Safety Score
70
Average
Recalls
0
Complaints
50
NCAP Stars
—
Recalls (0)
No recalls found for the 1997 Kia Sephia.
Owner Complaints (showing up to 50)
| Date | Component | Crash | Injuries | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-03-13 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | Yes | 1 | AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING A FRONT END CRASH. INJURIES INCLUDED HEAD,NECK AND BACK .THE CAR WAS TOTALED.*AK |
| 2006-10-02 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | No | 0 | DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED… |
| 2006-09-24 | VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR | No | 0 | DASHBOARD WARPED AND COMING UP AND TOUCHING WINDSHIELD. IT IS BREAKING OR BLOCKING THE VENT/DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM. … |
| 2006-02-01 | POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT | No | 0 | I NOTICED A CLUNKING SOUND IN MY FRONT END OF MY 1997 KIA SEPHIA. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 49,000 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT IN TO… |
| 2005-08-17 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | No | 0 | I HAVE A 1997 KIA SEPHIA RS AND I HAVE REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR BELT 11 TIMES AND 4 OF THOSE HAVE BEEN IN THE LAST 3 MON… |
| 2005-08-15 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | Yes | 1 | DT: CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS HIT BY ANOTHER CAR ON AUGUST 15, 2005, AND THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. WERE STILL UNSURE… |
| 2005-08-08 | STRUCTURE | No | 0 | THE DASHBOARD IS WARPED/COMING UP AND HAS BENT/RUINED THE DEFROST/DEFOGGER SYSTEM. IT HAPPENED ALL ON IT'S OWN, WE DID … |
| 2005-07-30 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | Yes | 1 | DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 1997 KIA SEPHIA. CONTACT'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 35 MPH . UPON IMPACT, THE F… |
| 2005-03-04 | SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER | No | 0 | BOTH OF THE REAR SEAT BELTS WILL NOT REATRACT BACK TO NORMAL POSITION, WHICH IS PREVENTING THE REAR PASSENGERS FROM BE… |
| 2005-01-10 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | No | 0 | DT: 1997 KIA SEPHIA, THE DASHBOARD IS LIFTING. WHEN THE CONSUMER ENTERED THE VEHICLE SHE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. U… |
| 2004-08-05 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT | Yes | 1 | CONSUMER WAS DRIVING WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION HEAD ON . SEAT BELT BROKE, THROWING THE CONSUMER THREW THE DRIVER'S W… |
| 2004-06-22 | STRUCTURE | Yes | 0 | THE DASHBOARD LIFTED UP FROM THE CHASSIS OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, THERE WAS A HOLE THAT BURNED INTO THE TOP OF THE DASHBO… |
| 2004-06-01 | SEAT BELTS | No | 0 | PROBLEMS WITH SEAT BELTS AND DASHBOARD. *MR *SC *JB |
| 2003-12-04 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | No | 0 | INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE LOOSES POWER. DEALER INDICATED AND PERFORMED A TUNE UP ON THE VEHICLE. CONSUME… |
| 2003-05-17 | SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:ROTOR | No | 0 | TOOK CAR INTO DEALER BECAUSE BRAKES WERE PULSING. SERVICE CONSULTANT SHOWED ME A SERVICE BULLETIN INDICATING THAT THER… |
| 2003-05-17 | STRUCTURE | No | 0 | THE DASHBOARD IS PULLING APART AND THIS IS UNSAFE AND I WORRY ABOUT THE AIR BAGS BLASTING OFF AND OTHER DAMAGE. I KNOW… |
| 2003-04-11 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | No | 0 | WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMERS' VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE REAR END AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH. NEITHER THE DRIVER N… |
| 2003-03-01 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | No | 0 | THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS MALFUNCTIONED, WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STALL. *JB |
| 2003-02-15 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | No | 0 | WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THE BRAKES FELT BAD BECAUSE I HAD TO PUSH THE BRAKE ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. AFTER HAVING IT FO… |
| 2003-02-10 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | No | 0 | DASH HAS LARGE BROWN BURN SPOT ON DRIVERS SIDE. THIS SPOT STARTED AS JUST A SMALL SPOT AND HAS OVER 6 MONTHS TIME CONT… |
| 2002-12-01 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | No | 0 | CONSUMER STATES THAT WITHOUT WARNING TRANSMISSION SHIFTS INTO OVERDRIVE, DOWNSHIFTS AND LURCHES FORWARD EXCESSIVELY. C… |
| 2002-10-01 | AIR BAGS | No | 0 | INTERIOR SYSTEMS:PASSIVE RESTRAINT:AIR BAG:SIDE DOOR:PASSENGER SUMMARY: DASHBOARD HAS COME APART. ALSO, SEALS AROUND A… |
| 2002-07-17 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | No | 0 | DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. AK |
| 2002-07-01 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | No | 0 | THE DASHBOARD ON THIS YEAR VEHICLE STARTS TO CURL AND IS HEADING TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WHICH MAY POP AND CA… |
| 2002-06-22 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | No | 0 | DRIVER'S SAFETY BELT DOES NOT STAY BUCKLED. BELT WILL RELEASE FROM BUCKLE WITHOUT PULLING. CONSUMER IS VERY CONCERNED… |
| 2002-03-25 | SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | Yes | 1 | WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 3/25/02. A WOMAN HIT ME IN THE REAR END OF MY CAR AND MY SEAT RELEASED AND THE BACK OF … |
| 2002-02-01 | STEERING | No | 0 | AT RANDOM THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO START, ALSO THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT LOCK WITH THE KEY REMOVED.*JB |
| 2002-01-01 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | No | 0 | WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTSDOWN WITHOUT WARNING, DEALER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVID… |
| 2001-12-01 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | No | 0 | WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTSDOWN WITHOUT WARNING, DEALER HAS YET TO BE CONTATCED. *AK CONSUME… |
| 2001-11-30 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | No | 0 | SEAT BELT ON DRIVERS SIDE WILL COME UNBUCKLED WHILE DRIVING. SEAT BELT WILL NOT LOCK INTO ANCHOR. *AK |
| 2001-11-13 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | No | 0 | VEHICLE WOULD NOT START INTERMITTENTLY, VEHICLE BEEN TO THE DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. FEE… |
| 2001-11-01 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | No | 0 | WHILE TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTSDOWN WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, BUT IS UNABLE TO … |
| 2001-09-20 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | Yes | 3 | MY DOUGHTER REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 40-45 MPH. THE DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK UP… |
| 2001-07-25 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | Yes | 1 | A PASSENGER'S SIDE IMPACT, THE SEATBELT LOCK BROKE APART ON WHILE I WAS WEARING IT. IT WASN'T SMASHED APART, IT JUST BR… |
| 2001-07-04 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY | No | 0 | THE CAR WAS ACTING UP, WE THOUGHT IT WAS OVERHEATING,BECAUSE WHEN THE CAR COOLED OFF IT WOULD START. ON 7/04/2001 WE WE… |
| 2001-07-01 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | No | 0 | BRAKES HAVE TO BE REPLACED FOR 3RD TIME IN 3 YEARS. *AK |
| 2001-02-16 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | No | 0 | VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH A SPEED OF 40 MPH, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK… |
| 2001-02-03 | POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | No | 0 | WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE HAD A LEAKING PROBLEM FROM REAR. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC INDICATED THAT BRAKES… |
| 2001-01-25 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | No | 0 | WHILE DRIVING ABOUT ANY MPH VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY ACCELERATE WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING.CONSUMER WILL STEP ON BRAKES PED… |
| 2001-01-10 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | No | 0 | WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 15 MPH NGINE WILL DIE WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. PROBLEM JUST LIKE RECALL FOR ENGINE STALLING .*AK |
| 2000-12-04 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | Yes | 1 | CONSUMER INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE SHE REAR-ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS … |
| 2000-11-30 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | No | 0 | I HAVE REPORTED THIS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM EVER SINCE I FIRST PURCHASED THIS CAR; HOWEVER, THE DEALER INSISTS THERE IS N… |
| 2000-10-31 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | No | 0 | 3RD TIME PROBLEM WITH ROTORS.TURNED 1X,REPLACED 1X.CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEY'RE CLAIMING THAT THE WIRING IS C… |
| 2000-10-19 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | Yes | 0 | THIS VEHICLE IS A DEATH TRAP..FORD DEALER NOT VERY HELPFUL.LAST INCIDENT ALMOST CAUSED SERIOUS ACCIDENT. NO SAFETY DEFE… |
| 2000-09-15 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | No | 0 | CONSUMER'S VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE TOWARDS THE END AND ABOVE THE MUFFLER AND ABOVE FUEL TANK. DEALER HAS RECOGNIZED TH… |
| 2000-09-15 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | No | 0 | FUEL TANK CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING. *AK |
| 2000-09-08 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | Yes | 0 | I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON, THE ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE AND TH… |
| 2000-08-26 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | No | 0 | I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR 1 MONTH. IT HAD BEEN IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES. IT HAS NEVER BEEN FIXED TO MY SATISFACTION. T… |
| 2000-07-01 | TIRES:TREAD/BELT | No | 0 | FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA TIRE (P185 60 R14) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. *SLC |
| 2000-07-01 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | No | 0 | WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, HOLDS SLOWLY AND PEDAL GOES ALL WAY DOWN TO FLOOR . DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK |