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Body and structurePart report

2001 Kia Sephia Body and structure Problems

Complaints
9about this part
Share
8%of 107 total for the year
Median mileage
8,500miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the body and structure of the 2001 Kia Sephia, 8% of the 107 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 8,500 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Before 40,000 miles, had fuel pump changed 2 times, starter changed 2 times, new transmission, ignition control module once, doors replaced due to defect, new paint job due to trash under original paint job, all hub caps and trim were replaced due to fading at 10,000 miles (which faded again a few thousand miles later), AC blower resistor motor replaced, all mirrors were replaced, electrical short in dome light, & ignition switch replaced. I bought my car in oct 2001, and was put in shop for the first time in jan. 2002 and has been there 55 days since. …”

NHTSA complaint #10088107, filed 2004-08, 3,000 miles

“Dt: dashboard separated from windshield without warning. Driver's side came loose, and now the other side was loose. Manufacturer was called, and they said they had a recall on that problem. Dealer has not been contacted yet.”

NHTSA complaint #10123732, filed 2005-06, 72,000 miles

“Water is leaking into the vehicle onto the passenger side floor. When this occurs in cooler temperatures and the defroster is engaged the water is evaporated. This causes moisture to develop onto the window. This reduces the driver's visibility. This is an on going problem, but the dealership is unable to locate the source of the water leak. Please provide more information. 2001 Kia Sephia experiencing a problem where water leaks into the vehicle on the passenger side floor. There is also a problem with moisture developing on the windshield which is impairing the driver's visibility. …”

NHTSA complaint #10050033, filed 2003-12, 2,421 miles

“Got out of vehicle to check my mail w/2 kids, 22 months & 6 months in car. Ignition & emergency brake left on. Came back to car, pulled door handle to open doors, and automatic power locks clicked and locked doors when I lifted the handle to open driver's side door. Kids were locked in unheated running car for over 1 hour. Police called, tow service got car open. Doors should 1) not lock when simply pulling on door handle to open door & 2) should not lock with key in ignition. Younger child slept through incident, but older child was very scared and distraught. …”

NHTSA complaint #755553, filed 2001-12

“Consumer states that the rubber strips on all four doors have came loose on 2 different occasions, consumer stated that this caused moisture inside the vehicle, and on cold days, frost would build up on the inside of the windows, this also caused the carpet to mildew and mold, Kia replaced the rubber strips, however one is coming loose again.”

NHTSA complaint #564920, filed 2002-04

Related service bulletins

Body and structure: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
200198%
2000187%
1999174%
1998265%
1997199%
19961210%
1995813%

Other parts of the 2001 Kia Sephia

Engine cooling
21 complaints
Air bags
18 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
18 complaints
Electrical system
15 complaints
Brakes
12 complaints
Seat belts
9 complaints
Fuel system
7 complaints
Equipment
5 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
5 complaints
Exterior lighting
4 complaints
Other or unknown
4 complaints
Suspension
3 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2001 Kia Sephia

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology