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1997 Kia Sephia

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1997 Kia Sephia do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 107.

About this comparison →
205Owner complaints

Model-year median: 107

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

1Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
16
199464
1995118
1996205
1997491
1998428
1999266
2000
Compare all Sephia years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
72Engine And Engine Cooling
44Electrical System
31Air Bags
30Power Train
30
All reported categories
Seat Belts
20Unknown Or Other
20Structure
19Visibility
14Fuel System, Gasoline
11Vehicle Speed Control
8Steering
7Tires
7Equipment
5Service Brakes, Air
4Suspension
4Exterior Lighting
2Interior Lighting
2Fuel System, Other
1Latches/locks/linkages
1Seats
1Wheels
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 15 of 205 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 72 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 44 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

30 crash reports5 fire reports20 injury reports

What owners actually said

205 reports
Mileage unknown · Oct 5, 1999
Air BagsCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH DRIVER WAS HIT ON RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE ,8 INCHES AWAY OFF CENTER. UPON IMPACT, , DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED BACK AND NECK INJURIES, AND PASSENGER SUFFERED SKULL LACERATIONS AND CONCUSSION. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. NO INDICTATION OF DUAL AIRBAGS BEING DEFECTIVE OR…

Read full complaint

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH DRIVER WAS HIT ON RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE ,8 INCHES AWAY OFF CENTER. UPON IMPACT, , DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED BACK AND NECK INJURIES, AND PASSENGER SUFFERED SKULL LACERATIONS AND CONCUSSION. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. NO INDICTATION OF DUAL AIRBAGS BEING DEFECTIVE OR INOPERATIVE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #849886

Mileage unknown · Sep 23, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

WHENEVER BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THEY WOULD FEEL MUSHY & MAKE LOUD NOISES. BEEN TO DEALER & INFORMED BY MECHANIC THE ROTORS NEEDED CHANGING. HAD ROTORS CHANGED 6 TIMES & STILL PROBLEM EXISTS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #848515

Mileage unknown · Sep 21, 1999
Seat Belts

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A ROAD AND DRIVER MOVED JUST LITTLE, THE SEAT BELT BECAME UNLATCHED ON BOTH SEAT DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDES. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ODI #848280

Mileage unknown · Sep 17, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES HEARD A LOUD NOISE, PEDAL FELT SPONGY, AND VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ODI #847961

Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 1999
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingPower Train

THE BRAKES AND ROTORS WERE EXCESSIVELY WORN OUTAND REPLACED TWICE. TANSMISSION FAILD CAUSING, LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND NEW TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. LEFT AXLE FAILED AND REPLACED. THE BATTERY WENT OUT. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START.*AK

NHTSA ODI #847270

Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 1999
Electrical SystemFire

VEHICLE STALLED AND DIED DUE TO FAULTY WIRING--FIRE RESULTED. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE WIRING SYSTEM. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *ML

NHTSA ODI #841600

Mileage unknown · Sep 1, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE BECAUSE OF PREMATURE WARPING. THE FIRST TIME WITH 14, 000 MILES AND THE SECOND TIME WITH 24,000 MILES.*AK

NHTSA ODI #846378

Mileage unknown · Sep 1, 1999
Vehicle Speed Control

VEHICLE SURGES BY ITSELF, AND THEN STALLS. CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK

NHTSA ODI #846354

Mileage unknown · Aug 24, 1999
Power Train

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE OVERDRIVE LIGHT COMES ON, AND VEHICLES ENGINE STALLS . THIS HAPPENS AT ANY SPEED. DEALER CAN'T FIND THE SOLUTION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #845729

Mileage unknown · Aug 24, 1999
Service Brakes, HydraulicVisibility

MANUAL WINDOW REGULATOR OUT OF ADJUSTMENT CAUSING DIFFICULTY IN ROLLING UP. MJS

NHTSA ODI #548135

Official recalls

1

02V216000 · Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly

Aug 16, 2002

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE MAY "FALSE LATCH" AND EXPOSE THE DRIVER TO UNRESTRAINED MOVEMENT DURING A CRASH.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.

Remedy: OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 20, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

PE02051 · Safety Belt Buckle Malfunction

Opened Jun 17, 2002 · Closed Sep 20, 2002

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly

BY LETTER DATED AUGUST 25, 2002, KIA ADVISED NHTSA THAT THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WILL BE RECALLED.SPECIFIC CORRECTIVE ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY KIA HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA AT THIS TIME.THE SAFETY RECALL PROGRAM HAS BEEN ASSIGNED CAMPAIGN NO. 02V-216.