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 1998 record →
INFRO ON TIRE IS WRONG .CAR IS NOT WITH ME IT AT THE DEALER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND THIS IS THE FOUR TIME THIS HAS BEEN WORK ON AND THELEMON LAW IS EFFECT( DOT NUMBER: XXXXXXXX TIRE SIZE: 165/75R/13 )
BRAKES ARE TERRIBLE! FRONT ROTORS AND PADS HAVE BEN REPLACED 5 TIMES TO DATE!!
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
SINCE PURCHASE HAVE RETURNED CAR UNDER WARRANTY AT LEAST 10 TIMES, ALWAYS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM HAVING TO DO WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, EMISSIONS SYSTEM, AND BRAKES. ABOUT ONCE A MONTH, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHES, CAR LURCHES AND IS SHAKEY, OFTEN WITH A FUNNY NOISE AND BAD SMELL. DEALERSHIP HAS "FIXED" SAME PROBLEM EACH TIME, TO NO AVAIL. DANGER FACTOR HAS INCREASED AS I NOW LIVE IN SNOWY CLIMATE. CAR HAS NO POWER, THEN LURCHES FORWARD AT HIGH SPEED, STOPS IN TRAFFIC, STALLS OR WON'T START AT ALL. TACHOMETER GOES UP TO 4 OR 5 BEFORE LEAVING FIRST GEAR (CAR IS AUTOMATIC). DEALER SOLD THIS CAR TO ME AS A DEMO, BUT CONTRACT SAYS USED. HELP -- THIS IS A TERRIBLE, DANGEROUS CAR AND HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR AT LEAST 90 OUT OF THE LAST 300 DAYS.
TURN SIGNALS ONLY WORK INTERMITTENTLY. NLM
THE BREAKS HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I GOT THE CAR EVERY 2MO THEY NEED TO BE CHECKED. THE FIRE THEY SAID A ROCK OR SOMETHING CUT A HOSE AND IT LEAKED CAUSING THE FIRE. PLS HELP ME I HAVE A LEMON.
THE STERING WHEEL SHAKES WHEN APPLYING PRESURE TO THE BREAKS. BREAKS MAKES NOISE WHEN SLOWING DOWN. HAD A WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND GOT NEW TIRES THE PROBLEM STILL IS ACCURING THIS IS WHAT THE DEALER TOLD ME TO DO IN ORDER FOR IT TO STOP AND IT HAS NOT TO THIS DAY. KIAS ARE LEMONS.
IN WET CONDITIONS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY RESULTIN A CRASH. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
BRAKES CONTINUALLY FADE AND MAKE NOISE, NOT ABLE TO BE FIXED PROPERLY. *MJS
ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING DUE TO TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING INTO ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE. *AK
VEHICLE WOULD SHIMMY WHENEVER BRAKES WERE APPLIED, AND INTERMITTENTLY THE PEDAL WOULD HARDEN,CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. VEHICLE BEEN IN / OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. *AK
FAULTY DISC BRAKE ROTORS. 1ST INCIDENT NOTICED AT 5,000 MILES. DEALER HAD THEM TURNED. 2ND. INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 28,000 MILES. DEALER NOTIFIED AND REFUSED TO REPAIR UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER. *AK
THE VEHICLE VIBRATES SEVERELY DUE TO FAULTY REAR SHOCK ABSORBER. YH
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS. PROBLEM HAS NOT YET BEEN RESOLVED. *AK
CAR DOES NOT COME TO A SMOOTH STOP. EXCESSIVE RATTLING AND JOSTLING COMPRISE ABOUT 85% OF ALL STOPS OR SLOW DOWNS. THE PROBLEM HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY WORSE OVER TIME. *AK
I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE 1998. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS AND THEY DID NOT HAVE A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO NOTIFIED KIA AND THEY HAVE BEEN NO HELP TO ME. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK
FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS NEED TO BE SERVICED EVERY 6 MONTHS OR 5,000 MILES ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL CAR. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY TOYOTA OF EL CAJON, KIA, AND THE KIA CONSUMER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT THAT THIS IS A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE WITH THIS CAR. I WAS NOT INFORMED BY TOYOTA OF EL CAJON AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE THAT THIS WAS ANY ISSUE, LET ALONE A NORMAL ONE. NOR WAS I TOLD AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE THAT THIS MAINTENANCE PARTS REPLACEMENT ISSUE IS NOT COVERED UNDER RETAIL EXTENDED WARRANTY NOR THE DEALER WARRANTY. PLEASE INFORM IF THIS IS ACCEPTABLE, AND IF FALLS UNDER DEFECT OR LEMON LAW SECTIONS. *AK
THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM WAS THE GAS GUAGE NOT READING THE PROPER LEVEL, AFTER IT WAS REPAIRED IT OCCURRED AGAIN. THE SAME DAY AS THE SECOND REPAIR THE GAS TANK DEVELOPED A LEAK. THREE MONTHS AFTER THIS REPAIR THE LEAK REOCCURRED. IT WAS REPAIRED AND WITHIN 1 WEEK WAS BACK IN THE SHOP WITH ANOTHER LEAK. THE VEHICLE IN NOW THE NORTHTOWN KIA BEING REPAIRED FOR THE THIRD LEAK. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
GOT FLAT TIRE CAUSE BY TEAR AND WEAR, REPLACED WITH ALL 4 NEW TIRES, ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE NOISE AFTER 35000 MILE, LEAKING OIL OR FROM BRAKE FLUID, PEDAL TO FLOOR TO BRAKE, EARLY BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR OUT OF ROUND, BRAKE DISC IS STILL OK, BRAKES PADS WERE FIX TWICED WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. ARE THEY STILL COVERED IF MY CAR IS AT 39000 MILES. SHOULD THE ENGINE STILL IS COVERED. OTHERWISE, EVERYTHING OF THE CAR IS EXCELLENT. THANK YOU.
WHILE DRIVING BRAKES ARE CUTTING INTO THE ROTORS, CAUSING THE CAR TO HAVE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES.DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND REPLACED THE BRAKES ,BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REMEDIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FUTHER INFORMATION. *AK
THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED TWICE AND THE STARTER ONCE. THE DEALERSHIP AND KIA HAVE NOT BEEN OF ANY HELP
AIR CONDITIONER HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS, SEVERAL REPAIRS/REPLACEMENTS HOWEVER CONTINUES TO FAIL. MJS
THE POWER WINDOWS & DOOR LOCKS WOULD GO UP & DOWN ON THEIR OWN. THE DOORS ARE NOT LOCKED SECURELY. THE WINDOWS FAIL TO REMAIN CLOSE OR OPEN WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD VIBRATE AFTER VEHICLE IS STARTED. WHENEVER THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, VEHICLE SHAKES. THE TIRE MOULDING & THE TRIM IS PEELING OFF. EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE STOPS, IT WOULD TO BE JUMP STARTED, CONSTANTLY. TAKING VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER TO REPAIR PROBLEMS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY STEERING WHEEL WAS SHAKING AND VIBRATING. PULLED OVER. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO THE GARAGE. CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS, BUT VEHICLE IS STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE AT HIGH SPEEDS,AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, VEHICLE WILL PULL TO EITHER SIDE, AND THERE IS STRONG VIBRATION IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
NO SUMMARY
WHEN THE HIGH BEAMS ARE ON THE HEADLIGHTS BECOME INOPERABLE, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
HARD STARTING UP VEHICLE IN THE MORNINGS, AND GAS GAUGE DOES NOT READ FULL TANK. ALSO, PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR IS BROKEN AT THE HINGES. HAD THE PANEL REPLACED. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD REPAIR. *AK
ENGINE STALLS, ESPECIALLY WHEN STARTING UP VEHICLE IN THE MORNINGS. GAS GAUGE DOES NOT READ FULL, AND PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR IS BROKEN. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD REPAIR. REPLACED DOOR PANEL. DOOR HINGES WERE BROKEN. *AK
WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE UP VEHICLE DOESN'T START UP PROPERLY. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THEY GO HALF WAY TO THE FLOORBOARD, AND VEHICLE JERKS. IN ADDITION, COMPUTER CHIP/ GEAR SHIFT MALFUNCTIONED. VEHICLE HAS BEEN INTO THE SHOP OVER TEN TIMES. AIR BAG LIGHT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEP COMING ON. DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS. *AK
CAN FEEL BRAKES PULSATING WHEN ATTEMPTING STOP VEHICLE. THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO PULL TO THE RIGHT. WOULD MAKE GRINDING NOISES WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE. INSIDE THE VEHICLE, THE STRUCTURE WOULD LEAK. BEEN TO DEALER & HAD ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM REPLACED. *AK
POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE CAUSING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. NLMM
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND ENGINE MAKES NOISE. NLM
VEHICLE SHAKES WHEN BRAKING. NLM
BRAKES ARE NOISY. NLM
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING SLOW START. NLM
VEHICLE WON'T START. NLM
A/C VENTS FELL OUT. NLM
CAR SHAKES AND VIBRATES WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. NLM
STEREO INOPERATIVE. NLM
POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE CAUSING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND A TAPPING NOISE TO COME FROM THE ENGINE. NLM
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL ENGINE PROBLEMS. NLM
VEHICLE WON'T START. NLM
POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATED. NLM
FUEL GAUGE INOPERATIVE. NLM
POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. NLM
VEHICLE SHAKES WHEN BRAKING. NLM
VEHICLE SHAKES WHEN BRAKING. NLM
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 1998 Kia Sephia → · Every Sephia year → · How the figures are calculated →