1998 KIA Sephia Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 104 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 1998 KIA Sephia, 21% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 55,735 miles. The words owners use most often: “start nlm” (8% of reports).
- 104electrical system complaints
- 55,735median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 23%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Start nlm: mentioned in 8 of 104 complaints (8%)
- Possible engine: mentioned in 6 of 104 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 6 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 104 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 8 a fire, 2 an injury.
KIA Sephia electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Sephia | 1 | 17% | 21,871 |
| 2001 Sephia | 15 | 14% | 27,992 |
| 2000 Sephia | 45 | 17% | 39,025 |
| 1999 Sephia | 63 | 15% | 18,100 |
| 1998 Sephia | 104 | 21% | 55,735 |
| 1997 Sephia | 31 | 15% | 87,000 |
| 1996 Sephia | 19 | 16% | 3 |
| 1995 Sephia | 4 | 6% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 1998 KIA Sephia. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I brought a new kia sephia in 1998, and had nothing but trouble with it! Transmission was replaced 2 times by the mechanic for kia motors, and needed to be replaced again on 7/2007. Also , the brakes have been replaced 4 times and need to be replaced again. Now the headlights keep turning off while…
Tl*- the contact stated that when trying to merge into traffic with the 1998 kia sophia it stalled. When this happened instrument panel lights turned on. The vehicle stalled in heavy traffic, and she had to put the vehicle in park and restart it. The contact stated that the vehicle's current…
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
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 KIA Sephias have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 104 owner complaints about electrical system for the 1998 KIA Sephia (21% of the 491 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1998 KIA Sephia electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 55,735 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 1998 KIA Sephia?
The most frequent phrase is “start nlm”, in 8 of 104 complaints, followed by “possible engine” (6).
Other 1998 KIA Sephia problems
See all 1998 KIA Sephia problems or electrical system problems across all Sephia years.