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Kia Sephia brakes

bogvlybogvly Member Posts: 13
edited March 2014 in Kia
I recently drove my son's 99 Sephia. The brakes
were very sluggish at speeds over 20mph, you could
actually feel the pumping thru the pedal!

The braking distance seemed to be too far, but it
always seems to take longer to stop than it does
when you must stop....

I had him take the car to the dealer and have them
checked- while he was explaining the problem to
the service area, everyone else in line said "Me
too!"

Does anyone else have a similar problem? I'll let
you know what happens at the dealer- he just
brought it today.
«1

Comments

  • rondorirondori Member Posts: 8
    bogvly,

    98 and 99 Sephias are having problems with warping rotors. Most people say that the dealer replaces them with the newer, less warp-prone rotors with no hassle. Check out the Kia forum in "sedans" for more info.

    -cr
  • alainaalaina Member Posts: 1
    bogvly~

    I have the same trouble with my brakes. I have a 98 Sephia, and I just thought it was the result of the driver who owned the car for a year before I did. I'm glad I'm finding this out now, especially since I'm still under warranty, and I shouldn't have any trouble taking it to the dealer.
  • rayfrayf Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1998 Kia Sephia with 24,000 miles.
    I had the front brakes replaced two times so far.
  • matttmattt Member Posts: 1
    I also have brake problems. Seems the rotor warps prematurely. I have 6100 miles on my 98 Sephia and have had the rotors replaced twice. I'm getting between 2000-2500 miles per rotor.

    When I was scheduling the second replacement, I was told by the dealer serviceman, that the problem stems from the new laws passed 'outlawing asbestos materials in brakes'. He said Kia isn't the only dealer with the problem. He specifically mentioned GM as having this problem. Can anyone verify this information?
  • ferrenceferrence Member Posts: 1
    Just had my 98 Sephia Rotors replaced yesterday at 22,000 miles. The dealerships said that this was normal, but I called him on it concerning my warranty. Thank God I purchased the extended warranty!

    CF
  • lstephens1lstephens1 Member Posts: 1
    I purchased this car Aug. 21, 1998. The first month I had to get the car towed. The oil, engine, and battery light came on. The dealer stated a fuse had blown. Every two months I have to get new brakes. July of 99, my A/C was messed up, took it in for service, Aug 4th it was fixed, August 6th, NO AIR! It is Sept 15, still no air. I was told that they had to order the hose, now it 's suppose to be a blockage somewhere. I like the car, but not all of the problems. I purchased this car off the Dealers lot. This is a brand new car. I am so frustrated. I need help. I only have 18, 100 miles on this car. Is anyone else having similar problems?
  • curt3curt3 Member Posts: 101
    I had my brakes and rotors replaced a couple of months ago on account of rough stopping. I noticed last week that the braking has become rough again. Fortunatley the warranty covers the brakes for the first 36,000 miles. I hope that the pads and rotors are improved like others have stated. Other than the brakes, I have had no other significant problems other than a noisy a/c and a rubbing sound from the power steering belt.
  • destinytawdestinytaw Member Posts: 1
    I bought my Kia in May of 1998, and I have 23,000 miles on it.. My rotors have been replaced 4 times and is working on the 5th. If adding up all the repairs on my Kia for the 17 months that I have owned this vehicle there has been 10,000 dollars in parts put on my car. The transmission was replaced once and I am waiting for the second transmission to come in. The axle, carpet replacement from a major duct leak, gear shift fell off, start and fly wheel, check engine light continually coming on, weather stripping 3 times. this is all I can think of right now. Needless to say I have gotten a hold of the Better Business Burea, and the Kia Corporation is in the process of replacing my car with a new year 2000 car on them. I am not exactly sure, but if the problem is not corrected, they are responsible for the problem even after the warranty. Check your state laws. Good Luck..
  • davis15davis15 Member Posts: 2
    I've owned my kia 3 months and have had to go back to the dealership 3 times. The first time because the alternator belt was slipping, the second because I felt the breaks weren't working correctly, which I was basically told nothing was wrong, then today because the rotors and pads were shot...I bought a new car so I wouldn't have to go to the shop every month!
  • ryanskertichryanskertich Member Posts: 1
    All of these problems everyone has listed, I had the same. I had a 1998 Kia Sephia and put 33,000 miles on it in 9 months. I went through 5 brake rotors, the engine would die out while going 60-70mph and start back up on its own, rattles everywhere, shift boot replaced a number of times, and yadda yadda yadda. I had over 35 repair orders within 6 months. I would like to see Kia go down, because they put me through 6 months of hell. I even talked with the "head" engineer of Kia for the midwest region, and he even tried to tell me there is no "lemon law". It got me so mad that I strung the car with lemons and parked it at the dealership for service. Because of this, they denied me service, so I proceeded to see a law firm in downtown Chicago called Krohn & Moss. Within a month of my lawyer sending a letter to them, Kia was offering to buy my car back. By FEDERAL law, there is a "Breech of Warranty Contract" law, that states if your vehicle is not repaired within 3 trys, your vehicle must be bought back or be provided with a new vehicle. So, it does not matter what state you live in. They ended up paying me back for what I owed on the car, on top of the Lawyer fees of over $1800. I never lost a dime in the whole case. Check out the lawyer's site at http://www.midwestconsumer.com/. If you have any questions, PLEASE email me at skertich@purdue.edu. I will provide you with my lawyers name and tell you anything else you need to know. I am really tired of seeing people get pushed around for something that should be fixed.
  • hawkeaglehawkeagle Member Posts: 1
    Thanks to my friend and this forum, I replaced my 97 Kia sephia's brake and rotor due to the pre-mature warping and rattling 5 months ago, I would think everything should be fine for now, but I have a new problem when I cruise at normal speed the put gear to neutral for stop light, my car would shake after it make a complete stop not during but after, I suspect it is related to brake/rotor problem again, any one have any idea ?
  • squorpionsquorpion Member Posts: 1
    Well you didn't think there these vehicles were going to come off the market without a hitch. Like any new brand name or new program that starts it is going to have it's problems and bugs. The only reason these other well established companies can boast about their quality is because they have been established and gone through there glitch period. So take heart Kia owners as long as the problem get reported and fixed it is helping produce a better Kia for tomorrow and making the market for the price on new cars to go down. I was drawn to the Kia because of it's price. Because no other American car company wanted to give the American people a decent price for the same size of car. Well if Kia is going to give me a fair deal on a size car the American companies want to charge twice as much for I am not going to [non-permissible content removed] because I have to take it in an get it fixed a couple of times.....
  • gusgus Member Posts: 254
    The only thing is, the established brands went through their glitch periods 50-75 years ago, when they were the only thing going. If KIA doesn't get through its glitch period soon, it's not going to have a product to work the glitches out of any more.
  • CidCid Member Posts: 8
    Hi! (Kia as a hole; Ferrence; Kia Brakes,Matt; Brake problems)

    I have a 97' Sephia and had voiced my concerns and problems in the forum over a year ago with the car! After getting some feedback from the forum, without any recourse, I simply gave up feeling I was trapped with that piece of junk with nowhere to turn. Some of the folk on the forum simply ditched their KIA's and bit the bullet as they were up-side-down in their loan. I knew I could not afford to do that. My primary complaint was with the brakes though the car rattles terribly and has other minor faults. I did make inquiry with the dealer where my car was serviced, while under warranty. After it fell out of warranty, the dealer had a different song & dance!! Lanham Ford, in Lanham, Maryland is the dealership and the service manager maintained that there was no way he could tell whether or not my rotors warping was the true problem. Yet, when it was under warranty every 3 to 4 months I had to have the rotors replace. My thing is that the service receipt says "replaced rotors" but did they indeed replace them with NEW ones or simply shaved the ones that were on the car? I cannot prove that and I'm really pissed that in order to buy new rotors I have to go to KIA and pay close to $80.00 for each.

    I plan on contacting Skertich@perdue.edu who has given me hope on getting KIA to be responsible for the junk they sell. Will be in touch .... later.
  • mvaldivimvaldivi Member Posts: 24
    Worst things i got from my Kia: A stinking service at my dealership, and lousy brake rotors. I replaced the rotors myself (bought WAGNER rotors and PADS, thats $72+$72+$68 bucks). I've been using them for three months and there's no sign of any warpage (SO FAR!!). I know i shouldn't spend any money if the car is under warranty, but there's no warranty that those clueless mechanics at the dealership would fix the problem the first time; and most important, I don't get to loose one day of work.
    Good luck with those breaks...
  • bkcomerbkcomer Member Posts: 1
    I own a 1998 Kia Sephia and it is becoming apparent that their are some problems with the brakes. To date, I've had to have my rotors replaced twice due to warping. The dealer has always covered this under warranty but, I bought a new car in order to avoid trips to the mechanic. As soon as my warranty expires, I plan on trading in my car unless KIA finds a way to alleviate this problem. Has anyone heard of KIA's gameplan or are they going to scare off repeat business?
  • jpoulin587jpoulin587 Member Posts: 1
    I bought a 99 Sephia and I love it.

    I did have the problem with the brakes at about 4000 miles, but the dealer fixed it and replaced the pads & rotors with redesigned ones that will not warp the rotors. I'm at 7000 miles and no problems so far.

    Many of the problems posted are not really car problems, but dealer problems. I imaging when the Kia network is larger it will be easier to find a good dealer.

    In fact, the dealer that gives me such great service has the slimiest sales department ever. I wouldn't buy gum from these jokers. They are located less than a mile from my house and I drove 35 miles to another dealer to buy my Kia. But if I need anything fixed the service guys are right on top of it.
  • davis15davis15 Member Posts: 2
    I bought my 99 Sephia in June. One month after
    purchase the Alternator belt was loose, that was
    the first in a long list of trips back for repair.
    Twice for the brakes, rotors, wiper motor, fuel
    pump, fly wheel. I too have a problem with the gas
    gauge and fuel spitting out but with all the other
    problems I forgot about them. The most recent
    problem was two nights ago when my daughter was in
    an accident.

    She was doing about 30 mph, slid on ice and landed
    head on into a tree stump. Put $3800 of damage in
    the front end, pushed the bumper clear into the
    fan, and neither of the airbags deployed!

    For the past few days I've been researching, I
    found 22 pages of complaints at the National
    Highway Transportation Safety Administration
    (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/complain/compmmy.cfm
    )These are all on the 99 model alone! I personally
    have had 90% of the complaints on that site! I
    have contacted a couple of other people who's
    airbags did not deploy and they too have had a
    multitude of other safety problems with their Kia.

    One of the folks I wrote to suggested we get some
    stories together and contact a news agency to get
    something done, these aren't small problems, they
    are SAFETY ISSUES! I don't care how much of a deal
    the car was, it still has to be safe!

    Anyone who is interested in making some noise,
    PLEASE email me at jdavis@gis.net. I don't know
    about you but I'm sick of spending my time at the
    repair shop!
  • kiawarykiawary Member Posts: 2
    Kia ended up repurchasing my car after I
    threatened that I would pursue the lemon law--of
    course it took almost a year for this to happen.

    My brakes had to be fixed 5 times during the
    first year I owned the car; the rotors would
    warp about every 3000 miles. The service
    department explained that this was normal
    for 98 Sephias. Supposedly, they installed
    the updated pads/rotors the last 3 repair attempts
    and it made no difference. In Washington State,
    my recurring brake problems alone would have
    qualified it as a lemon...I also had about
    25 days worth of other problems with my car.
    Kia Consumer Affairs treated me so poorly and
    played so many stupid games with me that I will
    never buy another Kia or recommend them to anyone.
    A merely dissatisfied customer will tell maybe
    10 or so people about his customer service horror
    story. An extremely pissed-off person like me
    will spend much of his/her free time sharing
    the experience with as many people as possible!
    I hope Kia goes out of business for selling such
    horrible cars and working hard and treating customers so badly.
  • msdee1msdee1 Member Posts: 1
    My daughter bought a new 1998 Kia in December of that year had to replace the rotors twice within a year. You can't seem to get more than 5,000 miles out of a set of rotors before they warp. The car also wasn't sealed properly and wound up with water in the trunk and under the back seat, odd noises, bad shifting, surging, etc. She put 17,000 miles on it and I agreed with her decision not to keep it past the warranty of 36,000 miles. She traded it for a 200 Hyundai Accent - I hope she has better luck with it.
  • usabornusaborn Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a 1999 KIA in April 1999 and have managed to get approx. 8000 miles out of the brakes each time before rotor warp. I've had two warranty brake jobs ( got suckered to pay for rear brake adjustment during one of the fix jobs ). They claim to have put upgraded rotors on this time, but from what I read of in previous posts, I have a feeling that I'll get maybe another 8000 miles. I also had it back three times for a/c squealing . The third time seemed to have corrected the problem. The car is going back for the second fix of the console release clip that broke off again due to poor design. Other than the brakes, the dealer doesn't stock parts, which causes a return visit once they get the parts needed. I feel that a lot of the problem lies with KIA more than the dealer. From what I hear , it seems that KIA doesn't provide very good tech. assistance to the dealers service depts. I have been irritated when it seemed as though the dealer didn't check their work after it was done, which caused me to immediately return the car to be fixed correctly ( a/c problem ). I'm considering the LEMON law in Maryland, but I need to find out what's required. I am also looking at a possible trade in on maybe a Jeep Wrangler, but the book value doesn't appear to be too good on my KIA. I'm talking with the KIA-Jeep dealer that I bought from about this option.
  • SprottnSprottn Member Posts: 3
    We bought a 98 Sephia LS in November 1998
    the rotors had to be replaced before we even gt to 3000 miles. Now at 13000 I find myself in the same position. After reading all these posts I have to ask you all, are the rotors covered under the 36000 mile warranty? I do not want to have to pay for them as it looks like a regular problem Kia is having. The only other problem with the car was at about 11000 miles the engine light came on. The service center in Fort Myers Florida tried to tell me that I was not closing the gas cap tight enough (bull hockey, I have trouble opening it since I close it so tight) turned out that a clamp had come loose. If you seem to have this problem make them check it! WE are a one car family so this is such a PAIN to wait all day, even with an appointment! To fix the last two recall items I was told I could not bring the car in until the end of the month and I have to leave it there all day. Considering they are on the other side of town and they offer no courtesy shuttle I think they should have a better system, dont you?
  • kiawarykiawary Member Posts: 2
    Hey, It's about time everyone drove a well-built
    car....so don't buy a Kia!

    Look what Kia doesn't want you to know:

    J.D. Power 1999: Kia has the highest number of defects (twice the industry average) of any make and had the lowest customer satisfaction.

    Consumer Report 1999: Ranked the Sephia among the worst ever tested; a car to avoid.

    Strategic Vision Inc., 5 May 99: "Worst brand: with sixty-two percent of Kia's buyers reporting defects, 28 percent said it affected overall satisfaction with their purchase."

    The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found the 99 Sephia offered Poor (the lowest score) occupant protection in a crash.
  • kecamkecam Member Posts: 1
    The brakes on my 1998 Sephia LS were replaced at 20,000 miles, but the dealership wouldn't cover it under the warranty. You can bet I'll be calling them first thing in the morning to find out why others were covered!! I also have two other problems the dealer hasn't been able to fix to my satisfaction, 1. when the car idles the lights(anything lit up on the car)pulse from dim to bright,and 2.on a measured mile the odometer reads 1/10th of a mile to much, which is adding more miles to the car than I'm actually driving. I noticed this because the speedometer reads that you're going faster than you are. Check it out.
  • CidCid Member Posts: 8
    Hello to All! (Who are sick & tired of KIA brakes)

    It is quite apparent that the KIA headquarters is not willing to even discuss resolving the problem with their wacko rotors, so I'll have to resort to another means of getting rid of this car.

    I did try contacting (via e:mail) the fellow who enlisted the help of an attorney in Chicago, but never got a response. Perhaps I made an error in his e:mail adress. I will try again, today.

    With much persistence and continued nagging, I am certain I'll get KIA to cooperate. Like most of you, I don't even want another KIA or Korean car for that matter! I did contemplate a Huyandi, but I'm scared to death of having serious problems. I want to get out of the car, period!!
    I cannot afford to lose money in trading in the car, however and as most of you already know ... the book value is a joke!! I'm highly disturbed by KIA's performance and the fact that KIA doesn't value its customers enough to build rotors that will not continue to warp time after time after time.

    For the woman who asked about whether or not rotors are covered for the duration of the warranty - 36K miles, no they are not! Read your warranty booklet, closely, you'll see. I got that disappointing news when I took my KIA in thinking all was covered since I only had about 2,200 miles on the sucker!

    Will keep in touch. May take the advice of the KIA owner who bought an entirely different rotor ... WAGNER. Heh, I've never had a car where the rotors warped!! My last car lasted almost 10 years without a single incident of having warped rotors. I know it is a KIA defect and KIA should pay for it; with GOD's help and the help of each of you, KIA will absorb the cost - not ME!!
  • CidCid Member Posts: 8
    Just sent my e:mail to the person who sued KIA and was able to come out ahead. I do hope I get a response ... will let you know.
  • CidCid Member Posts: 8
    Hi There!

    I read that you took matters into your own hands, since KIA had lousy service when you attempted to get your rotors fixed, in addition to the fact that they told you rotors were not part of the warranty.

    I've been told the same thing, but what I need to know, since you've put WAGNER rotors & pads on your car how has it been holding up? Would you recommend it to others? I see no immediate way to resolve this problem and I cannot continue to ride around with the rotors warped.

    Please get back in touch & let me have a current update to your vehicle now that you've switched to WAGNER rotors. (email: ciddy55@hotmail.com)
  • keough2keough2 Member Posts: 1
    Hello everyone. I too, am disgusted with my Kia! I bought my 99 Kia Sephia in July since then I've had the the brake pads and rotors replaced about every three months (2x so far) and we're due to bring them back soon. I've also had the fly wheel replace, fuel pump replaced, and windsheild wipers. My engine has stopped and started again while driving in the fast last at about 65mph, my dash display lights have dimmed and my console release clip has broken! Like the other person who's air bags didn't deploy, I too was in an accident and mine didn't deploy! I'm thoroughly dissatisfied with this vehicle and would never consider purchasing a Korean made auto again! I've come to the conclusion that the dealership was either lying about everything or they had no clue about the car. And in response to the person who was speaking about calling the NHTSA, don't worry, that's the first thing I'm going to do tomorrow, along with calling the dealership, my attorney and the attorney generals office! Thank you, everyone, for all your valuable tips and comments.
  • peggipeggi Member Posts: 1
    My daughter owns a 97 Kia and we are disguested with the quality of the car as well as having brake and rotor problems. We had to have her brakes and rotors replaced at 6000 miles to the tune of almost $400.00 that we should be thankful that we got 6000 miles out of them because they generally need to be replaced every 3000 miles that is how Kia designed them to be. We have several other problems with the car such as the windows sliding down no matter how tight you close them and just the in general manor that the car has performed. I would highly recommend that no one purchase what is suppose to be a quality economic car because you will end up putting much more money in the up keep the vehicle. Unfortunatley we have a smart (or not so smart) lease that has become almost impossible to get out of. My daughter now has an infant son and we both feel the car is very unsafe. So my advice is don't buy one.
  • shannonusfshannonusf Member Posts: 1
    I bought a 1997 Sephia LS in March of 1999 with 28,830 miles.
    My first problem occured about 1 week later. I took it to the dealer (not the one I bought it from) to have some very minor work done on it. They asked me to leave it overnight so they could work on it first thing in the morning. No problem I said. Wrong, BIG PROBLEM. The next morning I received a call from them telling me that my car had been broken into and that they ripped out my CD player (a factory one no less). This should have been my first clue.
    Within 2 weeks I noticed a scraping sound coming from the right front tirewell, most noticable when I would turn a corner. I took it back to the dealer (which happened to be Carmax) and they fixed the problem by remachining the rotors (whatever that means). Now the only problem I seem to have with my brakes is that they make a high pitched noise when I press on them, however if I press harder it seems to disappear. I contacted the Kia dealer here in Tampa (both of them) and they quite simply told me to suck it up or fork over some Ungodly amount to fix it (not surprisingly it had just gone out from warrenty). I also encountered a problem with my fuel pump that took 3 tries to correct. (The check engine light kept coming on)
    1. Loose gas cap....they told me that it is a common problem seeing as I had had an aftermarket gas cap. That was $12.00 to buy a new one.
    3 weeks later:
    2. Loose gas cap and bad ground wire. 3 hours later they said that it should fix the problem.
    6 Days later:
    3. The light comes on again so I call the dealer. It will be a month before they can fit me in unless I want to try to drop it off first thing in the morning. NO! Finally by the time they can see me it turns out there has been a recall on something to do with the fuel line. I was not a happy camper that day seeing as I had not received a notice telling me this information.
    I have basically decided to fix what is absoletuly needed to maintain my car but I will not be spending anymore than that to repair anything.
  • nightbirdnightbird Member Posts: 2
    I have just had my brakes fixed for the fourth time. I have 29,500 miles on the car (a 1.8L). They started pulsing soon after time #3, but just didn't have time to get in. I haven't had to pay for the repairs as, from the beginning at House of Kia in Los Angeles, the dealer identified it as Kia's problem (the Kia rep was there that day and approved the repairs - that was over 18 months ago). I have the extended warranty, but don't want to be in the shop all the time or dealing with this when Kia refuses to pay. Also have noted this car seems to use oil like an older car. It's been very low at times and had to be topped up between oil changes which I never had to do on my Subaru Justy (which I miss a lot). I was told this could be a problem if the car sat on the dealer's lot too long before being sold. As I'm now in Seattle where Chuck Olson Chevrolet in Lynnwood has been good with repairing the brakes and the recall on the hoses, will be looking into the lemon recourse. They said this time Kia thinks the rotors are failing because they're overheating so put in a rotor/pad pair with pads that "have fins on them" (?) to cool the rotors. Only a few days into them, but will keep you posted. Any info on a way to get Kia to buy the car back in Washington would be appreciated.
  • CidCid Member Posts: 8
    Hello to all & to you "Nightbird".

    I am trying to do the same thing as you, to KIA to buy back the lousy vehicle. I realize that although KIA has had numerous complaints, they will hold out to the bitter end in bringing resolution to the hundreds of dissatisfied customers.

    I am going to look into buying rotor pads that have "fins" on them, however, I am going to take the advice of a KIA owner who put WAGNER pads and rotors on his KIA. I figure, how much worse could that be, because I AM CONVINCED KIA makes defective rotors.

    I hope to get this work done by the end of April. Listen, if you have not already contacted NHTSA, do so. They will take your complaint and register it. The call only takes a minute! Every weapon we can use, will assit in getting results.
  • genes555genes555 Member Posts: 10
    that getting a quality aftermarket rotor and pad combo like wagner should do the trick.

    it may cost a franklin or two but it would be worth it compared to all the hassles.

    otherwise i think the kia are pretty well made cars.

    just go see all of those outraged vw consumers in the jetta gls, and beetle forum, etc.

    the vw's are absolutely horrendous.

    go check out the vw forum's and see for yourself!!
  • christopher13christopher13 Member Posts: 1
    I just happened to be browsing the KIA area because I know of people who own Kias and have had nothing but trouble with them. In response to
    post #35, I am a very satisfied VW owner. You can't compare a "made in Korea out of recycled
    beer cans" (KIA) to a fine German engineered automobile. There is NO comparison whatsoever. There is no excuse for Kias crappy performace and safety issues -- issues which are unheard of in
    Volkswagens. So, for all of you Kia owners who got burned by Kia, I'm sorry for your inconvenience. All I can recomend is that you steer clear of cheap cars. If you can afford a german or japanese car, you should be much better off than you would be with an American or Korean
    automobile.
  • trueariestruearies Member Posts: 1
    I was talking to the service dept at my dealer, and he was telling me about the rotor problem, and you know what, it wasn't even the rotors, it was the brake pads. The brake pads were too soft. The Kia engineers were approaching the problem from the rotor end, not the brake end. They've now redesigned the pad to be a little harder, as to not create so much heat on the rotors, which was causing them to warp. So, to those of you who haven't had your car in the Kia dealership in the past three months with this problem, give them a call and have them put on that new set of brake pads.
  • genes555genes555 Member Posts: 10
    gimme a break, horrendous problems on a $20,000+ vw crapmobile and a $10,000 sephia are not the same.

    most of the issues with the sephia are with the brake rotors anyways. rotors can be easily replaced plus somebody said in a previous post that kia has found a solution. the brake pads were the culprit?

    anyways the vw is a really generic car and coming from germany we all know that that country's extremely high labor rates have a lot to do with the over-pricing of the cars. they must drink a lot of beer over there.

    if you can't afford the mb or the bmw or porsche don't get a german car. they are sub par. even bmw, mb and porsche does have its share of problems but nothing like the safety and drivability problems of the vw. just go look at the new jetta forum!

    i would take the kia sephia over any vw golf or beetle, jetta anyday and save a lot of money and headaches.

    the koreans have come a long way.
  • skamanfooskamanfoo Member Posts: 1
    Well this is my first time on here. I have the 98 Kia Sephia LS and also have had many numerous problems. On my second time that I had my pads replaced, I was told that it was the pads, and not the rotors, and since pads being a "wear item", they were not covered under warranty. The pads I would be getting this time would be "updated" pads as to the fact that they found a problem. I forget how long ago this was, but it was around 15,000 to 16,000 miles. I had them replaced at 7,500 miles before. Well when 25,000 or so miles came around, the brakes were doing the exact same thing. I brought it in, and once again they told me Kia had updated the pads as to the others still were not up to par. This time they replaced the pads and rotors at no cost for it being a hassle ot me and all, also for the fact of having hte extended warranty (which I'm GLAD they threw in at time of purchase!!!!). About 1,000 miles later my brakes were already squeking, I brought it in, and they said nothing was making noises, I'm glad *I* just hear these things. Now I'm at 30+, the brakes are holding up a little bit better, but I can tell they will need to be replaced within the next 2-3k miles once again. So I doubt that it has anything to do with rotors or pads, it's just terrible building of cars.

    Also another thing to go wrong, a hose busted while driving on the freeway, sending coolant everywhere throughout my engine comparment. This happened at 10k miles. It still has not run the same since. Also since having the "recall" work done, everytime I back up, my car idles high and low if I do not or barely press the gas peddle.

    As for those that blame the dealers, it's really not their fault. *Not* every Kia has this problem. I work in cellular sales, and there are some phones that are cheaper, but don't work as well, but we still have to sell them to make money. But since working the job I do now, and having hte car I have, I've learned with anything electronic, "you get what you pay for".
  • nightbirdnightbird Member Posts: 2
    Hi All,

    So far the brakes are smooth since I had the new rotors and pads put on before my last post (04/12). Hope they continue to be so. I haven't tried to go further with the lemon approach, though now realize that the seatbelt releasing while driving is a problem others are having and should be fixed by Kia. Have not gotten to talk to the dealer about this. Am concerned for the poor performance in the crash test, the air bags not opening for people along with the seatbelt issue as my son is about to start driving so am thinking of just selling the car. Have no real complaints about the engine, but think those of us with '96 cars with the Mazda-inspired engines seem to be in better shape than those with later models made by Kia. Have been looking through the ads in Puget Sound and have noticed dealers are asking quite a lot for used Kia's so this may be the way to go if you want to get out of yours - maybe they're holding their value better than some would like us to believe.
  • bad13oybad13oy Member Posts: 1
    i have had my kia for almost a year and it has ran fine.It is a 98 sephia ls.Everyone is complaing about the brakes and rotors.Yes they are cheap and yes they do suck.But as for the car mine has run great.I got rear ended buy some honda accord. My rear end had a slight scratch.But the honda bumper was bent.Now everyone is complaing about there car.You spent 10,000 dollars on a car and expect a diamond.It is small and cheap car.But it is one of the best in it's class.You compare it to the cheap ford escort, the hyndai excel and maybe even the honda civic.The civic is slightly better. but the kia is a hell of a buy at its price.So spend the sixty dollars and get new rotors and pads.And enjoy the car......
  • cptplasticcptplastic Member Posts: 1
    My front rotors warped within 3000 miles of purchase. After replacement the new set warped also. The dealer machined the rotors instead of replacing them a third time. This did not work, so I went to another dealer and got a third set. This set has been fine for the last 15,000 miles with no problems at all!

    I guess KIA finally found the correct metal alloy. Other than the brakes, I have had no problems with my little red KIA. I just drove it to Las Vegas and back from San Diego.

    It's small and noisy, but it works.
  • kiassuck1kiassuck1 Member Posts: 1
    My wife and I bought our Sephia in March of '99, and had no problems with it until we noticed a grinding noise when braking. Imagine my surprise when the dealership told me I needed new brakes. When I asked if they meant new pads, they said no. New pads AND new rotors. This was at approximately 5,000 miles. Roughly every 5,000 miles since that dealership and another one closer to where we moved have replaced the rotors and pads.(We're on our 4th set now, and due for another set soon) I don't mind the manufacturer's recalls for things like the windshield wipers arms or the fuel pump, but replacing brakes every 5k miles is starting to get old. I have e-mailed Kia directly, and they told me it was a problem that I needed to take up with the service manager at my dealership. About the nicest thing I can say about Kia is that I haven't been charged a dime so far for all these repairs to our vehicle(Thank God for the extended warranty!) I am also not impressed with the factory Hankook tires. I will need a new set before the winter arrives here in Pennsylvania.
  • cuda1cuda1 Member Posts: 1
    I would like to know if these braking problems are on automatic trans cars or on sticks and if the owners of sticks are downshifting when stoping. I have a 2000 sephia ls stick with 6000 miles, that i downshift when braking and haven`t had any problems with so far.
  • dannyh2dannyh2 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 97 Sephia (bought it new) and it has 50,000 miles on it. I've NEVER had a problem with the brakes. I did have to replace the wiring once, because I never have had a tune up. I agree with the person above who said that the Sephia burns oil quickly...but that's all!

    Now, the body work is shoddy and my dashboard cracked in the Maryland summer sun last year, but Kia replaced it at NO CHARGE!

    I too will be trading the car in next year, but hopefully it will continue running well until then.
    Good luck to all others out there.....
  • marbymarby Member Posts: 34
    MOST VW's sold in US are made in MEXICO not Germany.
  • cinnamon78cinnamon78 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 99 Kia Sephia LS and have had nothing but problems with it since I bought it. I have had a broken fly wheel, broken wheel cylinder which caused all kinds of problems with my brakes. My vehicle has been recalled for some fuel pump wiring problem. I have replaced my rotors and pads at early mileage. I have been reading and noticed that everyone seems to be having the same problem with their Kia. BRAKES, BRAKES, BRAKES! I wish I had never bought this car. The dealer is always rude everytime I HAVE to bring my car BACK in to be fixed, and Kia has been of no assitance to me. They basically told me to suck it up and pay for the brakes. If the dealer had fixed my wheel cylinder when they were supposed to, then maybe my rotors wouldn't have been to be replaced so soon. But then again, now that I see others were having the same problem, maybe it was the rotors. I want them to take their crappy car back, but they won't without putting a voluntary repo on my credit. Does anyone have any suggestions? THis car has been nothing but problems since I got it. Kia's are crap and I am telling everyone not to buy them. IS there any way to put a formal complaint on them? This car is high maintenance!!!! Never buy one! Tell everyone!!!!!!!!!!
  • alchemy2alchemy2 Member Posts: 6
    I have a 1997 Kia Sephia with 65000 miles averaging 20+K/year and had to just replace the muffler and main exhaust pipe ($630 parts/labor). I've been driving many different domestic and foreign cars over the years putting on high mileage and have never replaced an exhaust system so soon. I also have to replace my front brake pads and warped rotors for the 3rd time ($345). At 60000 I replaced the timing belt, water pump, leaking cam shaft seals, valve cover seals and engine tune-up($890-water pump covered under extended warranty). The engine consumes more than a quart of oil less than a 1000 miles. If this car lasts to 100000 miles, I feel I would have spent in maintenance what I have paid for the car.
  • lufsey01lufsey01 Member Posts: 1
    I was told to come to the site for help on finding cars. I was about to buy a 2000 Kia Sephia, but after reading about all of these problems with the brakes/rotors and other problems, I believe that I have changed my mind. The neighbors down the street love their Kia's and have never had a problem with the car or jeep. I now wonder how long they have had them? These automobiles came highly recommended by them. My mom was thinking about buying a Kia also.
  • bnormannbnormann Member Posts: 335
    lufsey01,

    Have you looked in the Sedans or SUV conference yet. This conference has mostly problems in it, by design. You will get a much more balanced viewpoint in the other conferences.

    Your host, Bruce
  • cutlass13cutlass13 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2000 Sephia with a manual tranny and 4000 hard miles on it (Teenaged driver, guilty as charged) and have done some pretty hard braking. Except for the weak front suspension letting the front end dip seriously, the brakes are good, no pulling, warping, noises, and no brake fade when braking from highway speeds (to avoid accidents on I-75 during rush hours commuting to and from school) Besides the P.O.S. tires giving terrible traction and sliding around on Florida's wet summer roads, I've had no mechanical problems with the car.
  • cutlass13cutlass13 Member Posts: 2
    Maybe they reworked the brake system on the newer models. I noticed most of the posts were 97s and 98s.
This discussion has been closed.