Total Complaints
104 filings
KIA SEPHIA · model year
1995 KIA SEPHIA
104 NHTSA complaints, 18 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1995KIASEPHIA carries 104 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 18 crashes, 1 fire, 28 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 1995 SEPHIA is unknown or other with 9 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (7) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (6). 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 1995 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.
104
Complaints
18
Crashes
1
Fires
28
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
18 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 |
|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 9 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 7 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 6 |
| STRUCTURE | 5 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 4 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 4 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 4 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 4 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 4 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN | 3 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 3 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| CHILD SEAT | 2 |
Recent Complaints
20080424FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 KIA SEPHIA. AFTER RECEIVING AN OIL AND FILTER CHANGE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND CALLED 911. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND FILED A REPORT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, BUT THE HEAT SOURCE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 125,479. UPDATED 05/19/08 *BF UPDATED 05/19/08
Mileage: 125,479
20050105STRUCTURE
TECHNICAL DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING. MR THE CONSUMER STATED EVER SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED THE VEHICLE MADE ALL KINDS OF NOISES. *JB
20040318STRUCTURE
DASHBOARD IS ROLLING BACK FROM THE WINDSHIELD ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SID EOF THE CAR. UNABLE TO SECURE THE DASHBOARD.*AK
20031129STRUCTURE
THE DASH HAS SEVERAL DISCOLORED BROWN.. LOOKING LIKE BURNT SPOTS ON IT AND HAS COMPLETELEY COME UNGLUED NEAREAST THE WINDSHIELD. THE DEFROSTERS ARE RENDERED USELESS BY THIS. I COMPLAINED TO A KIA DEALER AND HE SAID I COULD HAVE A NEW ONE PUT ON. BUT ONLY COMPLETELY AT MY EXPENSE.*AK
Mileage: 48,000
20030925SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
RECALL CAMPAIGN ON SEAT BELT BUCKLE. *TS REQUESTING INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECALL CAMPAIGN #(02V-216) OF SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES 1995-98 KIA SEPHIS AND SPORTAGE VEHICLES.
20030327STRUCTURE
THE DASHBOARD CURLED AND LIFTED FROM ITS ORIGINAL POSITION AS A RESULT OF EXPOSURE TO DIRECT SUNLIGHT. *NLM *NLM
20021001STRUCTURE
CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD IS FALLING APART, THE GLUE, BOLTS AND PLASTIC COVER ARE ALL COMING APART. NLM *YH
20021001UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD IS FALLING APART, THE GLUE, BOLTS AND PLASTIC COVER ARE ALL COMING APART. NLM *YH
20020320CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER WAS NOT WEARING LAP PORTION OF SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM. FORCES THROUGH ROLL OVER COLLISION SEQUENCE CAUSED MOUNTING BRACKET FOR PASSIVE RESTRAINT LATCH TO FAIL. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT OFFICER SEDAM, CHP MAIT, 559-444-2538, REPORT CL-026-02. *AK
20001114POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY
GEAR SHIFT LEVER CAME OFF IN CONSUMERS HAND AS SHE WAS SHIFTING FROM SECOND TO FIRST GEAR, UPON EXAMINATION OF THE LEVER, IT LITERALLY SNAPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE METAL, CONSUMER BELIEVES THE METAL USED WAS FAULTY, CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT. NLM
20001025POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT
THE CV JOINTS REPLACED TWICE BY THE DEALER AND NOW THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN, FRONT AXLE FAILED.* ET
20001025POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
THE CV JOINTS REPLACED TWICE BY THE DEALER AND NOW THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN, FRONT AXLE FAILED.* ET
20001025UNKNOWN OR OTHER
DASHBOARD FAILED.* ET
20001024POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT
THE CV JOINTS REPLACED TWICE BY THE DEALER AND NOW THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN, FRONT AXLE FAILED.* ET
20001024POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
THE CV JOINTS REPLACED TWICE BY THE DEALER AND NOW THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN, FRONT AXLE FAILED.* ET
20001024UNKNOWN OR OTHER
DASHBOARD FAILED.* ET
20001018UNKNOWN OR OTHER
DASHBOARD IS STARTING TO ROLL BACK AWAY FROM WINDSHIELD TOWARDS THE DRIVER. IF STANDING IN FRONT OF THIS VEHICLE ONE CAN SEE INTO THE CONTROL PANEL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
20000927VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
THERE ARE BROWN SPOTS, IN AN OTHERWISE NAVY BLUE COLORED DASH, THAT APPEAR TO BE BURNED AREAS. ALSO, THE PART OF THE DASH CONNECTED CLOSEST TO THE WIND SHIELD HAS BECOME COMPLETELY UNGLUED. UPON CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER, WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WOULD PAY FOR THE DASH ITSELF BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE LABOR. SINCE OUR WARRANTEE HAD EXPIRED, WE THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY FAIR UNTIL WE WERE INFORMED WE COULD ONLY HAVE IT REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP (WHO CHARGES $80/HOUR). OUR REGULAR AUTO BODY SPECIALIST WOULD CHARGE US HALF OF THAT AMOUNT, AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE ACTUALLY PAYING FOR THE DASH. THE MANUFACTURER AGREED TO LET US TAKE THE FREE DASH OUTSIDE THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THEN WHEN WE ASKED FOR THAT AGREEMENT IN WRITING, THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD NEVER AGREED TO ALLOW THAT. WE ASKED THEM TO REVIEW THEIR "QUALITY ASSURANCE" TAPES. WE WERE THEN TOLD THAT EVEN IF THE TAPES PROVED THE CONVERSATION OCCURED AS WE SAID, WE STILL COULD NOT TAKE THE DASH ANYWHERE OTHER THAN THE DEAL
20000912ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR HAS OVERHEATED AND CRACKED, CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, DAMAGING THE ENGINE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
20000802ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
CONSUMER DIDN'T KNOW THAT HORN NEVER WORKED WHEN VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AFTER REALIZING IT DIDN'T WORK. DEALER REPLACED IT ONCE BEFORE. HORN STILL HAS A PROBLEM. *AK
Compare 1995KIASEPHIA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1995 KIA SEPHIA have?▼
The 1995 KIA SEPHIA has 104 NHTSA complaints, 18 crashes, 1 fires, 28 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1995 KIA SEPHIA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1995 KIA SEPHIA is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 9 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1995 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.