1997 Kia Sephia Electrical Problems

DT: 1997 KIA SEPHIA, THE DASHBOARD IS LIFTING. WHEN THE CONSUMER ENTERED THE VEHICLE SHE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. UPON INSPECTING THE DASH SHE NOTICED THE DRIVER'S SIDE DASH WAS BURNED. WHEN THE CONSUMER CLEANED THE DASH THE CLEANING CLOTH SMELLED BURNED AND THERE WAS A BROWN RESIDUE ON THE CLOTH. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE CONSUMER CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE IT FIXED. *AK *JB *NM

NHTSA ID

10134181

Incident

Jan 10, 2005

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 MONTHS. I AM UNABLE TO GET ANY ANSWERS ABOUT WHY THE BELT KEEPS BREAKING FROM ANY REPAIR SHOP, OTHER THAN IT MUST BE A SIZING DEFECT BY KIA. THIS LAST BELT WAS REPLACED 6/05 AND BROKE OFF AGAIN 8/17/05. I CAN ONLY SEEM TO GET ABOUT 1-3 MONTH USE FROM A BELT. I CHECKED WITH THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF THE CAR, WHICH I KNEW AND SHE INDICATES THAT SHE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. I NOW HAVE SPOKEN TO ANOTHER KIA SEPHIA RS OWNER SAME YEAR AND THEY GOT RID OF THEIRS FOR THAT VERY REASON.*JB

NHTSA ID

10133282

Incident

Aug 17, 2005

Mileage

75,000 mi

THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS MALFUNCTIONED, WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STALL. *JB

NHTSA ID

10011893

Incident

Mar 1, 2003

Mileage

87,000 mi

IS LEAKING CAUSING ELECTRICAL LIGHTS DAMAGE, THE HAZARDS OR SIGNALS AREN'T WORKING AND THE TRUCK SMELLS LIKE MILDEW. TS

NHTSA ID

9006758

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START INTERMITTENTLY, VEHICLE BEEN TO THE DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8005037

Incident

Nov 13, 2001

CAR STILL DOES NOT START RIGHT A WAY/ENGINE LGTS STILL ON/RGT SIG DOES NOT WRK/CARS A LEMON/FUSE BLOWS EVERTIME I TURN ON RGT SIGNAL. *AK

NHTSA ID

746123

Incident

Jul 30, 1999

CONSUMER INSTALLED NEW RADIO, WIRES WERE CROSSED CAUSING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL IT STATES THAT NON-STOCK ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT WILL CAUSE ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, OWNER'S MANUAL NEGLECTS TO MENTION THAT ENGINE LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE IF THE GAS CAP IS NOT ON TIGHT ENOUGH, VEHICLE ALSO EXPERIENCED DASHBOARD FAILURE. *SLC

NHTSA ID

785373

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE WOULD STALL FOR NO REASON. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 6 DIFFERENT TIMES FOR REPAIRS. MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

878242

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 15 MPH NGINE WILL DIE WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. PROBLEM JUST LIKE RECALL FOR ENGINE STALLING .*AK

NHTSA ID

877964

Incident

Jan 10, 2001

SINCE CONSUMER OWNED CAR BRAKES HAD TO BE CHANGED FIVE TIMES. 3 BATTERIES HAD TO BE PUT IN. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ON INSTRUMENT PANEL, ANTI-FREEZE IS LEAKING AND THE ENGINE IS RUNNING ROUGH. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

875454

Incident

Dec 1, 1998

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. THE BATTERY DIED THE DAY AFTER I BROUGHT IT HOME. THE BRAKES HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. THAT COST ~$200. I HAVE A SMALL INFANT AND BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR SAFETY (DUAL AIRBAGS) THE DEALER WON'T BUY THE CAR BACK AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CAN'T SEEM TO FIX THE CAR. HELP!!!

NHTSA ID

731610

Incident

Aug 26, 2000

WHILE DRIVING DIFFERENTIAL WENT OUT/ DIGITAL LASER FAILED TO WORK ON CD PANEL/ POWER WINDOW ELECTRICAL SWITCH STOPPED WORKING, AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON & DID NOT GO OFF. DASHBOARD COVERING WAS SEPARATING FROM WINDOW. THERE WAS WATER IN THE HEADLIGHTS, AND BATTERY WOULD GO DEAD. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. VEHICLE NEEDED ALIGNMENT DUE TO PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION & THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACING DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR.*AK

NHTSA ID

868570

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH BATTERY FAILURE; DEALER NOTIFIED, AND REPLACED FAULTY BATTERY ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM REOCCURRED. ALSO, AND PROBLEM ENGINE HESITATION. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK THE CONSUMER FOUND OUT RIGHT AFTER LEASING THE VEHICLE, THAT THE RADIO WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN SQUEEKING IN THE REAR END WHEN TURNING. THE HEATER MALFUNCTIONED. THE LEFT REAR STRUT ASSEMBLY FAILED CAUSING KNOCKING NOISE AT RIGHT REAR. THE O-RING FAILED CAUSEING THE DISTRIBUTOR LEAK AND THERE WAS LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING. *YH

NHTSA ID

863221

Incident

Sep 15, 1998

WHILE STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT SAW/SMELLED SMOKE. AFTER INVESTIGATING WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM, CONSUMER RAISED THE HOOD AND FOUND SMOKE COMING FROM THE CONJUCTION BOX. TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER 27,667 MILES. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

861357

Incident

Apr 29, 2000

I STARTED HAVING BRAKE FAILURE AND GRINDING FROM THE REAR AFTER 5 DAYS OF PURCHASING THE CAR.I WAS COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES.WHEN BACKING UP OR COMING TO A STOP I HAD A GRINDING SOUND AND SOUNDED LIKE A LIQUID WAS SPLASHING AROUND AT THE SAME TIME.I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO SOUTHLAKE KIA AND TOLD THE SERVICE REP ABOUT THE PROBLEMS.BEFORE THAT I WAS CHECKING THE SPARK PLUGS AND WHEN THEY WERE PULLED OUT ONE BY ONE THEY WERE BURNED OUT AND THE AIR FILTER WAS ALMOST AS BLACK AS TAR.I TOLD THE SERVICE REP ABOUT PLUGS AND AIR FILTER.THE SPARK PLUGS WAS CHANGED BUT I WAS TOLD THAT THE FILTER WAS NOT GOING TO BE REPLACED.I TALKED TO DARRYL HARRIS/SEALER/AND HE HAD TO TALK TO HIS BOSS IN ORDER TO GET THE FILTER REPLACED.DARRYL'S BOSS TOLD ME THAT AIR FILTERS WAS NOT GOING TO BE REPLACED,SO I SPOKE WITH DARRYL AGAIN AND HE FINALLY GOT THEM TO CHANGE THE AIR FILTER AS WELL.AFTER TELLING DARRYL WHY I WAS BACK SO SOON HE CALLED WHERE THE CARS ARE TAKEN TO BE SERVICED AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR HAD NEVER BEEN SERVICED,AND THAT'S WHEN THE AIR FILTER WAS REPLACED.AFTER EXPLAINING ABOUT MY BRAKES AND ADVISING THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT IT WAS MY BACK BRAKES THAT FAILING THE MOST I WAS TOLD BY TOM AND THE MECHANIC/I BELIEVE HIS NAME IS GEORGE,I NOT REALLY SURE/THAT CARS DO NOT HAVE BACK BRAKES.I WAS TOLD BY TOM IN SO MANY WORDS THAT A CAR DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SERVICED AND THAT A CAR CAN BE SOLD EVEN IF IT IS KNOW THAT IT HAS BRAKE OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF PROBLEMS.I SPOKE WITH TONY AT 800 333 4542 EXT 35014 WHO SAID THAT HE WOULD GET SOMEONE FROM DPS WHO COULD AUTHORIZE THE REPAIRS.TO DATE I STILL HAVE NOT HEARD FROM ANYONE WHO CAN ASSIST ME WITH MY PROBLEMS.ON 7/26/99 TOM HAD THE MECHANIC TO REPLACE FRONT PADS AND ROTORS WITH UPDATED PARS,CLEANED AND ADJUSTED REAR BARKES.THE FRONT PADS HAD UNEVEN WEAR AS WELL.AFTER THE REPAIRS TOM TOLD ME THAT HE HAD THE FRONT AND BACK BRAKES REPLACED AND REPLACED THE PADS. *AK

NHTSA ID

721421

Incident

Jan 8, 1999

ENGINE STALLING CONSTANTLY, SEVERAL REPAIR ATTEMPTS, HOWEVER FINAL REPAIR OF THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS CORRECTED PROBLEMS. *MJS

NHTSA ID

550376

Incident

Oct 21, 1998

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I HAD TRANSAXLE PROBLEMS GETTING THE CAR IN GEAR . I ALSO HAD PROBLEMS GETTING KEYS FROM IGNITION SWITCH PART TOOK TWO WEEKS AND WAS RELACED AT DEALERSHIP

NHTSA ID

713906

Incident

May 28, 1998

THE BRAKES AND ROTORS WERE EXCESSIVELY WORN OUTAND REPLACED TWICE. TANSMISSION FAILD CAUSING, LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND NEW TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. LEFT AXLE FAILED AND REPLACED. THE BATTERY WENT OUT. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START.*AK

NHTSA ID

847270

Incident

Mar 14, 1998

VEHICLE STALLED AND DIED DUE TO FAULTY WIRING--FIRE RESULTED. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE WIRING SYSTEM. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

841600

INTERMITTENTLY THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. ALSO, DEALER HAS REPLACED TRANSMISSION AND BRAKE SYSTEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

837690

ON MARCH 18 1999 MY CAR WOULD NOT START UP INSTANTLY I HAD TO TRY A FEW TIMES TO START MY CAR AND AFTER THREE TRIES IT FINALLY STARTED I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THATS WHEN I FOUND OUT I NEEDED A NEW STARTER, FLYWHEEL,FUEL TRIM MALFUNCTION, NEW DTC GROUNG IMPROVEMENTS PROCEDURES.

NHTSA ID

704634

Incident

Mar 18, 1999

NO SUMMARY INCLUDED.

NHTSA ID

701978

Incident

Jan 20, 1998

WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT NEXT TO A LARGE TRUCK WITH A CB RADIO, THE RADIO EXPERIENCED STATIC AND THE VEHICLE CUT OFF.

NHTSA ID

543077

Incident

Nov 28, 1998

WARPED FRONT AND REAR ROTORS/ INTERMITTENT STALLING. REPLACED STARTER/BATTERY/THROTTLE BODY/STARTER MOTOR AND ADJUSTED TIMING GEAR AND CHAIN. *AK

NHTSA ID

781236

Incident

Aug 7, 1998

BRAKES MAKING NOISE.

NHTSA ID

537231

Incident

May 23, 1998