Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1996 record →
THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE PULLED OUT OF THE CENTER ANCHOR IN THE TRANSFER BRACKET DUE TO POSSIBLE DESIGN FLAW OF THE METAL BEING TOO SOFT (WEAK) FOR FORCE NECESSARY. MJS
WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 45 MPH VEHICLE LOST BRAKING POWER. TOOK AUTO TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH BRAKES. *AK
VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AT CERTAIN TIMES, THEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION, AND NOW ENGINE CHECK LIGHT IS BACK ON. *AK
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN 35-40 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING THE OCCUPANT TO SUSTAIN INJURIES. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVERS AND PASSENGER AIR BAG DURING FRONTAL COLLISION CAUSING FACE TO HIT STEERING WHEEL. NLM
THE FIRST MONTH I HAD CAR THE IGNITION/STEERING LOCKED AND NEEDED TOWING BY KIA-NOTHING CHARGED TO ME. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON AND STAYING ON SHORTLY AFTER 'REPAIR' EVER SINCE I BOUGHT CAR 3-28-1998. I JUST GOT "RUN-AROUND' FROM WESTERN DIVERSIFIED/KIA AND INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP OVER AXLES. KIA TOLD ME NOTHING COVERED AFTER 36,000 MI.. AFTER I THOUGHT I COULD SEND IN BILL FOR AXLES TO EXTENDED WARRANTY INSTEAD OF CALLING AT THE TIME (MALE CHAUVINIST MECHANIC) AND AFTER WESTERN DIVERSIFIED SEEMINLY INDICATED AXLES PART OF ROUTINE MAINTENANCE (CV BOOT-DIDN'T KNOW WERE GOING BAD) AND I COULDN'T AFFORD $200-300 FOR DEALER TO CHECK CAR EARLIER-- DEALERS AND KIA THEN SAY I HAVE 5/60 WARRANTY ON ENGINE/TRANS AND NOW WON'T COVER AXLES BECAUSE OF INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TOUCHING CAR AND HE WON'T BACK UP HIS 'WARRANTY'. I JUST STARTED FULL-TIME WORK NOT AS A TEMP (BUT TERM) WITH CO I WORKED 5 1/2 YRS BEFORE. ALL MY MONEY IS GOING ALTERNATELY TO CAR REPAIRS THEN CATCH UP ON CAR PMTS AND INS AND I STILL NEED TO MOVE AND CAN'T AFFORD TO AND REALLY STEAMED AND WRITING TO ATTY GENERAL ABOUT KIA--Y2K MEANS YUCK TO KIA. *AK
DASHBOARD IS BUSTING AND BURNING TO PIECES INTO THE AIRBAG. MANUACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK
STARTER FAILED. NLM
REPETEDLY REPAIRED FOR SAME PROBLEMS AND STILL SAME THINGS NOT NEEDING TO BE REPLACD HAD TO BE CAR IS A LEMON
SEVERAL REPLACEMENTS OF BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS DUE TO WARPING/VIBRATION/SHUDDERING, ALSO GLAZED BRAKE LINING REPLACED DUE TO SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES.
CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
FRONT LAP SEAT BELTS WHEN LATCHED CAME UNLATCHED. IF PULLED ON WILL COME UNLATCHED. DEALER CONTACTED, AND CANNOT REMEDY PROBLEM DUE TO LACK OF PARTS. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK.
BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE, PADS AND ROTORS, MAKE A LOUD SQUEALING NOISE. REPAIRWORK DONE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE, AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS DUE TO TYPE OF BRAKES. DEALER AWARE AND CANNOT REMEDY PROBLEM. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM, CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
SEAT BELTS FAILED.
WHILE TRAVELING 15MPH WAS BROADSIDED IN FRONT, ON DRIVER'S SIDE. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. SKID MARKS SHOWED OTHER VEHICLE TRAVELED 25MPH. DRIVER SUSTAINED BACK/HAND AND ABDOMEN INJURIES. *AK
TRANSMISSION BROKE DOWN. OVERDRIVE KEEPS SLIPPING. WILL NOT SHIFT. VEHICLE WOULD NOT START UP. THE KILL SWITCH WIRING KEEPS EFFECTING STARTING. BRAKE DISC & PADS NEED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
CONSUMER COMPLAINED OF ONGOING PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE STALLING INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT DEALER SHOP ON SIX OCCASIONS AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK
DEFECTIVE CV JOINTS CAUSED A POPPING NOISE AND LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL WHICH RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALER REPLACED CV JOINTS, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE WITH CV JOINT ASSEMBLY DAMAGED. CAR HAS RECURRENT HISTORY OF PROBLEM. I FEEL MY LIFE IS IN DANGER AND LEMON LAW DOES NOT PROTECT ME. OTHER LIVES COULD BE IN DANGER AS WELL. DEALER CANNOT FIX THE PROBLEM. HAVE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THIS VEHICLE AND I PURCHASED IN FROM THIS DEALER USED ONLY 2 MONTHS AGO WITH A DEFECT THAT COULD TAKE MY LIFE AND SOMEONE ELSE'S AS WELL. PLEASE HELP.
WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES. EACH TIME TOLD PROBLEM FIXED, BUT IT REAPPEARS. *AK
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CONSTANTLY STAYS ON. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL LOSE POWER . THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. *AK
BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, SEEMS TO BE AIR IN BRAKES. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK
BRAKE ROTORS SEVERELY WORN, PADS FAILED CAUSING NOISE.
ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, AFTER JUST HAVING IT FIXED, TO FIX IT THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER SAID PUT 3 OR 4 TANK OF GAS IN THE CAR.
NO SUMMARY
BOTH FRONT BRAKES FAILED.
SUDDEN ACCELERATION.
VEHICLE EXPERIENCES GRINDING AND INTERMITTENT STALLING, UNABLE TO DETERMINE PROBLEMS.
DOOR ASSEMBLY: PASSENGER'S AND DRIVER'S SIDE BACK DOOR FLIES OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY. TOOK IN TO KIA FOR REPAIRS AND THEY WILL NOT FIX IT BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE. ALSO HAVING PROBLEM WITH SEAT BELTS IN BACK COMING LOOSE. *AK
PASSENGER SEAT BELTS NEED TO BE REPLACED.
BRAKE CALIPERS, ROTORS AND PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES IN TWO YEARS.
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE SEATBELT BUCKLES CAME LOOSE. SOMETIMES THE BUCKLES WILL NOT LATCH AT ALL. DEALER WON'T DO ANYTHING. *AK
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY MALFUNCTIONS.
VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY STALLS.
BRAKE AND ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY COME ON, LIGHT SWITCH BROKE OFF.
THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, ONE MONTH LATER THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. DEALER COULD NOT FIND WHY. *AK *SLC
OWNER HIT A GUARD RAIL FROM THE FRONT AND THEN THE SIDE AND AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK
BRAKES FAILED.
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE BRAKES DON'T FUNCTION PROPERLY.OWNER STATES THAT SHE WAS GOING ABOUT 50-55 MPH TRYING TO COME TO A STOP SHE PUMPED THE BRAKES AND ALSO PUT THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR OF VEHICLE. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND TURNED THE RIGHT ROTOR, AND BRAKES ARE STILL IMPORABLE.
WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE THE ENGINE JUST STOPS WITHOUT WARNING. THE WIRING HARNESS AND ENGINE WERE REPLACED IN APRIL OF 97. WIRING HARNESS HAS BEEN REPLACED (2) OTHER TIMES, 6/20/97 & 8/15/ 97. THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDS REPLACING FOR A FOURTH TIME. *AK
NUMEROUS ENGINE REPAIRS DONE WHEN BROUGHT INTO DEALERSHIP AFTER CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON.
UPON DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH, THE RPMS DROP AND VEHICLE STALLS. ALSO, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON TWICE. *AK
WHILE BACKING VEHICLE UP, HEARD A LOUD POP SOUND W/FOOT ON BRAKES; ALSO OCCURS WHEN GOING FORWARD; TOOK TO DEALER & INFORMED WAS FRONT CALIPERS & VEHICLE NOT DRIVABLE. WAITING FOR PARTS. OLD CALIPERS & BRAKE PADS REPLACED WHICH CAUSED BRAKES TO LOCK UP. *AK
ENGINE: CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND VEHICLE STALLS RIGHT IN THE STREET WITH NO WARNING AT ALL. HAS BEEN IN SHOP SEVERAL TIMES FOR THIS, AND THEY CAN'T FIND A PROBLEM. *AK *SLC
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, VEHICLE STALLED. CAN'T FIND PROBLEM. CLUTCH BURNED OUT IN LESS THAN A YEAR. *AK
BRAKES WEAR DOWN VERY FAST. OWNER IS ALWAYS TAKING THE CAR IN FOR BRAKE SERVICE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR'S FRONT END AND STEERING HAVE A VIBRATION. *AK
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1996 Kia Sephia → · Every Sephia year → · How the figures are calculated →