1996 Kia Sephia RS review from North America
"The reason they invented aspirin"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The air conditioners' low pressure hose snapped and went through the radiator at 500 miles. At about 45,000 miles the low pressure air conditioning hose snapped again.
All rubber hoses and the like within the engine compartment had to be replaced due to damage from the air conditioning leak.
New rotors at 20,000 miles due to warping.
New dashboard due to warping at 20,000 miles.
New head gasket seal at 50,000 miles.
New gear shift was needed around 65,000 miles.
New alternator in October of 1999, and new one in August of 2001.
All new C.V. joints were need at 75,000 miles.
A new distributor was needed at about 80,000 miles.
The engine light goes on and off. Diagnostic checks get expensive after a while.
The radio was replaced 3 weeks after the purchase of the car. The tape deck kept eating my tapes.
The battery died after one year.
General comments?
The car is comfortable but very noisy on the inside.
Parts for the 1996 Kia get very expensive and are not kept in stock anywhere. They all must be ordered.
The only thing that I do enjoy with my car is that I am one of only five or six owners of this type of Kia in my state. It makes me unique. However, I will never own a Kia again. I had better luck with my Buick at 135,000 miles than I have ever had with this, my Kia.
Oh yeah, after all the problems I have had with this car I have yet to replace any lights on it. They all still work great.
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| I like my KIA, it is a fine running car when it starts |
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| Friends don't let friends drive KIA!!! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 L Manual |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 2 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 6 miles |
| Most recent distance | 91000 miles |
| Previous car | Buick Park Avenue |
| Date of Entry | 7th August, 2001 |