Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 72 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 44 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

30 crash reports5 fire reports20 injury reports

What owners actually said

205 reports

89,000 miles · Jan 13, 2003

Unknown Or Other

THE VEHICLES DASHBOARD IS BECOMING DETACHED FROM THE FRAME ITS MOUNTED ON. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL WIRING UNDERNEATH. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB

NHTSA ODI #10003651

72,000 miles · Jan 9, 2003

Air Bags

INTERIOR SYSTEMS:PASSIVE RESTRAINT:AIR BAG:SIDE DOOR:PASSENGER SUMMARY: DASHBOARD HAS COME APART. ALSO, SEALS AROUND AIRBAG ON PASSENGER'S SIDE HAS LIFTED UP, EXPOSING PARTS UNDERNEATH. HEATER VENT ON DASH HAS CRACKED

NHTSA ODI #10000854

Mileage unknown · Dec 13, 2002

Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingStructure

IS LEAKING CAUSING ELECTRICAL LIGHTS DAMAGE, THE HAZARDS OR SIGNALS AREN'T WORKING AND THE TRUCK SMELLS LIKE MILDEW. TS

NHTSA ODI #9006758

Mileage unknown · Dec 10, 2002

Power Train

CONSUMER STATES THAT WITHOUT WARNING TRANSMISSION SHIFTS INTO OVERDRIVE, DOWNSHIFTS AND LURCHES FORWARD EXCESSIVELY. CONSUMER HAD TRANSMISSION AND COMPUTER COMMAND CHIP REPLACED AT 18K MILES. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. TS

NHTSA ODI #8024106

Mileage unknown · Dec 3, 2002

Engine And Engine CoolingSteering

AT RANDOM THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO START, ALSO THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT LOCK WITH THE KEY REMOVED.*JB

NHTSA ODI #8023622

Mileage unknown · Dec 3, 2002

Power Train

CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL SWITCH GEAR ON ITS OWN, PUTTING IT INTO NEUTRAL. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT THEY WANTED TO SELL THEM SOMETHING ELSE.*AK

NHTSA ODI #8023620

Mileage unknown · Dec 2, 2002

Power Train

Read full complaint

DURING THE PAST WEEK, I HAVE HAD TO HAVE BOTH DRIVE AXLES REPLACED ON MY 1997 KIA SEPHIA (AT A COST OF OVER $400) DUE TO A VIBRATION WHEN THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS HASN'T COMPLETELY RESOLVED MY PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I THINK SHOULD POINT TO THE NEED FOR A RECALL: (1) THIS PROBLEM IS UNIQUE TO THE 1997 MODEL YEAR; (2) MID-WAY THROUGH THE 1997 MODEL YEAR, THE DESIGN FOR THE DRIVE AXELS WAS CHANGED AND MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO THIS CHANGE. SURELY A CHANGE DURING THE MANUFACTURING YEAR WOULD INDICATE A DESIGN FLAW. DT

NHTSA ODI #770337

Mileage unknown · Jul 8, 2002

Seat Belts

DRIVER'S SAFETY BELT DOES NOT STAY BUCKLED. BELT WILL RELEASE FROM BUCKLE WITHOUT PULLING. CONSUMER IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT BEING PROPERLY RESTRAINED WHILE DRIVING. *AK

NHTSA ODI #8013461

Mileage unknown · Jun 18, 2002

Unknown Or Other

DASHBOARD WAS RISING WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED; HOWEVER HAS NOT PERFORMED ANY SERVICES OR HAD A REMEDY FOR PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #8012048

Mileage unknown · Mar 27, 2002

Air BagsSeatsCrashInjury

Read full complaint

WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 3/25/02. A WOMAN HIT ME IN THE REAR END OF MY CAR AND MY SEAT RELEASED AND THE BACK OF THE SEAT WENT COMPLETELY BACK. I HAD TO STURGGLE TO SIT UP AFTER THE IMPACT AND REALIZED SHE HAD PUSHED ME INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. A SCHOOL BUS WAS COMING HEAD ON INTO ME. I HAD TO PULL MYSELF FORWARD WITHOUT THE BACK OF MY SEAT FOR SUPPORT AND STEER BEST I COULD OUT OF THE PATH OF THE BUS. MY SEAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE RELEASED LIKE IT DID. MY AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. AND LUCKILY I WAS COHERANT ENOUGH TO MISS GETTING HIT HEAD ON AND INJURING CHILDREN. THE WOMAN WHO HIT ME DID NOT SEE MY TURN SIGNAL AND WAS GOING TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AN AWFUL ACCIDENT HAD I NOT BEEN ABLE TO PULL MYSELF UPRIGHT FROM THE BACK OF MY SEAT FALLING DOWN. MY SHOES FLEW OFF AND I WAS LAYING DOWN INTO THE BACK SEAT LOOSING MY STEERING AND COULD NOT REACH THE PEDDLES SINCE I WAS THROWN SO FAR BACK. I DID HAVE MY SEAT BELT ON WHICH I AM SURE DID SAVE ME FROM HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. HOWEVER, IT DID NOT WORK LIKE IT SHOULD SINCE I WAS SO FAR BACK. HAD I BEEN HIT BY THE BUS A THAT MOMENT, I MIGHT HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. NLM

NHTSA ODI #759896

Official recalls

02V216000 · 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

PE02051 · 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.