FaultScore

2000 KIA Sephia suspension problems

11 of the 461 complaints about the 2000 KIA Sephia are about the suspension — 2% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 65,000 miles.

A

11

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Suspension 4 36.4%
Front 1 9.1%
Macpherson Strut 1 9.1%
Wheel Bearing 1 9.1%
Lower ARM 1 9.1%
Lower Ball Joint 1 9.1%
Upper Ball Joint 1 9.1%
Leaf Spring Assembly 1 9.1%

Suspension across every KIA Sephia year

1998 25 45.5%
1999 19 34.5%
2000 11 20.0%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 65,000 miles Syracuse, NY

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM

BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARMS HAVE GONE AT THE SAME TIME...AT 65,000 MILES...WHICH WHEN I CHECKED WITH REPAIR SHOP IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL THAT AT THIS LOW MILES ONE WOULD GO LET ALONE BOTH...HE SAID IT IS A QUALITY ISSUE. KIA SAYS ITS NOT COVERED...WHEN WENT TO GET OUT OF DRIVERS SIDE THE DOOR HANDLE SNAPPED OFF. AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH HEATER/AIR CONDITIONER...TOOK TO KIA EAST SYRACUSE, NY THEY SAID THEY DON'T MAKE THEM ANY MORE BECAUSE SO MANY PROBLEMS.

NHTSA complaint #10163581 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Washington, DC

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT

A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE STARTED COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. DRIVER NOTICED WHILE ACCELERATING THE NOISE WOULD ESCALATE LOUDER. DRIVER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT LEFT AND RIGHT UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION.

NHTSA complaint #10112912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Washington, DC

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE STARTED COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. DRIVER NOTICED WHILE ACCELERATING THE NOISE WOULD ESCALATE LOUDER. DRIVER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT LEFT AND RIGHT UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION.

NHTSA complaint #10112912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mesa, AZ

SUSPENSION

THE STEERING VIBRATES BADLY AND THE VEHICLES TIRES HAVE TO BE BALANCED FREQUENTLY. NLM

NHTSA complaint #786459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Chugiak, AK

SUSPENSION

MASTER CYLINDER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. CONSUMER IS ADDING A PINT OF BRAKE FLUID DAILY. BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON DASHBOARD, WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THERE IS EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE.*AK. CONSUMER STATED THE MASTER CYLINDER HAS BEEN REPLACED PREVIOUSLY, THIS WILL BE THE 3RD MASTER CYLINDER, THE VEHICLE ALSO VIBRATES AND THE DEALER STATED IT WAS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT, HOWEVER THE VIBRATION CONTINUED AFTER THE ALIGNMENT, THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AT 17,000 MILES.

NHTSA complaint #8012985 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Port Charlotte, FL

SUSPENSION

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, CONSUMER HAS COMPLAINED THAT THE VEHICLE VIBRATES, AND MAKES LOUD SOUNDS, THE TIRES WERE BALANCED AND ROTATED, THROTTLE BODY REPLACED, AND THE COMPRESSOR WAS REPLACED, POSSIBLE SUSPENSION PROBLEMS.

NHTSA complaint #563225 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Port Charlotte, FL

SUSPENSION

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, CONSUMER HAS COMPLAINED THAT THE VEHICLE VIBRATES, AND MAKES LOUD SOUNDS, THE TIRES WERE BALANCED AND ROTATED, THROTTLE BODY REPLACED, AND THE COMPRESSOR WAS REPLACED, POSSIBLE SUSPENSION PROBLEMS.

NHTSA complaint #563225 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Edmund, OK

SUSPENSION:FRONT

THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH FRONT END BECAUSE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED 6 SETS OF TIRES IN LESS THAN 20,000 MILES.

NHTSA complaint #897446 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Kissimmee, FL

SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WAS MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE HESITATED. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER DETERMINED THE CAUSE TO BE WHEEL BEARING WHICH NEEDED REPLACING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.

NHTSA complaint #892694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rochester, WA

SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT

THE RIGHT FRONT STRUT WAS BENT. NLM

NHTSA complaint #559795 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Orlando, FL

SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY

AT ONE TIME ENGINE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON, IT WAS THE FUEL INJECTION, THEN I HAD THE BRAKE PADS REPLACED, NOT EVEN TWO MONTHS LATER I HAD TO GET THEM REPLACED AGAIN, THATS INCLUDING THE DRUMS, THAT WAS BECAUSE IT WOULD VIBRATE AND WHEN RELEASING THE BRAKE IT WOULD MAKE A POP SOUND. AFTER 8 MONTHS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE THE BATTERY WENT DEAD ONE DAY I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE CAR SMELLS LIKE SMOKE. I HAD IT CHECK BECAUSE IT SHIFTS HARD AND IT HESITATES ALL THE TIME, THEY TOLD ME IT WAS OKAY.

NHTSA complaint #737581 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2000 KIA Sephia problems

← Full 2000 KIA Sephia report