2006 Kia Sedona

ON MAY 5, 2011, I WAS DRIVING MY 2006 KIA SEDONA. MY 2 CHILDREN (AGE 2 AND 7) AND MY MOTHER WERE IN THE CAR. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE LEFT PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR OPENED ON IT'S OWN ACCORD. I WAS FRAZZLED ON HOW THIS MAY HAVE HAPPENED AS THE CAR HAS GREAT SAFETY RATINGS WHICH IS WHY I PURCHASED IT AUG. 2006. I WAS SO UPSET AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO GET ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. I CALLED MAJOR SERVICE IN LIC, NY AND THEY SET UP AN APPT FOR MON. 5/9/11. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR FOR SERVICE, I LEARNED THAT THIS IS A VOLUNTARY RECALL. I DO NOT DEFINE THIS AS A VOLUNTARY RECALL ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR CHILDREN PRESENT IN THE CAR WHEN THIS OCCURS. THEY EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE PART HAD TO BE ORDERED BECAUSE IT IS ON BACK ORDER. SUCH A RECALL SHOULD FIRST NOT BE VOLUNTARY AND SECOND SHOULD NOT BE ON BACK ORDER. IT IS NOW 2 WEEKS LATER AND I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE PART. I CALLED KIA AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY WILL CALL THE SERVICE MANAGER AND EXPEDITE THE ORDER. MEANWHILE, I NEED TO TAKE MY SON TO SCHOOL AND DAUGHTER TO THE BABYSITTER, SO I TIED A ROPE TO THE DOOR TO AVOID THE DOOR FROM FULLY OPENING WHILE DRIVING. I ALSO HAVE TO HEAR THE ANNOYING BEEP NOTIFYING ME THAT THE A DOOR IS OPEN. I AM PUTTING MY CHILDREN AT RISK FOR KIA'S NEGLIGENCE. NEED THIS CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SEDONA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR DID NOT CLOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE LOCK WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED ON A VOLUNTARY RECALL AND HE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE PARTS TO BE AVAILABLE SINCE IT WAS ON BACK ORDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE TRIED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER BUT WAS UNABLE TO SPEAK TO ANYONE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,300 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,600.

WE OWN A 2006 KIA SEDONA, BOUGHT USED. THE POWER SLIDING DOORS HAVE MALFUNCTIONED NUMEROUS TIMES. ONCE ON THE DRIVER SIDE, AND NOW WE ARE ON THE THIRD REPAIR FOR THE PASSENGER POWER SLIDING DOOR IN LESS THAN A YEAR. THE OCCURRENCES ARE RANDOM. THE DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE OR LATCH WHETHER WE DO IT MANUALLY OR USE THE POWER BUTTONS. THERE IS NO WARNING; IT JUST STOPS WORKING. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER CONSUMERS ABOUT THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. THIS IS VERY MUCH A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE, NOT JUST AN INCONVENIENCE. AT WHAT POINT DOES A COMPLAINT STOP BEING A SERVICE BULLETIN AND BECOME A PRODUCT RECALL? THE LAST REPAIRS WE HAD WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, HOWEVER, WARRANTY DOES NOT LAST FOREVER AND IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE THE REPAIRS ARE WORKING FOR US OR OTHER CONSUMERS. THIS IS CLEARLY A PRODUCT DEFECT AND NOT AN ISSUE OF NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. CONSUMERS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THIS SAME PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE OBLIGATED TO HAVE ANY OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES RELATED TO WHAT IS AN OBVIOUS PRODUCT DEFECT. THANKFULLY, THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY REPORTED INJURIES OR DEATHS THAT I WAS ABLE TO FIND. MY HOPE IS THAT KIA IS NOT WAITING FOR THAT TO OCCUR TO ISSUE A PRODUCT RECALL. *TR

WE HAVE A 2006 KIA SEDONA, WITH POWERED SLIDING SIDE DOORS. WE HAD OUR THREE GRAND KIDS WITH US, ALL UNDER 6 AND THE SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE. IT WOULD GO SHUT, AND THEN OPEN WITHOUT LOCKING. WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THERE WAS A BAD ELECTRONIC SWITCH. THE PROBLEM: THERE WAS NO MANUAL OVERIDE TO THIS PROBLEM. I HAD TO DRIVE IT IN THE SHOP BY JAMMING THE DOOR MANUALLY, AND EVEN THEN IT CAME OPEN SEVERAL TIMES ON MY TRIP TO THE DEALER. IF WE HAD BEEN IN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM, OR A BLIZZARD, WE COULD HAVE BEEN IN REAL TROUBLE. THERE MUST BE AN OVERIDE FOR THIS. I PULLED THE FUSES, BUT THAT DID NOT HELP. THE DEALER IS DON SEALYE FORD, KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SEDONA. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE FRONT HOOD UNLATCHED AND FELL FROM OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT SHE MUST HAVE LEFT THE HOOD OPEN IN ORDER FOR THE FAILURE TO OCCUR. THE HOOD WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 105,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SEDONA. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR SUDDENLY OPENED INVOLUNTARILY. HE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND IT TOOK TWO PEOPLE TO CLOSE THE DOOR. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED FOUR TIMES FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE LATEST REPAIR WAS MAY 13, 2010 BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.

WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 KIA SEDONA ON THE HIGHWAY THE REAR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR OPENED BY ITSELF WITH MY CHILD SEATED NEXT TO IT IN HER CAR SEAT. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS AT TRYING TO CLOSE THE DOOR BY THE POWER SWITCHES, I HAD TO PUSH THE DOOR CLOSED MANUALLY. I GOT IN MY VEHICLE AND DROVE TO A NEARBY PARKING LOT TO MOVE MY CHILD'S CAR SEAT TO THE OTHER SIDE. I CONTACTED MY DEALERSHIP TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS ON MY WAY AND GAVE AN EXPLANATION OF THE ISSUE. I WAS ASKED TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY, THAT THEY WERE BUSY AND ALREADY HAD PEOPLE WAITING. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD MY CHILD IN THE CAR AND WAS TOLD PERHAPS I COULD USE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT HER IN THE CAR, BUT THAT THEY PROBABLY WOULD NOT GET A CHANCE TO FIX THE PROBLEM TODAY. I EXPRESSED MY DISAPPOINTMENT AND TOLD HIM I WOULD BE COMING NOW TO THE DEALERSHIP AS SOON AS I COULD GET THERE. THE DOOR CONTINUED TO OPEN THROUGHOUT MY 30 MINUTE DRIVE TO THE NEAREST KIA DEALERSHIP, LEAVING ME TO PULL OVER AND, AGAIN, MANUALLY TRY TO CLOSE THE DOOR. THIS OCCURRED 6 TIMES. ON PULLING INTO THE DEALERSHIP PARKING LOT, WHICH IS DOWN A SMALL HILL, THE DOOR AGAIN SLID OPEN AND CLOSED. I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT IT WAS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE LATCH ON THE SLIDING DOOR. THAT THE VEHICLES COMPUTER SYSTEM DOES NOT RECOGNIZE A BROKEN LATCH AS IT IS A MECHANICAL PART. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR LOOKS AT THE OPEN LATCH AS IF SOMEONE WANTS THE DOOR TO OPEN, NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT IT COULD BE A DEFECT OF THE PART ITSELF. THE PART WAS REPLACED AND I PAID OUT OF POCKET FOR THE EXPENSES, AS MY LIMITED WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. WHEN I ASKED THE DEALERSHIP IF THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD SEEN IT BEFORE, BUT WOULD NOT CALL THIS ISSUE COMMON. MY CONCERN IS FOR THE SAFETY OF MY CHILD. MY CHOICE IN THIS VEHICLE WAS MADE BASED ON SAFETY. THIS DEFECT OF THE LATCH ON THE DOOR IS NOT SAFE. AND, COMMON OR NOT, MUST BE ADDRESSED. *TR

THE FOLLOWING IS COPY OF A COMPLAINT I FILED ON 3/13 WITH KIA REGARDING MY 2006 KIA SEDONA MINIVAN, WHICH I BOUGHT BRAND NEW ON JAN. 11, 2007. "THIS PAST WEEK I WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY VAN SLIDING DOORS CLOSING ALL THE WAY. ON 3/9 THE PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR FLEW OPEN WHEN I MADE A SHARP TURN WHILE MY SONS WERE SITTING IN THE MIDDLE SEATS. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FLUKE BUT ON 3/12 AS I WAS DRIVING DURING RUSH HOUR ON THE HIGH WAY AND HIT A BUMP, THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR FLEW OPEN WHILE MY SON WAS SITTING IN THE MIDDLE SEAT. I FREAKED OUT COMPLETELY AT THE HORROR OF IT AND THEN PULLED OVER, SHUT THE DOOR, AND HELD IT AS I DROVE STRAIGHT TO MY KIA DEALER. I WAS RELIEVED THE NIGHTMARE WAS OVER AND THAT WE MADE IT SAFELY UNTIL I WAS TOLD THAT MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 60,000 MILES (I AM AT 71,000) AND THAT IT WOULD COST ME 423.67$ TO HAVE MY VAN SAFE FOR MY CHILDREN AGAIN. I EXPRESSED MY ANGER TO THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO EXPLAINED THAT HIS HANDS WERE TIED BY THE WARRANTY. I TRIED TO CALL KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUT IT WAS CLOSED. I AM ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGED THAT INSTEAD OF BEING GRATEFUL THAT WE MADE IT SAFELY AND THAT I AM NOT SUING KIA IF THE UNTHINKABLE HAD HAPPENED, THAT KIA HAS TAKEN THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CHARGE ME TO FIX THEIR MISTAKE. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE LATCH IS FAULTY BECAUSE LATCHES DON'T JUST WEAR AFTER 3 YEARS, AND THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WEAR AND TEAR OF THE LATCH. IT IS A CHEAP AND FAULTY LATCH, AND KIA MADE ME PAY FOR THEIR INCOMPETENCE. FURTHERMORE, I JUST CO-SIGNED FOR MY SON TO BUY HIS 1ST NEW VEHICLE FROM THIS SAME KIA DEALERSHIP AND I AM NOW HOPING AGAINST HOPE THAT I DIDN'T SIGN HIM INTO A DEATH TRAP! IT IS ABSOLUTELY ABSURD THAT A CUSTOMER WITH A BARELY OVER 3-YEAR-OLD VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE THIS ISSUE. I HAVE HAD OTHER MINIVANS WITH 100,000 MILES AND NEVER DID A DOOR FLY OPEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING. *TR