1999 Kia Sephia LS from North America - Comments

I thought my car was great for the money, until I had to start pumping more money into it.

At 10K miles, I received a recall notice for a faulty fuel line.

At 20K miles, the front brake pads were replaced.

At 23K miles, the battery and alternator was replaced. (The alternator was considered defective).

(Shortly after, new set of tires needed)

At 31K miles, 1 spark plug wire set needed replacing. Cylinder 3 misfire.

At 40K miles, I had to replace the front brake pads again. Now the car shudders when you apply the brakes. (Rotor war-page)

At 53K miles, AC went. The return had a leak in it.

At 60K miles, replace brakes again.

At 65K miles, remaining spark plug wire set was replaced. Brake fluid low, needed to be refilled. (Brake light started coming on)

At 69K miles, battery needed replacing again.

At 70K miles, brake light came on again, fluid was low, needed to be refilled.

Currently (71K miles), loud rattle type noise is heard under the car. My husband at first thought it was the transmission as the rattling noise only happened under load (when gas pedal was applied). Our other mechanically inclined friends state that it could be the CV joints. We're checking it out soon.

Other problems: Mis-coloration of driver side door panel, since day I bought car (I thought it was a mirror reflection from the light...) Dashboard disfigurement (it's totally gone now - vents broken, edge around vent is bubbled). Rear passenger door seals keep coming off. Black vinyl area on back doors became oxidated not too long after I purchased car. Front head lights mis-colored. Light bulbs burn out regularly. Rear seat release buttons (for access to trunk) cracked completely. Area around key hole on doors and handles scratched. The list goes on, and on... and on...

I would obviously suggest to everyone to do homework before purchasing a vehicle. Do not buy because it's cool, or cheap, etc... Buy it because it's what you need. Make sure it's a good manufacturer.

This car was what I needed at the time and a great price. However, if I knew then what I know now... I would have gotten a different vehicle. I almost considered another Kia at one point in time. Never again.

Hello my 2000 kia has done the same with the dashboard and the seals on the doors have been replaced over and over maybe there should be a recall to fix these issues and maybe there has been and we just don't know about it if anyone else has these issues lets fight to get them fixed by kia and not our pocketbooks thanks.

I seem to be having the same issues with my 2000 Sephie : (I have 85k miles on it, I bought it at 55k.

My car as well started with the sound of something rattling underneath : (just last night my engine light came on.

I ran a on board system check on it today, the emmisions stations charge 14.00 to test your car, Just FYI, and low and behold cylinder 3 misfire issues as I have read in the prior statement : (

Please let me know what the rattling is, I bought a new plug today now I just need to locate the plugs on the engine and replace it to see if that helps?

My email is mac3@iname.com Thank you.

Hi. I read your problems that you've had with your car. Most of them, such as your brakes and spark plugs, are listed in the owners manual as requiring maintenance at certain intervals. For instance, the spark plugs and wires are scheduled to be replaced every 30,000 mi. From the mileage you had posted down, I'd guess many problems you had, could have been avoided by following the maintenance schedule.

My '99 Sephia, currently has 76,000+ miles on it. Replaced front and back breaks twice so far. Spark plugs and wires are due for their third change when I reach 90,000mi. Otherwise, aside from the fuel system recalls, the car has not had to go in for any other "unscheduled" maintenance issues.

I haven't had any problem with the discoloration of the interior panels. Also, nothing has warped out of place either. Could it be something with the climate you live in? I live in the Northeast. Cold winters, but nothing extremely hot in the summer. Plastic will warp, crack, discolor if put under extreme temperature conditions.

My Sephia has 117,000 miles on it, and it's on its last leg. I have had similar problems to yours. I have put at least six sets of front brake pads on this car. At about 90k, the brake system just "fell apart," according to the mechanic. I had to have the distribution valve replaced, several brake lines were leaking and I was just lucky I wasn't on the highway when it happened or I might not be here.

The transmission is about to completely fall apart. I was told the only thing to do is have it rebuilt at a cost of about $2,400 for a car worth about $800. The heater fan only works when it's warm, which doesn't help much. When it's cold, the locks and door mechanisms don't work, so I get frozen out of my car when the temperature gets low. The only thing remotely worthwhile seems to be the engine, although I did have to replace a spark plug wire.

I had planned to trade it in a while ago, but couldn't because I owed more on the car than what it was worth. It depreciated faster than I could make payments on it. Get rid of it ASAP.

I might have just written all of these complaints myself!!! I have KIA spectra 2002 @ 68,586mils, my brakes, shocks; struts had to be done @ 55mils. Soon after my alternator went! And now my converter is done in. Was told because my plugs had not be change; “…………those should have been done with a tune-up” (100,000mils before 1st Tune-up! Hey right!) That fuel had leaked into my converter and melted the "fillers" in the converter. So my now converter will not be covered under the warranty! My "real" mechanic said that's crap! (He had worked @ Berlin years ago before he started his own repair shop) Berlin City (sold me the KIA) said it would cost $1500 to fix it (“I’ll get fired for telling you that” this guy must think I just fell off the turnip truck! My mech. said even before Berlin looked at it, would be $400 +labor so at most $500! I’m going to make a bumper stick that says {God created *@#!, Kia gave it wheels} Yes, it is a cheap car ($14,000), but what you have to keep putting $ in it and you aren't allowed to use your 100,000mil warranty; adds up quick! I will run this car in the ground and junk it and get a used Chevy or a Toyota. That least the parts can be found anywhere, and my husband and I can fix it ourselves!

1999 kia sephia has had four brake jobs, front and rear converters have been replaced. A rattling noise when gas pedal is applied. Nicely priced car, but repairs are costly. I am now at around 100,000 miles and every week I'm having to replace something. The car has now begun to stall, I'm afraid

that the fuel pump will have to be replaced. Choose wisely when purchasing a vehicle, do your research, I wish I had.

Hi I own a 2000 KIA Sephia and have some of the same problems. I also have the rattling when the gas petal is applied. I found out that the rattling is the heat shield against the muffler. One of the bolts that holds my heat sheild onto the bottom of my car somehow broke or came out causing part of the heat sheild to lay on the muffler. When you apply the gas and the muffler gently shakes you hear the rattling because of the metal on metal. Also, my blower for my heater and a/c has a mind of its own and only works when it wants too, not sure if it's a short in the wiring or the blower itself. I'm also having to replace my right CV joint because the CV boot somehow came off which caused my cv joint to go bad prematurely.

The rattling noise you're hearing is probably a loose heat shield that apparently doesn't actually shield anything. The same thing is happening on my Sephia, and we looked under the car and found that a random piece of metal that is held on with mismatched brackets to be the culprit.

You can't remove it unless you feel like hacksawing around your exhaust system, which I can't say is a good idea, or you can just secure it to the bottom of the car with some bracing like we did. Other than that, I can honestly say, this is my least favorite car I've owned and its really been nothing, but trouble...

Have a 2000 kia sephia. piece of junk. my heat shield fell off too. all the other problems listed I've had the same. just blew power steering line, radiator hose, and fried the alternator, all within one week. it rattles shakes shimmies and then farts in my face! what a piece of junk.

I have a 2000 KIA sephia and had it for a year put 25000 miles on it and only had minor issues timing belt broke due to lack of scheduled repair brakes seem to wear bad, but didn't buy cheap ones this time and just now having prob w/ac blower so I wouldn't say there a piece of junk I would just get more info about the actual vehicle you are buying if you lack schedule repairs they all come at you at once.

Frequent service intervals is how Kia makes money. Also the infamous Kia brakes that never last more than a year that are not covered by the warranty. Out of warranty work and tune ups are easily $800 to $1,000 a year. Many people are thinking Kias are inexpensive, they aren't.

To the original reviewer: It's typical Kia to have to change a lot of service parts. On other makes (like my GM) few things need to be replaced until 100,000 miles, besides filters and regular oil changes.

Why spark wires need replacing every 30,000? That's because they used sub-standard material on whole this car. And this seem to be the case on all Kia models. I just hate those cars after owning one for 3 years. You swap from a 11 year old Chevy because you think a new Kia will be more reliable and give better economy. Think again. You end up with a car payment and 2-3 payments a year for tune ups and out of warranty work on an almost new car.

I also have a 2000 Sophia, 59000 miles, Don't want to recap the same problems that are already listed, I've had them all my question is, can anyone tell me how to get the top dash over off? Help I need to repair it!

I also live in the northeast. Within days of purchasing my 99 Sephia, we hit a cold snap and the battery froze. Massive problems with ALL Kias in the area. That should have been the warning sign we needed to get some other car. My brakes have needed repair every 2-3 years. They have 'fallen off' twice now. The automotive repair shop I took it to asked my if I parked my car underwater as the brakes rusted off. I don't know if it has something to do with the way things drain or what, but that's not good in any way. Rattling heat shield, also an issue, frozen doors (WD40 helps!), bad battery, bad windshield, bad door seals. Bad EVERYTHING.

I have a 2000 Kia Sephia and the drivers door has locked, and I can't even open it with the key, can anyone tell me how to get it open; the lock is jammed someway.

Thanks, Joe from Phoenix.

I have a 2000 Kia Sephia and I have only one problem. The dashboard curling up under the heating vents, which stinks because my particular car has been really dependable. But now that I am trying to sell it no one wants it, because it looks so bad. I tried gluing it down, but that just made it worse. Any suggestions?