My wife was driving our 1998 kia sephia and the engine began to stall. She pulled into a parking lot and the engine caught on fire. My wife ran away form the vehicle. The whole front of the car was burned up.
1998 Kia Sephia: fire, smoke or burning smell
10 of the 491 complaints about the 1998 Kia Sephia describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 5 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
While driving 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The consumer tried to restart the vehicle but was unable to do so. The consumer noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. It caught on fire. The fire department was called to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries to report. However, vehicle was totaled. *ak the consumer stated that there was a hard start that would not hold fuel pressure. *sc
Vehicle engine caught on fire. *mr when the consumer attempted to come to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal went to the floor and the brakes failed. Consumer had to drive on the lawn in order to get the vehicle to stop. And then the engine caught on fire. *tt
While driving smoke started coming from under the dashboard, and the vehicle caught on fire. *mr *tt
While driving vehicle, went to stop & had no brakes. Pulled up on the emergency brake, looked in rearview mirror and noticed smoke all over. Pulled over & got out quickly. Opened paseinger door to get belongings & noticed flames coming from underneath. Called 911. Car was burning tremendously. A total loss. My daughter was driving, and got out safely. This happened for no apparent reason. What a traumatic experience, especially for a 17 yr. Old.
While driving approximately 65 MPH, hood released and smashed into windshield which blocked vision of driver, consumer felt problem was due to brake pads and rotors that cause severe vibration and had to be replaced frequently, there was no crash or injury to report when this incident occurred.*ak brakes would vibrate and were noisy, requested rear brakes be cleaned lubed, dealer found rotors warped and pads worn and excessive dust in rear brakes, numerous engine problems such as cooling fan rumble, check engine light on, engine stall, burning smell, belt squeaks, electric cooling fan inoperative, fan blade, plug wires and coil boots, valve cover gasket were replaced, evaporator was replaced and recharged, many electrical problems including ignition switch, starter, alternator, multifunction switch, battery terminal, and bulb failure, dealer has also found corrosion, poor connections and low voltage, consumer states numerous problems with shifter, harsh shifts and clunks, dealer replaced old style flex plate, binding shifter which was cleaned and lubed, fluid leaks, dealer replaced leaking power steering hose, multiple structural problems such as missing wiper arm cap, key will not open trunk, trunk lever does not release, broken trunk release handle, left rear door molding coming off, dealer replaced trunk release, reinstalled door weatherstrip, found oil leaks, and undercarriage showing signs of damage, bubbles in dash pad, sunvisor coming loose, dealer replaced dash pad, dealer found tail pipe damaged, both front aftermarket tires (no tire information) worn, left rear rim bent, rear tires (no tire information) cupped and feathered due to lack of rotation and alignment problems, consumer also requested dealer to check cv boots for grease leak, dealer found no problem.
While traveling at 60 MPH consumer noticed smoke coming from under the hood. Consumer pulled vehicle over, and discovered that vehicle was on fire. Vehicle was serviced, and technician stated that mass air flow sensor had an electrical malfuncation. Please provide further information.
While driving on highway could see smoke coming from engine. Stopped vehicle and found out that vehicle caught underhood fire, and was totalled. *ak
While driving wires underhood caught on fire. Dealer has been notified. Please provide further details.
Engine caught fire while driving due to transmission fluid leaking into engine compartment. Dealer has repaired vehicle.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1998 Kia Sephia fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 1998 Kia Sephia?
10 of 491 owner complaints about the 1998 Kia Sephia (2%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 1999.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1998 Kia Sephia?
There are 0 recalls and 5 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1998 Kia Sephia
Stalling 41Won't start 27Grinding brakes 25Check engine light 23Brake failure 22Fuel pump 16No deployment 15Headlights 14Wipers 14Premature wear 13Jerking 12Transmission failure 11Engine failure 10Overheating 7Airbag light 6Fuel gauge 6ABS 5Hesitation 5Loss of power 5Pulling 5
VIN decoder
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