Transmission on vehicle was fixed 7 times. *mr the transmission would slip, shift hard and at times the reverse gear would not work. Front rotors warped.
Kia Sephia premature wear problems
37 of the 1,696 owner complaints about the Kia Sephia describe rotors or pads wearing out early, most of them for the 1999 model year.
- owner complaints
- 37
- worst model year
- 1999
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Wipers 3Stalling 1Slipping 1Seat belt 1Fire or smoke 1Check engine light 1
What owners say
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
Brakes pads/ rotors and drums ar eprematurely wearing within 15,000 miles. Entire brake system has to be replaced.
Brank pads worn due to rotor failure.
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.
Brake pads and rotors wear out within 14000 miles. Vehicle rattles and squeeks. Hard to keep car straight when braking in higher speeds. Yd
Vibration when brake apply, road test brake pulsation rotors warped pads worn uneven, replaced pads and rotors clean and lube slides hand torque wheels.
Brake system has been serviced by dealership five times within the last 2 years for excessive wear of brake pads and warped rotors. Dealership continued to perform service on vehicle. However, has not been able to effectively remedy problem. Please provide any additional information/attachments.
The last time my rotors warped for the fifth time, my dealer wasn't going to replaced them until I had a lengthy discussion with him and he called the manufacturer. He did not replace the brake pads this time because kia would not authorize that expense. They are warping again for the sixth time. I have never had a car with as many problems as this car(some are not listed). I don't feel safe in it at all.
Every 8,000 miles front brake rotors have to be replaced due to premature wearing , cause unknown. Dealer cannot identify cause. Please give any further details.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Kia Sephia premature wear
Which Kia Sephia years have rotors or pads wearing out early problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1999 (15 complaints), 1998 (13 complaints) and 1997 (6 complaints).
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