NHTSA Complaint #10198617 — 2003 KIA SEDONA

I HAD GONE TO LUNCH AND STOPPED BY THE GROCERY STORE FIRST AND THEN WENT BY THE GAS STATION FOR A MOMENT. WHEN I CAME OUT, I GOT INTO MY VAN AND IT WOULD NOT CRANK. NO WARNING, NO PRIOR TROUBLE, NOISES, SLOW CRANK, NOTHING. IT WOULD NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO CRANK. I HAD TO WALK BACK TO WORK. LATER THAT EVENING, MY FATHER CAME TO LOOK AT IT AND WE ASSUMED IT WAS A DEAD BATTERY. WE REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE BATTERY LIGHT AS WELL AS THE BREAK LIGHT REMAINED ON. MY FATHER SUSPECTED THE ALTERNATOR. WE CALLED THE KIA DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD US THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON ALTERNATORS, BUT AS USUAL, OUR VIN NUMBER DID NOT SHOW UP AS ONE RECALLED. $400.00 LATER, I AM WONDERING WHY OUR VEHICLE WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. WE HAVE SPENT NEARLY $2,000 ON "WARRANTY MAINTENANCE" JUST TO MAKE SURE NOTHING GOES WRONG AND IF IT DOES IT SHOULD BE COVERED. UNFORTUNATELY FOR US, WE SPENT WELL OVER $1500.00 ON OUR 60,000 MILE MAINTENANCE TO INSURE THE WARRANTY STAYS IN AFFECT JUST 3 MONTHS AGO. OF COURSE, WE ARE TOLD NOW THAT THE ALTERNATOR IS NOT COVERED AFTER 60,000 MILES. WHY AM I PAYING SO MUCH MONEY IF NOTHING IS GOING TO BE COVERED. *TR