2002 Kia Sedona questions

Hey guys,

Tonight at my sons cub scout meeting his den leader asked me if I was interested in buying his wife's minivan because he knows I am a car guy,and they just bought a new car for her. I didn't get a chance to look at it due to the time of day,and weather,but it seems like a good deal. The car is a 2002 Kia Sedona minivan with 125k miles on it,and he says he was just goimg to donate it. He isn't interested in selling it for big money because it need a bit of work,and doesn't want to have someone coming back bugging him with this or that. He says it need a tie-rod end on one side,and that is basically it. Is it worth $800 to put a bit of work into,drive for a little bit,and then flip it(my full-sized Dodge van sucks the gas pretty bad)? Anything other than the normal Kia cheapness that I should look out for? He also said it needs a battery,and wouldn't start today when he wanted to move it. He thinks the kids left a light on in the car,but isn't sure. Any help on this would be appreciated.

Chris

I think that 2002 was pre-Hyundai ownership so it was not a badge-sharing minivan. IIRC they were pretty overbuilt and solid as far as the body and underneath, not sure about the engine though.

I remember looking at them new and not being impressed with their EPA mileage ratings, especially compared to their domestic competition.

That's about all I know about them.

Try putting the battery on a charger instead of buying a new one?

My wife has a trouble-free 2004 Sedona, but I've heard that '04 was the first year that was the case.

Purchase price in '04 - $19k; current trade-in value with 38,000 miles is $4400. We'll be holding on to it for a while, thank you very much.

derekshannon wrote: He says it need a tie-rod end on one side,and that is basically it. Is it worth $800 to put a bit of work into,drive for a little bit,and then flip it(my full-sized Dodge van sucks the gas pretty bad)? It looked like you were saying that a tie-rod will cost $800.00. I'm sure you weren't saying that but I extrapolated. If he's asking $800.00 I'd buy it and keep it. I'd say crazy not to.

I am sorry if I worded my question poorly. I meant to ask if the car was worth $800. I have yet to see it in daylight,but man it seems like such a good deal even if I don't NEED another car. I figure I could buy it,and put a bit of work into it,and then flip as a worst case scenario.

Chris

Buy and and sell it to me for $1000

Not sure, but the timing belt is probably a 60,000 mile item, so either it's due for its second replacement, or it's really overdue for its first.

They do get horrible mileage compared to similar vans. But hey, the price is right.

make an A-team tribute out of it or something.

That's s Hyundai drivetrain (XG350 engine/trans). They are a literal tank. Weighs 4 billions pounds, not affected by crosswind but can't pass a gas pump to save it's ass! Figure 18 on the highway, 16 in town.

2002 was the first year, and like all first year models they had teething issues. With that one, be careful of standing water, the intake pickup will hydrolock faster than GRM can say BMW>*. Electrical gremlins would pop up, but by 120k, those are already broken or fixed. Interior was not as solid as the exterior. The seats wear fast, carpets are mediocre and interior pieces would scratch easily.

Overall, if you;re not the typical GRM reader that is hung up on brand, it's a great Point A to point B vehicle. It has it's faults, but it's a good vehicle.

belteshazzar wrote: make an A-team tribute out of it or something.

YES!

Thanks for the replies so far. So Bobzilla is the timing belt a 60k mile replacment interval? If so,and it hasn't been done recently,or worse at all what will the parts run for this replacement?

Would it be able to tow a pop-up camper of the large variety(3500lbs GVW)? My wifes Sienna is rated at that weight,and I may get the hitch to do that,but it sure would be nice if I could do it with a cheap van I didn't care about.

I am not hung up on the brand. I like my Dodge full-sized van,but I bought it when we had the 5000lb travel trailer,and now that we downsized to a pop-up I don't need the big V8 heavyish duty van. Plus the idea of sliders on both sides like my wifes van does a lot for me,and the price seems right.

Thanks again,

Chris

IIRC, the older sedona's were rated at 3500lbs towing. So that would work. It is a 60k interval, those parts can usually be found online for acouple hundred bucks including the waterpump. Try to stay OEM on the belt, the aftermarkets have a bad habit of having the wrong shaped teeth and smashing valves when they strip.

So a little update. I still have not had a chance to look at the car in the daylight,but last night in talking with the den leader(owner) I asked about the timing belt. He looked at me like I was crazy,and then asked me who in their right mind changes a timing belt. I said to him most people do it on a semi regular basis just so they don't run into more costly repairs down the line. He also told me $500 for the car if I was still interested.

So my question is. Is it worth the $500 with the tie rod needing replacement,and a wayyyyy over due timing belt replacememnt? I think it is,but I have never doen a timng belt before,and I know nothing about Kia's. I hope to look at it in the day light soon to see its condition.

Yes, $500 is still a good price. IIRC, Kia has all of it's catalogs and service bulletins available for FREE online. I know that Hyundai calls it webtech, not sure if it's the same.