The rear doors stick. Especially when the weather temperature is hot. I have to jerk the doors to open them. I can feel the suction release when the door opens.
The front passenger door sticks and is difficult to open occasionally.
The car has electric windows. The rear windows stick and will not go down. I have to push the buttons on and off several times to get them to unstick and go down.
The gear shift is stiff and often will not release from the park position. This is more frequent in the winter when the temperature is cooler, but it also occurs in the summer. No matter how hard you push the button in and pull back on the shifter it will not move. I have found that if I pump the brakes really hard over and over that the shifter will release quicker and I can put the car in reverse or drive.
(This is extremely irritating)
The seats are uncomfortable. There is not enough padding in them and they are designed in a way that they are hard to get out of. Sitting in the for any length of time leaves you stiff and tired.
The driver air bag did not release in an accident I had with the car. The seat belt did hold me in place and I wasn't hurt, but I expected the bag to release on impact and it did not.
The car does not drive well when it is raining. I have to drive really slow to keep it from hydroplaning. This was the reason for the accident mentioned previously when the air bag did not release. It was raining and the car would not hold to the road.
I have 60,000 miles on the car and have started replacing parts. The timing chain was only for 60,000 miles so time to replace it. I was told if I didn't and the chain broke that there would be damage to valves and other parts which would cost me major money. I replaced plug wires and other smaller parts. It is always something.
The engine light stays on and nothing is wrong with the car. How am I to know if something really is wrong with the car if the light won't go off when it should not be on???
The car looses oil and no mechanic so far can determine why. I change the oil every 3000 miles. There seems to be no oil lost until I drive it about 800 miles after the change and then I add a quart or 2 a week until I am up to the 3000 miles for another oil change. So I am checking the oil all the time to be sure I have oil in the car.
The brakes never have held very well. When I ease down on the brakes I often feel like the car is not going to stop in time. Sometimes when I have to brake suddenly the car feels like the back end is catching up to the front and the brakes are not holding. I have had the brakes checked several times and have been told nothing is wrong.
The price of the car was moderate. I could have purchased a Toyota, Jeep, or a number of cars that I think I would have been more satisfied with for the same price. For the price the car is just built cheap, drives cheap, is noisy and most of all I do not feel safe in the car.
The car is a o.k. ride if you only use it a very short time.
Even with a few good points this car is not safe.
Are you sure you didn't get a lemon? I've owned my 2000 Kia Sephia for 2 and a half years and the only problem I've had with it is the shift actuator (the locking mechanism on the shifter which releases when you step on the break), which the dealership replaced under warranty. There is an overriding mechanism to turn the lock off if it's that much of a problem (which I didn't learn until I had it replaced and the mechanic told me about it, but I did the break pumping and shifter jiggling thing too when it got stuck). I had to replace the front right rim one time, but that was only because I drove into a pothole the size of a basketball hoop and approximately a foot deep, which I think would have damaged any other car not built for that kind of punishment.
I have never had to replace oil in my car. In the past 15,000 miles or so I've had 1 oil change (I plan to do it today actually, so I guess make it 2 ;) ). I did have to put some break fluid in the car a little while ago (it was at the minimum mark), and I've had to replace air in my tires a couple times. Otherwise, the car has been a trooper, rain snow or shine. Everybody that rides in my car asks me what it is, because the ride is pretty smooth and comfortable, and yet I own it being the poor fool that I am (I live paycheck to paycheck). Gas-wise I average 22-24 miles per gallon, which I consider to be pretty decent.
Like I said, maybe you just got a lemon. There seems to be way too many problems associated with your particular car than is normal. I've never had a problem with the windows or the doors, the oil, or anything else that you mentioned except for the shifter.
As for the airbag, I have not gotten into an accident with it so I couldn't tell you if mine worked or not. ;) If I could remove the airbag though, I would. I wrecked a 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse and almost died due to the airbag, because it deployed when I rear-ended a tractor trailer and I couldn't see *anything* and ended up driving into a wall after the first impact because of it. The only purpose the bag served was punching me in the face like a boxing glove and I still have the scar on my chin to prove it. The powder burns took about 2 months to heal fully. So, basically, if the airbag doesn't deploy, I wouldn't mind at all actually. ;) But that's just my opinion.
Peace.
A very satisfied Kia owner.
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