2001 KIA Sephia Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sephia years
- Fewer complaints than other years 6th of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 107 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 KIA Sephia. That ranks 6th out of 9 Sephia model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (21 complaints, 20%), typically at around 15,500 miles. Complaints mention 21 crashes, 2 fires, 21 injuries. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 107owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 21complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2001 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 21 | 20% | 15,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 18 | 17% | 90,625 | — | — |
| Power Train | 18 | 17% | 17,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 15 | 14% | 27,992 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 10% | 12,626 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 9 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 9 | 8% | 8,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 5% | 91,268 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 5% | 37,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 5% | 24,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 4% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 3% | 18,004 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 3% | 29,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 2% | 45,575 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | 18,008 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2001 KIA Sephia recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 2001 KIA Sephia.
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
- 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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Having trouble with drivers side window. It will work then the motor/regulator gets stuck and won't function. Then all of a sudden it will work then not work. I just want to find out what's causing problem. All wires to switch tested positive power is going to and from motor/regulator to all…
I was on my way to college when i hit a patch of wet road, when i tried to correct the slide, the right side grabbed and put me into a spin over both lanes and i hit the left side guard rail head on at approx. 45mph. Air bags didn't deploy for either side. Car is almost worth fixing but i will…
Car gives off a very bad gas odor. Everytime i put gas in the car, the gas indicator on the dashboard goes down and car cuts off on me when im doing 20 mph. *tr
I am complaining because my gear shift won't shift. In the owner's manual, it says if this happens to remove the small cap on the gear shift box and put a screw driver in the hole to manually shift, which i have had to do for the past few months. If they knew it was going to happen and placed a…
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 kia sephia. The contact stated that the vehicle exhibited an unusually overpowering gasoline odor from the blower vents when first starting the vehicle. The failure would occur intermittently and became progressively worse over time. The contact inspected the vehicle and…
Other KIA Sephia years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 Sephia | 2 | 0 |
| 2002 Sephia | 6 | 0 |
| 2001 | 107 | 0 |
| 2000 Sephia | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 KIA Sephia?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, air bags, power train problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 21 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2001 KIA Sephia?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 2001 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 2001 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.