1998 Kia Sephia engine and engine cooling problems
108 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine and engine cooling on the 1998 Kia Sephia — 22% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“My wife was driving our 1998 kia sephia and the engine began to stall. She pulled into a parking lot and the engine caught on fire. My wife ran away form the vehicle. The whole front of the car was burned up. *nm”
filed May 20, 2006
“Over a period of time, approximately 70,00 miles on my car, the ac/heater fan motor will blow air intermittently, regardless of the fan's speed setting. Eventually, the fan stops blowing all together. This same thing has happened with my 1999 kia sephia. *jb”
filed Sep 3, 2005
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLESCampaign 00V175000 · Jul 17, 2000
Related service bulletins
PITSTOP - ENGINE COMPONENT RE-USE GUIDELINES - In general, parts and components removed during engine repairs should be considered serviceable, and should be thoroughly cleaned and transferred to the new engine.
PS539 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 2, 2018
Engine and Engine Cooling problems in other Sephia years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 Sephia | 21 | 20% |
| 2000 Sephia | 43 | 16% |
| 1999 Sephia | 88 | 21% |
| 1997 Sephia | 44 | 21% |
| 1996 Sephia | 17 | 14% |
| 1995 Sephia | 10 | 16% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1998 Kia Sephia
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.