2000 Kia Sephia from North America - Comments

The only physical problems that I've had so far is that the wheels tend to go out of alignment very often. But, I do drive the car a lot more than most probably do, so maybe this is to be expected.

Also, the paint scratches and chips very easily.

Oh yeah, and after a year of using my lighter for charging my phone, it completely fell out. Nothing major.

My major complaints are with the dealerships I've dealt with. They put very bad quality tires on the cars when you buy them new, and the hubcaps are just crappy!

Had an accident immediately after buying the car, and had to have the front bumper replaced. Had this done with the dealership, and 6 months after having it installed the paint started to all fall off, and the left side of the bumper began to become loose. I've heard common complaints from other owners when dealing with KIA dealerships.

Parts for these cars are very expensive, and sometimes you can't find very simple things, like headlights and wiper blades, at auto parts stores. Most of the time, you are forced to go back to the dealer for your parts, at which point they charge you far too much. Of course, you have no choice, but to pay it.

The BIGGEST complaint that I have about these cars is that the resale value is NOTHING. My car is three years old, I paid $11,000 for it, and it's only got a resale blue book value of $1,100 for "good" condition!

This car was a wonderful buy for me when I first got it, because I needed a good dependable car, but I couldn't afford anything major. This was my first brand new car. It's very reliable and fun to drive.

I would have to say that, while I really really like the car, I've been disappointed by the resale value and the quality of service, and I would not buy another one.

I totally agree with the assessment of the car quality and dealership experience. I bought a PONY 2000 Sephia (all manual) and with 51000 miles on the odometer, it still runs good on the road. The alignment is starting to go bad and there is a small exhaust leak, but other than that is still going strong (knock on wood). Parts are very scarce and very pricey when you do find them. The internet in addition to the dealer seem to be the only two places to buy parts from. The purchase price at 7500 dlrs when purchased in 09/2000 was just right.