Used 1997 Kia Sephia Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 1997 Sephia, so we've included reviews for other years of the Sephia since its last redesign.
Having problems with the idel in this car!!
rose85bud89, 02/20/2011
1997 Kia Sephia RS 4dr Sedan
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I just bought this car alittle over amonth ago. It is agreat car, but there is something wrong with the idel. When you drive it, its okay...but while you are stopped or in park it idels really high. There is also asmall piece that is on the car, that still works but there is some part broken where the hose is suppose to go, we think that might be the problem, but no one knows what this part is or called just something to do with the idel.
1996 Kia Sephia LS, Manual, A/C, Powered
Driven 25,000km,148K, 01/17/2010
1996 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Excellent car for a late 1990's model. 1996 received excellent reviews (looking online). This vehicle is well built, repairs are inexpensive (in Korea), the built is solid. For $320 I bought a vehicle driven 25,000km over the past 1.5 hours without a breakdown. Quality build tested on rough Korean roads intercity and highway driving. Weakness: curling dashboard, radio electronic problems, replaced drive shaft, ball joints, front brakes, master clutch cylinder, 1 front strut, 4 (new) recycled new tires ($80!). Very dependable and a little hard to get rid of really. Save money, this is a good one if mechanically maintained. Thx.
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manolito, 09/26/2009
1997 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I just bought this 15 exterior color combination with a toredown interior. This little car will get me to school for the next 8 months and I will have no major or minor repairs. Yes, I paid $650.00 for it and I drove 56 miles one way to get it.
My Work Car, the 97 Sephia R.S.
A. Cook, 04/09/2004
1997 Kia Sephia RS 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This car, for what it cost me and for the way it was designed , wasnt a bad buy.It is easy on gas and tires. The front wheel drive is a god send in the snow and ice. I have had some problems with a sensor going out . Expensive sensor, 310 $ plus labor ! The local dealer wasnt real helpful fixing it and i had to take it to an independent shop. They had it diagnosed in 45 minutes, whereas the dealer couldnt or wouldnt tell me what was wrong with it in 3 seperate trips. Go figure that !
Good build quality, lousy materials
Ben Dare, 08/02/2005
1997 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The sign in the Toyota dealership said, "You pay twice for poor quality. Once in repairs and again in resale." How true. This Kia really seemed like a great car. It was faster and felt more substantial than a Civic or Corolla, but that was when it was new. I've never had spark plug wires burn up, or disk disks warp, or dashboards completely rupture. The engine seems OK, but it coughs up oil frequently. All the emission control components have had to be replaced. Meanwhile, I've bought a 1992 Honda Civic which has twice the mileage (230,000) and is worth twice as much. So long Kia!
my kia
AMERSHON, 03/06/2002
1997 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I have had very ggood reliability and low maintenance costs. This is a comfortable car and has many options, fun to drive and a pleasure to own.
Safe car!
Arin, 12/23/2016
1997 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I bought this car as my first car with over 200,000 miles on her. The previous owner didnt take very good care so she ran odd at first but after fixing parts and maintaining her properly she ran great. Yes parts are difficult to find but i did my research and it shares the same engine as the miata mx5 and the mazda protege. For how old the engine is its maintaining a desent mpg of 22 mixed. Now for the safety i ended up going into a wall at around 70mph front first after another driver ran me off the road and with the airbags being nearly 20 years old they still deployed and did me no harm. My front bumper was smashed up to my wheels and i was able to walk away with only a bruised hip. I owe my car much gratitude that my family can have me this christmas
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Ilove kias
locky, 08/27/2002
1996 Kia Sephia GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Very good auto for a very good price
Alright
Joebob99, 09/02/2002
1996 Kia Sephia RS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is my second car and I bought it two days ago and already the check engine light came up. I mean its only a 96 there should be anyhting wrong with it already I mean there is only 55,000 miles on it. But other than that its been alright its sort of noisy.
Cheap little sporty sedan
colbywan, 01/01/2003
1996 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Took a gamble when my '83 Accord gave up in late '96 and bought a Sephia LS. With the exception of a "Check Engine" light at 6,000 miles, it has been trouble-free, reliable and sporty transportation ever since. It performs just as well now with over 160,000 miles on the clock as it did when it was new, the paint still looks nice, and the styling is not yet obsolete. For what I paid ($12K), I feel I got a lot of bang for the buck.
Lou's Review
Louis E. Niedermeier, 02/22/2003
1996 Kia Sephia RS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I haven't had too many problems with the Kia Saphia other than the engine light tends to go on if you accelerate too fast with it... I have beaten a Ford Mustang with it, Acura Integras, Honda Accords, and Honda Civics. Now if you don't think thats all that great, well, the car is all stock. If you buy one of these im sure you will be pleased.
Owner
Greatfoo, 05/15/2004
1996 Kia Sephia RS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The car has proven to be dependable with limited problems. Fuel cell or computerized fuel system has to be repaired as did the hydraulic clutch. Next will be the timing belt. It has been a very good car and has needed only basic maintenance and clutch hydraulics.
Good car just hard to find parts
lemichaelj, 05/15/2003
1996 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I own 2 Kia Sephia's they both are good cars one a 95' and one a 96' almost the same except one is a stick shift, only problem with them that I see on all kia's is the axle shafts only last about 75000 miles hard to find parts for these jokers too, but they are relativly good cars for the value, I have had no major mechanical problems with either one of mine, the 95 Air went out just a month ago and is expensive to replace car isn't worth it. but drives like a champ, like I said just hard to get parts for them but if you search hard enough you can find them.
It's not your normal kia
Eladio, 01/14/2003
1996 Kia Sephia RS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Well at first i had some problems but i decided that i wanted to street race in this car so i rebuild my motor with some performance parts and it has worked out great. I put aluminium pistons with aluminium rings, the block was cut by 20 plus some more modifications, right now it did about a 15.1 on the 1/4 so its pretty good.
Think twice before purchasing any KIA!!
kiabites, 05/13/2002
1997 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
In my opinion, PURCHASE the extended waranty. You will need it. Kia's alternator is timed precicely to fail on you at 30,000 miles. Then is garunteed to break down on you every six months, need it or not.
I Have Been Very Pleased With My Kias
zyxw, 08/15/2002
1997 Kia Sephia GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I was sorry to see that some of the other Kia owners have not had as good as an experience as I have had. I was a little nervous about buying a Kia Sephia in April, 1998, because they were just being introduced to my area of the country, and I seldom saw any others on the road (I see lots of them now). I liked my first Kia well enough to buy a second Kia two years later, and both have been reliable so far (one has about 59,000 miles and the other has about 19,000 miles). Hopefully they will continue to be reliable as their mileage increases.
My Kia was as good as my Civic
skymax, 08/19/2002
1997 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Kia got a bad rap. They are now on track to becoming one of the top 5 automakers in the world.
Great car
Jonathan Plummer, 08/26/2002
1997 Kia Sephia GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
For the past four years,the only times when this car lets me down is when I dont do my required sevice checks.
HOPE YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE!
WATCH OUT!, 12/16/2002
1997 Kia Sephia RS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this car in March of this year. It has been in the shop every month since then. The car constantly stalls & shuts off. Have had multiple O2 sensors replaced, catalit convertor, not to mention the whole computer as well. Thank God it was still under WTY. Not a good car to have if you don't have spare time to be sitting in the shop & getting rentals.
better than what has been described
TWKEEL, 01/14/2003
1997 Kia Sephia RS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Initially I had some "kinks" that had to be worked out of my Kia. But after rectifying a repetitive brake problem and replacing a set of spark plug wires (that for some reason the dealerships never checked when the car would shutter and die) my lil blue meanie( I have a blue Kia) has been a very reliable vehicle. I have taken it cross country a number of times and am now well passed 100K. I am sure if I kept this car it would zip along for at least another 50-100K miles.
I love My KIA
Red, 05/30/2005
1997 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought my Kia with 6,800 miles on it, now I have over 115,000 on it. I have had no issues with the car; replaced plugs, wires, water pump, alternator, 2 sets of CV's on each side, but had no out of the ordinary things go wrong. I have driven it half way across country about 7 times. It has never failed me, never left me stranded. The more I drive it the better it gets. I heard all the bad things about the car, but I guess I got lucky.
reliable transportation
Mbrown602, 02/15/2004
1997 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I know these Kias have gotten a bad rap, but my has been very reliable since I bought it new 7 years ago. When it was still under warranty I had the typical brake problems but then Kia came out with better brake pads and that was it. I have taken this on numerous trips and do a lot of driving for my job and it never lets me down.
good value, nagging problems
spudpapa, 06/10/2004
1997 Kia Sephia RS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
developed idling problem while under warranty. When idling, it goes between not enough and too much gas-runs fine when moving, but dies at stop. I increase idle speed to keep from dying. the prob lasts few days-then goes away a month-then back, etc. Dealer replaced sensor 3 diff. times but only lasted a few days, so I gave up. I mostly put up with it. its a pleasure to drive, handles well in mountains, snow, curves, etc. It's now got over 150,000 miles, and still running strong. no unexpected maintenance (except Idle prob) never not started or left me stranded. Interior shows wear, but good for miles and use. Certainly got my $7500 worth.
My Sapphi
E, 12/11/2004
1997 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This was a great 2nd car and if I hadn't hurt it so badly it would have carried me all the way through college. It's peppy, moves when you ask it to. Is great for road tripping if you don't mind the lack of cruise control & got good gas milage. It did have it's problems but the car was overall, easy to own. It had smooth shifting and a quiet engine. It was easy to work on as long as you could find the parts. I feel like I got a great value for what I paid for the car.
Kia estimate
lorraine martin, 02/16/2006
1997 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I have maintained car with oil changes, plugs, etc. New tires - maintenance on it since 1997. It now has 97,256 miles on it. Interior top window dash all bent upward from heat. Fan motor does not turn on to get heat or air - you cannot hear anything. Checking fuse. Has been reliable. The engine light has been on for some time but that has been temperamental. Mechanic checked - okay.
The reason for aspirin invention.
Rs driver , 04/28/2003
1997 Kia Sephia RS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this let's call it a car April 5 01. After a week something went wrong and the *Check Engine* sign came up. It is still there.After two months the left rear tire blew up. I changed the whole set of tires. And then I don't remember when but the car started dying on the road. When I make right or left turn, it makes an annoying noise. I had my good times and bad times with this car. I live in Denver Colorado. One day driving to the mountains I raced a ford escourt and I passed him like a bullet. The car runs good but too many engine problems.
A mixture of good, bad, and ugly.
lawyr2b, 06/07/2003
1997 Kia Sephia RS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
No major breakdowns; overall high reliability but at 70k miles, it is starting to fall apart at the seams! The interior build quality is absolute crap and the interior materials are highly substandard. My dashboard is BURNED from the sun and severely warped (has completely come unglued from the windshield side and has a huge warped bulge). Repeated brake problems that still have not been adequately remedied after taking the car in more than 10 times for service on this problem alone! The air conditioner has been completely out since about a month after the warranty covering it expired (go figure).
A bad two and a half year experience
silver, 04/17/2008
1997 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is my first car. I bought it used for $700 at about 70K miles. I made a mistake of not running the carfax report because the car was in an accident previously. When I bought it, the radio and interior sucked, the check engine light was on, it turned out to be a dead cylinder! It affected the O2 and MAF sensor that I have replaced 4 times already. I have also installed a rebuilt motor, catalytic converter, alternator, axles, wheel bearings, exhaust pipes, starter electrical switch, starter twice, belts and a host of other parts. I have put in about 8-9K into a car that cost me $700. I've been stranded 4 times and my engine has died on rough idle hundreds of times!
fixer-upper
paul , 05/05/2008
1997 Kia Sephia RS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this little car last month, and I was pleased at the smooth idle and responsiveness of the engine (148,000 mi!) Runs well, handles well, and has decent gas mileage(28?). A couple of annoyances: the radio doesn't work, and the check engine light is on, and I have no turn signals. I think it will be a good car, though..I'm 6 feet tall and have plenty of room and it seats 4 fairly comfortably. I would not discourage someone from buying a kia, even an old one with a lot of miles.
great cheap car
J Matos, 03/22/2020
1997 Kia Sephia RS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
mazda base engine (bpo5) , easy fix issue.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
I wouldn't do it again!
gholt, 04/30/2002
1996 Kia Sephia LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
As of this date, the car has 34k miles on it and has about that many pieces of paper from the dealerships that serviced it for one problem or another. I wish I could find someone to buy this garbage heap from me.
Everything Rattles
jpass12, 03/07/2002
1996 Kia Sephia GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
I got this car in 1996 and has 65k miles on it. The engine is great, it is very fast, if not, tell those Civic EX drivers behind my tail. That's about all I can say in the positive side. Everything else, rattles, squeeks, vibrates or comes apart. This car drives very rough, even on good pavement. The seats are not confortable and the a/c is not very cold. You may ask, Why I still have the car? Well, I have nobody foolish enough to buy the thing.
Can you say junk
Tim G, 04/28/2002
1997 Kia Sephia RS 4dr Sedan
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
Well not totally The car stales all the time when the temp and humidity goes up and the dealer got me on a technicality that it was over 12,000 miles the first time I took it in. It was 12,105 miles. I just found out by the police that my speedo is off by 5 miles an hour, which makes me wonder...is my odometer off too? And if so that means that Kia stiffed me out of a car. That was in 98 I guess I am still bitter about it.