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 2000 Kia Sephia submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 24 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 LOCKS FREEZE UP IN COLD TEMPS, ENOUGH TO TWIST AND BEND MY KEY. EVEN TRYING TO FORCE IT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE DOES NOT WORK. I ALMOST BROKE MY THUMB TRYING TO FORCE IT OPEN UNLESS YOU PUT A HEATER IN THE CAR FOR A LONG TIME. *TR
2000 KIA SEPHIA DOOR LATCHES DO NOT WORK WHEN WEATHER IS FREEZING AND DASHBOARD CURLED UP NOT ALLOWING DEFROST OF FRONT WINDSHIELD. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 KIA SEPHIA. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED BELOW 25 DEGREES NONE OF THE DOORS LATCHES FUNCTION PROPERLY AND ITS DIFFICULT TO CLOSE THE DOOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41000. UPDATED 03/01/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN TEMPERATURE DROPPED, THE DOOR LOCKS DID NOT LATCH. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE HAS TO HOLD DOOR WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, THE DASH BOARD WAS FALLING APART. UPDATED 08/20/10.*JB
IN NORMALLY OPENING THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE IN COLD WEATHER, THE PLASTIC DOOR HANDLE BROKE BECAME INOPERATIVE. THE ONLY WAY TO OPEN THE DOOR WAS BY ROLLING DOWN THE WINDOW AND OPERATING THE DOOR USING THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM IF THE CAR NEEDS TO BE EXITED QUICKLY. *TR
RIGHT FRONT (PASSENGER) DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. DOOR LATCH WILL NOT UNLOCK. FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, I HAD TO CUT A HOLE IN THE INSIDE DOOR PANEL TO ACCESS THE INTERIOR OF THE DOOR. THE LOCK MECHANISM WAS RUSTED DUE TO A POORLY DESIGNED WINDOW SEAL THAT DRAINS INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE DOOR--RIGHT ONTO THE LOCK. THIS IS DANGEROUS-- MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ON BULLETIN BOARDS ALL OVER THE NET. THERE IS A TSB (625894) THAT DEALS WITH LATCHES, BUT I HAVE NOT CHECKED IT YET WITH THE DEALER. I UNDERSTAND KIA HAS SOME COVER OR SOMETHING THAT SHIELDS THE LOCK. PERHAPS THE TSB IS FOR THE SHIELD. *TR
I OWN KIA-SEPHIA-2000. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS UNDER 0 DEGREES THE DOORS FREEZE SO BADLY THAT I CANNOT SHUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OR ANY OTHER DOOR THAT I MIGHT OPEN AND THEN TRY TO CLOSE. MOST OFTEN,. AFTER I STARTED AND RAN THE HEAT AT THAT TIME THE DOOR MIGHT CLOSE SHUT. ONE EVENING IN JANUARY, I HAD TO DRIVE THE ENTIRE TIME , 27 MILES OR 45 MINUTES WITH THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR UNABLE TO CLOSE. I WAS HOLDING IT CLOSED AS TIGHTLY AS I COULD. NO AMOUNT OF WD40 WOULD HELP THIS SITUATION. I LIVE IN AN AREA THAT GOES DOWN TO 40 BELOW, AND THAT IS NOT THE WIND CHILL FACTOR. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE A BLOCK HEATER WAS IMMEDIATELY ADDED TO IT FOR ANTICIPATION OF THE COLD WEATHER.*AK
WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD, THE DOORS ON MY KIA'S DON'T CLOSE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PERSON BUMP THE DOOR CLOSE FROM THE OUTSIDE. MY DOOR AND THE PASSENGER DOOR OPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I'M VERY FEARFUL OF DRIVING DURING IN THE WINTER, ESPECIALLY WITH MY KIDS.*JB
MY 2000 KIA SEPHIA LS'S FRONT SEAT BROKE, WHILE I WAS DRIVING, AND SEAT SUDDENLY FELL BACKWARDS. *AK
RIGHT FRONT DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. DOOR LATCH NOT UNLOCKING.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM UNDER THE DASH HAS SHORTED OUT. THE AIRCONDITIONER, DEFROST, DASH LIGHTS, ARE ALL UNABLE TO PERFORM THEIR DUTIES. THE FAN BLOWER IS RUNNING CONSTANTLY AND NO WARNING LIGHTS HAVE ISSUED A WARNING SIGN. THE WIRES ARE BARE AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY THE CAR COULD CATCH ON FIRE AND BLOW-UP THE DASH.*AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE FRONT DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT LOCK PROPERLY CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. TS ALSO THE DOORS WILL NOT SHUT CLOSE WHEN WEATHER IS COLD. *TT
THIS CAR WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY A SAND AND GRAVEL ONE TON TRUCK GOING 35 MPH. IT WAS PUSHED INTO THE LARGE SUV IN FRONT OF IT. THE KIA AND SUV WERE BOTH STOPPED FOR TRAFFIC WHEN HIT. THE KIA SEATS BROKE AND RECLINED BACK AND THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER SIDE BROKE. MANY INJURIES WERE INCURRED ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THE TRACK SEATS ARE DEFECTIVE. *YH
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE OVERHEATED, THERE WAS STEAM COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, DEALER REPARIED THE WIRING, POWER WIRE TO FAN MELTED CAUSING SHORT TO GROUND.*JB
THE FRONT WINDSHIELD IS WEATHERING. NLM
CAR WAS HIT FROM BEHIND WHILE STOPPED FOR TRAFFIC. CAR WAS HIT INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. DURING THIS PROCESS SEAT FAILED INTO RECLINING POSITION.*AK
VEHICHLE WAS STOPPED FOR TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE. VEHICLE FOLLOWING FAILED TO STOP REAR ENDING THE CAR AND PUSHING IT INTO VEHICLE IN FRONT. SEAT BACK RACHET ASSEMBLY FAILED CAUSING SEAT BACK TO RECLINE COMPLETELY BACK. AS A RESULT I RECEIVED TOTAL BODY WHIPLASH AND AM UNDERGOING TREATMENT FOR A HERNIATED DISK IN MY LOWER BACK.*AK
IN THE FIRST 12 MONTHS OF OWNING THE CAR THAT I PURCHASED BRAND NEW, I HAVE BLOWN AN ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRE(NO PUNCTURES - BELT EXPOSED); HAD THE DOOR LOCKS AND COMPARTMENT LID REPLACED BY (NO CHARGE).*AK (TIRESIZE: P185/65R14)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P185/65R14 )
ANTENNA BROKE ONE MONTH AFTER PURCHASE. NLM
WHILE ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION WERE BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEATS FLEW BACKWARDS. DRIVER'S SEAT FLEW BACKWARDS ON REAR PASSENGER'S ARMS.PASSENGER'S SIDE FLEW BACKWARDS ON INFANT'S SEAT. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE SEATS COULD CRUSH SOMEONE.*AK
CHILD SAFETY LOCK CAN'T BE RELEASED. DOOR HAS TO BE OPENED FORM THE OUTSIDE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 2-3 TIMES. DEALER SAID THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN THE LOCK. CONSUMER IS CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURE & DEALER.*AK
THE MISALIGNED SELECTOR CABLE FOR THE FRONT WINDSHIELD DEFOGGER MAKES MORE FOG THAN IT CLEARS. NLM
WINDSHIELD WIPERS ALONG WITH OTHER SAFTEY FEATURES ON THE VEHICLE ARE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. DOOR LOCKS BECOME JAMMED FROM THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE, AND THE SIGNAL LIGHTS ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CONSUMER HAS TO OPEN THE THE FRONT DOOR TO GET IN THE BACK DOORS. *AK
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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