2000 Kia Sephia Base review from North America

Fuel pump went at 50,000 miles.

Tires worn out by 30,000 miles but I am just now replacing at 63,000 miles.

Brakes will need to be replaced soon at 63,000 miles.

I am having the timing belt replaced now at 63,000 miles (normal item at this mileage for most cars).

I have some problems shifting into reverse, but I find this to be common amongst manual transmission vehicle (friends with Subaru/Toyota also have some difficulty).

Back seat is very comfortable for passengers for it's size.

Rear molding hits the Front door when opened. Something all 2000 Sephia's have wrong. Unknown if this occurs on later/earlier models.

I religiously change the oil / oil filter every 3000 miles.

The car gives me really no problems. There are a lot of items that come up at 60k miles, just like other vehicles.

Miles per Gallon is steady usually around 33-34 highway.

I travelled from Philadelphia, PA to Brooklyn, NY for a year with no major problems except for the fuel pump.

Acceleration is limited when using the AC as in most cars.

I had a problem with the windshield wipers. The OEM's and certain replacement wipers did not fit well as I always had streaks on the window during the rain that seemed to be due to the wipers not hitting the windshield properly. Have since replaced the wipers again and have found the new wipers fit and work great. I do not remember which wipers they are however.

Was broken into once. Found the interior parts to be cheap due to the plastic used.

Getting non-stocked parts takes a long time. A broken window due to vandalism took 1 week to fix due to shipping from Korea.

I have heard Kia's are hit or miss, apparently I hit.