KIA Sephia Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 263 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the KIA Sephia across 8 model years. The 1999 model year has the most (71). The words owners use most often: “transmission failed” (6% of reports).
- 263power train complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 9mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 33%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.
- Transmission failed: mentioned in 17 of 263 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 39 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 263 complaints, 9 mention a crash, 7 a fire, 3 an injury.
KIA Sephia power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Sephia | 1 | 17% | — |
| 2001 Sephia | 18 | 17% | 17,000 |
| 2000 Sephia | 50 | 19% | 30,000 |
| 1999 Sephia | 71 | 17% | 31,000 |
| 1998 Sephia | 68 | 14% | 42,000 |
| 1997 Sephia | 30 | 15% | 56,450 |
| 1996 Sephia | 13 | 11% | — |
| 1995 Sephia | 12 | 19% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 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.
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…
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…
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…
Transmission failure 3 times/ replaced 2 times. *jb
1999 sephia brakes, transmission were replaced. Consumer feels that the exhaust should be recalled. *ts the technician determine that there was a split in the centerpipe of the exhaust which caused it to be loud. The part is a piece of flexible housing. The part could not be purchased separately…
Frequently asked questions
Do all KIA Sephias have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 263 owner complaints about power train for the KIA Sephia. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the KIA Sephia power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
What do owners say about power train problems on the KIA Sephia?
The most frequent phrase is “transmission failed”, in 17 of 263 complaints.
Other KIA Sephia problems
See all KIA Sephia problems.