Total Complaints
25 filings
KIA SEPHIA · model year
1994 KIA SEPHIA
25 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1994KIASEPHIA carries 25 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1994 SEPHIA is power train with 3 filings, followed by seat belts:front:retractor (3) and vehicle speed control (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1994 SEPHIA. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
25
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
3 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000918CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
VEHICLE WAS IN A N HEAD-ON ACCIDENT AT 45 MPH, AND AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
19990521SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED SINCE A THERMOMETER DIDN'T TELL THE ENGINE IT WAS HOT. WHICH BLEW THE HEAD GASKETS, MELTED THE SPARK PLUGS, TOOK OUT THE WATER PUMP, AND SO OVER HEATED THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE FRONT ROTORS WENT OUT TWICE. SOUNDS LIKE A WIND TUNNEL, SINCE THE SEALS AREN'T GOOD. THE CAR DOESN'T ACCELERATE PROPERLY WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED. NEVER DRIVE IT DURING A 20 MPH WINDY DAY. IT GET GOOD GAS MILEAGE - STILL AT 29 TO 33 MPG. *AK
19990521ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED SINCE A THERMOMETER DIDN'T TELL THE ENGINE IT WAS HOT. WHICH BLEW THE HEAD GASKETS, MELTED THE SPARK PLUGS, TOOK OUT THE WATER PUMP, AND SO OVER HEATED THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE FRONT ROTORS WENT OUT TWICE. SOUNDS LIKE A WIND TUNNEL, SINCE THE SEALS AREN'T GOOD. THE CAR DOESN'T ACCELERATE PROPERLY WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED. NEVER DRIVE IT DURING A 20 MPH WINDY DAY. IT GET GOOD GAS MILEAGE - STILL AT 29 TO 33 MPG. *AK
19990521VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED SINCE A THERMOMETER DIDN'T TELL THE ENGINE IT WAS HOT. WHICH BLEW THE HEAD GASKETS, MELTED THE SPARK PLUGS, TOOK OUT THE WATER PUMP, AND SO OVER HEATED THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE FRONT ROTORS WENT OUT TWICE. SOUNDS LIKE A WIND TUNNEL, SINCE THE SEALS AREN'T GOOD. THE CAR DOESN'T ACCELERATE PROPERLY WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED. NEVER DRIVE IT DURING A 20 MPH WINDY DAY. IT GET GOOD GAS MILEAGE - STILL AT 29 TO 33 MPG. *AK
19990308POWER TRAIN
THE ELECTRONIC SPEEDOMETER SENSOR WAS REPLACED UNDER THE 1994 RECALL. CONSUMER SAYS THAT THE EXACT SAME PART HAS GONE BAD AGAIN IN EARLY JAN. 1999. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. 94V-134. *AK
19990223SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WORE OUT.
19990223SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WORE OUT.
19980311STEERING
POOR STEERING FUNCTION AND UNABLE TO MONITOR SPEED, MILAGE OR USE CRUISE CONTROL.
19980311POWER TRAIN
POOR STEERING FUNCTION AND UNABLE TO MONITOR SPEED, MILAGE OR USE CRUISE CONTROL.
19980311VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
POOR STEERING FUNCTION AND UNABLE TO MONITOR SPEED, MILAGE OR USE CRUISE CONTROL.
19980302ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR FAILED.
19971003ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE: WHEN DRIVING AND DOWNSHIFT TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT ONE IS TRYING TO SLOW DOWN, WHEN DOWNSHIFTING THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE JUST COMPLETELY DIES, THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY. *AK CONSUMER STATED SEATBELTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, ALSO THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED.*JB
19971003SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
ENGINE: WHEN DRIVING AND DOWNSHIFT TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT ONE IS TRYING TO SLOW DOWN, WHEN DOWNSHIFTING THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE JUST COMPLETELY DIES, THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY. *AK CONSUMER STATED SEATBELTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, ALSO THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED.*JB
19971003SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
ENGINE: WHEN DRIVING AND DOWNSHIFT TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT ONE IS TRYING TO SLOW DOWN, WHEN DOWNSHIFTING THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE JUST COMPLETELY DIES, THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY. *AK CONSUMER STATED SEATBELTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, ALSO THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED.*JB
19970717VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE STALLS DUE TO FAILED IDLE SPEED CONTROL VALVE.
19970509CrashSEATS
DRIVING AT LOW SPEED, VEHICLE WAS IMPACTED AT 6:00 POSITION, DRIVER'S SEAT TRACK AND ANCHORS BROKE, CAUSING THE SEAT TO FALL BACKWARDS. *AK
19970103SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
FRONT SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT WHEN PUT ON DURING A SUDDEN STOP, CAN GO RIGHT IN THE WINDSHIELD. ALSO THE SHIFT GEAR WILL NOT MOVE WHEN READY TO SHIFT THE GEAR. *AK
19970103POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
FRONT SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT WHEN PUT ON DURING A SUDDEN STOP, CAN GO RIGHT IN THE WINDSHIELD. ALSO THE SHIFT GEAR WILL NOT MOVE WHEN READY TO SHIFT THE GEAR. *AK
19960712VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SOMETIMES WHEN DRIVING THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. *AK
19960215SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
THE DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT GETS STUCK IN THE HOLDER AND WILL NOT RELEASE AND THE BELT CANNOT BE USED. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
Compare 1994KIASEPHIA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1994 KIA SEPHIA have?▼
The 1994 KIA SEPHIA has 25 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1994 KIA SEPHIA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1994 KIA SEPHIA is POWER TRAIN with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 1994 KIA SEPHIA safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.