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1999 Kia Sephia fuel system problems

49 complaints (12% of all complaints for this car).

owner complaints
49
of this car's complaints
12%
crashes
0
recalls
2

Which part fails

  • Storage: tank assembly
    20
  • Delivery: fuel pump
    13
  • Storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
    2
  • Delivery
    2
  • Storage: fuel gauge system
    1
  • Fuel injection system
    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 fuel system problems in other years

1995199619971998199920002001

Specific symptoms reported on the 1999 Kia Sephia fuel system

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Fuel pump 13Fuel gauge 7Fuel leak 5

Related recalls

Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pumpReported November 9, 1999 · 102,944 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Electrical current to the fuel pump passes through the c304 and c305 connectors. If exposed to moisture, these connectors could corrode. Over time, the fuel pump will not receive enough current to operate.
Risk
This condition could cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the existing connectors and reposition those connectors to an area where the placement is designed to prevent contact with moisture.

Recall number 99V317000 · Recall details

Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pumpReported November 9, 1999 · 102,944 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The electrical circuit for the fuel pump is grounded at junction connector g300. If the pin tension is poor, or the bolt securing the connector to the vehicle floor is not tightened sufficiently, a poor connection is made. As the fuel pump operates, the poor connection can create heat which in turn increases resistance. Eventually the fuel pump will not receive enough current to operate.
Risk
This condition could cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
This corrective action is being performed in conjunction with recall no. 99v317.

Recall number 99V318000 · Recall details

Related investigations

Refueling spit backOpened February 3, 2004, closed July 29, 2004

Based on the low rate of fuel spit-back incedents (14.3 incidents per 100,000 vehicles sold), a low warranty claims rate of 0.02 percent, and the lack of engineering information that would support the presence of an engineering defect, a safety-related defect trend has not been identified and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.for additional information, see the attached closing report.

EA04004

Refueling spit backOpened August 15, 2003, closed February 3, 2004

In june 2000, kia notified odi of a defect condition in approximately 100,000 my 1998-99 sephia passenger vehicles manufactured from october 17, 1997 to may 16, 1999, that could result in fuel spit back while refueling (ea99-034, recall 00v‑175).according to kia, manufacturing changes made to the onboard refueling vapor recovery (orvr) valve could cause fuel shut off before the tank reached 95% of nominal capacity during refueling.kia stated that if the consumer then attempted to add more fuel to the tank, fuel spillback or spitback from the fuel filler neck could occur.kia replaced the orvr valves in the recalled vehicles.odi has received 16 complaints of fuel spit back on vehicles that have received the recall and 5 complaints on vehicles that were not covered by the recall.kia has identified 2 fuel spit back complaints on vehicles that were recalled and 8 complaints on vehicles not covered by the original recall.kia has also provided warranty information showing 191 claims potentially related to fuel spitback on non-recalled vehicles. Odi has upgraded its investigation to an engineering analysis to further assess the scope, frequency, and trend of the fuel spitback risk associated with the alleged defect in the subject vehicles.

RQ03006

What 1999 Kia Sephia owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Dec 1, 2016 · Fuel system, Seat belts · MS

Seat belts work improperly, windshield wipers don't work, fuel pump is working inefficiently.

Filed Nov 9, 2016 · Fuel system · 75,000 miles · CA

Filled tank & had overflowing spillage down side of car (indicated very full tank) finished cleaning up excess fuel & turn car on but the fuel gauge would only read 2/3 full, then needle rose to 3/4- I just got the car on monday 11/7/16 & this has happened twice now, once when leaving la after buying/transferring title & again today. Decided to google the 'symptom' & I'm shocked that a 17-year-old car from 1999 had recall records but was never fixed!!! Previous owner(s) was older couple that had bought it from a dealership & owned it since 2004. The 17-year-old '99 sephia has only 75k miles on odometer as of november 2016 however was never repaired under recall order.

Filed Jul 17, 2009 · Fuel system · 14,000 miles · TN

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 kia sephia. The contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign id number 99v317000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump). He was not experiencing any failures at the time, but he took the vehicle to the dealer and they replaced the fuel pump connectors. In 2003 (three years later), the engine service light illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle would sporadically stall at any speed. The vehicle also experienced a no start condition. He took the vehicle back to the dealer and they stated that the fuel pump connector was corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred in 2006. He took the vehicle back to the dealer and they stated that the fuel pump connector was corroded again. The vehicle was repaired again; however, the contact believes that the recall repair is not the correct remedy because the corrosion occurs every three years. The failure mileage was 14,000 and current mileage was 54,000. Updated 08/06/09.

Filed Jun 1, 2006 · Brakes, Engine · NY

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 but the consumer had to purchase the entire pipe. The part was replaced but split again three more times. *nm since the vehicle was purchased the brakes have been replaced, the transmission has been replaced and gas leakage problem has been repaired.

Filed Oct 22, 2003 · Fuel system · WI

Fuel spit back from filler spout: when trying to add fuel, the fuel spits back out at you. It's not just a little bit, but enough to soak your clothing, the side of your car, etc. This is a major safety issue that is being shunted by kia corp. On this vehicle, the recalled valve was replaced, then replaced again . This did not solve the spit back problem. I called kia directly and they told me that they did not know what the problem could be that I would have to bring it to a kia dealer. I told them that with all the complaints that are on this site and most likely, many others, that they must know. They said no, bring it to a dealer. They also told me to let them know when it would be there and they would call the dealer to verify the problem. This was a monetary set up in my opinion.... I brought the vehicle to the dealer, then the dealer called me and told me the car needed a gas tank, I asked them what was wrong with the original one. They told me that it was funny that kia called them first thing in the morning and told them that it needed a gas tank. There is a valve that is most likely to malfunction and that there is no repair other than to replace it. A bad valve does make sense and also the way kia informed the dealer of the problem. They told me they didnt know , yet they told the dealer the fix , and also, I got charged $ 95.00 for 1 hour labor. They did nothing to the car, just answered the phone. This problem should be addressed more aggressively cause with the problem of static electricity and fuel all over the car and your clothing, there could be severe problems. Beware of kia customer service.

Filed Aug 25, 2003 · Fuel system · GA

I have a 1999 kia sephia that was purchased used. After calling the kia customer service number I was informed on the recall concerning the fuel tank . My personal problem with the fuel tank was the "spitting out" of fuel when attempting to fill up the gas tank. I took the car in to the columbus, ga kia autosport where they fixed the recall issue and stated that I should no longer have the issue with gas running out when trying to fill the tank. After the recall was fixed, I went to put gas in my car and the issue still existed. After taking the car back I was told that the issue had been repaired twice and the manufactuerer would not allow them to repair again. I was also told different things to do when pumping fuel in order to keep the problem from happening. The issue still exists. The paint below and around the area in which you dispense fuel is begining to fade away due to gas running down the side of the car when filling the tank. There was also an ongoing issue with the car smoking. The service center said that it was the short block of the engine and replaced that, but the car continues to smoke. After reading more on the recall I am curious as to whether engine problems can be a affect of the fuel recall issue not being properly taken care of. The service center never checked to see if there were another issue as to why the fuel continues to run or "spit" ot when filling the tank. The date placed in "incident date" is approximate, but the issue is ongoing.

Filed Jul 18, 2003 · Brakes, Electrical · IA

The vehicle had numerous recalls and problems. When the consumer put fuel in the vehicle it leaked out. When it did hit she had to play around with it, until the nozzle was in the tank just right, then it would take the fuel. Also, the vehicle was had problems with the brakes, and rotors wearing out too quickly and the master cylinder was cracked and leaking brake fluid. The consumer had the vehicle in the repair shop at least 10 times and needed to be returned to the repair shop. *ak the fuel tank problem had been worked on four times and still was not fixed. There were gear shift problems where the shifter would stick, multiple wiring console light problems, the wiper blade links were defective and caused the blade to come apart. *scc *jb referenced in rq03-006

Filed Jul 4, 2003 · Brakes, Engine · 594 miles · IA

Consumer has experienced several problems with 1999 kia sephia. Nar 07/21/2003.*mr transmission, rear blinkers, brake pads, fuel pump and valve.

Filed Mar 16, 2003 · Fuel system · TX

I have owned a 1999 -2000 kia sephia for almost two years now and it has caused me nothing but trouble, at the moment I have had a kia dealership fix the fuel censors three times and this time we went to go get it checked cause the check engines light came on and all they did was turn the light off and say they would look at it new again when we went back they said they couldn't find anything wrong with it , all I know is that one day me or someone else driving me car is going to be in the middle of the road with a very dead car either hurt or have the potential to be hurt .

Filed Nov 25, 2002 · Fuel system · NY

Consumer states had recall 00v175000 remedied in 06/02. Still experiencing defect. Not only is fuel tank not filling up to capacity, but now fuel gauge is not registering amount of fuel in tank. Ts referenced in rq03-006

Questions about the 1999 Kia Sephia fuel system

Does the 1999 Kia Sephia have fuel system problems?

Owners have filed 49 complaints about the fuel system of the 1999 Kia Sephia, 12% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 1999 Kia Sephia fuel system problems start?

Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.

Was there a recall on the 1999 Kia Sephia fuel system?

Yes, 2 recalls: 99V317000, 99V318000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Kia Sephia have the most fuel system problems?

The Kia Sephia model years with the most fuel system complaints are 1998 (62 complaints), 1999 (49 complaints) and 2000 (15 complaints).

Other 1999 Kia Sephia problems

Brakes 173Engine 87Transmission 71Electrical 61Airbags 37Steering 22Visibility 19Body 17Suspension 17Seat belts 13Lights 12Locks 10Acceleration 7Tires 6Seats 5

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