Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Kia Sephia, most frequently naming the airbags and engine categories. 3 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 2 months of data.
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE ADVANCED AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WILL INADVERTENTLY ILLUMINATE. THIS COULD CAUSE THE AIR BAGS TO BE INOPERATIVE. DEALERSHIP WA SAWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE IT.
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE LEFT CAUSING IT TO BE HARD TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED TS
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING; STRUCTURE
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFORMATION FOR HEADLAMP CONDENSATION AND MOISTURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information relating to some Kia models that may exhibit fogging, condensation, and/or moisture inside a headlamp assembly. Generally, a fogging condition is considered normal and can be eliminated by turning on the headlamps with the engine running for up to 30 minutes or during normal driving conditions. Headlamp assembly replacement WILL NOT be necessary in most cases.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
KIA MOTORS: INSTALLING AN ADDITIONAL GROUND CABLE TO THE BATTERY MAY CAUSE SENSOR PROBLEMS. *RM
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS; PARKING BRAKE:INDICATOR LIGHT
KIA: ALL MODELS. ARTICLE PROVIDES INFORMATION RELATING TO THE IMPROVED DURABILITY OF BULB LIFE FOR REAR COMBINATION BULB; REAR STOP LAMP/TAIL LAMP BULB UTILIZED ON MULTIPLE KIA MODELS. *PE
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.