Total Complaints
6 filings
KIA SEPHIA · model year
2002 KIA SEPHIA
6 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2002KIASEPHIA carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 2002 SEPHIA is tires with 1 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic (1) and electrical system:ignition (1). 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 2002 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.
6
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 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 |
|---|---|
| TIRES | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050222CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS HIT AT 5 MPH ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT UNLOCKED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Mileage: 45,000
20041020POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE SHIFTING GEARS, THE VEHICLE HESITATED. THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED. THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WITH EXCESSIVE SPEED. THE DRIVER TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTED IT. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE TRANSMISSION SOLENOID SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB
20040421CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
DURING A 35 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Mileage: 18,000
20040210ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE, AND DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK *MR
Mileage: 21,871
20030212SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE.*JB
20011106TIRES
VEHICLE ORGINALLY STARTED WITH A VERY HARD PULL TO THE RIGHT & VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WHEN TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS, TOLD THAT SERVICE TECHS WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO HAVE BACK UNTIL REPAIRS MADE BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. AFTER CROSSMEMBER REALIGN, STILL HAD A HARD PULL & VIBRATION. RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP. FRONT TIRES REPLACED. STILL HAS HARD PULL & VIBRATION BUT NOW AT LOWER SPEEDS. MANUFACTOR CONTACTED ALL TIMES BUT UNABLE TO REMEDY PROBLEM AT THIS POINT. VEHICLE DANGEROUS AT ANY SPEED ABOVE 40MPH SINCE VEHICLE WILL VEAR HARD TO THE RIGHT ESPECIALLY UPON ACCELERATION.
Compare 2002KIASEPHIA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2002 KIA SEPHIA have?▼
The 2002 KIA SEPHIA has 6 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 KIA SEPHIA?▼
The most-complained component for the 2002 KIA SEPHIA is TIRES with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION.
Is the 2002 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.