IllustrationCONSUMER STATES THAT THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES WILL NOT LOCK PROPERLY CAUSING THE CONSUMER NOT TO HAVE A SEAT BELT ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
1996 Kia Sephia
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Kia Sephia do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 107.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sephia years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 8 of 118 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports4 fire reports8 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
15 reportsSEAT BELTS ARE UNTREADING WITHOUT BEING USED EXCESSIVELY.*AK
I'VE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT RECEPTICLES DUE TO FAILURE OF LATCH. THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STAYS ON CONSTANT EVEN AFTER IT IS RESET. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY. *AK
DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT WILL LATCH, BUT IT COMES LOOSE ON ITS OWN. *AK
OIL FILTERS MADE BY ANY OTHER COMPANY THAN KIA DOES NOT WORK. I HAD TO GET AN OIL CHANGE TWICE BECAUSE THE ONE DONE BY THE CAR LOT WAS NOT A KIA OIL FILTER AND THE ONE I HAD DONE WAS NOT A KIA FILTER. I TOOK THE CAR TO A KIA REPAIR SHOP THE NEXT DAY AND THEY CLEANED THE AREA AND CHANGED THE FILTER. THE BRAKES SINCE I BOUGHT THE …
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OIL FILTERS MADE BY ANY OTHER COMPANY THAN KIA DOES NOT WORK. I HAD TO GET AN OIL CHANGE TWICE BECAUSE THE ONE DONE BY THE CAR LOT WAS NOT A KIA OIL FILTER AND THE ONE I HAD DONE WAS NOT A KIA FILTER. I TOOK THE CAR TO A KIA REPAIR SHOP THE NEXT DAY AND THEY CLEANED THE AREA AND CHANGED THE FILTER. THE BRAKES SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR HAVE BEEN SCREACHING AND AT THAT TIME, A BRAKE REPAIRMAN ADVISED ME MY BRAKES WORE AT 95%. THE BRAKES STILL SCREACH AND GRIND. IN THE SUMMER, THE AIR CONDITIONER GIVES OFF A FOUL ODOR TO THE POINT OF HAVING TO TURN IT OFF. THE REAR MIDDLE SEATBELT DOES NOT LATCH. THE STEPS LISTED IN THE KIA MANUAL DOES NOT COINCIDE WITH THE STEPS YOU MUST TAKE TO DEFROST THE WINDOWS. THE ONLY WAY I CAN IS TO TURN THE HEAT UP ALL THE WAY, OR TO TURN ON THE HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONER, WHICH I CAN'T USE. THE CAR WHEN IT'S IN DRIVE FEELS LIKE IT'S IN A LOWER GEAR AT TIMES AND FEELS LIKE IT'S NOT QUITE IN DRIVE. THE SEAMS IN THE DRIVER'S DOOR ALLOWS WATER DRIP INTO THE CAR. THE WINDSHIELD WASHER HOLE ON THE RIGHT SIDE DOESN'T SPREW OUT ANY WINDSHIELD CLEANER. I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE CAR LOT BEAUSE OF THE GAS DOOR NOT OPENING WITH THE INDOOR GAS LATCH. THE OUTSIDE OF THE FRONT HUBCAPS GETS VERY OIL AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHY. THE WINDOW'S RESIST WHEN YOU TRY TO ROLL THEM UP. *AK
WHEN THE OCCUPANT MAKES A SLIGHT MOVE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE COMES LOOSE, LEAVING THE OCCUPANT UNPROTECTED IN CASE OF CRASH. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE SEATBELT BUCKLE TWICE. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
SEVERAL REPLACEMENTS OF BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS DUE TO WARPING/VIBRATION/SHUDDERING, ALSO GLAZED BRAKE LINING REPLACED DUE TO SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES.
FRONT LAP SEAT BELTS WHEN LATCHED CAME UNLATCHED. IF PULLED ON WILL COME UNLATCHED. DEALER CONTACTED, AND CANNOT REMEDY PROBLEM DUE TO LACK OF PARTS. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK.
SEAT BELTS FAILED.
DOOR ASSEMBLY: PASSENGER'S AND DRIVER'S SIDE BACK DOOR FLIES OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY. TOOK IN TO KIA FOR REPAIRS AND THEY WILL NOT FIX IT BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE. ALSO HAVING PROBLEM WITH SEAT BELTS IN BACK COMING LOOSE. *AK
Official recalls
102V216000 · Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
Aug 16, 2002
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE MAY "FALSE LATCH" AND EXPOSE THE DRIVER TO UNRESTRAINED MOVEMENT DURING A CRASH.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy: OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 20, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE02051 · Safety Belt Buckle Malfunction
Opened Jun 17, 2002 · Closed Sep 20, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
BY LETTER DATED AUGUST 25, 2002, KIA ADVISED NHTSA THAT THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WILL BE RECALLED.SPECIFIC CORRECTIVE ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY KIA HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA AT THIS TIME.THE SAFETY RECALL PROGRAM HAS BEEN ASSIGNED CAMPAIGN NO. 02V-216.