Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | ||||||||||||||||
| 04V305000 | KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC. | from 06/01/1998 to 07/31/2000 | V (Vehicle) | 251594 | 08/16/2004 | ODI | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC | 06/24/2004 | 06/30/2004 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, the front safety belt buckles may emit a click sound during the buckling process that is similar to the sound emitted when a buckle is being latched, when it is not. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | The latch can then pull out of the buckle when tension is applied. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace both front seat belt buckles. the recall began august 16, 2004. owners should contact kia at 1-800-333-4542. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Kia recall no. sc039.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration | |||||||||||||||
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | ||||||
| RQ03007 | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC | 10/14/2003 | 02/27/2004 | SEAT BELT BUCKLE FALSE LATCH/MALFUNCTION | 04V305000 | |
| Information received and analyzed during this rq disclosed that my 1999 and 2000 kia sephia and sportage vehicles were equipped with modified versions of the same safety belt latch assembly as those recalled in campaign no. 02v-216.these latch assemblies were identified as type a97. odi analyses indicate a continuing trend of consumer complaints following a series of design modifications made by kia to improve the a97 latch assembly.my 2001 and 2002 subject vehicles were equipped with different design latch assemblies (type db-6 or autoliv) and exhibit a much lower complaint count.this rq has been upgraded to an ea in order to further investigate this matter for the subject vehicles equipped with type a97 latch assemblies. | ||||||
| EA04007 | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC | 02/27/2004 | 07/26/2004 | SEAT BELT BUCKLE FALSE LATCH/MALFUNCTION | ||
| The manufacturer has initiated a safety related campaign to recall the subject vehicles for correction of the seat belt buckle defect.the corrective action is to replace the seat belts/buckles.this safety recall program has been assigned nhtsa campaign no. 04v305. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS | |||
| 12/26/2002 | |||
| This is a complaint regarding equipment on the 1999 kia sephia ls, manufactured by kia in korea on 08/25/98, and targets an extremely important safety item, specifically the driver's seat belt which has a defectively designed latch, since when the tab is inserted securely seated into the latch, it pulls out when pulled, or when one leans forward slightly stressing the seat belt. it is very , very dangerous, and i informed the closest dealer to my location, bay ridge kia when i brought the car in for correction of recall items, but the belt was not on the list. i am informing dot in the hope of preventing anyone from being injured by this defect. i went back to the dealer and at my expense immediately ordered a new latch section of the belt, part no. 0k2ab-57-680-96. of course i asked, if that part had been modified? the answer was, no surprise, yes. i also had sent a letter to kia service headquarters in san diego , california . do not hesitate to recall this item, as the belt seems locked, but it isn't.*ea04007* | |||
| 1 | |||
| While trying to install a child safety seat the right rear lap/shoulder belt failed to stay switched into the automatic locking retractor mode a the owner manual states, leaving the child safety seat loose and not secured properly. *mjs | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - ANCHORAGE | |||
| 11/12/1999 | 4 | 05/15/1999 | |
| Brakes are wearing out excessively & deteriorating. whenever brakes are applied, they cause vehicle to shake. took vehicle to dealer & mechanic changed pads & warped rotors. also rotated & cleaned the brakes.*ak rear seat belt lock is too high. air conditioner draining on floor, dealer cleaned a/c drain. consumer feels a hard shock when shifting into gear. engine hard to start, dealer replaced the flywheel. binding lever failed on the parking brake. *slc | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 42000 | 1 | 08/14/2004 | |
| Driver's side seat belt sounded as if it was locked/stuck in the retractor when it really was not. *ak the problem was similar to a recall on 1998 kia sephia (recall no. 02v-216), which is also experienced by consumer on his 1999 kia sephia. *la | |||
| 06/03/2003 | 1 | ||
| Driver's side seat belt does not lock.*ak*ea04007* | |||
| 09/01/2001 | 0 | ||
| Seat belt tangled up around childs chest and stomach. belt kept getting tighter and tighter.child was complaining of not being able to breath. consumer took a pair of scissors and cut the belt. consumer took vehicle to dealer, and they refused to fix because consumer cut seat belt. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 03/01/2000 | |||
| Driver's side buckle will not stay fastened. at times consumer must punch buckle to make it fit in. also, has been some incidents of when the vehicle is stopped quickly, the seatbelt would jerk and pop off.*ak*ea04007* | |||
| 11/21/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1999 | |
| Consumer was involved in a collision in which seat belt buckle released from latch plate. subsequently the buckle hit the driver should and hit her in the head. the strap bruised her shoulder. the consumer believed that the brake did not work properly. *ak *slc *ph *nlm*ea04007* | |||
| 03/01/1999 | |||
| Certified child safety seat inspectors working for the local fire department informed us that the length of the female portion of the seat belts in the back seat of our kia sephia are too long to allow an infant child safety seat to be installed properly. the female end of the seat belt comes up into the plastic portion of the car seat (they tried 4 different models of car seats) which does not allow the belt to be tightened enough to hold the car seat securely in place. this inability to install an infant car seat properly in a rear facing position would appear to be a safety defect since all the female ends are too long to allow for proper installation. i fear that this causes a grave safety issue for any family who has an infant riding in a car seat in a kia sephia. we contacted kia and were told that the dealership never should have told us we would be able to install two car seats in the back seat, although the owners manual states that two car seats can be installed. we got no further help from them in solving this problem, because they stated it was a dealership issue not a problem that concerned them.*ak | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - RETRACTOR | |||
| When driving and upon proceeding to stop applying the brake pedal, consumer heard a noise coming from the front end. also, vibration in the front end after coming to a complete stop, the vehicle lugged forward. also, frontal safety belts do not retract, causing the belt to be very loose . consumer has contacted the dealer. please provide any further details.*ak | |||
| 04/01/2000 | |||
| Consumer was traveling 35mph and didn't come to a complete stop. she applied brakes,and the seatbelt broke loose from the retractor. consumer hurt her leg. *ak | |||