2006 Kia Sedona

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SEDONA. WHILE AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS REPLACING THE BRAKES, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD SEVERE CORROSION AND WERE ABOUT TO FRACTURE. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V550000 (SUSPENSION); HOWEVER, THE DEALER ONLY RUST PROOFED THE PARTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 170,000.

MY AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR MONTHS. NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT OF ANY KIND. IT WON'T GO OUT. LOOKS LIKE A COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE 2006 KIA'S. READING ONLINE THAT YOUR AIRBAGS WON'T WORK IF THE LIGHT IS ON. NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT. APPARENTLY OUR GOVERNMENT IS NOT PUTTING ANY PRESSURE ON KIA TO DO A RECALL ON THIS! CAN'T AFFORD THE HIGH PRICE TO GET IT FIXED! WILL SELL THE CAR INSTEAD IF I HAVE TO. JUST TURNED OVER 100K ON IT. FIGURES. TOO BAD. I REALLY LIKE THIS CAR.

THIS COMPLAINT IS REGARDING A SINGLE-OWNER 2006 KIA SEDONA. SINCE 2006 I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL RELATED PROBLEMS. OVER HALF THE BUTTONS AND KNOBS ON THE STOCK CD PLAYER/RADIO HAVE NOT WORKED FOR APPROXIMATELY EIGHT YEARS. I AM HAVING TO REPLACE HEADLIGHT AND TURN SIGNAL BULBS EVERY FEW MONTHS. THE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED AND WILL NOT SHUT OFF. I HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENTS (YET) AND WOULD EXPECT MY AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY IF AND WHEN NECESSARY. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT FUNCTION IF THE INDICATOR LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN, AS THIS IS A FAMILY VEHICLE AND I HAVE THREE SMALL CHILDREN, AND I TAKE FREQUENT ROAD TRIPS DUE TO MY JOB. AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE ARE NO RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AIRBAG OR ELECTRICAL/LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR THIS VEHICLE. BASED ON MY RESEARCH OF COMPLAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS VEHICLE YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL, RECALLS SHOULD BE ISSUED SO AFFECTED OWNERS MAY HAVE THESE PROBLEMS CORRECTED AT NO CHARGE AND TO PREVENT INJURY AND OR DEATH.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SEDONA. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FAILED. THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE STEERED. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THE ESC WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIRS WERE NOT PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000.

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A LOUD THUD. THE WHEEL JERKED VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT AND MY VEHICLE BEGAN CAREENING LEFT TOWARD THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN BRAKING. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND EXIT SAFELY. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED THAT THE FRONT WHEELS WERE POINTING IN SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, AND THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL WAS MOVED SIGNIFICANTLY BACK IN ITS WELL TOWARD THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE SUSPENSION COMPONENTS, IT WAS IMMEDIATELY CLEAR THAT THE FRONT LEFT LOWER CONTROL ARM BROKE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL (CAMPAIGN NUMBER 13V550000) ON THE LCA FOR THIS VEHICLE, LOCATED IN MICHIGAN, AND THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED BY A DEALERSHIP. THIS FAILURE WAS AFTER THE RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED. APPARENTLY THIS LCA DIDN'T MEET THE CRITERIA FOR REPLACEMENT, AND WAS "RUSTPROOFED" INSTEAD. THE RUSTPROOFING DID NOT PREVENT THIS LCA FROM FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 104,000 MILES. HAD I BEEN TRAVELING FASTER, OR HAD THERE BEEN AN ONCOMING CAR, THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE OR EVEN FATAL. I DID RECEIVE A MILD INJURY TO MY RIGHT WRIST WHEN THE WHEEL JERKED VIOLENTLY. THE TENDON IS HYPER-EXTENDED AND REQUIRES THAT I WEAR A WRIST BRACE.

SHORTLY AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED (EARLY 2012), THE AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON OUR KIA SEDONA. I TOOK THE VAN TO OUR LOCAL KIA DEALER TO CHECK AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE WEIGHT CLASSIFICATION SEAT SENSOR ASSEMBLY (PART 88610 - $1399.75 AT THAT TIME) THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER LABOR COST AND TAXES IT WOULD BE $2022!! KIA WAS HAVING SOME RECALLS AROUND THAT TIME, BUT NONE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THE MAIN REASON WE BOUGHT THIS VAN FOR OUR FAMILY WAS BECAUSE OF HIGH SAFETY RATINGS INVOLVING ALL THE AIRBAGS. NOW WE ARE DRIVING WITHOUT AIRBAGS AND PRAYING FOR EXTRA ANGELS AROUND THE VAN WHEN WE HAVE TO GO ON THE HIGHWAY. WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE LONG ROAD TRIPS, BUT THAT SEEMS TOO DANGEROUS WITHOUT AIRBAGS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND YOU WILL FIND OUT IT IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL. KIA NEEDS TO STEP IT UP AND FIX THIS ISSUE; LIVES ARE AT STAKE. THANK YOU!