Engine complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Vehicle repeatedly stalls. Taken to the dealtership several times ,and told that the problem did not occur when they had the vehicle; therefore, they are unable to fix. Dealership acted as if they never heard of this problem when I see now that this is a common problem. Vehicle is only used to drive in area - mostly taking 2 of my 3 young children to school.
On board diagnostic system (check eng. Light) monitors emissions, but can be tripped off by a loose fuel filler cap as per the owner's manual explanation sec. 4-32. It seems that this is a safety problem when such a light can come on with such regularity that it is listed in the vehicle owner's manual and yet the owner is supposed to heed the light each and every time regardless of his or her driving predicament? Such an obviously faulty sensor system shouldn't be allowed in cars. I was told by my service dealer that I would be charged for all future "repairs" since I was negligent in securing the fuel cap according to them. I hardly think that I was negligent in securing the fuel cap three times in a five month period, it really isn't that difficult. I believe the OBD is faulty since the owner's manual even points out its oversensitivity to "loose" fuel caps. …
The contact owns a 2000 Kia Sephia. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH and approaching a traffic light, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was unable to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart after being jumpstarted. The contact continued to drive; however, the failure recurred 5 times while driving and depressing the brake pedal or the accelerator pedal. After each failure, the vehicle was able to be restarted when jumpstarted. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys and diagnosed; however, no fault code was retrieved. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
I bought a 2000 Kia Sephia on November 27, 2003. This car has the balance of a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty and only had 15,000 miles on it when I bought it. I noticed that it was using a quart of oil every 1,000 miles and after I changed the oil it was using a quart every 500 miles. I had already taken it in to the dealer for 15,000 mile servicing and took it back about this oil problem. The first thing they asked was permission to pull the heads, after which they informed me that the top of the motor was burnt and the only cause for this was failure to perform maintenance. I was asked to produce maintenance records for the life of the car, which I did. After producing these records, the service manager at the dealership now wanted permission to drop the oil pan. I gave it as I thought my car would finally be fixed. …
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. …
Tl contact owns a 1999 Kia Sephia. Shortly after the vehicle was purchased, it failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and repaired. One month later, while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle began to sputter and eventually shut off. Prior to shutting off, the vehicle lost power steering ability and the contact struck a curb. The cv axle joint was damaged. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current mileage was 147,000 and failure mileage was 140,000.
My wife was driving our 1998 Kia Sephia and the engine began to stall. She pulled into a parking lot and the engine caught on fire. My wife ran away form the vehicle. The whole front of the car was burned up.
I also had to bring the car in for service 5 times for the sme problem. Engine check light would come on 02/06/99 took car in because engine light came on they found code po 440 for EVAP emissions system malfunction they found hose that rubbed against bracket created leak 02/27/99 check engine light on again and smell gas fumes found engine surges and hard to start performed g300 ground wire repair under drivers seat to correct problem 03/15/99 check engine light on again code po172 replaced defective mass air flow meter solenoid valve during road test engine misfire #3 spark plug fouled replaced plugs 03/10/99 check engine light on again codes po270,p1505,po0300 injector circuit to low , random misfire they found egiharness was cut and pinced going through firewall replaced eci harness & control unit car would not start after check over found no power to starter solenoid. …
Related recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Manufacturing changes were made to the orvr spring force and float wire length reducing the valve angle. Certain valves caused fuel shut off before the tank reached 95% of nominal capacity.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the orvr valve. Owner notification began November 13, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
Frequently asked questions
Which Kia Sephia years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1998 (108), 1999 (89), 1997 (44), 2000 (44) and 2001 (21) model years. Engine complaints make up 22% of all complaints for the 1998.
Is there a recall for Kia Sephia engine problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 00V-175 (emission control, Jul 17, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Kia Sephia engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles; 38% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine › gasoline (210 mentions), followed by the engine (54).
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.