Problems · NHTSA complaints

1997 Kia Sephia problems

Owners filed 211 complaints about the 1997 Kia Sephia with NHTSA between Apr 1996 and Mar 2010. The most-cited component is service brakes, hydraulic (65).

Complaints
211
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
31
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
31
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Service brakes, hydraulic65
  2. Engine and engine cooling40
  3. Air bags31
  4. Electrical system31
  5. Power train25
  6. Seat belts18
  7. Structure14
  8. Fuel system, gasoline10
  9. Visibility9
  10. Vehicle speed control8
  11. Steering6
  12. Tires6
  13. Service brakes, air4
  14. Equipment4

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19961
19979
199841
199950
200040
200126
200211
200316
20044
20056
20062
20074
20080
20090
20101

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Service brakes, hydraulic

65 reports5 crashes
“WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THE BRAKES FELT BAD BECAUSE I HAD TO PUSH THE BRAKE ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. AFTER HAVING IT FOR 2 WEEKS OTHER THING STARTED TO GO WRONG. I HAD TO BUY A CAP AND ROTOR AND GET SPARK PLUG AND WIRES. NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS MESSING UP. THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO PUT ME IN SOMETHING BETTER. THEY WANT ME TO PAY ON A JUNK CAR THAT I WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO BE FIXING DAY AFTER DAY.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 15, 2004Service brakes, hydraulic, Power train, Unknown or otherODI 10070151

Engine and engine cooling

40 reports6 crashes1 fire
“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 2, 2006Engine and engine coolingODI 10169738

Air bags

31 reports20 crashes
“I PURCHASED A 2007 KIA OPTIMA USED IN OCTOBER 2007. THE CAR HAD ROUGHLY 18,000 MILES ON IT WHEN I PURCHASED IT. SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED IN LATE 2009, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND HAS REMAINED ON EVER SINCE. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON, EVEN WHEN A NORMAL-SIZED ADULT SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 23, 2010Air bagsODI 10321562

Electrical system

31 reports1 fire
“DT: 1997 KIA SEPHIA, THE DASHBOARD IS LIFTING. WHEN THE CONSUMER ENTERED THE VEHICLE SHE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. UPON INSPECTING THE DASH SHE NOTICED THE DRIVER'S SIDE DASH WAS BURNED. WHEN THE CONSUMER CLEANED THE DASH THE CLEANING CLOTH SMELLED BURNED AND THERE WAS A BROWN RESIDUE ON THE CLOTH. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE CONSUMER CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE IT FIXED. *AK *JB *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 29, 2005Electrical system, Unknown or otherODI 10134181

Power train

25 reports
“I NOTICED A CLUNKING SOUND IN MY FRONT END OF MY 1997 KIA SEPHIA. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 49,000 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED NEW AXLE SHAFTS ON BOTH SIDES. THE DEALER INFORMED ME HE WOULD HAVE TO ORDER THE PARTS OVERNIGHT AND THAT HE DID NOT WANT ME TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT WAS FIXED BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. THE AXLE SHAFTS ARE CRUMBLING AND HE HAS NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY. HE SAID YOU DON'T SEE THAT IN KIA VEHICLES. THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT BUT HAD I WAITED THE CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS, AND I HAVE ASKED THEM TO HOLD ON TO THE AXLE SHAFTS WHEN THEY ARE REMOVED. *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 2, 2006Power trainODI 10149273

Seat belts

18 reports7 crashes1 related recall
“DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 1997 KIA SEPHIA. CONTACT'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 35 MPH . UPON IMPACT, THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.THERE WERE THREE OCCUPANTS IN THE CAR ALL WEARING SEAT BELTS. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BROKE . THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAD NOT BEEN ON IN THIS VEHICLE NOR WAS IT ON AFTER THE CRASH. ONE PERSON SUSTAINED INJURIES BECAUSE OF THE SEAT BELT. SHE BROKE TWO RIBS. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 2, 2005Air bags, Seat beltsCrash reportedODI 10131172
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.