2004 Kia Sedona A/c Problems

motherof3 · 03-21-2006, 03:12 PM

My van only has 35000 miles on it and the A/C is blowing hot air. Took it to the Kia Dealer we bought it from in Oklahoma and was told there was a leak in the compressor and needs to be replaced. Later that evening we get a call saying they cannot get the freon drained and wanted to know if we did something to it. We did have the Freon tested to make sure it didnt need more since that was not covered under the warranty and the machine said it was full, so was advised to take it to the dealer. The closes dealer to us is 50 minutes away or we would have just went there first. Because we were honest and told them that, they are now saying we put a different kind of Freon in it. We spoke to the shop who checked and and they dont have the equipment to force that type of Freon in it. The dealership is trying to get out of fixing our A/C under the warranty and want us to pay for it. They have no had my van for 5 days and I have been without a vehile and depending on rides from people. We have left messages now for the General Manager, and spoke to several people who have Kia or had them and encountered same problems with them not covering warranty work. I will NEVER buy another one.

Inky · 03-21-2006, 05:47 PM

Hi motherof3,

Sorry to hear of your trouble. From what I understand, this kind of poor service isn't too uncommon.

If you can document that the first shop only tested the refrigerant ("Freon") level and didn't add anything incompatible into the system, Kia is required to honor the warranty whether they like it not. In addition to your service order/receipt from the first shop, go back there and have them write a statement on their letterhead that verifies they only checked the refrigerant and added nothing to the system.

It may take a fight but the law is on your side.

motherof3 · 03-21-2006, 05:52 PM

Thank you so much for your help! The dealership is telling us now it has been loaded in the Kia system that we contaminated the system so no other dealership can honor our warranty. I will be going back to the original place we took our van.

canakia · 03-21-2006, 05:59 PM

They could not get the freon drained? I dont understand that part. The system is under pressure. Just hooking the hose onto it will cause it to drain like a tire full of air.

Unless it has a leak and no pressure left in it.

Sorry, but I dont quite understand your description of the problem. Is there visible signs of a leak like oil stains?

I thought it was pretty much standard for the use of 134a now a days. (not for you to answer...just a thought)

Inky · 03-21-2006, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by motherof3@Mar 21 2006, 04:52 PM

The dealership is telling us now it has been loaded in the Kia system that we contaminated the system so no other dealership can honor our warranty.
Quoted post

Well, that's kind of them.

Come to think of it, even if the original shop did attempt to refill the system (which they say they didn't), as long as they used the correct refrigerant and process, the warranty still is not voided.

Here's info on the Federal law (from the FTC):

Quote:

"Tie-In Sales" Provisions

Generally, tie-in sales provisions are not allowed. Such a provision would require a purchaser of the warranted product to buy an item or service from a particular company to use with the warranted product in order to be eligible to receive a remedy under the warranty. The following are examples of prohibited tie-in sales provisions.

In order to keep your new Plenum Brand Vacuum Cleaner warranty in effect, you must use genuine Plenum Brand Filter Bags. Failure to have scheduled maintenance performed, at your expense, by the Great American Maintenance Company, Inc., voids this warranty.

While you cannot use a tie-in sales provision, your warranty need not cover use of replacement parts, repairs, or maintenance that is inappropriate for your product. The following is an example of a permissible provision that excludes coverage of such things.

While necessary maintenance or repairs on your AudioMundo Stereo System can be performed by any company, we recommend that you use only authorized AudioMundo dealers. Improper or incorrectly performed maintenance or repair voids this warranty.

Good luck. Let us know how things turn out.

skpoppa · 03-21-2006, 09:14 PM

Exactly. The only way a company can say you have to use a certain exact product is if they provide it free of charge, otherwise you can use any compatible application. First I would go straight to Kia and let them know of how their dealership is treating customers, then I'd go to the owner, or manager of that dealership. If they can't get that straightened out, get your statement from your previous shop, find a local news station and let them know of your dealings. Companies tend not to like bad new coverage.

Traderjim · 03-21-2006, 11:08 PM

Freon is the old type of refridgerant that was supposed to be ruining the ozone layer. Car makers now use 134A. Since the valves are different it would be a chore to try and put some freon in a Kia.

KiaMech · 03-21-2006, 11:38 PM

That sounds like a bunch of B.S. to me. If something contaminated the system, then it was purposely injected into it, something most people wouldn't know how to do and many shops wouldn't have the ability. There's only two types of refrigerant found in automotive places and it's nearly impossible to accidently switch the two. The "other" refrigerant is outdated and comparable price wise to liquid gold, so shops watch it pretty closely.

I haven't delt too much with A/C problems, but I haven't even seen a machine that can tell if the refrigerant is contaminated or not. The pressures are lower with the old stuff, so if they were looking at that then they could have come to the conclusion that the wrong refrigerant was added to the system. However, if they came to the conclusion that the pump was leaking, then the pressures would be lower even with the correct stuff.

If they have a problem reclaiming, or "draining" the system, then they must have a problem with their pump or the wide open space between their ears.

len1266 · 03-22-2006, 04:48 AM

I totally agree with you kiamech.If they are having trouble reclaiming the refrigerant they obviously have a problem with their equipment or not opening the valve on their manifold guages.It would be almost impossible to mix the refrigerants as the valve on the 134a charged units in aus have a different sized valve on the compressor.Keep up the fight mumof3.Cheers Len

canakia · 03-22-2006, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Traderjim@Mar 21 2006, 10:08 PM
Freon is the old type of refridgerant that was supposed to be ruining the ozone layer. Car makers now use 134A. Since the valves are different it would be a chore to try and put some freon in a Kia.

Quoted post

Not to nitpick but I guess I am......Freon is a brand name for certian Dupont refrigerants. I believe. There are now such names a Puron, etc.... and each manafacturer uses its own nomenclature. They all however share a common chemical name no matter what you want to call it.

What refrigerants are used now? What is Freon?
"Freon" is a trade name for CFC and HCFC refrigerants sold by DuPont. Other trade names include AlliedSignal's "Genetron" and ICI's "Arcton". Various companies sell the same CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, and other products under different names. The most common ozone-depleting refrigerants are CFC-12, R-502, and HCFC-22. R-502 is a blend of 48.8% HCFC-22 and 51.2% CFC-115.

Refrigerant Primer