16 of the 461 complaints about the 2000 KIA Sephia are about the doors, latches and locks — 3% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 56,000 miles.
16
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
THE LOCKS FREEZE UP IN COLD TEMPS, ENOUGH TO TWIST AND BEND MY KEY. EVEN TRYING TO FORCE IT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE DOES NOT WORK. I ALMOST BROKE MY THUMB TRYING TO FORCE IT OPEN UNLESS YOU PUT A HEATER IN THE CAR FOR A LONG TIME.
NHTSA complaint #10700871 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
2000 KIA SEPHIA DOOR LATCHES DO NOT WORK WHEN WEATHER IS FREEZING AND DASHBOARD CURLED UP NOT ALLOWING DEFROST OF FRONT WINDSHIELD.
NHTSA complaint #10380780 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 KIA SEPHIA. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED BELOW 25 DEGREES NONE OF THE DOORS LATCHES FUNCTION PROPERLY AND ITS DIFFICULT TO CLOSE THE DOOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41000. UPDATED 03/01/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN TEMPERATURE DROPPED, THE DOOR LOCKS DID NOT LATCH. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE HAS TO HOLD DOOR WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, THE DASH BOARD WAS FALLING APART. UPDATED 08/20/10.
NHTSA complaint #10300338 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
IN NORMALLY OPENING THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE IN COLD WEATHER, THE PLASTIC DOOR HANDLE BROKE BECAME INOPERATIVE. THE ONLY WAY TO OPEN THE DOOR WAS BY ROLLING DOWN THE WINDOW AND OPERATING THE DOOR USING THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM IF THE CAR NEEDS TO BE EXITED QUICKLY.
NHTSA complaint #10260897 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
RIGHT FRONT (PASSENGER) DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. DOOR LATCH WILL NOT UNLOCK. FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, I HAD TO CUT A HOLE IN THE INSIDE DOOR PANEL TO ACCESS THE INTERIOR OF THE DOOR. THE LOCK MECHANISM WAS RUSTED DUE TO A POORLY DESIGNED WINDOW SEAL THAT DRAINS INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE DOOR--RIGHT ONTO THE LOCK. THIS IS DANGEROUS-- MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ON BULLETIN BOARDS ALL OVER THE NET. THERE IS A TSB (625894) THAT DEALS WITH LATCHES, BUT I HAVE NOT CHECKED IT YET WITH THE DEALER. I UNDERSTAND KIA HAS SOME COVER OR SOMETHING THAT SHIELDS THE LOCK. PERHAPS THE TSB IS FOR THE SHIELD.
NHTSA complaint #10208734 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
I OWN KIA-SEPHIA-2000. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS UNDER 0 DEGREES THE DOORS FREEZE SO BADLY THAT I CANNOT SHUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OR ANY OTHER DOOR THAT I MIGHT OPEN AND THEN TRY TO CLOSE. MOST OFTEN,. AFTER I STARTED AND RAN THE HEAT AT THAT TIME THE DOOR MIGHT CLOSE SHUT. ONE EVENING IN JANUARY, I HAD TO DRIVE THE ENTIRE TIME , 27 MILES OR 45 MINUTES WITH THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR UNABLE TO CLOSE. I WAS HOLDING IT CLOSED AS TIGHTLY AS I COULD. NO AMOUNT OF WD40 WOULD HELP THIS SITUATION. I LIVE IN AN AREA THAT GOES DOWN TO 40 BELOW, AND THAT IS NOT THE WIND CHILL FACTOR. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE A BLOCK HEATER WAS IMMEDIATELY ADDED TO IT FOR ANTICIPATION OF THE COLD WEATHER.
NHTSA complaint #10191005 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD, THE DOORS ON MY KIA'S DON'T CLOSE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PERSON BUMP THE DOOR CLOSE FROM THE OUTSIDE. MY DOOR AND THE PASSENGER DOOR OPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I'M VERY FEARFUL OF DRIVING DURING IN THE WINTER, ESPECIALLY WITH MY KIDS.
NHTSA complaint #10137468 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
RIGHT FRONT DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. DOOR LATCH NOT UNLOCKING.
NHTSA complaint #10051436 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE FRONT DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT LOCK PROPERLY CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. TS ALSO THE DOORS WILL NOT SHUT CLOSE WHEN WEATHER IS COLD.
NHTSA complaint #10001831 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
CONSUMER STATES AT TIMES KEY UNLOCKS ALL DOORS AND OTHER TIMES ONLY UNLOCKS DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, DEALER FOUND THAT THE ROD WAS ADJUSTED TIGHTLY, LOCK SOLENOID WAS MOVED DOWN AND TIGHTEN.
NHTSA complaint #561836 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
LEFT FRONT DOOR LOCK WILL NOT LOCK FROM THE OUTSIDE. NLM
NHTSA complaint #559795 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
IN THE FIRST 12 MONTHS OF OWNING THE CAR THAT I PURCHASED BRAND NEW, I HAVE BLOWN AN ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRE(NO PUNCTURES - BELT EXPOSED); HAD THE DOOR LOCKS AND COMPARTMENT LID REPLACED BY (NO CHARGE).*AK (TIRESIZE: P185/65R14)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P185/65R14 )
NHTSA complaint #741314 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
THE REAR DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT UNLOCK. NLM
NHTSA complaint #552891 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
CHILD SAFETY LOCK CAN'T BE RELEASED. DOOR HAS TO BE OPENED FORM THE OUTSIDE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 2-3 TIMES. DEALER SAID THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN THE LOCK. CONSUMER IS CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURE & DEALER.
NHTSA complaint #865075 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
WINDSHIELD WIPERS ALONG WITH OTHER SAFTEY FEATURES ON THE VEHICLE ARE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. DOOR LOCKS BECOME JAMMED FROM THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE, AND THE SIGNAL LIGHTS ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #856476 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
CONSUMER HAS TO OPEN THE THE FRONT DOOR TO GET IN THE BACK DOORS.
NHTSA complaint #856308 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.