1997 KIA Sephia Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sephia years
- More complaints than other years 4th of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 205 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 KIA Sephia. That ranks 4th out of 9 Sephia model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (72 complaints, 35%), typically at around 63,000 miles. Complaints mention 30 crashes, 5 fires, 29 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 205owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 30complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 KIA Sephia problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 72 | 35% | 63,000 | “brake rotors” (18%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 44 | 21% | 52,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 31 | 15% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 30 | 15% | 65,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 30 | 15% | 56,450 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 20 | 10% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 20 | 10% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 19 | 9% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 14 | 7% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 11 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 KIA Sephia recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:front:buckle assembly
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the safety belt buckle may "false latch" and expose the driver to unrestrained movement during a crash.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Owner notification began december 20, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Safety belt buckle malfunction (PE02051) — opened Jun 17, 2002, closed Sep 20, 2002, led to recall 02V216000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The dashboard is warped/coming up and has bent/ruined the defrost/defogger system. It happened all on it's own, we did nothing to provoke this. I am the original owner and the car has never been in a wreck. I am concerned if it has caused airbag damage. It is a hazard not to be able to…
Dashboard warped and coming up and touching windshield. It is breaking or blocking the vent/defroster/defogger system. Therefore the windows barely defrost and this is a safety hazard. I know of two other people having the same problem with the dashboard. Also "door open" light remains on and…
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 kia sephia. The contact stated that the air bag light on the instrument panel remains illuminated. He does not know if the air bags are working properly. The dealer stated that there was nothing they could do, especially since his vehicle is not under warranty. The cost…
Airbag failed to deploy during a front end crash. Injuries included head,neck and back .the car was totaled.*ak
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.
Other KIA Sephia years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 Sephia | 2 | 0 |
| 2002 Sephia | 6 | 0 |
| 2001 Sephia | 107 | 0 |
| 2000 Sephia | 266 | 1 |
| 1999 Sephia | 428 | 5 |
| 1998 Sephia | 491 | 6 |
| 1997 | 205 | 1 |
| 1996 Sephia | 118 | 1 |
| 1995 Sephia | 64 | 1 |
See all KIA Sephia problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
Similar KIA models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 KIA Sephia?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, engine and engine cooling, electrical system problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 72 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 KIA Sephia?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 KIA Sephia a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sephia model years, the 1997 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.