1997 Kia Sephia power train problems

“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”

“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.”

“CONSUMER STATES THAT WITHOUT WARNING TRANSMISSION SHIFTS INTO OVERDRIVE, DOWNSHIFTS AND LURCHES FORWARD EXCESSIVELY. CONSUMER HAD TRANSMISSION AND COMPUTER COMMAND CHIP REPLACED AT 18K MILES. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. TS”

“CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL SWITCH GEAR ON ITS OWN, PUTTING IT INTO NEUTRAL. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT THEY WANTED TO SELL THEM SOMETHING ELSE.*AK”

“DURING THE PAST WEEK, I HAVE HAD TO HAVE BOTH DRIVE AXLES REPLACED ON MY 1997 KIA SEPHIA (AT A COST OF OVER $400) DUE TO A VIBRATION WHEN THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS HASN'T COMPLETELY RESOLVED MY PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I THINK SHOULD POINT TO THE NEED FOR A RECALL: (1) THIS PROBLEM IS UNIQUE TO THE 1997 MODEL YEAR; (2) MID-WAY THROUGH THE 1997 MODEL YEAR, THE DESIGN FOR THE DRIVE AXELS WAS CHANGED AND MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO THIS CHANGE. SURELY A CHANGE DURING THE MANUFACTURING YEAR WOULD INDICATE A DESIGN FLAW. DT”

“WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTSDOWN WITHOUT WARNING, DEALER HAS YET TO BE CONTATCED. *AK CONSUMER SAID WHEN HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHENEVER STOPPING, TOOK BACK TO DEALER MANY TIMES FOR REPAIR, VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE SPEEDOMETER IS ACTING ERRACTICALLY, THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED. *YD”