2000 KIA Sephia Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sephia years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 266 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000 KIA Sephia. That ranks 3rd out of 9 Sephia model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (79 complaints, 30%), typically at around 44,950 miles. Complaints mention 42 crashes, 3 fires, 39 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 7 defect investigations involving it.
- 266owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 7NHTSA investigations
- 42complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2000 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 | 79 | 30% | 44,950 | “provide further” (15%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 50 | 19% | 30,000 | “transmission failed” (12%) | — |
| Electrical System | 45 | 17% | 39,025 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 43 | 16% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 32 | 12% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 19 | 7% | 67,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 18 | 7% | 30,738 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 17 | 6% | 38,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 16 | 6% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 13 | 5% | 35,600 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 13 | 5% | 42,800 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 12 | 5% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 3% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 6 | 2% | 68,900 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 2% | 21,788 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 1% | 40,500 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 0% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0% | 190,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2000 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 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.
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.
- Incorrect battery jump-start (PE00026) — opened Jul 10, 2000, closed Jul 31, 2000, led to recall 00V205000.
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 contact owns a 2000 Kia Sephia. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH and approaching a traffic light, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was unable to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart…
The seatbelt pretensioners is locked up & they (both driver/passenger) seatbelts "do not" reel back 2 provide securement of the passenger(s). Also, the electrical issue is the horn does not work even when there's a new fuse & horn. There's a defect in the steering wheel horn button.
I 🅾wn a 2000 kia sephia & the front drivers seatbelt retracts slow& does not lock. The passenger seatbelt does not retract @ all. Additionally, the passenger front door lock does not lock as if the lock actuator has seized up.
The stupid passenger door wont close this just so darn frustrating it's also very dangerous and i am not a very happy person right now. You should make cars more safe if some one had been hurt with that stupid door i would have sued youi
Tl* the contact owned a 2000 kia sephia. While driving approximately 40 mph, another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle causing significant damage to the front end. The air bags failed to deploy. The driver suffered injuries to the right shoulder, head, and jaw bone. The front passenger…
Other KIA Sephia years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 Sephia | 2 | 0 |
| 2002 Sephia | 6 | 0 |
| 2001 Sephia | 107 | 0 |
| 2000 | 266 | 1 |
| 1999 Sephia | 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.
Similar KIA models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2000 KIA Sephia?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, power train, electrical system problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 79 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2000 KIA Sephia?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2000 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 2000 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.