can replace the bad timing chain tensioner in your car with this improved one, so as to take care of the problem.
Transmission Issues Caused by Outdated Software
For the 2002-2010 Kia Sedonas, a common issue is with regards to transmission. This transmission problem is as a result of an outdated transmission control module.
It could also cause other issues such as sudden jerking, strange noises when altering positions as well as faulty shifting.
This is likely to occur at about 117,000 miles. Software updates or reprogramming can handle this issue.
You should however be aware that similar symptoms can be seen in high-mileage cars with bad parts.
Exterior Lighting Problems
A common complaint with the 2006 Kia Sedona is with regards to its exterior lighting. For some of the car owners their burn out every few months, while for others their turn signal lights either doesn’t function properly or does not function at all.
In addition to the already mentioned exterior lighting issues, the airbag light might come on or there might be strange squeaking sounds. These show up at about 70,000 miles.
To fix this, you might need to have the headlight and turn signal light bulbs changed as often as required.
Faulty Battery
The issue of bad battery is very common with the 2015 Kia Sedona. The complaint from the car owners was that the battery would die suddenly and frequently for that matter.
It didn’t matter that the cars were somewhat new as this issue would crop up at just about 3,400 miles.
This proved to be a disturbing issue as the car batteries dying suddenly can sometimes disrupt the entire day of these car owners.
Some of them were quite surprised to observe that their batteries got drained a lot of times in just a week. They resorted to frequently jump starting their batteries just to be able to use it.
The reason for this is yet to be given. However you can choose to jump start the battery when required or you can just change the battery.
Before you make that final decision on the model year you wish to go for, it is advisable that you become conversant with the likely issues that could come up.
This is so that you will not be taken unawares and to allow you make the adequate preparations to handle the issues in case they occur.
