In December 2020, my wife and I purchased our 2014 Kia Sedona with just under 67,000 miles on the odometer. We purchased a Sedona because we preferred its comfort, design, and feature content to its Japanese competitors. Additionally, my research suggested the second generation VQ Sedonas were reliable up to 180,000 miles. The particular van we bought from its original owner was in excellent condition and had a clean CARFAX report. Since we purchased it, the van received timely maintenance and was been a valuable addition to our family.

In early November I was finishing my commute home from work when I noticed the heater stopped working. When I got home, I opened the hood and discovered the coolant, which had been fine when I checked it a couple weeks prior, had turned brown. We immediately took the van to both a local mechanic and a nearby Kia dealership for diagnosis of the problem.

The local mechanic determined that the oil cooler had failed and that was causing oil to mix with coolant. However, the mechanic also stated the oil cooler might not be the only problem. His recommendation was to take the van to a Kia dealership because a dealership would be better equipped to assess and repair the problem.

The mechanic at Foundation Kia determined that the head had warped due to a stripped head bolts caused by overheating. The recommended fix was to replace the replace the engine at an out-of-pocket cost of $12,106.85; more the van is worth.

I opened a case with Kia customer service through their website to ask for Kia's assistance in replacing our Sedona's engine. I understood that the 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty --effective after the expiration of 5-year/60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty-- applied only to the original owner. However, in light of the Theta II engine lawsuit, I hoped that Kia might wish to foster some goodwill and help keep an otherwise perfectly functional family car in service, especially considering the wealth of maintenance records I provided. Unfortunately, after 6 weeks, plenty of phone calls, and many hours of waiting on hold, I was told by an overworked and exhausted Kia customer care rep that Kia had to obligation to assist me... and they weren't going to.

I take care of my automobiles. I have a 13-year old CR-V with over 100k miles and a 21-year-old Land Cruiser with over 200k miles. They are both in outstanding shape mechanically and have plenty of life left in them. I provided the same level of care to our Kia Sedona, and it failed me and my family regardless.

In short: Don't buy a Kia. Neither the vehicles nor the organization will take care of you in the long term.

Van made a loud noise, I pulled over and stopped. It appeared to be on fire, fire department came, police came. Towed to a mechanic. Mechanic said it was beyond their expertise. Towed it to CarTown KIA in Nicholasville, KY. They said the head gaskets were spread apart and the coolant and oil were mixing together. My options were 1) they would buy the van for $1,000 or 2) I could have it repaired for $9,000 or 3) they might offer me more than $1,000 towards purchase of another KIA. Gee thanks, but no thanks. Kia National customer service hasn't gotten back to me to let me know if they will do something better about this engine death.