85 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1998 Kia Sephia cite engine and engine cooling, 17% of all 491 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.
“MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 1998 KIA SEPHIA AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO STALL. SHE PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. MY WIFE RAN AWAY FORM THE VEHICLE. THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS BURNED UP. *NM”
“OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, APPROXIMATELY 70,00 MILES ON MY CAR, THE AC/HEATER FAN MOTOR WILL BLOW AIR INTERMITTENTLY, REGARDLESS OF THE FAN'S SPEED SETTING. EVENTUALLY, THE FAN STOPS BLOWING ALL TOGETHER. THIS SAME THING HAS HAPPENED WITH MY 1999 KIA SEPHIA. *JB”
“SINCE MAY OF 2002, THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 9 TIMES AND OF THIS DATE IT IS STILL THERE. FIRST THEY SAID IT WAS FUSES. ACTUALLY IT HAS NEVER RUN OR STARTED RIGHT. IT HAD TO BE TOWED AT LEAST 4 TIMES. THE LAST TIME THAT IT WENT IN WAS 8/5/03, THEY FIXED THE WATER PUMP, BELTS, CRANK PULLEY. THIS WAS ALL UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN I PICKED UP MY CAR IT MADE A TERRIBLE SOUND. THEY SAID IT WAS THE NEW BELTS. SO I DROVE IT HOME AND 2 DAYS LATER IT?S BACK IN THERE. THE NEXT DAY SABRINA CALLED AND SAID THAT IT WAS THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR. IT WAS GOING TO COST ME OVER 600.00 TO FIX IT. I HAVE A LIMITED INCOME OF 535.00 A MONTH, AM DISABLED AND IF THE CAR BROKE DOWN I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO.. THE CAR IS STILL AT KIA DEALER SHIP, THAT'S AS OF TODAY.”
“DEAR SIR: KIA SEPHIA 1998 HAS SEVERAL OTHER PROBLEMS WHICH NEVER BEEN REPORTED. MY CAR (VIN# [XXX]; 52,000 MILES) HAS (1) AN OIL LEAK FROM THE ENGINE HEAD (VALVE COVER) GASKET, WHICH CAN POTENTIALLY CREATE A FIRE, AND IT HAS (2) VERY PURE AIR FLOW ON THE WINDSHIELD WHICH REDUCE MY DRIVING VISABILITY DUE TO FOG ACCUMULATION INSIDE OF THE WIENDSHIELD. BOTH CONDITIONS ARE VERY DANGEROUS AND MAY LEAD TO A CAR CRASH. PLEASE INFORM KIA MANUFACTURING CORPORATION THAT THESE DEFICIENCIES SHOULD BE FIXED FOR FREE. THANKS! SINCERELY, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] *AK UPDATED 07/26/2012 *JS”
“PURCHASED THE CAR IN 1999. HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS STARTING IT. REPLACED THE STARTER 3 TIMES. STILL HAVE PRBLEMS STARTING IT. 2002 DIDN'T PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE OF EXAUST, KIA DEALERSHIP WAS SUPPOSE TO FIX PROBLEM STILL HAVING PROBLEMS STARTING AND EXAUST INSPECTION FAILED AGAIN. *AK”
“VEHICLE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *MR WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO COME TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKES FAILED. CONSUMER HAD TO DRIVE ON THE LAWN IN ORDER TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. AND THEN THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TT *JB”
Showing 6 of 85 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. MANUFACTURING CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE ORVR SPRING FORCE AND FLOAT WIRE LENGTH REDUCING THE VALVE ANGLE. CERTAIN VALVES CAUSED FUEL SHUT OFF BEFORE THE TANK REACHED 95% OF NOMINAL CAPACITY.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.