Problems with 1999 Kia Sephia POWER TRAIN

1999 sephia brakes, transmission were replaced. consumer feels that the exhaust should be recalled. *ts the technician determine that there was a split in the centerpipe of the exhaust which caused it to be loud. the part is a piece of flexible housing. the part could not be purchased separately but the consumer had to purchase the entire pipe. the part was replaced but split again three more times. *nm since the vehicle was purchased the brakes have been replaced, the transmission has been replaced and gas leakage problem has been repaired.

This car has been a constant repair and financial problem for the last 4 years starting two weeks after i purchased the car. it is an unsafe vehicle and can not be kept maintained for safety or reliability it was purchased with 21000 miles on the vehicle and a majority of repairs has had to be fixed. 4 starters, ignition switch, ignition switch wiring harness (ignition still doesn't work), air bag sensor, air bag wiring (air bags still does not work), alternator, front passenger side drive axel broke while i was driving the car, right passenger ball joint fell off the car while i was driving the car, master cylinder and rear brake cylinder went out at the same time while i was driving the car, heater/air conditioning motor. the car has been towed 3 times, and has left me and my children stranded too many times to count. the car is still in need of major repair. the driver rear stabilizer bushings need replaced, the driver's side drive axel needs replaced, the air bags still do not work, the ignition switch still gets stuck and won't turn over, and two weeks ago a piston was thrown through the engine and caught the car on fire. the car is now parked in my drive way leaving me stuck with a car payment and a car that is not worth fixing. *nm

(1)clutch pedal would stick near floor, would'nt return to normal position. (2)with clutch pedal depressed to floor while at a long light, vehicle begins to creep forward, no further pedal travel to disengage available. (3)nothing yet.

The car died while driving down the road repeatedly. battery leaked. brakes had to be replaced for the entire car at 60,000 miles. the vents on the dashboard have popped up and broken. now the defroster does not blow the air on the windshield. this vehicle was stored in a garage. the seams on the seat come undone. the cigarette lighter broke and flops in the dash. the switch to override the transmission lock is broken. the rear brake light broke when replacing the struts which you have to remove the back dash to get to. the board that is under the carpet in the trunk warped. the carpets came up from the sides of the car. the storage bin in the center console broke, twice. the wind shield chips and errodes when in a car wash. i have never seen a windshield in this bad shape before. the back seat does not stay down. the headlights have a bad seal and there is water now in them. the rubber around the doors comes out repeatedly. gear shifter is continually stuck. brakes take twice as long to stop my car as any other vehicle i have ever driven. i have to drive 2 & 1/2 hours to get repairs. the gas milage is closer to 24 mpg then the 35 that was marked on it when i bought it. there are noises from the engine compartment that are loud and unpleasant. there is a ground fault wire that is bad they want $75 an hour minimum of 10 hours to repair it. the fuse panel cover broke. the headlights cannot be alligned. *ak

Sudden brake failure; leakage around windows, trunk; gas splash back (found out there was a recall on this, never fixed by previous owner); fear shift button won't go in to change from park to drive or reverse; transmission hestitates at times, then lunges; car overheats while sitting or driving at slow speed (fan works and radiator full); smell comes from air conditioning when stopped (it really stinks, worse than a skunk); when filling gas tank to full, mark never registers full. i spoke to kia about these problems and they said i'd have to pay to have them fixed. i think there needs to be recalls on these problems as the people at kia are not very friendly nor willing to help out people. we bought this car used and thought some of the problems stemmed from that. however, in researching the brake pad issue, i found many of these same problems began early in the manufacturing of these vehicles. unfortunately, i am not under warranty like others so have no recourse but to sell this vehicle as soon as i get the brake pads fixed. i do wish the nthsa could do something to help us out on these problems which are not being fixed by kia. thanks - don't buy a kia sephia 1999 model. too many problems.*ak

Consumer had to have the motor rebuilt. *ph the engine was rebuilt because the engine kept overheating. now the transmission needs to be replaced but the consumer cannot afford to repair it. the starter was also replaced. *nm

The dealer had replaced two automatic transmissions in the last two years. *ak the vehicle was a lease and had only one year remaining and was unable to be driven. the vehicle needed a transmission and brakes. the engine light had come on, the transmission lines leaked, and when the brakes were applied they were noisy. *scc *jb

Took car to brenner and they said it was ok the first time. overdrive kept turning off while driving. 7/03 took my car back and now it needs a transmission and they don't want to put it in, because i did not have them do the maintenance on my car. i showed proof that the work was done. they are way over priced when it comes to main. that is not covered under warranty. *ak

The vehicle had numerous recalls and problems. when the consumer put fuel in the vehicle it leaked out. when it did hit she had to play around with it, until the nozzle was in the tank just right, then it would take the fuel. also, the vehicle was had problems with the brakes, and rotors wearing out too quickly and the master cylinder was cracked and leaking brake fluid. the consumer had the vehicle in the repair shop at least 10 times and needed to be returned to the repair shop. *ak the fuel tank problem had been worked on four times and still was not fixed. there were gear shift problems where the shifter would stick, multiple wiring console light problems, the wiper blade links were defective and caused the blade to come apart. *scc *jb referenced in rq03-006

Consumer has experienced several problems with 1999 kia sephia. nar 07/21/2003.*mr transmission, rear blinkers, brake pads, fuel pump and valve. *cb

Consumer states that while driving at any speed up hill and with no warning transmission will decelerate even when foot is on the accelerator, and it will be hard for the consumer to control the vehicle. dealer notified.*ak

The transmission failed at 30,000, when the vehicle was repaired, consumer was informed that eventually there would be problems with the engine, consumer stated it took numerous tires to get the vehicle to start. ts *jb

While driving between 40-65mph transmission will downshift, and engine light will come on, making it hard for consumer to control vehicle. dealer notified.*ak

While traveling and without any indication transmission hose bursted, causing transmission fluid to leak and spray on wires resulting in a fire. *ak dealer did not replace wiring, but instead applied electrical tape over burnt wires and casings, consumer was advised by personal mechanic that transmission fluid is not flammable, therefore could not have been the cause of the fire, consumer has a lawyer to investigate, possible engine failure. *tt

When accelerating, the driver noticed the vehicle would not gain any power. consumer took vehicle to the dealership to replaced the transmission. a few months later, the transmission was replace again for the same problem. this is the third transmission that has been placed in vehicle. *ph when accelerating, the driver noticed the vehicle would not gain any power. consumer took vehicle to the dealership to replaced the transmission. a few months later, the transmission was replace again for the same problem. this is the third transmission that has been placed in vehicle.*mr

Since we bought the car we had a recall on january of 2000 for electrical system.after that we had problems with engine light going on that was due to transmission problems,wish in fact had to be repair twice and replace once.also air bag light turn on due to alternator problem on 02/05/2002,alternator had to be replace.i would like to see a resolution to this problem because of the matter of fact the car shoulb be under the lemon law.thank you. *ak

I have had nothing but problems since i bought this car. first it was the rotors and brakes, then all the recalls. brakes are going again, had to get a new battery after one year. then the transmission went. the first time was on 11/16/01 and i was out of state. didn't get a car while it was being fixed. husband had to rent a car. only had 24825 miles. i missed three days of work because of it. now, it hass happened again. on 1/19/02 on my way to work. i missed work that day. of course it is a weekend and can't get ahold of anybody. it has only been two months since last time and i was told it will never happen again, cause they have a new and improved transmission. imagine that. could someone please help me, i am so sick of this car. i need a car i can rely on for work. i have to go on meetings outside and this is kind of hard without a vehicle. if i can't work i can't pay my payments now can i. cynette cheal, va. *ak

While driving transmission will jump out of gear. dealer has inspected vehicle four times before correcting the problem. since then, dealer has replaced transmission, but it has failed again. please provide additional information. *ak

This the third letter i have sent you. i want to complaint about my kia, i can't take it anymore, this car is making me sick. this car has caused me many inconvinience from missing work, getting late to work, leaving early from work, my daughter had missed school, getting late to school, and plus a lot of headackes. this car its only two years old, its a new car, i'm still paying for this junk. and it does not qualify for the lemon law because the same thing had to happen in order to qualify, but the thing is that every time is a different problem and the botton line is that im driving a lemon and no one can help me. no safety defect listed. *ak

Windshield wipers work intermittently, come on and off without prior warning. also, transmission roars up high, and when shifting gears in place it is hard to steer. dealership is aware of problem.*ak

I have already contacted the manufacturer in several ocasions. filed a complaint with the bbb auto line, but case was closed because car is not a lemon. the dealers have not been able to find the problems of the transmission and the ignition. kia had said that they were working on a "good faith offer" but after the bbb closed the case, did not hear from them anymore. i do not wish to keep the car. kia has not honored the warranty promise; therefore they are in default of the warranty. kia dealers won't check the car if computer does not prompt a code. the last time i dropped the car at the dealer, left it for over 5 days for them to inspect and notified kia of this action, but they could not find the intermittent problems. monthly payment on car is $422.52. can't afford a defective vehicle, besides of paying for tow trucks and missing from work due to car failures. transmission have broken twice. every time they fix it, it does not work for long. this car is no longer reliable and i do not wish to waste my time at dealers. they have not been able to repair the problems. i am desperate for a solution. i would appreciate your advise before a procede legally.*ak

Repair attempted 4 times, still not fixed, lost 30 days of work thus far. no safety defect mentioned. *ak

Since earnhardt kia re-ground transmission wiring harness and worked on fuel pump (another recall), car has still stuck in gear, dragged, made grinding sound and shakes from 45 to esp. 55-75 mph, partic when running hot (over 15 minutes). it also still randomly stalls on cold start or when rainy/wet. kia consumer affairs called and requested i not take the vehicle back to earnhardt or to thomas motors authorized kia dealerships and to please take it to another dealership and they would call back to confirm a loaner vehicle....which they did not. sure enough, this morning, on the way to work, it was doing it's usual dragging, grinding, and shaking while i drove except, this time, it stuck in 1-2 gear all the way up to 45mph, then jumped, and then when it went up to 65mph (freeway) right afterwards, i smelled a strange smokey chemical smell and the engine light came on immediately. i was two exits from work so was able to make it to work and called kia and another dealership (childress kia) right away. the vehicle only has 28,800 miles and kess than 2 years old. to make matters worse, i twice had to call kia back when one of their representatives and then the tow truck driver they had arranged to take the vehicle indicated that kia had placed a note in my file that my warranty was "pre-expired." it took calling back, being put on hold numerous times before they finally indicated that they had made an administrative mistake and, of course, still warrantied. this manufacturer has been nothing less than unresponsive and incompetent mechanically and administratively in resolving this vehicles major powertrain defects (past and current) and request investigation remain open until vehicle recalled and returned.*ak

Consumer states when accelerating the vehicle speed decreases instead of increasing. replaced parts 4 times. problem still occurs. nlmvehicle has been repaired for wiring harness and sensor failure, the transmission is slipping, the transmission fluid is burnt and it is leaking fluid at the shift shaft (consumer was advised to replace transmission), the over drive light keeps flashing and the check engine light illuminates due to the hold unit not being applied. *jg

While driving about any mph when engine check light and overdrive light will come on. this situation had been a problem for consumer sixth times. when lights come on engine will stall. dealer could not find out what is causing it.*ak

Vehicle has no power, belts sound loose, and overheated due to missing radiator cap. *slc

Have taken vehicle for fuel pump problems over 6x..3 recalls & still seems to run hard/stall. transmission first brought in on 1/1/00, they couldn't diagnose and then 3/23/01 diagnosed for same problem- repaired. now sticks in 3-4th gear. all 4 original tires have separated and been replaced (15k miles and 24k miles). electrical still causing powertrain and accessory-related (radio) recurringly fail. car is extremely dangerous and kia/dealership fails to diagnose/repair only until recall on exact prev brought in problems occur (and keep recurring). this partic vehicle is extreme hazard/liability to drive. (tiresize: 185/65r14)( dot number: tire size: 185/65r14 )

While driving at highway speeds transmission line seal that leads to motor cracked and ignited a fire, causing total loss of vehicle, without warning.*ak

The parking brake does not hold when the engine is off only with transmission in first or reverse, the emergency brake info was misleading in the owners manual, the consumer believes the brake cable is not strong enough, the parking brake has been adjusted several times, on one occasion the brake was set on park and the vehicle rolled and hit a garage door, front disc pads and rotors failed causing grinding noise while braking. nlm

Transmission was replaced in january 2001; then, again in may 2001 due to no pick up and sluggish performance. please add further details. *ak

The problems i am having or have had with this car are as follows, cooling system has completly froze up, water leak into the front passenger side under dash, molding around the doors replaced, 4 transmissions replaced, warped rotors which have also worn the brake pads. and i just recieved a recall notice for the on board refueling vapor recovery valves, which i am hoping will stop the gas from pouring out of the car onto me when i am refueling. this car is not road worthy. i have been in contact with the manufacturer and dealer they both just point the finger at one another, when i purchased this vehicle i expected it to run. *ak

Engine check light would stay on, vehicle overheated & overdrive would blink on/off. ground wire was suppose to be fixed,but vehicle caught on fire. vehicle was totalled. manufacturer said they couldn't do anything, filed a lawsuit. warranty was not up on vehicle.*ak

Battery failed. *slc

Tires was replaced feb.29th 2000 plus alignment and flywheel replaced in transmission . after that heard rubbing nioses when i turned wheel lt. to rt. asked mechanic about niose he stated i know what it is , when he came back to return my car (he stated) it was your mounts to the transmission was not aligned, bolts . plus this is my second kia sephia and i not getting any help with the problems and i could go on and on , but i would write a best seller. thanks for listening

Automobile caught on fire and burned. was told by the dealer that transmission fuel leaked out and caused the fire. *ak

I have turned this car into service two times and they state that there is nothing wrong with this vehicle. but i still have the problems and they want do anything about it. also the vehicle was stolen from the dealership serv. dept. on 3/6/00 and located in another state with physical damage and there are no id #'s on car any longer. i feel like this dealership should have to replace or the lemon law needs to be in effect for this car. no safety defect listed within summary. *ak

Defective fuel pump, causing intermittent stalling. also, gear shift would not shift out of gear. dealer notified. *ak *ml

Since i purchase the car it has been in the shop five times one for replacement of transmission and the other four for the brakes. i contact the company and ask the to give me a knew car but they refuse to. in the mean while the transmission is going again and the brakes are still messed up and it feels like someone is pushing me from the back of the care. i cannot go fast on the high way or the steering wheel will start shaking very fast. they cannot fix the problem i took the car their five times and they donot want to replace it. if you can help me i would like that someone needs to get involved in this situation i pay $350 month and i cannot see why. thank you

Transmission failure 3 times/ replaced 2 times. *jb

I bought this car just over a year ago. it has been to the shop 9 going on 10 times, not to mention that there have been two recalls within the last month. this is not what i expected out of a brand new car, in fact, this is what i was trying to avoid by buying new versus used. i still have alot of problems with the transmission, it just doesn't shift right. sometimes i accellerate, but the car goes nowhere. someday, i will probably get hit. the car starts hard, this was supposedly fixed by some "fix it" that kia came up with, but it still does it. my check engine light keeps coming on, and i think i've come to the conclusion that when it comes on, i am backing up. we have filed a lawsuit on this car against kia, but they have not done anything toward settlement. court date is 6/99. *ak

I thought the brakes were going bad in december, they shafed the rotors. in less than three moths they replaced them on march 2, 2000. they have replaced the brake pads three times. they have replaced the exhaust. they have two recalls. they have had to fix my transmission. the pin stripes are now starting to come off. the rubber peice around the back passenger doors are also comming off. *ak( dot number: 0 tire size: 14 )

Brakes are wearing out excessively & deteriorating. whenever brakes are applied, they cause vehicle to shake. took vehicle to dealer & mechanic changed pads & warped rotors. also rotated & cleaned the brakes.*ak rear seat belt lock is too high. air conditioner draining on floor, dealer cleaned a/c drain. consumer feels a hard shock when shifting into gear. engine hard to start, dealer replaced the flywheel. binding lever failed on the parking brake. *slc

While driving the automatic transmission keeps skipping. the dealership has replaced the transmission 3 times and the problem still exist. ph

The switch block under the seat was messed up had to be ficked so car would start. was low on transmission fluid 3 days after buying car. transmission went out after 6500 miles. the rotors began squelling at about 5000 miles hard to stop sometimes locks up sometimes keeps rolling......rotors and pads replaced and still keeps acting up

I started taking my car in to the mechanic at the dealership shortly after i purchased the car about the car not shifting correctly and being so sluggish. i'm not sure about the dates i took the car in but it was several times. i was told that nothing was wrong or they couldn't find any problems. it has just gotten so bad that i'm not able to drive the car now. i've had problems with the brakes, the air conditioner, check engine light coming on and staying on and the overdrive light flashing on and off. i'm sure they don't have a record of the many times i've gone by because they would usually just look at it or drive it around the block and say they couldn't find anything. now that the warranty is out , they have come up with some suggestions at my expense. the car has never performed properly and they just kept putting me off until i finally gave up. i am unable to drive the car now because it will barely get up to 35 miles per hour. i will greatly appreciate anything you may be able to do to assist me. thanks

Brakes and rotors replaced 3 times once at 8208, 16257, and 20368 having same problem and transmission replaced with rebuilt one o\d lights flashes and check engine still having the same problem transmission went out again 1 day after they said they fixed it

The brakes squeak and the pads were replaced at 1200 miles, the brakes failed again at 6600 miles the rotors were warped and the pads were worn and i returned the car to northwestern dodge and kia and they replaced the pads and machined the rotors, however the stering wheel shakes and vibrates when i drive on the expressway and the brakes are still grinding. the stering wheel and column vibrates and shakes when i drive at 50+ mph. at 6600 miles the check engine light illuminated and there is a burning smell. the car dies out when i am at a stand still for no reason and without any warning. i have to start the car at least 3 times before it turns over. overall i would say that i am disappointed with the car and the moment that i can trade it in i plan to do so and i will advise anyone who is thinking about purchasing this car to not even consider a kia (any model) because they are not well made cars.

Oil pump failed. (attorney for client). yh

Consumer stated vechicle was defected when she purchased it on sep 11 1999 . consumer took it back on sep 13 1999 because she has been having problems, such as transmission fluid leaking out from underneath her vechicle. also, brakes not working properly when applying brakes. pedals went allthe down to the floor. also vechicle overheated. also, front grill /windshield wipers and gas gauge had to b ereplaced, and i still don't work . at this time the consumer has registered a complaint with the lemon law. her car is at the dealership waiting for a part. *ak

Transmission failed took to dealer he stated transmission failed because i was trying to get out of the snow in my driveway???? contacted kia they stated they could only take the word of the service manager of the dealership. i had this vehicle for only 6months and 11000 miles and has had other problems such as brake failure, emission failure and overheating problems in addition to the transmission failure.