U.S. District Judge J. Curtis Joyner certified a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of more than 10,000 Pennsylvania owners of the Sephia model of Kia cars manufactured from 1997 to 2001. The suit alleges that Sephias suffer from widespread problems in the braking systems that cause premature wear, vibration and increased stopping distance. Joyner’s ruling affects only Pennsylvania owners of Kia Sephias.
Joyner found that there was “sufficient evidence” that Kia “had knowledge that a vast number of its Sephia automobiles between at least 1997 and 2001 required replacement of brake pads and rotors at intervals of less than 5,000 miles.”.
(via The Legal Intelligencer)
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My 2000 Kia Sephia was great until 64,000 miles… my check engine light is flashing, and it feels like its going to stall out any minute. Afetr reading all these comments, I think I’m going to get a new car.
I bought a 1998 demo that they had for 2 years, at least they said it was a demo-ran fine and we drove all over the USA and the the brakes went out, breaking after that was bad, transmittion broke down and needed repairing, now the engines runs bad needs maybe new plugs again and the engine light is on. My liking it turned sour this last month, I’m on the verge of getting a different car and aftger reading all the problems that every body has, I’m on my way to a new car dealer for a different make. Goodby KIA!!
I HAVE 97 SEPHIA, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON BECAUSE OF THE EMISSIONS SENSOR,ANY OWNERS OF THE YEAR SHOULD CHECK RECALLS, IT’S COVERED.
Did the drivers seat break when you were hit by the other car? Please email me. This happened to me.
2004 KIA SPECTRA – TWO WEEKS OLD-I HAVE YOU ALL BEAT! My 98 chevy (80,000mls) decided it needed a new engine ($5,000). I did not have the money to fix it, so I decided to get a new car and deal with the payments. I am in school and cannot afford to deal with a major shell out of money, so I thought the KIA warranty was ideal for my situation. I did not know it had the power and balls of a mouse. The thing that is the worst, is it is only two weeks old, and the check engine light is on. This is not a good sign… I wish I had known about this site before I had boughten it.
I’ve been on Neurontin 600mg over 3200mg per day since 1998 and my health has worsened, memory,eyes,depressed,alot of thoughts of suicide,violent mood swings,I can’nt get out of bed most days and don’nt want any one around me not evern my family,muscle weakness, headaches,dizziness, thyroid problems thay have had done tests on me evern for cancer for my thyroid.I used to walk 2 miles a day, now i can’nt hardly walk up the stairs,and many more problems. I was given neurontin for pain do to 2 car crashes. Please help me get my life back , doctors have told me i can’nt work anymore,i’m 51 and have worked since i was 12 yrs. old! this is not wright that this drug co. get by with this! My life and marriage have gone down to rock the hill bi time, i don’nt know if i will ever be the same. please help.
i have a KIA (sephia) I need a work shop manual book, if you know some where some how I can buy or get this book please tell me. please I need you help.
thanks
Okay… here we go:
Bought it brand new in 1994 from Weber Kia & Mazda in Ventura, CA (now defunct).It was a Sephia LS right off the truck. It still had the plastic on it when we saw it.
Withing two weeks bumper trim was falling off, rear door seal was bad, noticed dash was not centered and tans (auto) was shifing hard. Was told it was a vacuum and/or pressure problem. As for the rest, the trim was glued back, seal fixed and the dash was my problem since “it was only an $8800 car”… Was refused every time I asked to see the Kia rep when he was at the dealership. I has a friend there and she told me when he was there.
Within six months of owning the car and a total of 19 days in the shop, (no loaner car by the way) and the Kia rep STILL REFUSING to speak with me, the transmission was apparently replaced. I say apparently because the problem seemed different, not better. I gave up on that one.
Within two years, I’d replaced the front brake pads three times and the rotors once. Shortly after the “HOLD” light started to blink and the engine idled roughly. Within two weeks of that the rough idle became a full stall, (usually at stops) and refused to restart fo at least 10 minutes. When it did restart there was a plume of black smoke fo a minute or two.
Now ten years later, the dash has completely peeled back from the windshield and looks burnt, I’ve replaced the front brake pads at least six times and rotors four times. The paint’s clearcoat has peeled off the mirror housings and there’s a strange palm-sized patch of thin paint on the left side of the hood, almost down to the primer. The interior light come on when it wants to and sometimes will be on at night. AND THE DAMN THING STILL STUTTERS AND STALLS AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT GO AWAY!!!!!
The rubber trim on the door window sills has eroded to the metal and rusted,the rubber seat for the wiper fluid “shooters” on the hood have crumbled away, the windshield developed a mysterious crack and had to be replaced for $325, (the glass guy says it looked like it was stressed and not from a chip) the trunk leaks, although the seal looks good, the intereior plastic has faded to a weird greenish tan color and the seam on the drivers seat has seperated. This week the radio has started to tune in static better than stations.
Yesterday I replaced the CV joints for $400 and the mechanic discovered that the brakes had a broken bolt in the caliper assembly.
UGH!!!
I can’t even get a decent trade in for this, but I need transportation.
I NEVER GOT FULL USE AND SATISFACTION FROM THIS CAR AND KIA COULDN’T CARE LESS. THEY GOT THEIR MONEY AND THAT’S WHAT COUNTS.
If there’s a California suit that’ll cover me and the 1994 Kia Sephia LS, count me in!!!
Okay… here we go:
Bought it brand new in 1994 from Weber Kia & Mazda in Ventura, CA (now defunct).It was a Sephia LS right off the truck. It still had the plastic on it when we saw it.
Withing two weeks bumper trim was falling off, rear door seal was bad, noticed dash was not centered and tans (auto) was shifing hard. Was told it was a vacuum and/or pressure problem. As for the rest, the trim was glued back, seal fixed and the dash was my problem since “it was only an $8800 car”… Was refused every time I asked to see the Kia rep when he was at the dealership. I has a friend there and she told me when he was there.
Within six months of owning the car and a total of 19 days in the shop, (no loaner car by the way) and the Kia rep STILL REFUSING to speak with me, the transmission was apparently replaced. I say apparently because the problem seemed different, not better. I gave up on that one.
Within two years, I’d replaced the front brake pads three times and the rotors once. Shortly after the “HOLD” light started to blink and the engine idled roughly. Within two weeks of that the rough idle became a full stall, (usually at stops) and refused to restart fo at least 10 minutes. When it did restart there was a plume of black smoke fo a minute or two.
Now ten years later, the dash has completely peeled back from the windshield and looks burnt, I’ve replaced the front brake pads at least six times and rotors four times. The paint’s clearcoat has peeled off the mirror housings and there’s a strange palm-sized patch of thin paint on the left side of the hood, almost down to the primer. The interior light come on when it wants to and sometimes will be on at night. AND THE DAMN THING STILL STUTTERS AND STALLS AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT GO AWAY!!!!!
The rubber trim on the door window sills has eroded to the metal and rusted,the rubber seat for the wiper fluid “shooters” on the hood have crumbled away, the windshield developed a mysterious crack and had to be replaced for $325, (the glass guy says it looked like it was stressed and not from a chip) the trunk leaks, although the seal looks good, the intereior plastic has faded to a weird greenish tan color and the seam on the drivers seat has seperated. This week the radio has started to tune in static better than stations.
Yesterday I replaced the CV joints for $400 and the mechanic discovered that the brakes had a broken bolt in the caliper assembly.
UGH!!!
I can’t even get a decent trade in for this, but I need transportation.
I NEVER GOT FULL USE AND SATISFACTION FROM THIS CAR AND KIA COULDN’T CARE LESS. THEY GOT THEIR MONEY AND THAT’S WHAT COUNTS.
If there’s a California suit that’ll cover me and the 1994 Kia Sephia LS, count me in!!!
I bought a 95 sephia with 100,000 miles on it with my income taxes for $1500 and it has been a pretty good car.The cv axles went out shortly there after costing me $600. My car shakes at speeds over 65 mph since then, and also when I step on the brake, and has a constant pull to the left when driving on the highway. les schwab has done all the work to it ( I think they are the ones who screwed it up because it never use to shake before they put the new axles) and I have gotten 2 alignments done to it with no luck.other than handling problems the motor and tranny havent had any problems.I did have to replace the radiator,that set me back $250, I have gotten the brakes checked twice,both times I was told they are fine. 140,000 miles and still going on old reliable kia. by the way I put some 16″ chrome wheels on it and it looks pretty nice. I just wish it had a/c
I purchased 2000 Kia for my 18 year old daughther for the price and the mileage so far was a good deal, We have replaced braked and CV Joints and the engine light does come on between oil change, overall so far its ok, for her just work, home and school and maybe sometimes 30 -50 miles outside of home. She is not happy with the cooling/heating system the blower works when it feels like it. They told us that we are still under warranty but before they will look at it they want us to pay them first to check for our warranty. Let it be known that Kias’ are not the only car that will make u unhappy I owned a 2001 Dodge Intrepid and still owed 10,000 and the 2.7 motor was going out and I politely gave it to them and paid for a 96 Nissan Sentra less than what it would cost to buy a motor. I will have this on my credit but life goes on.
I own a 1997 Kia Sephia. I have had problems with it since I got it. We bought it used in 2000. Everytime I use my heater the Check engine light comes one. I need a new axle, new cv joints. Everything is horrible. And my dash not matter how much we conditioned it, has cracked and looks like it was set on fire. My friend used to have a 97 Sephia as well and she said her dash did the same thing. Anyone else have that problem??
Kia = Killed In Action
the car is only a good car when Im not driving it.
I’m sorry to hear all of the problems that everyone has had with a KIA. My ex-husband purchased a 1999 Sephia in January 1999 and we haven’t seem to have many problems with it. The car was recalled because of a valve in the gas tank which was no big deal. At approximately 100K miles, my ex-husband had to replace the timing belt. I took the car because of dependability a year ago and I have had to replace the brake rotors and pads, one of the airconditioning lines, the fan motor only worked when it wanted to and just this past January the no.2 cylinder had low compression. My brother disconnected the fan and cleaned it out last year and it works as if it was new. My car is back in the shop today as I write this because the timing belt wore out already.
My belief is that a car that is driven 30,000 miles a year is going to need maintenance. I don’t know if all of you people with problems just got really bad cars or if when a problem arose at high mileages you got really bad mechanical service. I know that I’m having a problem with No.2 & 3 cylinders but I also believe that when I took my car in the first time my check engine light came on, my mechanic should have checked more than what he did. I can say one thing, I have a mechanic whom is human and now that he is aware of a potential problem, he is taking the time to monitor the cylinders(at no charge to me) and if the same problem arrises again, he is going to tear the cylinders apart and find the cause.
One thing I have learned is that you do not go to the dealer for repairs unless they are covered under warranty or all you are going to get is a high bill (average labor charges are $75 per hour. To replace the airconditioning line cost me over $400, $300 of it was labor)
I said something about my timing belt having to be replaced a second time and my mechanic said that my ex-husband probably got a bad timing belt.
I can honestly say this, I am looking to get a new KIA because contrary to what I said about going to the dealer to get anything fixed, the dealership in Sioux Falls, SD have really nice people working for them and they are willing to bend over backwards for their customers. I feel bad for everyone who has had major problems and I can’t relate to the problems. Every Make and Model of automobiles are going to have some sort of a problem. The only reliable vehicles around are the older model Chevy’s. That’s all I owned before the KIA.
I have a 97 sephia that I suped up and it has so many visual problems with it it makes no sense. My dash board is ruined and just today I am seeing if it can be replaced by the factory. O and brakes why does the car vibrate like that when stopping. I think that KIA should recall all the 97 sephias or any other problem it has with that car or they will end up losing customers.
I have a 1999 Kia Sephia that I purchased in 11/2002. The CHECK ENGINE LIGHT came on so I took my car to CarX to have it inspected. They told me that I needed a tune-up & the fuel system cleaned which cost me $396 ($400.00) I took it back in to CarX on 04/05/04 because the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT was back on. They told me & showed me that it was the FUEL INJECTORS. Manuf Specifications for Injector Resistance is 14.5 OHMS (max) & my read 16.2 so I would have to take it to the dealer. I called the dealer (Northwestern Dodge/Kia 6116 North Western Avenue Chicago,Il) on 04/06/04 for a price quote on fuel injectors. They told me to bring my car it could be something else. So I brought it in to the dealer, they inspected it and told me that I needed new spark plug wires and spark plugs (TUNE-UP)!! While the service advisor is telling me this, he is showing me spark plugs(in the waiting area) that supposedly was taken off my car, that were VERY OLD AND DIRTY (through years of use). So very irrate, I went back to CarX and before the remove ANYTHING from my car I was present. I watched them remove the housing from the engine, show me the spark plug wires (WHICH WERE BRAND NEW) watched them remove the spark plugs(WHICH WERE BRAND NEW). The dealer almost got away with a scam because I didn’t watch them work on my car. CarX rechecked the readings on my fuel injectors and the reading was the same. New fuel injectors. Which are $200.00 a pop from the dealer, I have 4. Now I’m searching resale stores and junk yards. BEWARE OF DEALERS ESPECIALLY KIA DEALERS & KIA CARS
2000 kia sephia,bought new, drove off lot and to my job, maybee 2 miles,car
was red hot and boiling over, called dealership and they came and got it and later told me thermostat stuck, it dose this off and on still,ive had brakes replaced twice and now im looking at new transmission, get this,,i have
47 thousand miles on it, its under warrenty only if i can produce receipt
from 2002 stating that i had a full transmission fluid change???the 5 yr
or hun thous mile warrenty hasnt covered anything on my kia yet!!!i did
plan on a new one ,,not anymore
mary t
I have a 1999 Kia Sephia and overall, I can honestly say that I love my car. Prior to my Kia I owned a BMW 320i and a Geo Storm GSI which were both lemons. Sure, I had to do the normal recalls which came up, I think there were a total of 3 or 4, which, frankly doesn’t bother me. I did have problems at the beginning with brakes, but it turned out that the dealership had just gotten a warped batch of rotors and once a good set of rotors were put on I had no further problems with my brakes… I do have the seperation on the dash in front of the steering wheel up by the windshield, but my husband said that was probably because I had put Armor All on it and didn’t continue to use it so I will take the blame on that. Just last week though my check engine light went on, we figure it is just an oxygen sensor… not that big a deal I figure… I don’t know what alot of you are expecting though… I mean… alot of cars have problems and there are alot of Kia’s on the road now… I have over 114K on my car and if the biggest problem I have had was needing to replace an oxygen sensor at 114K, I consider myself lucky. I’ve had my Sephia since Feb of 1999 and it only had 8 miles on it when I drove off the lot… I paid $9000 for my Kia new and have been driving it for over 4 years now… In my opinion… I’ve gotten more that I paid for !Go Kia!
I bought a 1999 Kia Sephia in May 1999. I currently have 75,000 miles on it. I had to have the brakes COMPLETELY redone at 9,000 miles – the car was about a year old. The battery died at 12,000 miles, at about one year old. I’ve replaced all of the four tires at least 3 times. At 25,000 miles – about 2 years old the starter and flywheel broke and were banging against eachother in the engine, that was replaced under warranty (thank god because it’s thousands of dollars for that). At 70,000 miles, about 8 or 9 months ago I began having serious engine trouble, the check engine light is always coming on for some reason or other. In the past MONTH I’ve put $2,000 into fixing this car that ISN’T EVEN PAID OFF YET. In just the MONTH I’ve had throttle body cleaning TWICE, spark plug wires replaced, gas filter changed, fuel injection system cleaned TWICE, replaced the water pump, timing belt, and fan belts, the mass air sensor, oxygen sensors, the computer reprogrammed, and a few other things, totalling $2,000. IT’S STILL NOT IN WORKING CONDITION!! I was told this morning that I need to replace the catalytic converter and the transmission has gone bad, and that it will cost me another $2,000 to fix all of that and get it in running condition… I STILL HAVE 4 PAYMENTS TO MAKE ON THIS CAR. I am FED UP with Kia. I’ve had it with my 1999 Kia Sephia and I’m absolutely SICK over the amount of money I’ve put into this piece of CRAP car.
I purchased a 98 sephia for my wife so that i need not have to work on her car getting home from work. little did i know the brakes from kia warped their rotors not once but twice before going out of warranty i then purchased an aftermarket set which has performed well for the last 40k miles. i have also experienced fuel injector, dash and starter concerns , as well as having a noisy a/c compressor. however the motor performance in general has been good to my standards and a fuel injector cleaning dealt easily with the injector clogging issues. overall my only big issue with kia has been the brakes and a lousy warranty system, this from an ASE certified chrysler technician.
bought 2000 Kia used, had 50,000 0n it. First day the check engine light came on, took back to dealer who sent me to Kia dealer-new catalytic converter installed under warranty. On cold days it won’t turn over, had new battery installed and went to Kia-they could not find any problem with starting system, it still sounds like it’s laboring when it turns over. At 64,000 miles had to put in new front pads, new rear linings and drums. The car seems to eat tires, have installed 4 new ones since buying it, and occasionally the headlights will flick off then come back on, sometimes they won’t come on for a few seconds. The fuel economy is poor, about 26 mpg. I think I’m going to get rid of it before it really gets bad.
I bought a 2003 Kia Spectra LS for my daughter in May 2003. Sure, we had the check engine light problem, but even worse in a front end collision at 25 to 30 mph air bags failed to deploy. The entire front end was pushed in and no air bag deployment. The car will likely be a total loss. Does anyone know where the air bag sensors are located for a 2003 kia spectra ls? Luckily my daughter didn’t have any life ending injuries. Anyone else with air bags that didn’t deploy in a Kia?
Thanks,
Mike
Battery Charge and Low Fuel Warning lights come on at the same time even with full tank after car has been running about 30 minutes when A/C, lights and/or radio is on. Warning lights go off if run car without A/C, lights, any accessories. Car eventually dies/doesn’t start. Alternator and battery replaced with same problem. Anyone else with this? Had the car towed to Kia and a man with a prior year was in to trade with SAME problem. Kia will give nothing on trade-in (I wonder why???!!!)
i just got 2000 sephia for my daugter with 4000 thousand miles .had it 5 days and the transmission went.the dealer called me up to tell me that the transmissionwas cover under the drive train which i already new .but he said that with the trans is a electric part thats not cover and is going to cost me 500 plus taxs.i am tring to find out about this part he called it something but this is not right and i am very upset .if anyone nos about this please get back to me .and if anyone nos about the recalls on the 2000 that would help to never again thanks
I have been haveing alot of problems with my 1999 kia sephia bought in PA made in korea. after reading all of these comments on this web page I realized that my car experiences many of the same problems. engine light on, vibrations in the drive, shakeing while stopping, car starting problems, strange noises while driving,strange noises from rotors or brakes, the list goes on and on. if there is anyone out there with suggestions about what i should do please let me know. thank you in advance!!
I bought a 2001 kia sephia. and the first week that I had it I had the gear shaft to lock up on it. Then about three weeks later i had to take it back to get a new gear shaft put in. now my kia was bought mew but i had so much problems with it that i sometimes wish that i would of bought a used vehicle. If there is anyone who has had trouble with a 2001 kia sephia please write me at my email address.
I own a 97 Kia Sephia, 1.6l with 5 speed and 203,000 miles, Yes you read right, 203,000 miles. Now with all the thing I hear about this car, you would think after that many miles it would have blown up! Not here. This car is in excellent condition. I preformed all normal repair myself, including oil changes, timing belt, brake pads and rotors, fixing it to pass smog test last year (EGR valve), O2 sensors, valve job/ tune up, etc… It has been in two accidents, on running over a boulder during a storm, the other being side swiped on the freeway. Catalytic converter replaced, whole right render and light assembly, and new belts. The only problem I have with this car, other than the paint color, is the dash is curling up due to the heat/sun. Can this be replaced?
I also need to replace my bushing and suspension soon, the high mileage kills that stuff. Are there urethane bushings for this car? Performance shocks and springs? Any help appreciated.
Overall: GREAT CAR!!!
We purchased a 2000 kia Spectra GS in 2001.We have had numerous problems such as:axle repair,seats replaced three times and now,the transmition is out at 74,700 miles. The customer service said that it has pasted the waranty period.We are very upset about this.The warranty states we should be covered for 75,000 miles.
My wife and I decided to buy a new cheap car, we bought a (brand new at the time) 2000 KIA Spectra GSX. Around the 6 month point the check engine light came on, so it went in the shop. It continued to do this 13 time until I contacted the Better Buisness Buearue and asked for arbitration with enacting the Va. State lemon law, which it has to go in the shop 7 times for the same problem. So with that done KIA made an offer, they gave us 3K and asked for 30 days to fix the problem or they would clear our loan, take back the car, and give back the money we had spent in payments. We agreed (Duoooogh!) and they fixed the problem at day number 23. It was a loosed ground (return) on the PCM. 7 months later back on again, this time cracked exhaust silencer and bad O2 sensors. It went back 6 more times for this until they finally designed a new silencer and I finally quit careing about the O2′s. Now into year 4 and 63,000 miles the car runs fine light stays out most the time but the A/C blower motor has died and KIA technicians couldn’t fix it, they had it for 3 days and said sorry, can’t find a problem and it would cost 1200 to replace all the wires and parts for A/C blower circuit. So windows down until this bane of my life is gone.
I was in a hard front-end collision in my 98 Kia Sephia, and my air bags did not deploy either. I complained that the driver seatbelt seemed latched but would pop out if I leaned forward, and they did not order the seatbelt latch for me for a year- until there was a recall. My car would not start from time to time, and became more frequent, starting about 9 mos. ago, and I replaced the fuel filter, but it didn’t help. They said I needed a new fuel pump, which cost about $600.00. Then, I found info on a gov’t. site about intermittent starting problems, and a recall of a small part. I feel that this was possibly the problem all along. Then, I began to have problems starting again, and was told I needed a new battery, but still had trouble. Turns out it was the connectors on the battery cables were loose and you couldn’t tighten them. Soon thereafter, they had a recall on those, but they only rearranged mine, and did not replace them. I have had varying problems with my brakes for about 2 1/2 years, and when I have them checked, they say they look good, except for one shop said they needed replacement. They had a bad shudder, which went away, to be replaced by squeeking, and now they sound like metal grinding as of last night. Dealer says I must replace rotors whether needed or not, if I want a brake job.HELP!!!!!!!!!! Linda
I have a 1998 Sephia… problems described are exactly what I have endured… 6 break change outs… “covered under warranty” so they said; I believe it was to avoid the lemon law… Help me… Boston, Ma
i bought my kia branc new backn 98, same as the rest,breaks, then check engine light, i was given a extended warrenty, when i purchest the car, i now have a timing belt problem, car just stopped.
i called the company the extended warrenty was with and i was told that it is no good.
iwas told the extended warrenty was running the same as the regular warrenty, if this is so donot purchase any extended warrentys.
I purchased a Kia Optima 2002 a few weeks after purchase my dome light started to malfunction then it just went out.I have since taken it back 5 times and it still doesn’t work.I am about to take it today due to several other electrical problems. My window will not go up or down unless the door is open.My dash lights do not come on,but I can make them come on if I hit the button at the end of the windsheild wiper wand.My rear window defogger does not work. The locks do not work like they did when I purchased the car.
This car is junk and I have had nothing but headaches since it’s purchase not just from the car but the dealership and the idiots who work there.
Wow, I had no idea that there were this many people expressing their Kia problems on the internet. I own a 97 Sephia myself, bought it brand-new in 97 because it was cheap and fit my budget at the time. It’s 2004 now and I’ve since purchased 2 other cars so my Kia sits in the garage for the most of the time. Up until the time I read all of these different Kia owners’ articles, I had totally forgotten about my own Kia nightmares since I’ve laid the beast to rest for awhile. I simply prefered to drive my other two vehicles more (a Dodge truck and a Mitsubishi Eclipse) than my Kia and now I do recall just why. Besides a multitude of other menacing ‘bugs’ I can remember, off the top of my head, having to get the brake pads and rotors replaced three times and a master cylinder twice all within 6 months of having bought the car. I thought it was my own bad luck that I’ve had to have this many brake problems but, reading these articles, I can clearly see that I wasn’t the only one having to endure the frustrations. The reason I am commenting is that now is a new year; and with new years come new problems. I live in California and although I don’t drive my Kia much anymore I still have to keep it registered. In order to do this, I have to pass the SMOG test. My beloved Sephia only has 70K miles on it and IT WON’T PASS SMOG due to a friggin’ Check Engine Light. The light seems to have a mind of its own. Even when I unplug the battery cables and reset the light to stay off, the SMOG test machine would pick it up through the OBD and fail me on the test time and time again. The actual emissions are well within limits but its just that darn CE light that just has to keep showing up. Oh Kia, when will it ever end? I have twice that many miles on my Dodge and it passed with flying colors. Please help if any one can.
have a 2000 kia sephia having trouble with check engine light was fixed oncehas there been any recalls on this problem
I have a 1999 Kia Sephia, bought brand new with 19 miles. The first week, the fuel pump went. I have also had the check engine problem (always told that it was because I didn’t turn the gas cap tight enough).Rotors, CV joints. I no longer have A/C that just stopped working with no warning. My dash is warped for almost two years already. Constantly overheats, I’ve changed the water pump, to no avail. Now I think that I may have a cracked head. It isn’t worth anything and I still owe money on it. I will NEVER buy a KIA again, you couldn’t pay me to!
Almost forgot, I had to replace the clutch last year as well. So many problems with this car, it’s hard to keep track of them all.
WOW! Long list. in more ways than one. I started dating this girl and her Kia. I have NEVER seen such a worthless car.
I have fixed cars all my life and the breaks on this car are …unreal… the emergancy break never works, fronts are 1.5″ to small in dia. for the weight of the car (ford engineer told me) so they heat up and warp. the pads well… I went to bosch pads and it helped some.
I have found one solution with the electrical system though, take the hole thing apart and put it back together using lots of lock-tite on all the screws and recrimp the wires where possible. I AM SERIOUS……took me 2 weeks but I did it. The electrical system took me some time but I got it. However that check engine light still comes on. I back tested the voltage on all the sensors reset the ecm and to know luck but I’ll check the ground like rich did. man…I must be crazy. I now know what it is like to be stuck w/ a lemon. I feel so bad for my girlfiend she owns it. Now, I own a honda. I didn’t think it was possible to love it more. I stand corrected. I would buy a ford before buying a kia.
Aaron, Brighton MI
i have had to replace the brakes on my kia sephia 3 times in 2 years and the cv joint its always on the drivers side! is there any help for us in florida?
I just wanted to say that my husband and I purchased a 2003 Kia Spectra in August of 03, and we have had only one problem with it. The horn only works when it wants to, everything else works just great so far. Although I have to say I am a little leary after reading all the stories. We were considering buying a 2000 Kia Sportage with almost 90,000 miles and now I’m not so sure!!
I noticed an entry by AJ posted on 2/6/04, about the drivers seat breaking when hit in accident. Has this happened to anyone? This happened with my 2001 Spectra on6/21/04 along w/ my airbags not deploying. If this has happened to anyone please email me…….scorpiobch@grandecom.net……..asap!!
I just had an accident in my 2000 Kia Sephia and the air bags didn’t go off. It was a pretty bad accident. Does any one know what the deal is with the airbags? Everyone whom has seen my car has immediately stated they should have gone off. I have also suffered from the car having major vibrations for a couple of years. I had replaced the brakes already almost two years ago and it started doing it again. My majoy concern now is the airbag issue. They should have deployed. Any help out there???
My dash lights went out in my ’99 Kia Sephia 2 years ago and I tried to get it fixed several times while under warranty to no avail. After my warranty expired the dealer said it would cost several hundred dollars to repair, yet couldnt even tell me what the problem was exactly. Has anyone lost their dash lights and had them repaired? If so, please email me and enlighten me as to what the problem is and what I myself can do to repair my car. I am afraid to drive at night and do not feel safe in my own car. Please help! You can also email my daughter {LaPrncsse@aol.com} she understands technical matters better than I.
Sorry to ear all this problem with your Kia, I have a Sephia 2000 with 95598 mile on it and my car is in great condition, Never but Never heve problem with the car, I love my car…
My girlfriend purchased a 2000 kia sophia and has had numerous problems from the get go. The brakes have been a major issue,the starter has been replaced twice and now when u try to start it, it either does nothin at all or it cranks right up depending on its mood at the time. As of right now the car is sitting because of what we think is the starter again, it does nothing what so ever when u try to crank it now. Somthing should really be done about all these problems people are having with their “brand new cars”. Oh yeah the cd player only works when it feels like it too.
OMG!! i can’t believe this. i wish i would have read these things before i sunk money into that craphole of a car. I have had my brake cylinder blwo out because oil or brake fluid of some sort leaked all over it and soaked my pads, my winshield fluid dispensors didn’t work for the longest time, i had all my lights blow out one right after the other right after i bought it. now i was told that my anti lock brake system needs replaced. i have a 99 kia sephia with low milage. i take care of my car, why is all this happening! My air bag didn’t deploy either!! i was hit in the front side. it should have shot out with just a little tap right there. my gear shift also sticks and yes i have problems with the starter too!! my mechanic changed my spark plugs and everything and he can’t figure it out! Help what do we do??!! my rear tires have blown out in the same spot twice due to some rim issue also. i feel like i am running in circles!
OMG!! i can’t believe this. i wish i would have read these things before i sunk money into that craphole of a car. I have had my brake cylinder blwo out because oil or brake fluid of some sort leaked all over it and soaked my pads, my winshield fluid dispensors didn’t work for the longest time, i had all my lights blow out one right after the other right after i bought it. now i was told that my anti lock brake system needs replaced. i have a 99 kia sephia with low milage. i take care of my car, why is all this happening! My air bag didn’t deploy either!! i was hit in the front side. it should have shot out with just a little tap right there. my gear shift also sticks and yes i have problems with the starter too!! my mechanic changed my spark plugs and everything and he can’t figure it out! Help what do we do??!! my rear tires have blown out in the same spot twice due to some rim issue also. i feel like i am running in circles!
Please, anyone that has problems with their Kia, please email me at scorpiobch@grandecom.net…….wether it is mechanical or involves the airbags, etc… I am working hard to get something going against this company. Isolated incidents are one thing, but my god i have rread so much since I was involved in my accident, that I am totally amazed. Things are NOT right with these autos. Please email me.
My husband and I have had 2 Kias. I bought a Kia Sephia LS in ’00 and a Kia Spectra ’01. We made 2 big mistakes. The Kia Sephia had the battery die 3 times in 2 years! The first one died in the first 4 months of buying the thing. I never left my lights on or anything. Then the passenger side door would sometimes not latch to close. We had to keep getting some piece in the door replaced. We also had the interior dash light go out on more than one occasion. We got rid of that junk in just 2 and a half years and took a loss on it when financing a better car. Even with a warranty you can’t afford to keep renting a car and paying for one.
Now we have nothing but issues with our Kia Spectra. I can’t wait to get rid of that junk. It has been in the shop 4 times in the last 2 years. Now at 46,000 miles the transmission is out! Kia considers that normal wear and tear and isn’t covered under our warranty. Lord help us if we are in an accident in that thing. We are so tired of seeing the blinking O/D off button! We will never make the mistake of buying one of these AGAIN!
I bought a kia spectra in February of 2003 new. My son was driving my car and hit a ditch. The roads were wet. The air bags deployed late. The air bag on the passenger side hit the front windshield and schattered and the driver air bag hit my son in the face. The retnia in his right eye became detached and had surgery to fix it. But now he can only see light and figures. Most likely he will be blind in the right eye.
OK…I have seen a lot of independent stories about how good these cars are, and about how much they suck. TG is my future wife, and after the wreck she got in, and seeing her blood in the car, my viewpoint is certainly tainted. The seat breaking in the manner that it did may very well have caused long-lasting injuries to the woman I love. I never liked traveling in the Kia because it felt like a soda can on wheels. The hollow “THUNK” when the doors closed always made me nervous. I am grateful that she is alive, but the fact the she has not been able to stand for more than 15 minutes at a time since the accident worries me. Her back is in a constant state of pain, and is accentuated when standing for more than a few minutes. Sorry to those of you who have 200K miles on your car, but as far as I am concerned, a Kia is just an accident waiting to happen…
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