Supreme Court won’t hear appeal in Kia brakes suit
Washington — The Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a $5.6 million verdict against Kia Motors Inc. in a class-action suit over allegedly faulty brakes in Sephia sedans.
The high court decision announced without comment Monday ends an 11-year legal battle.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court last December upheld a decision that awarded $600 — $5.6 million total — to 9,400 owners of 1997 to 2000 Kia Sephias in Pennsylvania that had brakes that allegedly wore out much faster than normal.
Owners in other states have pursued separate claims. A jury in New Jersey found Kia Sephia owners could be reimbursed up to $750 for brake repairs. Claims were due by May 2010.
The Pennsylvania suit was first filed by a Kia owner that had gone to a dealer five times to get the brakes repaired on her 2001 Sephia between January and October 2000.
Kia changed the brakes beginning in the 2001 model year.