Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Kia Sephia owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
This car has been a constant repair and financial problem for the last 4 years starting two weeks after I purchased the car. It is an unsafe vehicle and can not be kept maintained for safety or reliability it was purchased with 21000 miles on the vehicle and a majority of repairs has had to be fixed. 4 starters, ignition switch, ignition switch wiring harness (ignition still doesn't work), air bag sensor, air bag wiring (air bags still does not work), alternator, front passenger side drive axel broke while I was driving the car, right passenger ball joint fell off the car while I was driving the car, master cylinder and rear brake cylinder went out at the same time while I was driving the car, heater/air conditioning motor. The car has been towed 3 times, and has left me and my children stranded too many times to count. The car is still in need of major repair. …
While applying the brake pedal at 35 MPH the pedal went down to the floor and would not return. This caused the vehicle to rear end another vehicle in front of them. Upon impact, neither frontal air bag deployed. Passenger sustained neck and back injuries, and refused medical assistance.
The car died while driving down the road repeatedly. Battery leaked. Brakes had to be replaced for the entire car at 60,000 miles. The vents on the dashboard have popped up and broken. Now the defroster does not blow the air on the windshield. This vehicle was stored in a garage. The seams on the seat come undone. The cigarette lighter broke and flops in the dash. The switch to override the transmission lock is broken. The rear brake light broke when replacing the struts which you have to remove the back dash to get to. The board that is under the carpet in the trunk warped. The carpets came up from the sides of the car. The storage bin in the center console broke, twice. The wind shield chips and errodes when in a car wash. I have never seen a windshield in this bad shape before. The back seat does not stay down. The headlights have a bad seal and there is water now in them. …
While driving on the beltway consumer attempted to stop vehicle on heavy traffic but the brakes failed to stop. The consumer pressed on the pedal and the pedal hit the floor without stopping. The consumer served to the side to slow the vehicle down and coast. The consumer had the brakes already replaced at 9,000. Also, brake failure caused consumer into an automobile accident. Airbags did not deploy at the time of the accident. Per dealer, manufacturer is aware of brake problem.
I have has the roters replaced on this car 4 times! The last time at 32,000 now the car is at 46,000 an the brakes have failed again!!!! Pad are worn down to the steel. Roter gets scared. Same thing every time!!!! Now I have to pay for this. I dont feel that they have fixed this issue and should still be coverd under the warranty. Even the warrenty on the brake pads and roters were not up yet!!!
When consumer's vehicle crashed into the passenger's side of another vehicle, there was no deployment of the driver's side or passenger's side air bags. Vehicle was traveling about 10-15 MPH when crash happened. Vehicle has been repaired. Also, brake rotors have been replaced twice , once at 3,000 miles, and again at 6,000 or 7,000 miles. However, brake rotors need to be replaced again.
Vehicle is having constant brake problems. It has been taken to dealer on 7 different occasions for brake problems. Dealer only provided one remedy by changing brake pads. This defect has resulted in an automobile accident. Also been taken to dealer on 10 more occasions for various of problems. The dealer can not find the cause of the problem.
When driving and upon proceeding to stop applying the brake pedal, consumer heard a noise coming from the front end. Also, vibration in the front end after coming to a complete stop, the vehicle lugged forward. Also, frontal safety belts do not retract, causing the belt to be very loose . Consumer has contacted the dealer. Please provide any further details.
Consumer states of having problems with the brakes and rotors. Mr the consumer states that since the purchase of the vehicle, he has had to change the brakes/rotors every 4-6K miles-5 times, and still experiencing slow stopping. The consumer feels that this is a safety hazard, and the dealer states they can't help. (feels the vehicle is a lemon) scc
Vehicle has had numerous problems resulting in a total of 35 non-maintenance related reparis during the life of the vehicle. Numerous attempts have been made to resolve this situation with the manufacturer directly, but to no avail. Arbitration with the bbb and attorney general's office is currently underway. No safety defect mentioned.
Brake complaints in other Sephia years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1999 Kia Sephia?
NHTSA has 173 complaints about the brakes of the 1999 Kia Sephia, 40% of the model year's 428 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc (63 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Kia Sephia brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 1999 Kia Sephia, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Kia Sephia brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 30,000 miles, and 44% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 18 crashes, 1 fire and 5 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.