Six problems related to starter have been reported for the 1999 Kia Motor Sephia. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
This car has been a constant repair and financial problem for the last 4 years starting two weeks after I purchased the car. It is an unsafe vehicle and can not be kept maintained for safety or reliability it was purchased with 21000 miles on the vehicle and a majority of repairs has had to be fixed. 4 starters, ignition switch, ignition switch wiring harness (ignition still doesn't work), air bag sensor, air bag wiring (air bags still does not work), alternator, front passenger side drive axel broke while I was driving the car, right passenger ball joint fell off the car while I was driving the car, master cylinder and rear brake cylinder went out at the same time while I was driving the car, heater/air conditioning motor. The car has been towed 3 times, and has left me and my children stranded too many times to count. The car is still in need of major repair. The driver rear stabilizer bushings need replaced, the driver's side drive axel needs replaced, the air bags still do not work, the ignition switch still gets stuck and won't turn over, and two weeks ago a piston was thrown through the engine and caught the car on fire. The car is now parked in my drive way leaving me stuck with a car payment and a car that is not worth fixing.
I am unable to start my car in cold weather. Anytime it gets below 30 degrees, the car will crank and not turn over. I tried replacing the battery. That did not work. The car otherwise starts in warmer weather. This is unreasonable. I can't be stuck in the wintertime with this vehicle. I've heard there are others who have this same problem. Maybe you should look into this and maybe process a recall for this issue.
Consumer had to have the motor rebuilt. The engine was rebuilt because the engine kept overheating. Now the transmission needs to be replaced but the consumer cannot afford to repair it. The starter was also replaced.
Starter won't work, and consumer can't start vehicle up until the third time. Also, windshield wiper's are working intermittently, causing the consumer to pull to the side of the road.
When alarm system was installed a hole was drilled through wiring harness,harness was replaced as well a ignition switch, however vehicle has experienced continued failures within the electrical system (battery,starter motor and wiring failures), inproper installation was the possible cause of all electrical failures. Yh (attorney for consumer).
The car wouldn't start shortly after I bought it. It took several trips to the dealer in order for them to replace the starter. After the starter was replaced the problem continued and the flywheel was finally replaced. Approximately one week prior to receiving a recall notice on the wiper blades the wipers stopped working during heavy rain on a highway which almost caused me to get into an accident. I have had electrical problems such as the ceiling light going on and off whenever I turned corners. The car battery was even replaced after the new starter and flywheel were put in because the car still had problems starting. Recently the transmission had to be replaced. A week after the transmission was replaced the overdrive light and the engine light started blinking on and off. The car finally stalled and had to be towed. The car was given back to me and I was told that a gasket in the transmission was leaking. A week after that the over drive light and the engine light started flashing again and the car starting driving as if it was stuck in first gear. The car finally stalled again and wouldn't move.