1999 Kia Sephia

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.

Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 16, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

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.

Fix: 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 REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. ELECTRICAL CURRENT TO THE FUEL PUMP PASSES THROUGH THE C304 AND C305 CONNECTORS. IF EXPOSED TO MOISTURE, THESE CONNECTORS COULD CORRODE. OVER TIME, THE FUEL PUMP WILL NOT RECEIVE ENOUGH CURRENT TO OPERATE.

Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING CONNECTORS AND REPOSITION THOSE CONNECTORS TO AN AREA WHERE THE PLACEMENT IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT CONTACT WITH MOISTURE.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT FOR THE FUEL PUMP IS GROUNDED AT JUNCTION CONNECTOR G300. IF THE PIN TENSION IS POOR, OR THE BOLT SECURING THE CONNECTOR TO THE VEHICLE FLOOR IS NOT TIGHTENED SUFFICIENTLY, A POOR CONNECTION IS MADE. AS THE FUEL PUMP OPERATES, THE POOR CONNECTION CAN CREATE HEAT WHICH IN TURN INCREASES RESISTANCE. EVENTUALLY THE FUEL PUMP WILL NOT RECEIVE ENOUGH CURRENT…

Fix: THIS CORRECTIVE ACTION IS BEING PERFORMED IN CONJUNCTION WITH RECALL NO. 99V317.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE BALL SOCKET ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINK MAY BE OUT OF TOLERANCE RESULTING IN THE LINK DISENGAGING FROM THE WIPER MOTOR DRIVE UNDER LOAD, SUCH AS PUSHING AGAINST ICE, SNOW OR OTHER RESISTANCE. ALSO THE WIPER ARM RETAINING NUT COULD BE INADEQUATELY TIGHTENED ALLOWING THE WIPER ARM TO SLIP AND/OR STOP FUNCTIONING.

Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINK AND ALSO PROPERLY TIGHTEN THE WIPER ARM RETAINING NUTS.

SEAT BELT BUCKLE FALSE LATCH/MALFUNCTION Closed

THE MANUFACTURER HAS INITIATED A SAFETY RELATED CAMPAIGN TO RECALL THE SUBJECT VEHICLES FOR CORRECTION OF THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE DEFECT. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION IS TO REPLACE THE SEAT BELTS/BUCKLES. THIS SAFETY RECALL PROGRAM HAS BEEN ASSIGNED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NO. 04V305.

REFUELING SPIT BACK Closed

BASED ON THE LOW RATE OF FUEL SPIT-BACK INCEDENTS (14.3 INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES SOLD), A LOW WARRANTY CLAIMS RATE OF 0.02 PERCENT, AND THE LACK OF ENGINEERING INFORMATION THAT WOULD SUPPORT THE PRESENCE OF AN ENGINEERING DEFECT, A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED. ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. THE CLOSING OF THI…

SEAT BELT BUCKLE FALSE LATCH/MALFUNCTION Closed

INFORMATION RECEIVED AND ANALYZED DURING THIS RQ DISCLOSED THAT MY 1999 AND 2000 KIA SEPHIA AND SPORTAGE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THE SAME SAFETY BELT LATCH ASSEMBLY AS THOSE RECALLED IN CAMPAIGN NO. 02V-216. THESE LATCH ASSEMBLIES WERE IDENTIFIED AS TYPE A97. ODI ANALYSES INDICATE A CONTINUING TREND OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS FOLLOWING A SERIES OF DESIGN MODIFICATIONS MADE BY KIA TO IMPROVE THE A…

REFUELING SPIT BACK Closed

IN JUNE 2000, KIA NOTIFIED ODI OF A DEFECT CONDITION IN APPROXIMATELY 100,000 MY 1998-99 SEPHIA PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 17, 1997 TO MAY 16, 1999, THAT COULD RESULT IN FUEL SPIT BACK WHILE REFUELING (EA99-034, RECALL 00V-175). ACCORDING TO KIA, MANUFACTURING CHANGES MADE TO THE ONBOARD REFUELING VAPOR RECOVERY (ORVR) VALVE COULD CAUSE FUEL SHUT OFF BEFORE THE TANK REACHED 95% OF NOMINAL CAPACITY D…

NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES Closed

ODI GATHERED FIRE DATA FROM VARIOUS SOURCES AND INSPECTED SUBJECT VEHICLES TO ASSESS THE SCOPE AND FREQUENCY OF NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES CAUSED BY STARTER CABLE CHAFING. ODI'S ANALYSIS FOUND THAT MOST OF THE SUSPECT FIRES OCCURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD RECEIVED SERVICE REPAIRS IN THE AREA OF THE SUBJECT CABLE. CONSUMER COMPLAINT DATA INDICATE THAT THE PROBLEM EXPERIENCE HAS DECLINED SINCE A PEAK IN LATE 200…

BATTERY CABLE CHAFING Closed

TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINE Closed

THE OIL COOLER LINE ALLEGEDLY DEVELOPS LEAKS AT IT'S JUNCTION TO THE RADIATOR

TURN SIGHAL Closed

TURN SIGNAL, TRAFFIC SAFETY HAZARD Closed

ALLEGE THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE TRUN SIGNAL SWITCH FAILED. THIS FAILURE INCREASES THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH DUE TO OPERATOR DISTRACTION AND DUE TO OTHER VEHICLES BEING UNINFORMED OF THE OPERATOR'S INTENTIONS.

REFUELING SPIT BACK Closed

The number and dates of complaints and warrant claims reported by Kia indicates that fuel spit-back has been a serieous ongoing problem with the Sephia models. Kia has made changes in both the ORVR valve and in the installation process on the fuel tank check valve, in an attempt to correct the problem. The failure of the check valve, due to cracking during installation, could go undetected until problems develop with…

INTERMITTENT STALLING Closed

Kia issued a "Kia Technical Times" in October 1998 stating that, due to loose connections at the fuel pump ground at G300, the fuel pump may shut off intermittently. The corrective action is to solder the fuel pump ground terminals at the terminal connec

REFUELING SPIT- BACK Closed

The subject vehicles are equipped with Onboard Refueling Vapor Recover Systems. Owners report that, during the refueling process, fuel sprays out of the refueling opening and soaks the person refueling the vehicle with liquid gasoline