2004 Kia Spectra

DT: THE CONTACT PESUMES THAT THE SPINDLE BROKE ON THE WHEEL WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH. THE VEHICLE PULLED O THE LEFT. HE PULLED OVER, CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT SPINDLE WAS BROKEN. HE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WITH HOPES OF BUYING A NEW SPINDLE. THE CAR CAME WITH DRUM BRAKES, AND WHEN THE DEALER LOOKED UP THE VIN THE COMPUTER SHOWED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EQUIPPED WITH DISC BRAKES. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO FIND A NEW SPINDLE FOR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE BRAKE ISSUE.*AK UPDATED 11/29/2005 - THE SPINDLE WAS PROVIDED BYTHE DEALER ON NOV 1, 2005. AFTER THAT DAY OTHER PARTS WERE NEEDED. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HER TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO BE SLIPPING. SHE HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES TO BE EXAMINED. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM OCCURRED BETWEEN 20-40 MPH. THIS WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM BUT OCCURRED MORE FREQUENTLY. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE CONSUMER HAD TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER AND PLACE THE VEHICLE IN PARK THEN BACK TO DRIVE. EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A TEMPORARY FIX, THE VEHICLE WAS STILL HARD TO PULL OVER WHEN IN TRAFFIC. THE CONSUMER HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH KIA, AND THEY TOOK HER INFORMATION AND HAD THE DEALERSHIP CALL HER BACK. WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS AT THE DEALER, THEY SIMPLY EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, THEN GAVE IT BACK TO THE CONSUMER AND TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN FIND THAT IS WRONG. THE DEALERSHIP MADE THE UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN THEY TREATED HER LIKE SHE MADE UP THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER IS CONSIDERED APPLYING FOR THE LEMON LAW IN HER STATE. *AK (12/08/05) THE RPMS WOULD INCREASE BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO FASTER. KIA REPLACED THE COMPUTER BOARD IN RELATION TO THE TRANSMISSION. *SC UPDATED 1/25/2006 - *NM

I HAD NO INDICATION THAT MY SEAT BELT OR AIRBAG WERE FAULTY. WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH I STRUCK A CAR THAT TURNED LEFT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. MY SEAT BELT FAILED TO LOCK AND I WAS LIFTED OUT OF THE SEAT AND HIT MY HEAD, SHOULDER, AND HIP ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY CAR. THE AIRBAG DID NOT INFLATE. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE AIRBAG DIDN'T INFLATE CONSIDERING THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT. *JB

THERE WAS NO INDICATION PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT. MY HUSBAND AND I WERE IN AN ACCIDENT, I WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT AND HE WAS DRIVING. MY SEAT BELT LOCKED AND HIS DIDN'T ALLOWING HIM TO BE THROWN INTO THE STEERING WHEEL, THIS LEFT HIM WITH A SEVERELY BRUISED RIBCAGE. THE SEAT BELTS WERE BOTH REPLACED AS PART OF THE DAMAGES TO THE CAR. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS IS STANDARD PROCEDURE AFTER AN ACCIDENT. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT OBVIOUSLY DID NOT WORK PROPERLY, AND I FEEL THAT IT SHOULD HAVE SINCE I HAVE ONLY OWNED THE CAR A LITTLE LONGER THAN A YEAR. *NM

DT: 2004 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONSUMER STATES THE PASSENGER SEAT HAS A FEATURE THAT HAS A LIGHT THAT COMES ON IF THE PERSON IN THE SEAT IS LESS THAN 90 POUNDS, STATING THE AIRBAG IS OFF. THIS LIGHT COMES ON WHEN THERE IS AN ADULT IN THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE SEAT WAS SENT TO HOUSTON, AND IT WAS RECALIBRATED. THE SEAT WAS DOING THE SAME THING, AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNTIL THE DEALERSHIP TALKED TO A KIA REPRESENTATIVE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE.*AK *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER'S ATTORNEY STATED THAT DURING A FRONTAL CRASH THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS A FRONT END COLLISION INTO THREE CEMENT CULVERTS. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT FILED. THE CONSUMER'S SON WAS DRIVING AND HE PASSED AWAY. A LAWSUIT WAS FILED AGAINST THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY INFORMATION AS TO WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK

DT: CONSUMER HAS FILED A SAFETY COMPLAINT #6259431 WITH FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION. CONCERNING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON SAME ISSUE AS STATED IN ODI #10125427. ALSO, CONSUMER SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER KIA MOTORS. MANUFACTURER SAID SOMEONE WOULD BE IN CONTACT WITH CONSUMER WITHIN 3 DAYS. IT HAS BEEN 2 WEEKS AND CONSUMER HAS NOT HEARD ANYTHING. CONSUMER SAID THAT TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO A LOWER GEAR FOR NO REASON. LAST TIME VEHICLE WAS AT DEALER IT WOULD NOT GO VERY FAST, AND THE ENGINE WAS VERY SLUGGISH. CONSUMER SAID THAT IT WAS LIKE TRYING TO PULL OUT IN A HIGHER GEAR THAN 1ST OR 2ND. GEAR. WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH THE CAR WOULD DOWN SHIFT TO A LOW GEAR AND IT WOULD DROP TO 35 MPH. DEALER INDICATED THAT SOMETHING WAS MAKING THE VEHICLE DROP INTO SAFE MODE, WHICH CAUSED VEHICLE TO STAY IN SECOND GEAR. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM), REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY, AND HAS DONE SOMETHING TO THE GROUNDS. IN FEBRUARY THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION . CURRENTLY THEY REPLACED THE TCM, ADDED A NEW COMPUTER , AND ADJUSTED LINKAGE CABLES FOR TRANSMISSION. HOWEVER, CONSUMER MAINTAINED THAT PROBLEM BECAME WORSE. *AK