NHTSA Complaint #10481164 — 2007 KIA SEDONA

WE ARE HAVING ONGOING ISSUES WITH FRONT TURN SIGNAL FAILURES ON OUR SEDONA AND WE HAVE HEARD FROM OTHER SEDONA OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I AT FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS A SIMPLE MATTER OF POOR FACTORY QUALITY LIGHT BULBS (I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE EVERY BULB ON THIS VEHICLE BEFORE IT WAS EVEN TWO YEARS OLD). THE HEADLIGHT ISSUE I WAS HAVING SEEMS TO BE CORRECTED BY MORE EXPENSIVE AND HIGHER QUALITY BULBS. THE FRONT TURN SIGNAL ISSUE IS NOT A BULB ISSUE. AFTER REPLACING FRONT TURN SIGNAL BULBS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS SINCE 2007, I FINALLY SLOWED DOWN TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT TURN SIGNALS, IS THE GROUND CONTACT POINT WITHIN THE BULB SOCKET. THE GROUND "TAB" IS THIN AND OVER HEATS. ONCE THE TAB IS HOT, IT STARTS TO LOOSE THE SPRING TENSION REQUIRED TO KEEP THE TAB IN CONTACT WITH THE SIDE OF THE BULB. ONCE CONTACT IS LOST, ARCING STARTS TO FORM PITS AND CORROSION ON THE GROUND TAB AND THE CONTACT POINT. REPLACING GOOD BULBS WILL SOMETIMES MASK THE PROBLEM, BECAUSE WHEN YOU REMOVE THE OLD BULB AND REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER, YOU WILL UNINTENTIONALLY KNOCK AWAY SOME OF THE CORROSION. IN DOING SO, THE NEW BULB MAY START TO OPERATE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, I HAVE SIMPLY REMOVED THE BULB, BENT OUT THE TAB A LITTLE, AND USED SCOTCH BRIGHT TO SAND AWAY THE CORROSION. I THEN LUBE THE BULB WITH PROPER GREASE AND REINSTALL. I HAVE MENTIONED THE PROBLEM TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS OF PEAK KIA (WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED) AND ARAPAHOE KIA, BUT I'M BEING TOLD THAT THERE IS NOT AN ISSUE AND THERE ARE NO RECALLS. I ASKED IF THE NEWER MODEL VEHICLES USE ANY TYPE OF UPGRADED OR CHANGED BULB/SOCKET/CONNECTION AND WAS TOLD NOTHING HAS CHANGED BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT HAVING ISSUES WITH TURN SIGNALS. THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR