What do I need to know about an 05 Sedona and car seats?

fyrfightermomma

New member
Well after DHs car blowing a tranny last week and it being a goner- this is what DH came home with last night after 9 hours of car shopping. Its an 05 sedona lx with a split 3rd row and a bench seat in the middle

Its cold out, im huge, and i dont have time to search threads LOL. I gotta get seats in there in the next day or so

So tell me the nitty gritty on this thing so I dont spend an hour out in the cold trying to install seats that dont install, looking for anchor points that dont exist etc :) Any weird rules? Its DHs car so the kids wont be in it much. Maybe twice a month


Car sems really decent even though Im leary of a Kia! But it was a great deal and the car looks brand spanking new. Ive never owned a non american car so I know nothing about their quirks :)
 
ADS

Maedze

New member
Well, let's see.

Unfortunately, the Sedona went through a huge change between 05 from 06, from really poor safety ratings to really great ones.

I left my LATCH manual in the car, but I'm pretty sure there are four full sets of LATCH all outboard.

As far as installs go I can't remember quirks. LATCH limits defer to the child restraints.
 

fyrfightermomma

New member
Well, let's see.

Unfortunately, the Sedona went through a huge change between 05 from 06, from really poor safety ratings to really great ones.

I left my LATCH manual in the car, but I'm pretty sure there are four full sets of LATCH all outboard.

As far as installs go I can't remember quirks. LATCH limits defer to the child restraints.

Trust us, we tried to get an 06. There just weren't many around. We found two in our area. One ran like crap and the engine light kept coming on. The other had a shady car fax report and high miles. There were a plethora of 05's. So *sigh* that's what we got. I thought the 05 crash ratings weren't THAT bad. Not as good as 06, but I didn't think they were poor.

Luckily I have light weights so I won't have to worry about LATCH limits any time soon. I hate our Grand Caravan cause of the only one top tether in the 3rd row. I'd love if this one had two in the 3rd row.

Oh yeah, with the split seat. Can you install a child seat in the middle position right over the "split"?

ETA: This is what I found on crash ratings but I don't have a freaking clue what it means LOL. From my untrained eye it looks like it still got 5 stars for all the categories, and the 06 did as well.
http://www.autobuyguide.com/2005/12-aut/kia/sedona/crash-tests/index.html
 

firemomof3

New member
You should have 1 tether in the 3rd row :thumbsup: I had an 03 Sedona before I bought my now 06 Sedona and yes the differences are huge. BUT we really liked our old Sedona and I found it great for installing seats! You have 3 car seats that will need to be installed right?
 

fyrfightermomma

New member
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=416

You're right...they're 'acceptable' not 'marginal' or 'poor' which is way better than what I thought :eek:


I think reliability and whatnot also changed between those model years.

I think you can install on the split seat, but there's no tether anchor back middle (yours is the 50/50 split, yeah?)

LOL I'll take acceptable. Better than the POS we had before :)

Yeah, the engine, fuel economy etc all changed between those years but from reviews and car complaints it doesn't look too horrible. Plus we got a bumper to bumper 2 year warranty with it that covers everything including maintanence so lets hope if it breaks, it's in those two years. It'll be paid off in like 3 years so hopefully we wont' run into the same problem as our last car like still owing, no trade in, and no down payment.

Yes its a 50/50 split bench. I'm not sure why I'd ever have to put someone there, but if I did, just wanted to know if it was doable. I'd just stick a Radian there and not deal with a tether (that's what we have to do in our other van from lack of top tethers. Poor Evelyn always gets shafted. Glad she fits in the thing though!)
 

fyrfightermomma

New member
You should have 1 tether in the 3rd row :thumbsup: I had an 03 Sedona before I bought my now 06 Sedona and yes the differences are huge. BUT we really liked our old Sedona and I found it great for installing seats! You have 3 car seats that will need to be installed right?

Only one???? Grrrrrrrr. I was hoping for two. Our other van has one and it's annoying. You have to pick which kid gets no top tether since when baby comes we are putting the two oldest back there in our Grand Caravan and stowing a captains seat. In the Kia we also were gonna stick two kiddos back there.

I guess I could walk my butt out there in the cold and go look once the kids go down for a nap. I only got to see it last night in the freezing cold and dark :) Didn't see too much other than the 2nd row LATCH lower anchors and that I didn't hate a bench seat as much as I thought I would.

And wow, non power doors sure are lighter than power doors! It's DH's car and he could care less about power doors so he didn't mind but when I opened them I almost slammed them open and closed cause I wasn't used to it!
 

fyrfightermomma

New member
You should have 1 tether in the 3rd row :thumbsup: I had an 03 Sedona before I bought my now 06 Sedona and yes the differences are huge. BUT we really liked our old Sedona and I found it great for installing seats! You have 3 car seats that will need to be installed right?

Yes. Well in another two months anyways. A 4 year old, 30 lbs who will be FFing. A 2 year old(will be 3 by then) who is about 33 lbs and DH hasn't decided if he wants her FFing or RFing yet (he's well educated and I let him make the choice for his own car. He is leaning towards RFing until 3 1/2 though. And then the newborn in a KF30 at first and then who knows what later. We bought all these Radians to do 3 across in his old car and well that doesn't matter now. So I have no idea what to put all the kids in or if I'll just keep them in all the Radians or what.

I look forward to getting them out of the tiny borrowed Cavalier though! Poor kids can't even move their legs. I don't want to imagine an accident. The new car goes in for work Wednesday they weren't able to finish yesterday (seat belt cover on the retractor that's missing and an SRS light that's on) so after that I'll get all the seats set up.

When you had 3 did you have a preference where the kids went? I never had 3 kids before nor have I had a bench seat in a minivan in the 2nd row so I'm not sure where to put everyone. E can't buckle any part of her seat so that makes things harder. I can't just have her climb back and buckle or anything. Plus no booster for who knows how long.
 

Lea_Ontario

Well-known member
We've got an '05 Sedona.
Split bench in the rear, captains chairs in the middle.

Mid row captains chairs both have UAS and top tether.

Rear row, passenger outboard has top tether (can't remember about the UAS though).

No available retrofit top tether locations.

UAS limits are deferred to the child restraint, and KIA is completely useless when called on that - the CSRs do not know, nor do they seem to be able to find out, what the weight limit is or has been tested to (I have at least one child restraint that defers to the vehicles stated UAS limits). Complete circle, neither company able to tell me if I can use the UAS with that seat at all, or when I have to discontinue using it.
 

Pixels

New member
The LATCH manual indicates that there are 3 full sets of LATCH in the vehicle. Two in the second row and one outboard third row.

When you have two kids FFing in the third row and only one tether anchor, if possible put the untethered child in front of the stowed seat to allow maximum head excursion room. But the Nautilus, Radian, and TrueFit all pass the tethered requirement without top tether, so you don't need to worry as much.
 

fyrfightermomma

New member
The LATCH manual indicates that there are 3 full sets of LATCH in the vehicle. Two in the second row and one outboard third row.

When you have two kids FFing in the third row and only one tether anchor, if possible put the untethered child in front of the stowed seat to allow maximum head excursion room. But the Nautilus, Radian, and TrueFit all pass the tethered requirement without top tether, so you don't need to worry as much.

Thanks :) That's why I got a Radian for my car cause I knew it wouldn't be top tether. Just kinda sucks that one kid doesn't get one. I have a bench in the 2nd row so I can't stow any of the seats in the Kia (I can in mine which is what we will do). I guess hope for the best??

So what happens in Canada where top tethering is mandatory? If you have a car like the Sedona or the Grand Caravan, and have 4 children, what do you do?
 

fyrfightermomma

New member
We've got an '05 Sedona.
Split bench in the rear, captains chairs in the middle.

Mid row captains chairs both have UAS and top tether.

Rear row, passenger outboard has top tether (can't remember about the UAS though).

No available retrofit top tether locations.

UAS limits are deferred to the child restraint, and KIA is completely useless when called on that - the CSRs do not know, nor do they seem to be able to find out, what the weight limit is or has been tested to (I have at least one child restraint that defers to the vehicles stated UAS limits). Complete circle, neither company able to tell me if I can use the UAS with that seat at all, or when I have to discontinue using it.


Nice.... Luckily E will be in a booster before I need to worry about it (she'll be 5-6 but under 40 lbs). Sophia I'll just switch to a seatbelt around 40 lbs I guess then. Unless she's in the XTSL, then with this car I can use it up to the full weight right? Wasn't it 2005 and newer? Or is that just forward facing or just rear facing or something. I have yet to figure that out LOL
 

Maedze

New member
Only if the vehicle was actually manufactured after 09/05. If it's a MY 05, it was probably manufactured in 2004 or at very latest *early* 05. The label is in the driver's side door.
 

firemomof3

New member
Yes. Well in another two months anyways. A 4 year old, 30 lbs who will be FFing. A 2 year old(will be 3 by then) who is about 33 lbs and DH hasn't decided if he wants her FFing or RFing yet (he's well educated and I let him make the choice for his own car. He is leaning towards RFing until 3 1/2 though. And then the newborn in a KF30 at first and then who knows what later. We bought all these Radians to do 3 across in his old car and well that doesn't matter now. So I have no idea what to put all the kids in or if I'll just keep them in all the Radians or what.
When you had 3 did you have a preference where the kids went? I never had 3 kids before nor have I had a bench seat in a minivan in the 2nd row so I'm not sure where to put everyone. E can't buckle any part of her seat so that makes things harder. I can't just have her climb back and buckle or anything. Plus no booster for who knows how long.

I don't think the Radian will work in the 3rd row because of the belt stalks, but the Radians should work just fine in the 2nd row bench w/latch.
I always put DD1 in the 3rd row either in a GN seatbelt install/tethered or a booster. I found that the GN worked really well with the longer belt stalks :)
 

Pixels

New member
So what happens in Canada where top tethering is mandatory? If you have a car like the Sedona or the Grand Caravan, and have 4 children, what do you do?

Rear face a child, or booster a child, or get a different vehicle, or transport illegally. Not too different than having a 5 seater vehicle and a family of 6, KWIM? Some vehicles just aren't right for some families.
 

fyrfightermomma

New member
Well I just went out and looked at it finally in the daytime. I can only find 2 full sets of LATCH. The 3rd row was only one top tether. I couldn't find any lower anchors while digging around. Wonder why the LATCH manual says there are 3 full sets. Oh well, doesn't matter. I guess it doesn't matter to me if I have to use a seatbelt back there. Guess I'll keep E in her GN in the 3rd row tethered and the other two in the middle row RFing for now. There looks like there is TONS more room to rear face in the middle row vs my Grand Caravan. Easily could fit a Radian I think where as my GC is a very very tight squeeze and DH has a hard time having room to drive. E will only be in a harness another year or so, so when #4 comes along I won't need a top tether for her and the next oldest can go in the tethered spot

In the daytime, it's not a bad car. Lots of storage inside. Lots of room for the front passenger. I really like switchable retractors (I hate the Chrysler latchplates so to me this is a big deal LOL) Seems to run decent. Tons more interior room than I thought. Easy to get to the 3rd row (unlike my car). Other than it's the low end model with no power doors or power windows in the back, and the fact that we couldn't get an 06 like we wanted, I'm still pretty impressed. You can't beat that for $6500. My stupid car which is a year newer but had almost the same miles, was $15000 a year ago :rolleyes: And it's nothing special. I'll take the $150 payments vs our $400 payments for my car LOL. If it runs, I'll take it. Now I don't need to do 3 across anymore which is nice

Do the newer Kia's have any type of stow and go seating? Or just take the seats out kinda thing. Maybe when we pay this one off in a few years, we can get a nice newer one. If they still make them then!
 

fyrfightermomma

New member
Only if the vehicle was actually manufactured after 09/05. If it's a MY 05, it was probably manufactured in 2004 or at very latest *early* 05. The label is in the driver's side door.

So, then how does the XTSL work with those cars? Rear facing until when with LATCH? And forward facing till when with LATCH? Just whatever SK says? My other car doesn't matter cause it's an 06, but I'm trying to figure out this car now LOL. Can I use LATCH to 45 rear facing?
 

Pixels

New member
In a pre-9/1/2005 vehicle, the Radian defers to the vehicle. In your case, you have the vehicle deferring to the manufacturer, so I would go with 40 pounds, personally (based on 40 pounds being the lowest popular weight limit).
 

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