NHTSA Complaint #10173993 — 2004 KIA SEDONA

WE ARE WRITING TO REPORT A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THE 2004 *(AND POSSIBLY OTHER YEARS) KIA SEDONA. WE PURCHASE OUR VEHICLE NEW IN DAYTONA BEACH FLORIDA AND DID NOT HAVE A PROBLEM UNTIL WE RELOCATED TO THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2005 WE HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO SAFELY RECTIFY A PROBLEM WITH OUR CAR WHICH NOW HAS APPROX 38,000. MILES ON IT. OUR CAR FYI HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND WE ARE THE ONLY DRIVERS AND OWNERS. WE NOTICED IN APPROX JAN OF 2005 A SEVERE CAVITATION IN THE VEHICLE WHEN BRAKING ON A HILL AT A NORMAL RATE OF SPEED. MY HUSBAND IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE LOCAL DEALER,PARAMOUNT KIA TO HAVE THE VEHICLE EXAMINED AND REPAIRED. HE WAS TOLD THAT KIA WAS AWARE OF A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM AND WAS UNABLE TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE AS THE PROBLEM WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. IN ADDITION, THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD US THAT MANY KIA SEDONA OWNERS WERE COMPLAINING OF THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS SINGULAR TO THE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AREA DUE TO UNUSUAL WHETHER CONDITIONS. AT THAT TIME THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT TELL US WHETHER THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE AND WAS UNABLE TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE IN REPAIRING THE PROBLEM, AS WE WERE TOLD THAT THE REPLACEMENT PARTS WERE THE SAME PARTS THAT WERE SUPPOSEDLY CAUSING THE PROBLEM. MY HUSBAND, UNSATISFIED BY THE POOR ANSWERS (EVASIVE IN NATURE) WENT TO ANOTHER REPUTABLE MECHANIC AND HAD ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM CHECKED AND THEN REPLACED AS NECESSARY. DURING THE ALMOST YEAR THAT WE HAVE BEEN HAVING THE PROBLEM WE HAVE BEEN TOLD REPEATEDLY THAT KIA IS AWARE OF A BRAKING SYSTEM PROBLEM, BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN INITIATED, NO INFORMATION LETTER HAS BEEN SENT OUT TO LET KIA SEDONA OWNERS KNOW THAT THERE IS A POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. *NM