1 recall and 340 owner complaints on record for this model year.
Almost all of this describes the model year, not the individual car. Nothing here can tell you about this vehicle’s mileage, accidents or ownership — no identifier encodes those.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2000 KIA SEPHIA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER, HEAD, AND JAW BONE. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER, HEAD, AND NECK INJURIES. THE REAR SEAT PASSENGER SUFFERED A NECK INJURY. ALL THE OCCUPANTS WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.
HIT A LIGHT POLE/AIR BAGS DID NOT INFLATE. *TR
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK *SC *JB
WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE I WAS THE PASSENGER I ALSO WAS THE OWNER OF THE CAR. KIA SOPHIA 2000. THE SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD CAUSING MY HEAD AND HAND TO BE THROWN INTO THE WINDSHIELD TWICE. MY HAND WENT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD MY HEAD BROKE THE WINDSHIELD. MY CAR WAS TOTALED OUT FROM THE ACCIDENT BUT I FEEL AS THOUGH KIA IS AT FAULT FOR THE AMOUNT OF INJURIES I RECEIVED DUE TO THE FAULT OF THEIR SEAT BELTS. I HAVE TO HAVE EPIDORALS ON MY LOWER SPINE AND SURGERY ON MY NECK. ALSO THE AIR BAGS ON NEITHER SIDE CAME OUT. *JB
THIS CAR WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY A SAND AND GRAVEL ONE TON TRUCK GOING 35 MPH. IT WAS PUSHED INTO THE LARGE SUV IN FRONT OF IT. THE KIA AND SUV WERE BOTH STOPPED FOR TRAFFIC WHEN HIT. THE KIA SEATS BROKE AND RECLINED BACK AND THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER SIDE BROKE. MANY INJURIES WERE INCURRED ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER.*AK
THE MOLD IN THE CAR HAS CAUSED TWO PEOPLE TO GET SICK . WE HAVE TOLD KIA OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING FOR US. THE CAR HAS BEEN TEST FOR TOXICITY MOLD. I HAVE CONTACTED THE BBB AUTO LINE AND NOTHING AS BEEN RESOLVED IN THIS MATTER. WE ARE SEEING A DOCTOR FOR THE MOLD AND ARE UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ON DOCTOR'S ORDER AND DO TO THE LEVEL OF MOLD IN THE VEHICLE. *AK
HORN IS INOPERATIVE, PARTS ARE ON ORDER, HOWEVER DUE TO HORN NOT WORKING A VEHICLE BACKED INTO CONSUMER, CAUSING INJURY TO CONSUMER AND DAUGHTER. *JB
NEARLY FATAL CAR ACCIDENT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, THE BREAKS DID NOT LOCK UP. *TR
MY WIFE OWNS A 2000 KIA SEPHIA,WE WERE IN A HEAD ON COLLISION AT 40MPH AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS ASKED TO MAIL PICTURES OF THIS ACCIDENT TO KIA AND JUST RECEIVED A PHONE CALL BACK SAYING THE IMPACT WAS TOO HIGH FOR AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT,ARE YOU KIDDING ME,THE WHOLE FRONTEND OF THE CAR IS TOTALED AND THAT'S THE BEST ANSWER YOU CAN GIVE ME,OH YEAH HE SAID HE WAS SORRY. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 KIA SEPHIA. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT 20 MPH, THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND THE VEHICLE JERKED TO THE LEFT. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE NORMAL. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT AND SUSTAINED BRUISES TO HER CHEST. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 40,000.
DT: 2000 KIA SEPHIA. CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON JULY 26, 2005 WHEN A DEER RAN IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, SHE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND SWERVED TO MISS THE DEER. SHE HIT THE METAL GUARD RAIL AND A TELEPHONE POLE HEAD ON. THIS TOTALED THE VEHICLE. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS ISSUED. CONSUMER HAS A GASH ON RIGHT EYE AND HER LIP WAS SWOLLEN. SHE WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. *AK *JB
PURCHASED VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 10 DAYS BEFORE ACCIDENT AND NOTICED IMMEDIATELY THAT THE BRAKES WERE "MUSHY" AND STOPPING DISTANCE SEEMED UNUSUAL. INDIVIDUAL SELLING VEHICLE (NOT DEALER) STATED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE. IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO BE CERTAIN SINCED MY PREVIOUS VEHICLE IS KNOWN FOR VERY TOUCHY BRAKES AND I THOUGHT IT MIGHT JUST BE AN ADJUSTMENT PERIOD. HOWEVER, I AM A CAREFUL AND PATIENT DRIVER AND IN 20 YEARS OF DRIVING HAVE HAD ONLY 4 SPEEDING TICKETS AND ZERO ACCIDENTS UNTIL I DROVE THIS CAR. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 9-10 DAYS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROX. 15 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WITH ABOUT ONE CAR LENGTH BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE PICKUP IN FRONT OF ME. THE PICKUP DRIVER SLAMMED HER BRAKES AND I SLAMMED MINE ONLY TO HAVE THEM GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND PROVIDE NO RESISTANCE. I HIT THE PICKUP HARD ENOUGH TO SEVERELY BRUISE MY ARM ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND CAUSE SEVERAL DAYS OF BACK AND NECK PAIN. SOME OF THIS MIGHT HAVE ALSO BEEN AVOIDED IF THE AIRBAGS HAD DEPLOYED, BUT EVEN THOUGH THIS CRASH WAS A FULL FRONTAL ACCIDENT THEY DID NOT. AFTER I LEFT THE VEHICLE, ANOTHER SMALL CAR HIT THE BACK OF MY VEHICLE AND SEVERELY DAMAGED THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE AND THE FRONT OF HERS. HER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED IMMEDIATELY AND SHE SUSTAINED ZERO INJURIES. MY CAR HAD ONLY 58,000 MILES ON IT AND THE TIRES WERE NEARLY NEW, SO IT APPEARS TO ME THAT I HAD BOTH BRAKE AND AIRBAG FAILURE RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF MY VEHICLE AND PERSONAL INJURY AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLES OF THE OTHER TWO DRIVERS. SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS NOT FINANCED, IT HAD LIABILITY INSURANCE ONLY. I HAVE NOTICED MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE REGARDING BOTH BRAKE AND AIRBAG FAILURES IN THE KIA SEPHIA, YET I FOUND NO RECALLS FOR THESE ITEMS BY KIA.
MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN A DEER CROSSED AND WAS HIT BY OUR VEHICLE. THE CAR HIT THE DEER BROADSIDE WITH THE FRONT END, THEN THE CAR WAS KNOCKED DOWN INTO THE DITCH AND HIT AN EMBANKMENT WITH THE FRONT END. BOTH IMPACTS WERE ACROSS THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE CAR. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY WITH EITHER IMPACT. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL BE TOTALING THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE AMONT OF DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE HAD A CRASH IN THIS VEHICLE SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE NOTICED THIS DEFECT.
WHILE DRIVING AT 37 MPH VEHICLE SLID ON A GRAVEL SURFACE AND IMPACTED A STEEL POOL. UPON IMPACT, PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT DISCONNECTED, AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF HEAD, EYES, AND BOTH KNEES. THERE IS CURRENTLY AN OPEN INVESTIGATION EAO4-007, ON SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE. *AK
I WAS SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH MY LITTLE GIRL (4 YRS OLD) SITTING IN HER CAR SEAT WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE WERE REAR ENDED BY A GUY DRIVING AN OLDER SUBURBAN WHILE HE WAS TALKING ON HIS CELL PHONE! WE WERE PUSHED INTO THE JEEP CHEROKEE IN FRONT OF US....IT WAS ESTIMATED THE GUY IN THE SUBURBAN WAS TRAVELING AROUND 40 MPH OR A LITTLE MORE....MY CAR WAS CRUSHED BADLY IN THE FRONT...IT WAS ALL PUSHED IN...MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY....WHY? *CB
Filed by owners of this model year and unverified by NHTSA — one person’s account, not an established fact.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLES MAY EMIT A "CLICK" SOUND DURING THE BUCKLING PROCESS THAT IS SIMILAR TO THE SOUND EMITTED WHEN A BUCKLE IS BEING LATCHED, WHEN IT IS NOT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 16, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.
Published by model year, not by VIN — may not apply to this vehicle, or may already have been done. Confirm with a dealer.