2008 Kia Sedona - Starts when it wants

I have a 2008 Kia Sedona which, up until a couple months ago, was the most dependable vehicle I’ve ever owned. Now it starts whenever it wants to. The battery is good, and I’ve taken it to an auto repair shop as well as a Kia dealer, and they can’t find anything wrong with it. There’s no sound at all when I try to start it, but the lights, fan, radio, that all works fine. Someone out there must know how to fix this!

You can try hitting the starter motor with a broomstick or rubber mallett and see if it starts. Could be starter motor going.

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It could be one of several thing: loose/corroded battery cable connection, bad ignition switch, bad interlock switch in the shift mechanism, or a bad starter solenoid contact. The starter solenoid contact is what affected my 10-year-old Lexus (Camry based). But first go cheap, make sure the battery connections are clean and tight, and see if jiggling the key or the shifter makes any difference.

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