In January of this year, my wife and I purchased a 2002 Kia Sedona EX
with just under 100K miles on it. It now has 106K miles and we've had
lots of problems with it (listed at the bottom of this post).

We're considering trading it and having the remainder of the loan
combined with the loan on the replacement vehicle. But, I'm not sure
if this is the best option economically. I like a nice, comfortable,
well-running vehicle but (within reason), the bottom line for me at
this time is how to best spend my dollar. I've heard it said that the
least expensive vehicle you can own is the one you're driving right
now. When I buy a vehicle, I take care of it and want to drive it
until it's too costly to continue to do so.

So, my questions:

- Does it make sense to keep the Sedona, fix what goes wrong, and
drive it until it needs to be towed to the salvage yard? (Keeping in
mind I have a bit over two years left on the loan at $280/month.)

- Should I trade the Sedona in and get a different car?

- If I do trade it, should I go for a good used car or a new one?

- Finally, if I do get a different vehicle, what should I get that is
inexpensive, reliable now and for lots of miles to come ( 200K+), gets
good fuel economy, and isn't too costly to maintain?

I really appreciate any help on this!

-- Christian

Here are the problems I've had with the 2002 Kia Sedona EX:

Acceleration – Sometimes the vehicle runs only at idle speed
regardless of how far the accelerator pedal is depressed.

Engine – The motor periodically jerks (or stalls) hard. Even though it
continues to run, the Check Engine Light illuminates.

Oil consumption – The vehicle leaks or, more likely, burns about ¾ of
a quart of oil every 3,000 miles.

Air bags / Passive restraint – After going through an automatic
carwash, the airbag light lit up and has been glowing consistently
ever since.

Interior door handles – The interior door handle on the drivers side
broke into two pieces making it impossible to open the door from the
inside. Additionally, it is often difficult to open the passenger door
from the inside. (REPAIRED)

Sliding doors – On the left sliding door, the plastic bushings on the
rear support bracket broke and fell out, causing the door to bind
while being opened and closed. (REPAIRED)

Windshield wipers – For some time the front windshield wipers had a
lot of slack. So, while being used, they would flop past the edge of
the vehicle. Finally, they stopped working altogether.

Air conditioner – When the air conditioner worked, it did not work
well. Air was not as cool as it should have been and the speed of the
cabin fan was too slow to be fully effective. (REPAIRED, at least for
the time being until enogh coolant leaks out to cause it to stop
working again.)

Paint – The paint beneath rear window is peeling. Clear coat paint on
piece above license plate is "alligatoring” or “checking.”

Body – The metal dents extremely easily.

Fuel gauge – After filling up with gas, the fuel gauge immediately
moves to half but takes about five minutes to move from half to
(nearly) full. It fails to read accurately. While driving, it slowly
drops as would be expected). The problem here is, it shows only ½ a
tank of fuel when it's really ¾ full.

Digital display – The trip computer (clock, temperature,
time-to-empty, etc.) in the overhead console failed. The display for
the various functions is wrong. For instance, it'll show time as 3:69
p.m. and the temp readings are preceded by a small L. ((REPAIRED)

Instrument cluster warning lights -- The warning ("idiot") lights for
the charging system and brake fail to illuminate even though the bulbs
and fuses are good.

Charging system -- The alternator and/or other parts of the charging
system have failed. The vehicle will run only until the battery is
drained. Then, it stalls.

Normal issues:

Timing belt -- I'm only 15K miles from needing this done at ~$500.

Fuel economy -- It sucks... gas that is.

Noise -- More of it than is ideal.

Tire wear -- Front tires get eaten up.

Cargo storage -- A lot less than I expected in a minivan.