Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Kia Sephia submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 21 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
MY CAR IS IN THE SHOP FOR THE THIRD MAJOR REPAIR IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS. FIRST, IN JAN. OF '04 THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE BLOCK. THAT REQUIRED THE ENTIRE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED ($3,800). THEN, 2 MONTHS AGO, THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED ($1,567) AND NOW IT IS IN THE SHOP TO HAVE THE COMPRESSOR AND BELTS REPLACED($975). THE DEALERSHIP ALSO DOES NOT OFFER A LOANER CAR AND I CANNOT AFFORD TO RENT. *NM
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *PH
DEALER REPLACED IN THE LAST PAST THREE MONTHS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: IGNITION COIL/FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM TWICE/WIRING HARNESS, AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER. HOWEVER, PROBLEMS STILL RECURRED. *AK
VEHICLE REPEATEDLY STALLS. TAKEN TO THE DEALTERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES ,AND TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR WHEN THEY HAD THE VEHICLE; THEREFORE, THEY ARE UNABLE TO FIX. DEALERSHIP ACTED AS IF THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM WHEN I SEE NOW THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. VEHICLE IS ONLY USED TO DRIVE IN AREA - MOSTLY TAKING 2 OF MY 3 YOUNG CHILDREN TO SCHOOL.*AK
ENGINE AND LOTS OF OTHERS. *NLM
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH THEN THE ENGINE SLOWED DOWN. DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *NLM
THE VEHICLE STALLED, AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE. *JB
THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *JB
WHILE DRIVING AT 35MPH VEHICLE WILL STALL WITHOUT WARNING MAKING IT HARD TO CONTROL VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY THERE WAS A BAD SMELL COMING FROM EXHAUST SYSTEM INTO VEHICLE. VEHICLE WILL SHUTDOWN WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.*AK
WHEN FILLING UP GAS TANK TO FULL AND DRIVING 140 MILES GAS GAUGE WILL READ EMPTY. ALSO, ENGINE LIGHT IS CONSTANLY COMING ON BECAUSE OF A 02 SENSOR FAILURE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED POWER SURGE AND THE ENGINE SHIFTED INTO LOWER GEAR DECREASING THE SPEED AND STALLING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ALSO STALLS AT IDLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER THREE TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, HOWEVER CAN NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *YH
WHEN PRESSING ON GAS MOTOR ROSE ABOVE FRAME. DRIVER NOTICED WHEN HOOD WAS RAISED AND GAS PRESSED. DRIVER FELT CAUSE WAS DEFECTED MOTOR MOUNTS. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER BECAUSE THE TRANSAXLE JUMPED OUT OF PLACE AND CAUSED VEHICLE TO CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLS WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP 6 TIMES FOR PROBLEM. MECHANIC CAN NOT RESOLVE STALLING.*AK CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING AND THEN STALL.*SLC
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE IDLING AT A STOP SIGN OR LIGHT VEHICLE WOULD DIE OUT. WOULD HAVE NO WARNING. VEHICLE NOT ABLE TO BE RESTART AFTER STALLING OUT. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. MECHANIC CHANGED IGNITION CABLE, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK
WHEN DRIVING 25-30 MPH VEHICLE WILL VIBRATE AND HESITATE, AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER 6 TIMES, REPLACED FUEL PUMP/ CATALYTIC CONVERTER/ RESET CODES, AND CHANGED SPARK PLUGS. DID NOT REMEDY PROBLEM. *AK
ON BOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM (CHECK ENG. LIGHT) MONITORS EMISSIONS, BUT CAN BE TRIPPED OFF BY A LOOSE FUEL FILLER CAP AS PER THE OWNER'S MANUAL EXPLANATION SEC. 4-32. IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN SUCH A LIGHT CAN COME ON WITH SUCH REGULARITY THAT IT IS LISTED IN THE VEHICLE OWNER'S MANUAL AND YET THE OWNER IS SUPPOSED TO HEED THE LIGHT EACH AND EVERY TIME REGARDLESS OF HIS OR HER DRIVING PREDICAMENT? SUCH AN OBVIOUSLY FAULTY SENSOR SYSTEM SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED IN CARS. I WAS TOLD BY MY SERVICE DEALER THAT I WOULD BE CHARGED FOR ALL FUTURE "REPAIRS" SINCE I WAS NEGLIGENT IN SECURING THE FUEL CAP ACCORDING TO THEM. I HARDLY THINK THAT I WAS NEGLIGENT IN SECURING THE FUEL CAP THREE TIMES IN A FIVE MONTH PERIOD, IT REALLY ISN'T THAT DIFFICULT. I BELIEVE THE OBD IS FAULTY SINCE THE OWNER'S MANUAL EVEN POINTS OUT ITS OVERSENSITIVITY TO "LOOSE" FUEL CAPS. IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME IF IT ISN'T THE FUEL CAP AT ALL, BUT RATHER THE VAPOR RECOVERY VALVES FAILING AGAIN AND SETTING OFF THE OBD LIGHT.*AK
WHEN CONSUMER STARTS UP THE VEHICLE AND AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS WARMED UP, WHEN HE GOES TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE - HE HAS TO TURN THE IGNITION FOUR (4) TIMES BEFORE THE ENGINE WILL TURN OVER. THE DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED THE VEHICLE THREE TIMES AND BEEN UNABLE TO EFFECTIVELY CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP TO DATE HAS REPLACED AIR FILTERS AND THE FUEL PUMP. *AK
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WOULD REMAIN ON WHENEVER STARTING OR WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND AN APPOINTMENT HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK *SLC
WHEN CONSUMER BOUGHT VEHICLE BRAND NEW SHE NOTICED THAT VEHICLE HAD A BURNING SMELL LIKE RUBBER. ALSO, VEHICLE WILL HESITATE, AND WOULDN'T MOVE AT ALL. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *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
Data on this page last refreshed .