VehicleVerdict

1997 Kia Sephia airbags problems

The 1997 Kia Sephia has 32 airbags complaints filed with NHTSA — 9% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

32

Airbags complaints

9%

Share of year

19

Crash-involved

0

Related recalls

Airbags complaints by year

Sephia airbags complaints by model year39 complaints1994: 1 complaints1995: 5 complaints1996: 11 complaints1997: 32 complaints1998: 31 complaints1999: 39 complaints2000: 32 complaints2001: 21 complaints2002: 1 complaints2003: 1 complaints
Sephia airbags complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

What owners report

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH DRIVER WAS HIT ON RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE ,8 INCHES AWAY OFF CENTER. UPON IMPACT, , DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED BACK AND NECK INJURIES, AND PASSENGER SUFFERED SKULL LACERATIONS AND CONCUSSION. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. NO INDICTATION OF DUAL…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Airbags · September 13, 1999 · crash

Common questions

How many airbags complaints does the 1997 Kia Sephia have?

NHTSA has 32 complaints about the 1997 Kia Sephia airbags — 9% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.