Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
THE VEHICLE CUT OFF. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE. ALSO, THE ALARM SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK THE DASH BOARD LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT. *SC *JB
NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE PURCHASE. WINDSHIELD SEPARATED FROM FRAME, MOLDING FELL OFF 4 TIMES DURING FIRST 4 MONTHS OF PURCHASE ALTERNATOR REPLACED TWICE. BATTERY REPLACED AFTER ONLY HAVING VEHICLE 2 MONTHS. AIR CONDITION (A/C) FUSE BLEW TWICE FAN FUSE BLEW ONCE CAUSING VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. BACK DOORS STICK SHUT. BACK DOORS HINGES RUSTED AND BENT CAUSING SQUEAKING AND NOT COMPLETELY TO SHUT. TRANS SHIFTS HARD AND SOMETIMES STICKS. ENGINE LIGHT AND OVERDRIVE LIGHT BLINKED TRANS WAS SHIFTED BY ITSELF. HAD TRANS FLUSHED SEEMS TO BE OK. CAR SHAKES AT HIGH SPEEDS. TAPE PLAYER MAKES FUNNY NOISES IF USED FOR LONG TIME.GAS MILEAGE HAS BEEN POOR SINCE CAR WAS PURCHASED. MOLDING TURNED WHITE. CAR HAS HAD FUEL FILTER REPLACED TWICE. FUEL SENSOR IN TANK REPLACED THREE TIMES. *LA
IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE I'M ABLE TO GET THE GAS TANK COMPLETELY FULL. AS SOON AS THE PUMP CLICKS OFF YOU CANNOT GET ANOTHER DROP IN AND THEN WHEN I LEAVE THE STATION AND GO ONLY A FEW MILES THE GAS GAUGE IS ALREADY MOVED OFF FULL. REFERENCED IN RQ03-006
WHEN VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN IT CUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, WILL NOT START BACK UP. CONSUMER HAS TO GET IT TOWED EVERY TIME. THEN, IT IS TOWED BACK TO DEALER, YET, DEALER CANNOT FIND OUT THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER STATES HE IS AFRAID THAT HE OR HIS DAUGHTER IS GOING TO GET HURT.*AK CONSUMER ADDS THERE IS SUDDEN ACCELERATION THEN SLOWING DOWN OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT BRAKES BEING APPLIED. EXPERIENCING FUEL RELATIONS PROBLEMS POSSIBLY RELATED TO THE FUEL BOX. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY FAILED. *TT
AFTER VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT FUEL SYSTEM DID SHUT DOWN, CAUSING TRANSMISSION AND OTHER FUEL TO LEAK OUT. *AK
FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED ON APRIL 2001. BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN IN OCTOBER. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT BRAKES AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED AGAIN AT 9468 MILES AND AGAIN AT 15500 MILES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED DUE TO FAULTY FUEL CONTROL VALVE WITHIN THE FUEL TANK. RADIO CHANGER WOULD GET HOT AND WOULD NOT CHANGE STATIONS, DEALER REPLACED THE RADIO. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN EXHAUST LEAK, DEALER REPLACED THE MUFFLER. *JB
THE MOLDING CAME OFF AROUND THE WINDSHIELD.*JB
CONSUMER STATES THE TRACK SEATS ARE DEFECTIVE. *YH
FUEL GUAGE FAULTY, HAS BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES, BRAKE ROTORS REPLACED LESS THAN 5000 MILES. TRANSMISSION SLIPS
CONSUMER STATES FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW WILL NOT ROLL UP EASILY, THE ONLY WAY TO RAISE WINDOW IS TO PUSH ON THE HANDLE AS IT IS BEING TURNED, REGULATOR WAS REPLACED.*JB
WHENEVER FILLING VEHICLE WITH FUEL, FUEL WOULD SPIT BACK OUT. THIS HAPPENS BEFORE FUEL TANK IS FULL.*AK *SLC REFERENCED IN RQ03-006
AT ONE TIME ENGINE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON, IT WAS THE FUEL INJECTION, THEN I HAD THE BRAKE PADS REPLACED, NOT EVEN TWO MONTHS LATER I HAD TO GET THEM REPLACED AGAIN, THATS INCLUDING THE DRUMS, THAT WAS BECAUSE IT WOULD VIBRATE AND WHEN RELEASING THE BRAKE IT WOULD MAKE A POP SOUND. AFTER 8 MONTHS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE THE BATTERY WENT DEAD ONE DAY I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE CAR SMELLS LIKE SMOKE. I HAD IT CHECK BECAUSE IT SHIFTS HARD AND IT HESITATES ALL THE TIME, THEY TOLD ME IT WAS OKAY. *AK
WHEN FILLING VEHICLE UP FUEL LEAKS OUT FROM THE FILLER NECK, AND THE VEHICLE IS NOT FULL. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
HORN WORKS INTERMITTENTLY,SHIFTING IMPOSSIBLE,FUEL WILL SPIT OUT (NOT TOPPING OFF),CONSTANLY REPLACING BRAKES. *AK REFERENCED IN RQ03-006
INCIDENT #1> HUSBAND DROVE V1 TO JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA, ABOUT 21 DAYS AFTER AN OIL CHANGE. I WENT OUT THE NEXT MORNING, STARTED CAR PULLED FROM YARD/ ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, BACKED INTO YARD, CHECKED OIL NOTED NONE IN V1( DEALER STATES OTHERWISE) KIA ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED ON THAT SUNDAY EVENING, 11/28/1999/ V1 VIA TOW TAKEN TO GATORLAND TOYOTA. WE WHERE NOT GIVEN A RENTAL UNTIL 12/01/99> CANISTER BUFFER/ VALUE PUMP REPLACED, V1 STILL MAKES PINGS, KNOCKS WHEN ACCEL/>12/21/1999> ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING> 12/20/1999, ENGINE LIGHT CAME N AGAIN, GATORLAND SERVICE TECH ADVISED SAFE TO DRIVE( WE TOOK CAR IN NEXT DAY) THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH A RENTAL, SAME PROBLEM WITH VALVES, ( PURGE FLOW REPLACE) VAL- SOL USED> RATTLES STILL / TECHS STATED UNABLE TO FIND SOURCE. BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESS WHEN COIMG INTO DRIVE, ALL THE WAY DWN UNABLE TO STOP IN TIMELY MANOR, BARRIER IN FRONT DRIVEWAY.V1 PADS REPLACED/ TECH STATED ROTORS RESURFED, BRAKES STILL LOW, PROBLEM WITH BRAKES STARTED WHEN A V2 CAME THRU AND INTERSECTION I HAD TO SLAM MY BRAKES AND FROM THAT TIME BRAKES WENT DWN HILL.( STILL RATTLES) > V1 TRAVELING APROX 75 MPH ON I-75, HEARD A THUMPING ON ROOF OF V1, PULLED OVER / SAW RUBBER MOLDING HANGING FROM TOP/DRIVERS SIDE, THEN IT SLID DWN GLASS, TRIED TO SECURE BACK ON/ FLEW OFF AGAIN, SHOP ADVISED ON THAT SAME EVENING, THEY ADVISED./ NOT HELPFUL AT ALL> I WAS LEAVING FOR MY VACATION WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURED AND HAVE TO ALTER MY PLANS ONCE AGAIN FOR THIS STUPID CAR. GATORLAND AFTER HAVING MY CAR ALL DAY CALLED TO SAY THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER THE PART, AND I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT IN AND LEAVE IT ALLLLLLLLLL DAY, ONCE AGAIN, INCONVIENCE TO ME.
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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