1997 Kia Sephia body problems

19 complaints (9% of all complaints for this car). 2 crashes reported.

owner complaints: 19
of this car's complaints: 9%
crashes: 2
recalls: 0

Which part fails

Body
5
Body: door: hinge and attachments
3
Frame and members: underbody shields
1
Body: door
1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k

25k-50k

50k-75k

75k-100k

100k-125k

125k-150k

150k-175k

175k-200k

200k+

Kia Sephia body problems in other years

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

What 1997 Kia Sephia owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Sep 16, 2007 · Body · 49,000 miles · UT

The dashboard is warped/coming up and has bent/ruined the defrost/defogger system. It happened all on it's own, we did nothing to provoke this. I am the original owner and the car has never been in a wreck. I am concerned if it has caused airbag damage. It is a hazard not to be able to defrost/defog windows. Also the tailpipe keeps getting holes in it and we have to keep getting welding done on it.

Filed Sep 13, 2007 · Airbags, Body · 59,000 miles · UT

Dashboard warped and coming up and touching windshield. It is breaking or blocking the vent/defroster/defogger system. Therefore the windows barely defrost and this is a safety hazard. I know of two other people having the same problem with the dashboard. Also "door open" light remains on and drains battery.

Filed Aug 18, 2005 · Body, Visibility · NC

Dt: consumer owns 1997 kia sephia. She had a problem with the dashboard. The vents for the defroster fell off, and the dashboard was brown, which began as a small spot and grew to cover the whole dashboard. She was concerned that the dashboard falling apart might somehow affect the airbags. She says that there is a burning smell coming from dash, smell has been there since she purchased vehicle. She did purchase vehicle new.

Filed Aug 30, 2004 · Airbags, Body · 22,590 miles · NJ · crash

The dashboard lifted up from the chassis of the vehicle. Also, there was a hole that burned into the top of the dashboard. The consumer was concerned with the air bags not deploying or deploying prematurely. *ak *sc

Filed Jun 22, 2004 · Body, Seat belts · AL

Problems with seat belts and dashboard. *mr *sc

Filed Sep 26, 2003 · Body · FL

The passenger side dashboard is lifting up, consumer believes this may cause the airbag to deploy. Dealer has been contacted.

Filed Sep 6, 2003 · Body · WA

The dashboard is pulling apart and this is unsafe and I worry about the air bags blasting off and other damage. I know this problem is prevelant to this car also there is something wrong with the breaks they squeak horribly, but the break people say they don't need to be replaced, unsure of the cause.

Filed Aug 25, 2003 · Body · OR

The dashboard came loose and lifted from the interior of the vehicle.*mr. The molding strip around the rear window was loose.*ts

Filed Jul 18, 2003 · Body · MD

The dashboard area, in front of driver's seat developed "burn" spots and since then popped out, near the front windshield. As a result, the consumer experienced respiratory problems and blurred vision when driving for an extended period of time. The consumer believed the sun contacted the dash and had given off some type of chemical. *ak the burn spot was approximately 12 inches in diameter. Every three to four days it created a film on the inside of the windshield(the size of the burn area) and also had given off an odor. The odor made the consumer's husband sick and her sister's eyes burn. *scc

Filed Apr 14, 2003 · Body · NJ

The dash board started to lift/ expand, which may cause the air bag to deploy.

Questions about the 1997 Kia Sephia body

Does the 1997 Kia Sephia have body problems?

Owners have filed 19 complaints about the body of the 1997 Kia Sephia, 9% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 1997 Kia Sephia body problems start?

Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.

Was there a recall on the 1997 Kia Sephia body?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Kia Sephia have the most body problems?

The Kia Sephia model years with the most body complaints are 1998 (26 complaints), 1997 (19 complaints) and 2000 (18 complaints).