[psychocandy]

Originally Posted by Flood

Hi, new member, new owner, but one with a broken wing mirror - thanks to some anonymous close-passing idiot.
I am in the UK, and have been given a cost of £8 for the new glass - but unfortunately the ball (or whatever it is) that the mirror surface sits on went walkies so that inflates the cost up to...£350! This breaks down to a whole new unpainted electric wing mirror box unit and three (I think the guy said) coats of Platinum Gold to cover it, plus fitting.
There is nothing wrong with the rest of the unit other than there is no reflective surface and this infernal ball thing is missing - can anyone justify the point in putting in something that will easily fall out and thereby render the thing worthy of nothing but scrap, other than (perhaps) to raise a little cash in the spares department?
Does anyone know if this ball is available separately anywhere? My 'dealer' said the whole thing is a fixed unit and only available as such.
Does anyone have any ideas about what other vehicles might use that - or a similar - unit or of a suitable replacement, hopefully easier to source and cheaper than a fortnight in Spain? I am thinking of recycling centres (scrappys) and the possibilty to spread my options wider than just the rare scrapped Sedona - and if anyone knows where one is being parted out that would be helpful too. Rest assured that I will not go creeping out in the dark and make off with someone elses mirror and ball, despite what the irresponsible might suggest.

Like I said, its my new car and I am more than a little speechless that something as prone to being knocked off as a wing mirror unit is so expletively expensive. The Sedona is great, but I am now worried that other usually inexpensive service items will demand the services of a loan shark to finance...

Yeh. The way Kia run their parts business in the UK will certainly put me off buying another Kia every again.