Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Kia Sephia submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
DASHBOARD WARPED AND COMING UP AND TOUCHING WINDSHIELD. IT IS BREAKING OR BLOCKING THE VENT/DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM. THEREFORE THE WINDOWS BARELY DEFROST AND THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I KNOW OF TWO OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE DASHBOARD. ALSO "DOOR OPEN" LIGHT REMAINS ON AND DRAINS BATTERY. *TR
DASH HAS LARGE BROWN BURN SPOT ON DRIVERS SIDE. THIS SPOT STARTED AS JUST A SMALL SPOT AND HAS OVER 6 MONTHS TIME CONTINUED TO GROW LARGER AND LARGER. NOW THE ENTIRE DASH IS STARTING TO LIFT UP AND CURL UP AWAY FROM THE WINDSHIELD AND THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL.
THE VEHICLES DASHBOARD SEEMS TO BE BREAKING AWAY FROM THE WINDSHIELD. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THE AIRBAG MAY DEPLOY UNEXPECTEDLY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.TS
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 THE SEAT WENT COMPLETELY BACK. I HAD TO STURGGLE TO SIT UP AFTER THE IMPACT AND REALIZED SHE HAD PUSHED ME INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. A SCHOOL BUS WAS COMING HEAD ON INTO ME. I HAD TO PULL MYSELF FORWARD WITHOUT THE BACK OF MY SEAT FOR SUPPORT AND STEER BEST I COULD OUT OF THE PATH OF THE BUS. MY SEAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE RELEASED LIKE IT DID. MY AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. AND LUCKILY I WAS COHERANT ENOUGH TO MISS GETTING HIT HEAD ON AND INJURING CHILDREN. THE WOMAN WHO HIT ME DID NOT SEE MY TURN SIGNAL AND WAS GOING TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AN AWFUL ACCIDENT HAD I NOT BEEN ABLE TO PULL MYSELF UPRIGHT FROM THE BACK OF MY SEAT FALLING DOWN. MY SHOES FLEW OFF AND I WAS LAYING DOWN INTO THE BACK SEAT LOOSING MY STEERING AND COULD NOT REACH THE PEDDLES SINCE I WAS THROWN SO FAR BACK. I DID HAVE MY SEAT BELT ON WHICH I AM SURE DID SAVE ME FROM HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. HOWEVER, IT DID NOT WORK LIKE IT SHOULD SINCE I WAS SO FAR BACK. HAD I BEEN HIT BY THE BUS A THAT MOMENT, I MIGHT HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. NLM
DASHBOARD HAS COME APART. ALSO, SEALS AROUND AIRBAG ON PASSENGER'S SIDE HAS LIFTED UP, EXPOSING PARTS UNDERNEATH. HEATER VENT ON DASH HAS CRACKED, CAUSING HEATER TO BECOME INOPERATIVE.*AK
DASHBOARD STARTED TO FOLD AND BEND OUT OF SHAPE. DASHBOARD IS SEPARATING FROM AROUND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. ALSO TURNED THE COLOR BROWN ON TOP OF THE DASHBOARD *AK
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
DASHBOARD, DOOR LOCKS, GAS DOOR LATCH, INTERIOR CLOTH FABRIC
NOISE IN THE ENGINE DUE TO FAILURE OF THE LIFTERS.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .