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.
1999 Kia Sephia: wrong fuel gauge reading
7 of the 422 complaints about the 1999 Kia Sephia describe wrong fuel gauge reading.
- owner complaints
- 7
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
Wrong fuel gauge reading by model year
- 20011
- 20003
- 19997
- 19986
What owners say
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
While driving at approximately 25 MPH, an electrical fire started in steering column and flames were coming from underneath the hood. Consumer was unable to turn engine off by turning the key in the ignition. Insurance company is in possession of vehicle, but has not informed consumer as to what caused the fire to occur.*ak consumer was unable to turn engine off, but was able to jump out of vehicle while moving, three recalls were performed on this vehicle and consumer believes that recall should have been performed prior to purchase, consumer also complains that the vehicle is noisy, exhibits hard start condition, sluggish acceleration, and inoperative fuel gauge.
When trying to stop the vehicle there is a horrible vibration. It is very hard to control and stop the vehicle while braking. Our gas tank will not take in gas. The tank could be completely empty and it will take a dollar's worth of gas, then gas will start spewing out all over. Our car dealer said he doesn't know what it could be and hasn't heard anything from kia about this being a problem. (it isn't the gas gauge.) the air bag light came on and stayed. We got this fixed and haven't had problems with this again. Also, we have a manuel transmission. We have had trouble with it kicking out of gear. We could be going down a highway and it will kick out of fifth gear. It does its own thing. We have had this vehicle since august and it has been nothing but problems. My wife and I no longer trust this car and this is the only vehicle we have to rely on. We also have gotten 2 recall notices from kia. One for the wipers, they can fly off at any given time and for the fuel pump being improperly installed. We contacted our dealer and they said they are waiting for kia to send them more parts, until then we must wait to bring our car in to be checked out. We have been waiting.
When starting the engine it would turn over & then vehicle would stall. Once started, vehicle would hesitate. The fuel gauge fails to register fuel intake. Also, vehicle is very hard to shift into gear properly. Took vehicle to dealer to have problems checked. The mechanic replaced the fly wheel & the gas tank.
Consumer stated vechicle was defected when she purchased it on sep 11 1999 . Consumer took it back on sep 13 1999 because she has been having problems, such as transmission fluid leaking out from underneath her vechicle. Also, brakes not working properly when applying brakes. Pedals went allthe down to the floor. Also vechicle overheated. Also, front grill /windshield wipers and gas gauge had to b ereplaced, and I still don't work . At this time the consumer has registered a complaint with the lemon law. Her car is at the dealership waiting for a part.
Fuel gauge was not working properly (reporting empty when ther was still about 5 gallons in tank) - dealer supposedly replaced gauge, but it is still not accurate - also, engine makes awful "squealing" sound when first started in the morning - dealer cannot identify problem ???
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- 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 pump
- 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
Questions about the 1999 Kia Sephia fuel gauge
Is wrong fuel gauge reading a common problem on the 1999 Kia Sephia?
7 of 422 owner complaints about the 1999 Kia Sephia (2%) mention wrong fuel gauge reading. The model year with the most reports is 1999.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1999 Kia Sephia?
There are 2 recalls and 0 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1999 Kia Sephia
Stalling 33Fire or smoke 29No deployment 25Grinding brakes 24Check engine light 17Brake failure 16Won't start 16Premature wear 15Transmission failure 14Fuel pump 13Wipers 12Overheating 9Hesitation 8Jerking 6Seat belt 6Door locks 5Fuel leak 5Won't shift 5
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