Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 017 | 09/01/2004 | 10016840 | Charging system upgrade. *tt | 10/12/2005 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||||
| 98002 | 08/01/1998 | 603325 | Provided information on the sephia starter circuit. *yc | 02/17/1999 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY - CABLES | |||||
| 035R | 01/01/2004 | 10005640 | Battery cable chafing inspection, repair and replacement. revised technical service bulletin. *tt | 03/09/2004 | |
| 035 | 12/01/2003 | 10005355 | Battery cable chafing inspection, repair and replacement. technical service bulletin, letters to service managers and dealers and owners. *tt | 02/23/2004 | |
| 025 | 09/01/2002 | 635757 | This bulletin provides information related to a service campaign to inspect possible interference between the positive battery cable and the automatic transmission dipstick. *tt | 10/31/2002 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | ||||||
| EA02016 | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC | 08/06/2002 | 10/07/2003 | NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES | ||
| Odi gathered fire data from various sources and inspected subject vehicles to assess the scope and frequency of non-crash engine compartment fires caused by starter cable chafing.odi's analysis found that most of the suspect fires occurred after the vehicle had received service repairs in the area of the subject cable.consumer complaint data indicate that the problem experience has declined since a peak in late 2001.the most recent known event occurred in november of 2002. kia will perform a service campaign beginning in late 2003 to inspect subject vehicles built prior to january 2000 for cable damage and will replace damaged cables as necessary. given the declining fire rate and kia | ||||||
| PE02028 | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC | 03/06/2002 | 08/06/2002 | BATTERY CABLE CHAFING | ||
| Alleged engine compartment fires caused by the +12v battery cable shorting out against the transmission dipstick tube | ||||||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY - CABLES | ||||||
| EA02016 | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC | 08/06/2002 | 10/07/2003 | NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES | ||
| Odi gathered fire data from various sources and inspected subject vehicles to assess the scope and frequency of non-crash engine compartment fires caused by starter cable chafing.odi's analysis found that most of the suspect fires occurred after the vehicle had received service repairs in the area of the subject cable.consumer complaint data indicate that the problem experience has declined since a peak in late 2001.the most recent known event occurred in november of 2002. kia will perform a service campaign beginning in late 2003 to inspect subject vehicles built prior to january 2000 for cable damage and will replace damaged cables as necessary. given the declining fire rate and kia | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 10/25/2006 | 4 | ||
| Tl*- the contact stated that when trying to merge into traffic with the 1998 kia sophia it stalled. when this happened instrument panel lights turned on. the vehicle stalled in heavy traffic, and she had to put the vehicle in park and restart it. the contact stated that the vehicle's current mileage was 70,000 miles. the dealership informed her that she needed a new vehicle. the contact stated that the dealership found nothing wrong with the vehicle. the vehicle stalled intermittently. at times when the vehicle stalled, and she tries to restart it, the vehicle would not restart. *ak | |||
| 06/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Over a period of time, approximately 70,00 miles on my car, the ac/heater fan motor will blow air intermittently, regardless of the fan's speed setting. eventually, the fan stops blowing all together. this same thing has happened with my 1999 kia sephia. *jb | |||
| 06/04/2005 | 1 | 02/15/2005 | |
| Dt: vehicle engine stalls. kia 1998 had been recalled. problem was supposed to be fixed, however, vehicle continues to have problem. *tt | |||
| 09/20/2002 | 60000 | 1 | 09/22/2001 |
| While driving 55 mph, the vehicle stalled. the consumer tried to restart the vehicle but was unable to do so. the consumer noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. it caught on fire. the fire department was called to extinguish the fire. there were no injuries to report. however, vehicle was totaled. *ak the consumer stated that there was a hard start that would not hold fuel pressure. *sc *jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| There was a short present in the wiring to the dome light, radio and clock. the door switchs also burned out. *nlm | |||
| 06/29/1999 | |||
| Consumer states that shortage in the wiring that burns the fuse, causing the radio, the dome light, door ajar light and other components not to work. had fuse replace 5-6times. promblem still accurs. ts | |||
| 1 | |||
| The electrical wires have burned up on the car, currently the blower wire harness and speed select switch have melted and burned. *yd | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving approximately 65 mph, hood released and smashed into windshield which blocked vision of driver, consumer felt problem was due to brake pads and rotors that cause severe vibration and had to be replaced frequently, there was no crash or injury to report when this incident occurred.*ak brakes would vibrate and were noisy, requested rear brakes be cleaned lubed, dealer found rotors warped and pads worn and excessive dust in rear brakes, numerous engine problems such as cooling fan rumble, check engine light on, engine stall, burning smell, belt squeaks, electric cooling fan inoperative, fan blade, plug wires and coil boots, valve cover gasket were replaced, evaporator was replaced and recharged, many electrical problems including ignition switch, starter, alternator, multifunction switch, battery terminal, and bulb failure, dealer has also found corrosion, poor connections and low voltage, consumer states numerous problems with shifter, harsh shifts and clunks, dealer replaced old style flex plate, binding shifter which was cleaned and lubed, fluid leaks, dealer replaced leaking power steering hose, multiple structural problems such as missing wiper arm cap, key will not open trunk, trunk lever does not release, broken trunk release handle, left rear door molding coming off, dealer replaced trunk release, reinstalled door weatherstrip, found oil leaks, and undercarriage showing signs of damage, bubbles in dash pad, sunvisor coming loose, dealer replaced dash pad, dealer found tail pipe damaged, both front aftermarket tires (no tire information) worn, left rear rim bent, rear tires (no tire information) cupped and feathered due to lack of rotation and alignment problems, consumer also requested dealer to check cv boots for grease leak, dealer found no problem. *tt | |||
| 1 | |||
| The electrical wires have burned up on the car, currently the blower wire harness and speed select switch have melted and burned. *yd | |||
| 05/28/1999 | 6 | 10/01/1998 | |
| The check engine light has illuminated on several occasions, ccv/psv valve failed, ignition coil shorted, poor connection on grounds and connectors, the battery is weak and will not hold a charge, dealer replaced battery twice. nlm | |||
| 01/05/2001 | 0 | ||
| Consumer had been having problem with electrical system; headlights will go out whithout prior warning, and sometime had to be replaced. dealer had been contacted. *ak | |||
| 11 | 07/29/1998 | ||
| Premature wear of brake pads and rotors. dealer has repaired and replaced the brakes several times.*ak in addition heater core, alternator, starter,spark plugs, front windshield and door weather strips failed. *yh | |||
| 04/01/2000 | 1 | ||
| Electrical system failed. nlm | |||
| 02/25/1999 | 4 | 01/01/1999 | |
| Electrical system experienced several failures (battery, starter and connectors). *mjs | |||
| 10/16/1998 | 1 | 03/30/1998 | |
| Vehicle experiencing electrical problems. nlm | |||
| 02/18/1998 | 1 | 03/20/1998 | |
| Electrical problem causing brake and dash lights to be inoperative. nlm | |||
| 06/16/1998 | 2 | 03/30/1998 | |
| Vehicle experiencing electrical problems. nlm | |||
| 08/01/1998 | 5 | 06/01/1998 | |
| This vehicle was purchased in june of 1998, it has been out of service for more than 40 days for repairs for various electrical, braking, transmission, and various other defects that have rendered the car inoperable since february, 1999. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 10/01/2001 | |||
| Consumer states vehicle will stall w/o warning while driving. vehicle checked by dlr who has replaced ignition switch and starter(3x). problem is still occuring. mr | |||
| 11/01/1998 | 3 | 10/01/1998 | |
| Numberous problems - not starting/ brakes need to be replaced several times/ shimmies between 15-45 mph, i had to have my tires replaced prematurly/ has horrible rattle/gas tank spilling gas and gas never showing full/dealer never cooperative can never find problem until a recall or car has to be towed. they had my car for 6 weeks and couldn't figure out what was causing shimmy problem it has been almost a year. i am about to contact attorney to sue dealer and manufacture. please do something about these cars they are a hazard to the consumer!!!!*ak | |||
| 01/01/1999 | |||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 08/02/2000 | 7 | 07/01/1998 | |
| I will never ever ever buy another kia--this car is a piece of junk!!! | |||
| 09/09/1998 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle would not start due to a faulty starter circuit fuse. nlm | |||
| 1 | |||
| Alternator failed. *mjs | |||
| 07/30/1999 | 1 | 09/01/1998 | |
| I felt that buying a new car would mean not having to worry about putting it in the shop as often as i have had to do. other than the alternator, there have been two other times when my new car had to be worked on. luckily i still have a warranty, but i am extremely unhappy with the quality of my kia. | |||
| 09/09/1998 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle would not start due to a faulty starter circuit fuse. nlm | |||
| 04/12/1999 | 2 | 02/01/1999 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 07/30/1999 | 3 | 02/01/1999 | |
| No summary | |||
| 12/08/1998 | 2 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Oh sirs, there are plenty more parts/components on this vehicle that has failed. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Alternator, starter and two batteries have failed. mjs | |||
| 4 | 08/01/1998 | ||
| I have problems starting up the car, it does not matter whether during the day or night. when i put the key in the ignition i have to try at least four to five times befor it clicks over to start. it just clicks instead of starting right away. i took the car back four(4) times to repair, and still problem not solved. | |||
| 06/04/1999 | 1 | 09/01/1998 | |
| No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak | |||
| 05/12/1999 | 1 | 12/01/1998 | |
| Vehicle seemed to have problems starting 2 or 3 times previously but eventually started up. i have also found out that this vehicle may have been previously owned by orlando barringer of memphis, tenn. when i call the 24hr road side assistance that is the name that appeared when the vin was entered. also when i call the atlanta dealership to verify that my vehicle was there, i was told that they were unable to pull up my information. i believe that i may have been sold a used vehicle. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 02/08/2004 | 8 | 09/19/1998 | |
| Battery wasn't holding charge, needed continuous refill with distilled water, overheating, overflowing and spilling acid corroding other parts. (nar) *ph *cb | |||
| 11/02/2002 | 1 | 10/01/1998 | |
| The battery had blown up and spewed liquid/acid. the consumer had received two recalls prior to the incident, one in re: gas valve and the other was electrical. the dealer continues to postpone the dates for repair. (recall# 102944) scc | |||
| 08/25/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer stated there was a very loud explosion and smoke under the hood, when consumer started the vehicle, when consumer opened the hood, the entire top of the battery had blown off.*ak *jb | |||
| 03/01/1999 | |||
| In 2 years i had to get a new transmission, replace my brakes 6 times, service engine problems 7 times, fuel pump, 8 recalls, wipers, new tires, and many other problems... copies of repairs are available upon request. i have also been discriminated against by the dealer many times. | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 1 | ||
| Transmission has been worked on over past year. *ak abs light came on and stayed on due to catalytic converter failure. wheel bearing failed and was replaced. automatic transmission had no engagement due to half shaft failure. engine stalled at a stop due to transmission assembly failure. brakes were noisy and were replaced, including the rotors. engine will not start due to battery and starter failure. *yh | |||
| 3 | |||
| The engine is not starting, battery replaced and other repairs completed however the engine is still not starting. *mjs | |||
| 09/24/2000 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Brakes,lights,seats,battery,airbags,odometer,leaks,aircondition,leftdoorhandle (tiresize: 14`)( dot number: tire size: 14` ) | |||
| 07/18/2000 | 1 | 08/01/1998 | |
| The kia sephia is nothing but a piece of junk. i would never buy one again. i want to sell it even though i still owe a substantial amount of money on it. no safety defec tlisted in summary. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Electrical wiring and battery failed. nlm | |||
| 01/29/1999 | 1 | 06/01/1998 | |
| Service the engine soon light came on due to poor contact/connector terminals corrossion. yh | |||
| 12/01/1998 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| Since the time that i have purchased this car it has been falling apart. the car is constantly shutting down or it just won't start. at this present time my car is sittting at stonemountain kia whereas it is in need a third battery all within less than a years time. eventhough they know the dangerous history of this car that i purchased new, they continually return the car to me without doing a safety check. i have had my car towed to their location several times in the same week because they have felled to fix the problem. once again my car is continually suffering from the same problems that are continuing to grow worst. the air conditioning system fails to work properly. the driveshaft is always sticking in the gears. the air bag light continually blink and stay on for periods at a time. the exhaust still making loud noise that i have complained about since i brought the car. the engine jerks and the car is burning a lot of gas. the battery acid continues to leak out into the car. the air vents broke just from a slight touch and so did the knob that control the air circulation. the car is constantly stalling. the car shakes badly when pressing on the brakes. firestone refuses to work on kia's because they are aware of all the faulty system pertaining to kia's. lation | |||
| 1 | |||
| Battery failed. nlm | |||
| 11/06/1999 | 07/01/1999 | ||
| This car has had new transmission/brakes/radio and battery, and i am waiting on something new to happen soon. i bought this car because i thought that my feet was not aas dependable as a car..my mistake. if the repairs keep up i will have a new car without even trading!!! this car gives new meaning to lemon. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1999 | 7 | 08/01/1998 | |
| I purchased the car in aug. 1998, one month later the oil, battery, engine light came on. i had to get the car towed. as of march, 1999 i had to take the car in for brake failure on several occasions. i have all the service order slips. sometime is july or august i had to call the tow truck again, car would not start. the tow truck driver said it was because of the a/c. i had a defective battery. as of july 31, 1999 i had no a/c took car in for services on aug 4th. repair done, not! as of aug 6th no a/c . bernickie had to order the hose. after several attempts to resolve this matter, on sept 9th i called service the hose finally came in. however, they were unable to fix the a/c due to some type of blockage they said. this car is still new, i 've only had it for one year. i need some feed back please. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Alternator, starter and two batteries have failed. mjs | |||
| 07/15/1998 | 02/01/1998 | ||
| Many problems with the car some have been caused by the dealer | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||
| 08/01/2000 | 03/01/2000 | ||
| Interior is falling apart dash coming undone, door panel cracked, control knobs broke, defective electrical connections at fuse box failure with relays causing no start, no defroster, no horn, stalling of vechicle. concerned of possible electrical fire | |||
| 01/05/2001 | 0 | ||
| Consumer had been having problem with electrical system; headlights will go out whithout prior warning, and sometime had to be replaced. dealer had been contacted. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Fuse box failed. nlm | |||
| 03/01/1999 | 1 | 08/01/1998 | |
| The first problem was the electrical system, the car kept blowing fuses and would not start. after 4 visits to a kia service center it was learned that the fuse box had been built wrong. kia had a rebuild kit on hand for this problem and corrected it, as well as replaceing a number of sensors and other equipment damaged by this problem. next was the transmission, which whould and does switch gears for no reason, jumping into higher gear or downshifing into lower gear without warning and staying there until the car is brought to a complete halt. this problem has not been traced, kia service technicians claimed to have driven the vehicle extensively but could not reproduce the problem, dispite the fact that it occures frequently for myself and my wife. the brakes started acting funney at around 11,000 miles and upon inspection by kia personell were found to be worn excessively in the center of the rotors, dispite telling me that it was a very common problem kia refused to repair it, saying that it was a maintiance issue, and not a defect. the door latches failed on a trip to indiana and the doors had to be locked or they would not stay closed. the glove compartment latch failed at the same time, falling open at any bump and the handle was falling off, so it had to be left open the entire time. the weather stripping began falling off shortly thereafter causeing water leaks into the car, and sometimes preventing the doors from closeing correctly. i have attempted on numerious occasions to have these issue delt with by kia motors and they have faid to do so, beyond the bare minimum. i have even been attempting to return the car in accordiance with michigan's `lemon law' and kia's only response is to attempt to half-hartedly repair the vehicle at my expense. dispite the fact that some of these issues could be dangerious.*ak | |||
| 04/08/1999 | 1 | 11/09/1998 | |
| Starter fuse blown causing vehicle not to start. nlm | |||
| 12/23/1999 | 1 | ||
| Backup lights inoperative. yh | |||
| 07/30/1999 | 3 | 02/01/1999 | |
| No summary | |||
| 08/05/1999 | 12 | 10/01/1998 | |
| During the hot summer months when using the air condition, when get to my destination and then i want to restart the vehicle, it could be o minutes to almost twenty minutes, the car won't start and if you continously force the car in the start mode it blows the 15 amp starter fuse. also because of this the water in the battery was depleted to the point where each cell took about 4 ounce of water. the dealer said the battery performed well on a load test, yet when all the lights are on along with all the accessories the lights stay dim and it shifts sluggishly. the voltage was measured by an independent mechanic and the alternator puts out only about 13 volts, yet the dealer said it put out 14.25 volts, i asked for that the alternator and battery be replaced but they refused, although they did modify the starter circuit and now it starts ok, but the light still dim. | |||
| 10/05/1998 | |||
| Consumer was experiencing the following ongoing problems: transmission made loud noise when changing gears , and gears did not lock into place when put in park/fuses kept blowing out, had replaced electrical wires/starter was not strong enough to start vehicle & needed to be replaced, and brakes had to be replaced due to excessive wear of front brake rotors, calipers & pads. brake problem still exists. *ak | |||
| 5 | 04/01/1998 | ||
| We have replaced the rotors and brake pads 4 times and the drums once. the car has difficulty starting and taking off. various problems concerning minor problems, seat cushion , lighter, a/c, gas spewing back out of tank etc. our major concern is the braking system which started six weeks after purchase and hasn't ended yet. the kia representative is uncooperative. | |||
| 02/22/1999 | 3 | 02/01/1999 | |
| Since purchasing the vechile on 2-11-99 at 7700 miles, car has hesitated starting, slow starts, sputtering starts and sometimes cranks several times before starting. this happens more on cold starts, but not always. only a few times on warm starts. unpredictable. car has been serviced twice in past two weeks. starter relay, starter and fuse box replaced. still has problem. being serviced for third time in as many weeks. | |||
| Intermittently when attempted to turn the vehicle on, the vehicle will not start. the dealer has repalced the fuse . *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 01/01/2001 | 3 | 03/01/1998 | |
| The ignition system is hard starting at times, even right after i got a tune up from the dealer. glovebox has been replaced once before because the closing mechanism jams and will not open. transmission has slipped, shifts roughly since new. the brakes grind constantly, dealer has replaced rotors, then replaced brake pads after that, now grinding again. *ak | |||
| 06/21/2000 | 7 | 03/01/2000 | |
| I bought this car used w/42k miles. i have had the same problem with the tps since 2months after i bought it. i have had it in the kia repair shop 8 times and have spent over $1500.00 in repairs, towing and rental cars. i have had it towed 3 times. it has had a new computer, new sensors, new distribution center and new circuit connectors installed, in addition to all of the fuel related safety recall parts. i would not recommend this car to my worst enemy. kia consumer assistance is clueless---this make and model should have been recalled completely! i am in the process of filing lemon law and am completely disgusted with this car, as well as the company. | |||
| 04/12/1999 | 2 | 02/01/1999 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 02/12/1999 | 1 | 04/29/1998 | |
| Vehicle won't start. nlm | |||
| 08/21/1998 | 1 | 05/13/1998 | |
| Vehicle experiencing slow start (cold start). nlm | |||
| 07/18/1999 | 1 | 03/20/1998 | |
| Vehicle wont start. nlm | |||
| 01/04/1999 | 1 | 03/30/1998 | |
| Vehicle won't start. nlm | |||
| 10/16/1998 | 2 | 03/30/1998 | |
| Vehicle won't start. nlm | |||
| 12/30/1998 | 1 | 04/29/1998 | |
| Vehicle won't start. nlm | |||
| 11/20/1998 | 1 | 05/14/1998 | |
| Vehicle experienced slow start or would not start at all. nlm | |||
| 08/04/1999 | 1 | 05/14/1998 | |
| Vehicle won't start. nlm | |||
| 10/13/1999 | 1 | 05/14/1998 | |
| Vehicle experiencing slow start. nlm | |||
| 11/18/1998 | 2 | 03/30/1998 | |
| Vehicle won't start. nlm | |||
| 11/20/1999 | 5 | 08/01/1998 | |
| I have had this problem since 1998. i have taken the car to two different dealerships and they did not have a solution to the problem. i have also notified kia and they have been no help to me. no safety defect mentioned in summary. *ak | |||
| 07/08/1998 | 2 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Has been in 17 times and still need brakes and everything else. what a piece of junk !!manufactor refuses to honor warranty. | |||
| 12/08/1998 | 2 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Oh sirs, there are plenty more parts/components on this vehicle that has failed. | |||
| 5 | 04/01/1998 | ||
| We have replaced the rotors and brake pads 4 times and the drums once. the car has difficulty starting and taking off. various problems concerning minor problems, seat cushion , lighter, a/c, gas spewing back out of tank etc. our major concern is the braking system which started six weeks after purchase and hasn't ended yet. the kia representative is uncooperative. | |||
| 10/27/1998 | 1 | 05/04/1998 | |
| Ignition coil and spark plugs failed. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - MODULE | |||
| 06/21/2000 | 7 | 03/01/2000 | |
| I bought this car used w/42k miles. i have had the same problem with the tps since 2months after i bought it. i have had it in the kia repair shop 8 times and have spent over $1500.00 in repairs, towing and rental cars. i have had it towed 3 times. it has had a new computer, new sensors, new distribution center and new circuit connectors installed, in addition to all of the fuel related safety recall parts. i would not recommend this car to my worst enemy. kia consumer assistance is clueless---this make and model should have been recalled completely! i am in the process of filing lemon law and am completely disgusted with this car, as well as the company. | |||
| 09/08/1999 | 1 | 06/01/1998 | |
| Cruise control is inoperable due to ecm wire failure. yh | |||
| 12/18/1998 | 10 | ||
| When starting the vehicle up vehicle doesn't start up properly. also, when driving at any speed and applying the brakes, they go half way to the floorboard, and vehicle jerks. in addition, computer chip/ gear shift malfunctioned. vehicle has been into the shop over ten times. air bag light and the check engine light keep coming on. dealer can't determine the cause of the problems. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 01/05/2001 | 0 | ||
| Consumer had tried to start vehicle, but sometimes it will not start. when it is on could turn it off whitout prior warning. at time when consumer restarted, engine will not restart. *ak | |||
| 01/12/2000 | 0 | ||
| Consumer cannot start automobile. has been having problems since aug 12, 1998. *ak | |||
| 08/13/1999 | 0 | ||
| Engine check light/air bag lights are on. car will not start, also, there was a problem with the brakes. when applying the brakes, pedal went to the floor, consumer almost had a collision. *ak | |||
| 07/05/1999 | |||
| Hard starting up vehicle in the mornings, and gas gauge does not read full tank. also, passenger's side door is broken at the hinges. had the panel replaced. this will be the third repair. *ak | |||
| 12/18/1998 | 10 | ||
| When starting the vehicle up vehicle doesn't start up properly. also, when driving at any speed and applying the brakes, they go half way to the floorboard, and vehicle jerks. in addition, computer chip/ gear shift malfunctioned. vehicle has been into the shop over ten times. air bag light and the check engine light keep coming on. dealer can't determine the cause of the problems. *ak | |||
| 04/08/1999 | |||
| Was starting to slow down & had pressed brake pedal. heard a grinding noise. pressed harder & vehicle was not slowing down.again pressed lightly & vehicle was able to stop. took vehicle to dealer & mechanic informed driver owner entire braking system needed replacing. this was the 5th time it happened. also, vehicle would not turn over when starting. heard clicking noise. needed 4 tries to start. check engine light came on & stayed on. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY | |||
| 08/01/2003 | 1 | 04/22/1999 | |
| Purchased the car in 1999. have had numerous problems starting it. replaced the starter 3 times. still have prblems starting it. 2002 didn't pass inspection because of exaust, kia dealership was suppose to fix problem still having problems starting and exaust inspection failed again. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| The vehicle has starting problems. *yh | |||
| 05/17/1999 | |||
| Vehicle will intermittently stall while driving. it happens at any speed. contacted dealer, and the dealer stated that starter's fuse burned out. *ak | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 1 | ||
| Transmission has been worked on over past year. *ak abs light came on and stayed on due to catalytic converter failure. wheel bearing failed and was replaced. automatic transmission had no engagement due to half shaft failure. engine stalled at a stop due to transmission assembly failure. brakes were noisy and were replaced, including the rotors. engine will not start due to battery and starter failure. *yh | |||
| 1 | |||
| Starter failed. nlm | |||
| 02/11/1999 | 1 | 02/04/1999 | |
| Starter started grinding and intermittently failed. yh | |||
| 08/04/1999 | 1 | 05/14/1998 | |
| Vehicle won't start. nlm | |||
| 12/31/1998 | 2 | 06/01/1998 | |
| The brakes have failed twice and the starter once. the dealership and kia have not been of any help | |||
| 1 | |||
| Alternator, starter and two batteries have failed. mjs | |||
| 10/05/1998 | |||
| Consumer was experiencing the following ongoing problems: transmission made loud noise when changing gears , and gears did not lock into place when put in park/fuses kept blowing out, had replaced electrical wires/starter was not strong enough to start vehicle & needed to be replaced, and brakes had to be replaced due to excessive wear of front brake rotors, calipers & pads. brake problem still exists. *ak | |||
| 02/22/1999 | 3 | 02/01/1999 | |
| Since purchasing the vechile on 2-11-99 at 7700 miles, car has hesitated starting, slow starts, sputtering starts and sometimes cranks several times before starting. this happens more on cold starts, but not always. only a few times on warm starts. unpredictable. car has been serviced twice in past two weeks. starter relay, starter and fuse box replaced. still has problem. being serviced for third time in as many weeks. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY - SOLENOID | |||
| 10/10/2003 | 57000 | 1 | 11/11/1998 |
| I own a 1998 kia sephia and ever since i have had this car it sometimes will not start even the battery is working fine. the dealer remedy for this is just replace the starter. i have replaced the starter several times and this seems to provide a cure temporarily. just recently i had this happen again... i had it towed to a local mechanic that had just again replaced the starter for me...this time he took the starter back to the rebuilder and there was nothing wrong with the starter...the mechanic did some more searching and found the the solenoid that was designed to need a minimum of 11 volts to start was only receiving 7 volts....the mechanic felt the this was a design fault with the car. the starter rebuilder recommended the use of an alternate solenoid from an early model ford that only required 6 volts....with this fix the car has been starting very well... the problem that i am having is that with all of the kia high paid engineers why couldn't the figure this out.... *la | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| 03/02/1999 | 80 | 6 | 06/13/1998 |
| I brought a new kia sephia in 1998, and had nothing but trouble with it! transmission was replaced 2 times by the mechanic for kia motors, and needed to be replaced again on 7/2007. also , the brakes have been replaced 4 times and need to be replaced again. now the headlights keep turning off while driving at night, but no mechanic can locate the electrical short problem. *ak | |||
| 12/29/2003 | 65000 | 20 | 03/15/2002 |
| I purchased a kia in march 02' i used the car for long trips the first year i had owned the car and i had no faults in jan.- feb 03' the car began to shift in to numerous gears and then stall. i was then deployed to iraq. i left the car with a good friend. when i came back he informed me that the car wouldn't start. dealer said it was the fuel pump. friend replaced the fuel pump.friend then replaced fuel pump again when car wouldn't start. friend left the car alone,when it didn't start, until i had returned from iraq. i came back and took the car to midas, due to the fact that the dealer didn't have an idea of what was going on. midas then said it was the fuel pump. i had it replaced for a third time. car ran for a day then died. i took the car back to midas they said it was the wiring harness. i had that replaced. car still didn't start. so midas said three weeks later they said it was the fuel module. the car then worked for about a month then wouldn't start. took car to several shops all said it was the pump. i then had a mechanic from my unit check it out. he said it was within the wiring to the fuel pump still hasn't figured it out. since then i have found that it has a faulty connection with the connecting cables near the fuel pump under the back seat. the connectors have been miss firing and has burnt a hole in my back seat. i've tried to go to the dealer but they insist on doing a dianostic and charge me $60.00 just to tell me the same thing that i already know. they also said they can't order the part until a dianostic was done. i've also had numerous problems with the fuel tank over filling and not reading full on the gauge. i have also had to replace the brakes four times in 18 months.the power steering also goes out quite frequently. i have also had a serious problem with the alignment of the car. i understand that wear and tear occurs on a vehicle but the problems that i have had with this car is not normal wear and tear. iam dissaponted in kia | |||
| 11/04/2003 | 42000 | 1 | 02/20/2000 |
| I bought a 1998 kia sephia in feb of 2000 i have had to replace 3 gear shifters and three transmissions and the car has only been driven 2/3 of the time that i have owned this car. my signal light on one side has never really worked properly and the the headlight constantly shorts out. of course now i'm out of warranty and still experiencing these problems and many more i dont know where else to turn because all i'm ever told is that's a kia for you. i still have a loan of this car and dont think it's right that almost every year the gear shifter and trans need to be replaced. i would great appreciate any help you can give me because i havent been able to drive the car for the last 2 months because the gear shifter wont come out of park and when it did the trans raced when reaching 2 gear. there is no way anyone should experience this much trouble whether being a used car or not. please help me. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer stated the vehicle has been riddled with problems since the day of purchase, the wire harness melting and failed. *yh | |||
| 1 | |||
| Electrical wiring and battery failed. nlm | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD | |||
| 02/24/2003 | 54469 | 2 | |
| The spark plugs and wires had to be replaced for the second time in two years. i feel this shouldnot happen so close together and there may be a problem that is causing it in the manufacturing.*jb | |||
| 07/15/2002 | |||
| While driving 10mph a fire started under the hood.*ak | |||
| 09/15/1998 | 4 | 07/01/1998 | |
| A fire started from main wiring harness under dash which led to fuse recpticle under hood. dealer and manufacturer have been notified. *ak when the wiring harness burned, the air bag, the radio, dashboard lights, the cooling fan and the a/c failed. this problem reoccurred several times. tail light, turn signal, head lights, starter and the alternator also failed as the result of the wiring harness. *yh | |||
| 02/16/2002 | 04/01/2000 | ||
| While driving vehicle, went to stop & had no brakes. pulled up on the emergency brake, looked in rearview mirror and noticed smoke all over. pulled over & got out quickly. opened paseinger door to get belongings & noticed flames coming from underneath. called 911. car was burning tremendously. a total loss. my daughter was driving, and got out safely. this happened for no apparent reason. what a traumatic experience, especially for a 17 yr. old.*ak | |||
| 04/13/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving on highway could see smoke coming from engine. stopped vehicle and found out that vehicle caught underhood fire, and was totalled. *ak *jb | |||
| While driving wires underhood caught on fire. dealer has been notified. please provide further details. *ak | |||
| 02/04/2000 | 5 | 10/01/1998 | |
| Brakes failed causing accident, they have been replaced 4 times also rotors fuel pump, transmission, glovebox,wiring harness, many other things too... could have lost my 2 of my grandsons in the accident... are we going to put up with this??? i can be reached at vitello@pgh.net | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving smoke started coming from under the dashboard, and the vehicle caught on fire. *mr *tt *jb | |||
| 09/01/1998 | |||
| 11 major failures with my vehicle. not all are listed in this complaint. no safety defect listed. *ak | |||
| 11/24/1998 | 1 | 06/27/1998 | |
| Open wiring in the wiring harness caused the to be stuck on full reading. *mjs | |||
| 05/27/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| Failure of front brakes 3 times, dash board wire harness failure causing dash board displays, starter wire harness failed and needed to be replaced, paint rubbing off and blistering, lowed noises/vibration under driver side when driving in wet condittions,, poor gas milage, faulty gas guage, broken right rear speaker, back right door weather gasket falling off for the third time, slopp steering responce during quick turns | |||
| 07/08/1998 | 2 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Has been in 17 times and still need brakes and everything else. what a piece of junk !!manufactor refuses to honor warranty. | |||
| 12/08/1998 | 2 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Oh sirs, there are plenty more parts/components on this vehicle that has failed. | |||
| 11/24/1997 | 2 | 05/04/1998 | |
| Wiring harness shorted out several times causing multiple component malfunctioning. | |||
| 07/15/1998 | 02/01/1998 | ||
| Many problems with the car some have been caused by the dealer | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - REAR COMPARTMENT/TRUNK | |||
| 12/29/2003 | 65000 | 20 | 03/15/2002 |
| I purchased a kia in march 02' i used the car for long trips the first year i had owned the car and i had no faults in jan.- feb 03' the car began to shift in to numerous gears and then stall. i was then deployed to iraq. i left the car with a good friend. when i came back he informed me that the car wouldn't start. dealer said it was the fuel pump. friend replaced the fuel pump.friend then replaced fuel pump again when car wouldn't start. friend left the car alone,when it didn't start, until i had returned from iraq. i came back and took the car to midas, due to the fact that the dealer didn't have an idea of what was going on. midas then said it was the fuel pump. i had it replaced for a third time. car ran for a day then died. i took the car back to midas they said it was the wiring harness. i had that replaced. car still didn't start. so midas said three weeks later they said it was the fuel module. the car then worked for about a month then wouldn't start. took car to several shops all said it was the pump. i then had a mechanic from my unit check it out. he said it was within the wiring to the fuel pump still hasn't figured it out. since then i have found that it has a faulty connection with the connecting cables near the fuel pump under the back seat. the connectors have been miss firing and has burnt a hole in my back seat. i've tried to go to the dealer but they insist on doing a dianostic and charge me $60.00 just to tell me the same thing that i already know. they also said they can't order the part until a dianostic was done. i've also had numerous problems with the fuel tank over filling and not reading full on the gauge. i have also had to replace the brakes four times in 18 months.the power steering also goes out quite frequently. i have also had a serious problem with the alignment of the car. i understand that wear and tear occurs on a vehicle but the problems that i have had with this car is not normal wear and tear. iam dissaponted in kia | |||