1998 Kia Sephia Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor Problems

NHTSA component category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR · data through 07/14/2026

57Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor complaints

11.6%Of all 491 complaints

#4Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor ranks on this vehicle

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC76 · 15.5%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS68 · 13.8%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE67 · 13.6%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR57 · 11.6%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP46 · 9.4%

Share of the 491 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1998 Kia Sephia overview page.

What owners report

“BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING BRAKE ROTORS TO GO OUT 3 TIMES AND HUBS TWICE, WHICH RESULTED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, AND MAY CAUSE A CRASH. DEALER…”NHTSA complaint 846513 — filed 09/02/1999

“FRONT BRAKE DISC ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED 3 TIMES.CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER.”NHTSA complaint 842759 — filed 07/21/1999

“BRAKE ROTORS HEATED UP AND WARPED, CAUSING BRAKING DIFFCULTY. ALSO HAS ANOTHER 1998 KIA SEPHIA WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. ROTORS ON EACH VEHICLE HAD BEEN…”NHTSA complaint 842310 — filed 07/14/1999

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1998 Kia Sephia have service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor problems?

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor is the #4 most-reported problem area on the 1998 Kia Sephia: 57 of 491 complaints on file (11.6%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1998 Kia Sephia have in total?

491 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 33 involved a crash, 16 involved a fire, 19 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.