2000 Kia Sephia defect investigations

Investigations by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation that name the 2000 Kia Sephia. An investigation is how complaints can become a recall: complaints → investigation → (sometimes) TSB → recall.

• SEAT BELT BUCKLE FALSE LATCH/MALFUNCTION
  Engineering Analysis EA04007 · opened Feb 27, 2004 · closed Jul 26, 2004

  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
  Engineering Analysis EA04004 · opened Feb 3, 2004 · closed Jul 29, 2004

  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 reso…

• SEAT BELT BUCKLE FALSE LATCH/MALFUNCTION
  Recall Query RQ03007 · opened Oct 14, 2003 · closed Feb 27, 2004 · led to recall 04V305000

  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 t…

• REFUELING SPIT BACK
  Recall Query RQ03006 · opened Aug 15, 2003 · closed Feb 3, 2004

  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 vapo…

• NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
  Engineering Analysis EA02016 · opened Aug 6, 2002 · closed Oct 7, 2003

  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.…

• BATTERY CABLE CHAFING
  Preliminary Evaluation PE02028 · opened Mar 6, 2002 · closed Aug 6, 2002
• INCORRECT BATTERY JUMP-START
  Preliminary Evaluation PE00026 · opened Jul 10, 2000 · closed Jul 31, 2000 · led to recall 00V205000

  Allege battety may explode if owner's attempt to jump-state the vehicle by following the owner's manual diagram