Faults:

Water pump.

Clutch parts master and slave cylinder needed replacement.

All new front brakes, rotors and pads.

Spark plugs, new wires, cap and rotor.

Both front CV joints.

Speakers.

Fuel filter.

Radio (original was stolen).

Timing belt kit.

Extensive exhaust work.

Both CV joints.

PVC valve.

Alternator.

Battery.

General Comments:

I bought this car in 2005 for $1700 from a college kid when I just needed something to drive. I have abused and driven the snot out of this thing for years, and it's still going.

It's needed a few parts here and there, but besides the water pump, nothing too major. I chose to replace the timing belt while the mechanic was replacing the water pump. The other repairs I have been able to do myself.

Parts are often not in stock at the parts house, but can be ordered next day delivery. The air cleaner is now not in stock at most auto parts stores, but the oil and fuel filter are still readily available.

All in all, a great car for the money. Kia's don't have a very good resale value, so you can pick up a used one very cheap. Buy the book on this car, and learn to do a lot of the repairs yourself. The car has a lot of little issues and squeaks, and my dash has started to peal. Not to mention, the seats are uncomfortable on long road trips.

At this point, I'm just driving it and replacing parts until the engine blows or the transmission gives out. I don't know when that will happen, but hopefully I can turn 200000 miles on it first.

I would definitely buy another KIA in the future.

Faults:

I bought my 1997 Kia Sephia back in May.. I paid 1000 for it - it was used so I assumed it was a good deal.

The dash looked as if it was burned, but I didn't care. It was my first car..

So a week after I bought the car, the entire exhaust system fell from under the car. I got that fixed, and then I noticed the car stalled a lot after take off, and just during the drive to wherever I was headed..

Then - the brakes were bad so I replaced the pads and rotors..

Now, my car turns off and on by itself! You'd almost miss it if the radio were on.. It turns off and on as fast as you can blink your eye!

Then last night, it just turned off mid-drive!

General Comments:

I have three mechanics who play the guessing game, and none of their suggestions have helped.. Anyone experience anything similar, and if so - any suggestions on how to fix it?

You can email me at jsilva2720@yahoo.com

Faults:

None major.

General Comments:

I personally love the car and have another one, that is a 95 model with a 1.6 LS.

It has over 120,000 on it. It still runs like a champ.

Faults:

Most recently, I spent $1,200 to replace the CV joint boots, which were torn and leaking boot grease, to replace the brake pads and calipers, and to replace the steering arm boot which was torn.

Previously, I replaced the exhaust pipe which had rusted out and had several perforations, making for a noisy commute.

I also replaced two front tires after irregular wear patterns (cupping/scalloping) in a diagonal pattern developed across the tires. I only needed to replace the tires to correct the problem, although the tire salesman wanted to do the alignment as well.

Lastly, the engine leaked oil several times. In the first instance the plug where the oil temperature gauge sits was loose, and once tightened the leaking stopped. The second instance was simply caused by taking the car to a oil change place where the oil pan plug was not tightened sufficiently after the oil change.

General Comments:

I bought this car because it was far superior to any other car I came across for $2,700, which is what I paid. I have driven it across the country, from Virginia to California, up to New Hampshire and down to South Carolina. I even drove it up my rough dirt driveway for a summer in Taos, New Mexico, and up the 4x4 road to the base of Crestone Peak in Colorado.

An analysis of the cost of ownership will show that the price I paid ($2,700), minus current value ($1,300), and cost of repairs ($1,500), is about as good as you will find. The car is now worth $1,400 less than what I bought it for, and in the last 6 years and 52,500 miles I have spent a paltry $1,500 on total repairs.

The car achieves a decent 30 miles per gallon in mixed driving, and although it is not the tightest vehicle on the road (lots of little squeaks and noises) it has never caused me any trouble.

I am amused by the fact that sephia means squid in Latin - it is a little champ!