RoadVitals

1996 Kia Sephia Seat belts Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Seat belts reportsComplaints 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.
15
Latest Dec 27, 2002
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
13%
of 118 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2

What this page shows

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Kia Sephia submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming seat belt

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Seat belts
Filed Dec 27, 2002

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES WILL NOT LOCK PROPERLY CAUSING THE CONSUMER NOT TO HAVE A SEAT BELT ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

NHTSA ID
10001566
Incident
Dec 8, 2002
Seat belts
Filed Jul 11, 2002

SEAT BELTS ARE UNTREADING WITHOUT BEING USED EXCESSIVELY.*AK

NHTSA ID
8013813
Incident
Jun 11, 2002
Seat belts
Filed Jun 1, 2000

I'VE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT RECEPTICLES DUE TO FAILURE OF LATCH. THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STAYS ON CONSTANT EVEN AFTER IT IS RESET. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY. *AK

NHTSA ID
723473
Incident
Jul 4, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Apr 24, 2000

DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT WILL LATCH, BUT IT COMES LOOSE ON ITS OWN. *AK

NHTSA ID
860817
Incident
Apr 24, 1999
BrakesHeating & air conditioningFuel system+3 more
Filed Dec 30, 1999

OIL FILTERS MADE BY ANY OTHER COMPANY THAN KIA DOES NOT WORK. I HAD TO GET AN OIL CHANGE TWICE BECAUSE THE ONE DONE BY THE CAR LOT WAS NOT A KIA OIL FILTER AND THE ONE I HAD DONE WAS NOT A KIA FILTER. I TOOK THE CAR TO A KIA REPAIR SHOP THE NEXT DAY AND THEY CLEANED THE AREA AND CHANGED THE FILTER. THE BRAKES SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR HAVE BEEN SCREACHING AND AT THAT TIME, A BRAKE REPAIRMAN ADVISED ME MY BRAKES WORE AT 95%. THE BRAKES STILL SCREACH AND GRIND. IN THE SUMMER, THE AIR CONDITIONER GIVES OFF A FOUL ODOR TO THE POINT OF HAVING TO TURN IT OFF. THE REAR MIDDLE SEATBELT DOES NOT LATCH. THE STEPS LISTED IN THE KIA MANUAL DOES NOT COINCIDE WITH THE STEPS YOU MUST TAKE TO DEFROST THE WINDOWS. THE ONLY WAY I CAN IS TO TURN THE HEAT UP ALL THE WAY, OR TO TURN ON THE HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONER, WHICH I CAN'T USE. THE CAR WHEN IT'S IN DRIVE FEELS LIKE IT'S IN A LOWER GEAR AT TIMES AND FEELS LIKE IT'S NOT QUITE IN DRIVE. THE SEAMS IN THE DRIVER'S DOOR ALLOWS WATER DRIP INTO THE CAR. THE WINDSHIELD WASHER HOLE ON THE RIGHT SIDE DOESN'T SPREW OUT ANY WINDSHIELD CLEANER. I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE CAR LOT BEAUSE OF THE GAS DOOR NOT OPENING WITH THE INDOOR GAS LATCH. THE OUTSIDE OF THE FRONT HUBCAPS GETS VERY OIL AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHY. THE WINDOW'S RESIST WHEN YOU TRY TO ROLL THEM UP. *AK

NHTSA ID
716669
Seat belts
Filed Nov 22, 1999

WHEN THE OCCUPANT MAKES A SLIGHT MOVE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE COMES LOOSE, LEAVING THE OCCUPANT UNPROTECTED IN CASE OF CRASH. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE SEATBELT BUCKLE TWICE. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

NHTSA ID
853234
BrakesEngineSeat belts+1 more
Filed Apr 13, 1999

SEVERAL REPLACEMENTS OF BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS DUE TO WARPING/VIBRATION/SHUDDERING, ALSO GLAZED BRAKE LINING REPLACED DUE TO SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES.

NHTSA ID
544933
Incident
Mar 20, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Apr 8, 1999

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.

NHTSA ID
836607
Incident
Mar 30, 1999
EngineInterior & seatsSeat belts
Filed Jan 5, 1999

SEAT BELTS FAILED.

NHTSA ID
543202
Body & structureSeat belts
Filed Feb 24, 1998

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

NHTSA ID
810183
Incident
Jul 19, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Feb 21, 1998

PASSENGER SEAT BELTS NEED TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA ID
531264
Incident
Dec 1, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Feb 3, 1998

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE SEATBELT BUCKLES CAME LOOSE. SOMETIMES THE BUCKLES WILL NOT LATCH AT ALL. DEALER WON'T DO ANYTHING. *AK

NHTSA ID
821112
AirbagsBody & structureExterior lighting+2 more
Filed Jan 13, 1998

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY MALFUNCTIONS.

NHTSA ID
528126
BrakesSeat beltsSteering+1 more
Filed Oct 7, 1997

BRAKES FAILED.

NHTSA ID
523551
Seat belts
Filed Oct 1, 1996
2 injuries reported

REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT DOES NOT HOLD CHILD SAFETY SEAT IN PLACE.

NHTSA ID
509384
Incident
Jun 3, 1996

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Brakes39Engine17Electrical13Body & structure13Transmission11Airbags11Interior & seats10

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .