RoadVitals

1994 Kia Sephia Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
16
Latest Sep 18, 2000
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
3
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Jan 3, 1995

What this page shows

Our database holds 16 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1994 Kia Sephia. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–16 of 16

Airbags
Filed Sep 18, 2000
Crash reported

VEHICLE WAS IN A N HEAD-ON ACCIDENT AT 45 MPH, AND AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
870756
BrakesDriver assistanceEngine
Filed May 21, 1999

THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED SINCE A THERMOMETER DIDN'T TELL THE ENGINE IT WAS HOT. WHICH BLEW THE HEAD GASKETS, MELTED THE SPARK PLUGS, TOOK OUT THE WATER PUMP, AND SO OVER HEATED THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE FRONT ROTORS WENT OUT TWICE. SOUNDS LIKE A WIND TUNNEL, SINCE THE SEALS AREN'T GOOD. THE CAR DOESN'T ACCELERATE PROPERLY WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED. NEVER DRIVE IT DURING A 20 MPH WINDY DAY. IT GET GOOD GAS MILEAGE - STILL AT 29 TO 33 MPG. *AK

NHTSA ID
706734
Incident
Apr 1, 1995
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 8, 1999

THE ELECTRONIC SPEEDOMETER SENSOR WAS REPLACED UNDER THE 1994 RECALL. CONSUMER SAYS THAT THE EXACT SAME PART HAS GONE BAD AGAIN IN EARLY JAN. 1999. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. 94V-134. *AK

NHTSA ID
835527
Incident
Jan 2, 1999
Brakes
Filed Feb 23, 1999

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WORE OUT.

NHTSA ID
781974
Incident
Feb 1, 1999
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)Steering
Filed Mar 11, 1998

POOR STEERING FUNCTION AND UNABLE TO MONITOR SPEED, MILAGE OR USE CRUISE CONTROL.

NHTSA ID
532540
Electrical
Filed Jan 21, 1998

ALTERNATOR FAILED.

NHTSA ID
528530
Incident
Feb 1, 1997
BrakesEngineSeat belts
Filed Oct 3, 1997

ENGINE: WHEN DRIVING AND DOWNSHIFT TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT ONE IS TRYING TO SLOW DOWN, WHEN DOWNSHIFTING THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE JUST COMPLETELY DIES, THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY. *AK CONSUMER STATED SEATBELTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, ALSO THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED.*JB

NHTSA ID
816870
Incident
Sep 21, 1994
Driver assistance
Filed May 20, 1997

VEHICLE STALLS DUE TO FAILED IDLE SPEED CONTROL VALVE.

NHTSA ID
517308
Interior & seats
Filed May 9, 1997
Crash reported

DRIVING AT LOW SPEED, VEHICLE WAS IMPACTED AT 6:00 POSITION, DRIVER'S SEAT TRACK AND ANCHORS BROKE, CAUSING THE SEAT TO FALL BACKWARDS. *AK

NHTSA ID
812156
Incident
Apr 18, 1997
Seat beltsTransmission
Filed Jan 3, 1997

FRONT SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT WHEN PUT ON DURING A SUDDEN STOP, CAN GO RIGHT IN THE WINDSHIELD. ALSO THE SHIFT GEAR WILL NOT MOVE WHEN READY TO SHIFT THE GEAR. *AK

NHTSA ID
807049
Incident
Jun 12, 1994
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 12, 1996

SOMETIMES WHEN DRIVING THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. *AK

NHTSA ID
986816
Incident
Jun 1, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Feb 15, 1996

THE DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT GETS STUCK IN THE HOLDER AND WILL NOT RELEASE AND THE BELT CANNOT BE USED. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

NHTSA ID
979245
Incident
Feb 15, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Jul 25, 1995

WHEN SEAT IS MOVED FORWARD SOME, SEAT BELT PERFORMS ERRATIC. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

NHTSA ID
969345
Brakes
Filed Jun 26, 1995

THE SQUEAKING NOISE WAS PRESENT WHEN THE VEHICLE MOVED. THE WHOLE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS BROKEN. TT

NHTSA ID
967679
Incident
Jun 22, 1995
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed May 4, 1995

SPEEDOMETER FAILURE. VEHICLE SEIZE. TT

NHTSA ID
964824
Incident
May 1, 1995
Transmission
Filed Jan 3, 1995
Crash reported

SHIFTED INTO REVERSE VEHICLE JERKED VIOLENTLY. RESULTING IN VEHICLE ACCIDENT. TT

NHTSA ID
958132
Incident
Dec 30, 1994

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .