Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. 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. 14 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
DT: CONSUMER OWNS 1997 KIA SEPHIA. SHE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE DASHBOARD. THE VENTS FOR THE DEFROSTER FELL OFF, AND THE DASHBOARD WAS BROWN, WHICH BEGAN AS A SMALL SPOT AND GREW TO COVER THE WHOLE DASHBOARD. SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE DASHBOARD FALLING APART MIGHT SOMEHOW AFFECT THE AIRBAGS. SHE SAYS THAT THERE IS A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM DASH, SMELL HAS BEEN THERE SINCE SHE PURCHASED VEHICLE. SHE DID PURCHASE VEHICLE NEW.*AK
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
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT ANY MPH VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY ACCELERATE WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING.CONSUMER WILL STEP ON BRAKES PEDAL TO STOP ACCELERATION, BUT VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP, AND CONCERNED ABOUT FACT OF AN ACCIDENT.*AK TRANSMISSION FAILED. BRAKES MAKE NOISE DUE TO ROTOR FAILURE. WIPER BLADES FAILED. BATTERY FAILED. *YH
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
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
TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED TWICE/ THE ENGINE SEIZED AT 30000 MILES/ THE BRAKES WARPED THREE TIMES AND WERE REPLACED 3 TIMES/ THE WINDOWS ARE HARD TO OPEN AND CLOSE/ THE BRAKE PEDAL IS EXTREMELY LOW. *AK
MANUAL WINDOW REGULATOR OUT OF ADJUSTMENT CAUSING DIFFICULTY IN ROLLING UP. MJS
I AM NO LONGER GOING TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON THIS LEMON! *AK
ROTORS FAILED SEVERAL TIMES.
DASHBOARD REPLACED TWO TIMES DUE TO SEPARATING PROBLEMS.
EXTREMELY LOUD WIND NOISE CAUSED BY DRIVER SIDE MIRROR WHEN DRIVING 55 MPH OR OVER.
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON; INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILS TO WORK. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. HEATER MAKES NOISES WHEN TURNED ON. ALSO, AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. NEW TIRES WORE UNEVEN & WORE OUT BEFORE 12,000 MILES. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER. *AK
BRAKES FAILED CAUSING PULSATING AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES, BRAKES REPLACED HOWEVER STILL EXPERIENCE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES.
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
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