NHTSA Complaint #10105852 — 2002 KIA SEDONA

RE:KIA SEDONA MINIVAN [XXX] WITH ABOUT 58,300 MILES. NO PRIOR PROBLEMS OF ANY KIND. ST COMPLAINT: ON EVENING OF FRIDAY, 12/31/04, A CLUNKING/GRINDING SOUND FROM RIGHT SIDE OF MY KIA SEDONA AT ABOUT 58,000 MILES GRABBED AND SEIZED THE RIGHT AXLE. ON 1/1/05 [SAT] I DROVE CAR TO LOCAL SRVCE CNTR. ON 1/3/05 [MONDAY] SRVC CNTR DIAGNOSED BURNT/BROKEN RIGHT AXLE WHEEL BEARINGS. ALTHO I TOLD SRVCE CNTR TO DO BRAKE SERVICE ON ALL 4 WHEELS BUT NOT WHEEL BEARINGS, AS I WANTED THAT WORK TO BE DONE BY MY KIA DEALERSHIP - MY LOCAL STATION REPLACED BRAKE PADS & RIMS AND HONED ROTORS AND REPLACED FRONT RIGHT AXLE WHEEL BEARINGS. TOW SERVICE TO KIA DEALERSHIP WAS CANCELLED BY ME AS A RESULT. 2ND COMPLAINT: ON WED, 1/5/05, I DROVE DAUGHTER AT 6:45 A.M. FROM BRONX TO HER LAGUARDIA HS IN MANHATTAN. NOTICED THAT CAR RADIO AND HEAD LIGHTS FLICKED ON & OFF WHILE DRIVING FOR MINUTES AT A TIME. LATER IN DAY, I DROVE TO BROOKLYN'S 99 STREET CLEANERS TO PICK UP MY MILITARY FIELD COAT AT 3:20 P.M. MINIVAN PARKED BUT ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER & START. USED AUXILIARY BATTERY PACK [ABP] TO START ENGINE AND ENTERED BQEXPRESSWAY. CROSSING BROOKLYN BRIDGE TO MANHATTAN, ENGINE DIED. USED ABP TO START ENGINE AND ENTERED FDR DRIVE UP MANHATTAN TO HOME. CAR ENGINE DIED 3 MORE TIMES. AFTER 4 STALLS AND RE-STARTS WITH ABP, I KEPT ABP CONNECTED TO VEHICLE BATTERY AND, WITH ALL LIGHTS OFF IN DARKNESS FROM 4:30 P.M.-5:45 P.M., IN SLOW RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, THE ABP KEPT CAR ALIVE TILL ARRIVAL AT LOCAL SRVCE CNTR. ALL FUSES CHECKED OKAY WHILE CAR BATTERY RECHARGED. DIAGNOSIS MADE THAT ALTERNATOR AND/OR REGULATOR NOT WORKING. HAVE PHONED KIA TOW SERVICE FOR PICK UP TO DEALERSHIP. VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 58,300 MILES ON IT. NB: I AM VERY SATISIFED WITH KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND KIA TOW SERVICE, WHOM I TELEPHONED ON 1/3/05 [AND THEN CANCELLED TOW] AND TODAY ON 1/6/05. *AK UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)