1999 KIA Sephia Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sephia years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 428 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 KIA Sephia. That ranks 2nd out of 9 Sephia model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (169 complaints, 39%), typically at around 26,600 miles. Complaints mention 50 crashes, 42 fires, 37 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 12 defect investigations involving it.
- 428owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 12NHTSA investigations
- 50complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 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 | 169 | 39% | 26,600 | “brake pads” (16%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 88 | 21% | 58,500 | “caught fire” (13%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 71 | 17% | 31,000 | “transmission fluid” (7%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 63 | 15% | 18,100 | “caught fire” (10%) | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 43 | 10% | 7,297 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 37 | 9% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 23 | 5% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 18 | 4% | 38,250 | — | — |
| Structure | 17 | 4% | 69,750 | — | — |
| Suspension | 17 | 4% | 18,100 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 15 | 4% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 13 | 3% | 58,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 11 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 2% | 7,504 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 10 | 2% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 5 | 1% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 1% | 63,760 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 0% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 0% | 162,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 KIA Sephia recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:front:buckle assembly
Problem: On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, the front safety belt buckles may emit a "click" sound during the buckling process that is similar to the sound emitted when a buckle is being latched, when it is not.
Risk: The latch can then pull out of the buckle when tension is applied.
Fix: Dealers will replace both front seat belt buckles. The recall began august 16, 2004. Owners should contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.
Engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control
Problem: 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.
Risk: This would cause customers to add more fuel to the tank causing fuel spillback or spitback from the fuel filler neck.
Fix: Dealers will replace the orvr valve. Owner notification began november 13, 2000. 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.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Electrical current to the fuel pump passes through the c304 and c305 connectors. If exposed to moisture, these connectors could corrode. Over time, the fuel pump will not receive enough current to operate.
Risk: This condition could cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the existing connectors and reposition those connectors to an area where the placement is designed to prevent contact with moisture.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The electrical circuit for the fuel pump is grounded at junction connector g300. If the pin tension is poor, or the bolt securing the connector to the vehicle floor is not tightened sufficiently, a poor connection is made. As the fuel pump operates, the poor connection can create heat which in turn increases resistance. Eventually the fuel pump will not receive enough current to operate.
Risk: This condition could cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: This corrective action is being performed in conjunction with recall no. 99v317.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:linkages
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The ball socket on the windshield wiper link may be out of tolerance resulting in the link disengaging from the wiper motor drive under load, such as pushing against ice, snow or other resistance. Also the wiper arm retaining nut could be inadequately tightened allowing the wiper arm to slip and/or stop functioning.
Risk: This condition could cause impairment of visibility in inclement weather increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the windshield wiper link and also properly tighten the wiper arm retaining nuts.
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
- Seat belt buckle false latch/malfunction (EA04007) — opened Feb 27, 2004, closed Jul 26, 2004.
- Refueling spit back (EA04004) — opened Feb 3, 2004, closed Jul 29, 2004.
- Seat belt buckle false latch/malfunction (RQ03007) — opened Oct 14, 2003, closed Feb 27, 2004, led to recall 04V305000.
- Refueling spit back (RQ03006) — opened Aug 15, 2003, closed Feb 3, 2004.
- Non-crash engine compartment fires (EA02016) — opened Aug 6, 2002, closed Oct 7, 2003.
- Battery cable chafing (PE02028) — opened Mar 6, 2002, closed Aug 6, 2002.
- Transmission oil cooler line (PE00028) — opened Jul 12, 2000, closed Nov 7, 2000.
- Turn sighal (EA00018) — opened Jun 29, 2000, closed Jul 29, 2002, led to recall 02V207000.
- Turn signal, traffic safety hazard (PE00004) — opened Jan 13, 2000, closed Jun 29, 2000.
- Refueling spit back (EA99034) — opened Dec 16, 1999, closed Jun 29, 2000, led to recall 00V175000.
- Intermittent stalling (SQ99020) — opened Jun 30, 1999, closed Jan 12, 2000, led to recall 99V317000.
- Refueling spit- back (PE99042) — opened Jun 24, 1999, closed Dec 16, 1999.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
While driving on the interstate at 75 mph the top layer of the hood (skin) separated from the hood and flew upward into the windshield and detached itself from the vehicle causing the drivers vision of roadway to be blocked. Once it detached itself causing high risk of safety for other drivers…
Seat belts work improperly, windshield wipers don't work, fuel pump is working inefficiently.
Seat belt patch clicks but will come loose with tension. This is the second recall notice that hasn't been repaired or reported by kia after 17 years.
Filled tank & had overflowing spillage down side of car (indicated very full tank) finished cleaning up excess fuel & turn car on but the fuel gauge would only read 2/3 full, then needle rose to 3/4- i just got the car on monday 11/7/16 & this has happened twice now, once when leaving la after…
Tl* the contact owns a 1990 kia sephia. While driving 5 mph when making a right turn, the steering wheel failed to move. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not aware of the failure. The vin and failure mileage were unavailable.
Other KIA Sephia years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 Sephia | 2 | 0 |
| 2002 Sephia | 6 | 0 |
| 2001 Sephia | 107 | 0 |
| 2000 Sephia | 266 | 1 |
| 1999 | 428 | 5 |
| 1998 Sephia | 491 | 6 |
| 1997 Sephia | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1999 KIA Sephia?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, engine and engine cooling, power train problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 169 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 KIA Sephia?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 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 1999 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.