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2005 Kia Spectra

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2005 Kia Spectra do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 96.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

84 reports with mileage · 19 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

23 crash reports1 fire reports14 injury reports

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

12 reports
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88,088 miles · Mar 29, 2020
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed Control

VEHICLE SPEEDOMETER RANDOMLY QUITS. ALSO DASH LIGHTS ON BINACLE. THEN WILL COME BACK ON AFTER A DAY OR SO, HAVE REPLACE WITH GENUINE KIA OEM PARTS BUT STILL HAPPENS. ALSO LOOKED ON FORUMS ONLINE AND SEEMS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE.

NHTSA ODI #11319671

127,089 miles · Nov 14, 2018
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed Control

SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER NOT WORKING WELL IT WORKS THE FIRST TIME IN THE MORNING WHEN I DRIVE AFTER I TURN CAR OFF AND GO TO DRIVE AGAIN IT WILL NOT WORK THE ENTIRE DAY. RECENTLY I HAVE MEET SOMEONE WITH EXACT MAKE AND MODEL WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE LITERALLY AS I DESCRIBED THE OTHER PERSON WHO I DID NOT TELL ABOUT THE PROBLEM …

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SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER NOT WORKING WELL IT WORKS THE FIRST TIME IN THE MORNING WHEN I DRIVE AFTER I TURN CAR OFF AND GO TO DRIVE AGAIN IT WILL NOT WORK THE ENTIRE DAY. RECENTLY I HAVE MEET SOMEONE WITH EXACT MAKE AND MODEL WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE LITERALLY AS I DESCRIBED THE OTHER PERSON WHO I DID NOT TELL ABOUT THE PROBLEM WORD FOR WORD DESCRIBE THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO WHEN SPEEDOMETER ISN'T WORKING THE CRUISE CONTROL ALSO WILL NITWORK. I HAVE REPLACED INPUT AND OUTPUT SPEED SENSOR , WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AND THE SPEED SENSOR WHICH WIRES BACK UP TO INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND NOTHING HAS FIXED THE ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11151617

87,000 miles · Nov 9, 2016
Vehicle Speed Control

WHILE DRIVING MY SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. THEN IT WENT TO 25 MPH JUMPED TO 45 MPH. AIR CONDITIONING STOPPED AND THEN STARTED AGAIN, I WENT TO TURN LEFT AND IT LIST POWER FOR A SECOND ALMOST CAUSING ME TO BE HIT ON PASSENGER SIDE BUT REGAINED POWER AND MOVED ON. I WOULD PARK IN GARAGE AND NEXT DAY WORKING AGAIN. I WOULD PARK …

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WHILE DRIVING MY SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. THEN IT WENT TO 25 MPH JUMPED TO 45 MPH. AIR CONDITIONING STOPPED AND THEN STARTED AGAIN, I WENT TO TURN LEFT AND IT LIST POWER FOR A SECOND ALMOST CAUSING ME TO BE HIT ON PASSENGER SIDE BUT REGAINED POWER AND MOVED ON. I WOULD PARK IN GARAGE AND NEXT DAY WORKING AGAIN. I WOULD PARK IN SUN AT WORK AFTER WORK SPEEDOMETER WOULD NOT WORK. NOW SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT WORK AT ALL I'M AFRAID OF GETTING A TICKET. I AM WORKING WITH A LOCAL MECHANIC THEY SCANNED IT NO CODES RELATING.

NHTSA ODI #10925278

122,312 miles · Mar 20, 2015
Vehicle Speed Control

DROVE TO WORK THE OTHER MORNING AND NOTICE BY LUNCH TIME THAT WHEN I STARTED TO DRIVE OUT OF DRIVEWAY IT WAS NOT SHOWING MILES I WAS TRAVELING. THIS HAD DONE IT TO ME BEFORE IN SC AND THE GOODYEAR SERVICE MAN COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. BUT IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN WHILE THEY HAD IT. HE STATED THAT HE'D HEARD THAT MY CAR WAS KNOW…

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DROVE TO WORK THE OTHER MORNING AND NOTICE BY LUNCH TIME THAT WHEN I STARTED TO DRIVE OUT OF DRIVEWAY IT WAS NOT SHOWING MILES I WAS TRAVELING. THIS HAD DONE IT TO ME BEFORE IN SC AND THE GOODYEAR SERVICE MAN COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. BUT IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN WHILE THEY HAD IT. HE STATED THAT HE'D HEARD THAT MY CAR WAS KNOWN TO DO THIS. BUT NOW FOR 3 DAYS I'M DRIVING BLIND ON THE FEEL. UNTIL I CAN GET SOME ONE TO LOOK AT IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10700769

110,000 miles · Nov 20, 2014
Air BagsVehicle Speed ControlCrashInjury

WHILE STOPPED ON A SMALL HILL IN TRAFFIC, I WAS REARENDED BY A FORD TRUCK WHO WAS GOING ABOUT 35MPH. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR INJURIES TO MY KNEES AND MY NECK. I SEE THERE ARE MANY MANY MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS. THERE DEFINITELY IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND A RECALL SHOULD B…

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WHILE STOPPED ON A SMALL HILL IN TRAFFIC, I WAS REARENDED BY A FORD TRUCK WHO WAS GOING ABOUT 35MPH. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR INJURIES TO MY KNEES AND MY NECK. I SEE THERE ARE MANY MANY MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS. THERE DEFINITELY IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ORDERED. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WHICH COULD RESULT IN DEATH. ALSO MANY TIMES WHILE DRIVING MY SPEEDOMETER WILL GO TO ZERO WHILE DRIVING OR JUMP TO 100+, IN ADDITION THE RPM GAUGE WILL DO THE SAME. THIS TOO IS ALSO MENTIONED MANY TIMES CLEARLY THERE IS SOME MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I AM THE ONLY OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10659763

93,367 miles · May 5, 2014
EngineFuel System, GasolineVehicle Speed Control

PULLING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY TO CENTER LANE AND THEN MERGING WITH TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. RPMS WOULD FLARE, BUT CAR HAD NO POWER AS IF ENGINE WAS NOT GETTING FUEL. THIS WOULD HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHO STATED GAS HAD GOTTEN INTO AN EMISSIONS PART IN THE FUEL TAKE, STATING IT WAS CAUSED…

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PULLING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY TO CENTER LANE AND THEN MERGING WITH TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. RPMS WOULD FLARE, BUT CAR HAD NO POWER AS IF ENGINE WAS NOT GETTING FUEL. THIS WOULD HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHO STATED GAS HAD GOTTEN INTO AN EMISSIONS PART IN THE FUEL TAKE, STATING IT WAS CAUSED FROM OVER FILLING THE TANK. VEHICLE OWNER TOLD DEALER THAT THE TANK HAD NEVER BEEN OVER FILLED OR CAPPED OFF WHILE FUELING THE VEHICLE, SO THE PART MUST BE DEFECTIVE. VEHICLE OWNER STILL HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE CANISTER CLOSE VALVE. DEALER CLAIMED THAT RPM FLARE UP AND LOSS OF POWER WAS CAUSED FROM THE CLUTCH SLIPPING, ALTHOUGH RPM FLARE UP NEVER OCCURRED WHILE DEALER HAD THE VEHICLE. AT 100,000 ESTIMATED MILES, THE SAME FUEL VALVE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN, AND TO DATE, THE FUEL TANK HAS NEVER BEEN OVER FILLED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10586688

100,000 miles · Jun 16, 2012
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed Control

TURNED THE CAR ON, GOT ON THE HWY LOOKED AT THE SPEED AND IT WAS AT 0 MPH. DROVE FOR A WHILE IT PICKED UP TO 20 MPH. NOT SURE IF ITS WORKING RIGHT. I'VE GOTTEN A TICKET FOR SPEEDING HOW DO I KNOW WHAT SPEED I'M GOING IF ITS NOT WORKING. I ALSO HAVE A NEW BORN. I BELIEVE THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10461962

190,000 miles · Jan 6, 2011
Vehicle Speed ControlCrash

I WAS MAKING A THREE POINT TURN. I MOVED TO THE WALL BRAKING TO STOP TO BACK UP, WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE CAR WENT FORWARD SPEEDING UP AND INTO THE BLOCK WALL. STILL WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES I TURNED THE CAR OFF. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10375022

186,558 miles · Jan 6, 2011
Vehicle Speed Control

2005 KIA SPECTRA I WAS BRAKING AND THE CAR STARTED SPEEDING UP. I HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO KEEP THE CAR FROM GOING . *TR

NHTSA ODI #10375016

63,609 miles · Mar 4, 2008
Vehicle Speed ControlCrash

I WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WHEN MY TACHOMETER FOR NO EXPLAINABLE REASON SHOT UP OVER 7000 RPM'S CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE BEYOND THE BREAKING POINT AND CAUSING ME TO BE INVOLVED IN THREE SEPARATE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ALL WITHIN A TWO HOUR TIME PERIOD ON THE SAME DAY. TWO WEEKS EARLIER, MY CAR HAD DONE THE EXACT SAME THING SLOW…

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I WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WHEN MY TACHOMETER FOR NO EXPLAINABLE REASON SHOT UP OVER 7000 RPM'S CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE BEYOND THE BREAKING POINT AND CAUSING ME TO BE INVOLVED IN THREE SEPARATE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ALL WITHIN A TWO HOUR TIME PERIOD ON THE SAME DAY. TWO WEEKS EARLIER, MY CAR HAD DONE THE EXACT SAME THING SLOWING DOWN COMING AROUND A BEND CAUSING ME TO HIT A CEMENT BARRIER WHICH LUCKILY ONLY CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE TO MY DRIVER SIDE MIRROR AND WHEEL WELL. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP AFTER THE THREE CONSECUTIVE ACCIDENTS WHERE THEY CLAIMED THE CAUSE OF THIS PHENOMENON WAS CAUSED ?BY MY FLOOR MAT BEING IN A BAD POSITION. AS A RESULT, I REMOVED THE DRIVERS SIDE FLOOR MAT ONLY TO HAVE THIS SAME UNEXPLAINABLE ACCELERATION HAPPEN TO ME AGAIN AT A RED LIGHT ACROSS FROM A VERY DANGEROUS INTERSECTION APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER. THIS TIME I HAD TO THROW THE CAR INTO PARK TO GET IT TO STOP BEFORE COMPLETELY ENTERING THE INTERSECTION. EVEN AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE, THE TACHOMETER CONTINUED TO RACE ABOVE 7000 RPM?S FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 3 MORE SECONDS BEFORE LEVELING BACK OFF. THIS TIME NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. I HAD MY CAR TOWED BACK TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP WHO HAS NOW HAD IT IN THEIR POSSESSION FOR OVER FIVE DAYS NOW. IN MY OPINION, THE 2004 - 2005 KIA SPECTRA IS AN UNSAFE VEHICLE AND IS ONE EPISODE AWAY FROM BECOMING A VERY TRAGIC ACCIDENT FOR SOMEONE. LET ME STATE THAT IN OVER 24 YEARS OF DRIVING, I HAVE NEVER BEEN SITED FOR A MAJOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT AND HAVE HAD A PERFECTLY CLEAN DRIVING RECORD FOR OVER TEN YEARS BEFORE ALL OF THIS. I URGE ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES WITH THEIR KIA SPECTRA'S TO PLEASE POST THEIR EXPERIENCES ON THIS WEBSITE SO OTHERS MAY BE WARNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL HAZARDS OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10219990

Official recalls

2

11V256000 · Fuel System, Other:storage:tank Assembly:mounting

Apr 25, 2011

KIA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2007 SPECTRA LD VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 7, 2003, THROUGH MARCH 6, 2007, ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT CORROSION OF THE FUEL TANK STRAPS WHICH HOLD THE TANK MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO ROAD SALT. AS A RESULT OF THE CORROSION, ONE OR BOTH STRAPS MAY SEPARATE ALLOWING THE FUEL TANK TO CONTACT THE GROUND AND POSSIBLY DISRUPT THE INTEGRITY OF THE TANK.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE FUEL TANK CAN FALL FROM THE VEHICLE AND STRIKE THE GROUND WHICH COULD CAUSE A FUEL LEAK. LEAKING FUEL CAN CREATE A FIRE HAZARD.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK STRAPS AND ATTACHING HARDWARE WITH NEW ZINC COATED PARTS. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 6, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

05V183000 · Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly

Apr 28, 2005

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE STEERING TIE RODS MAY HAVE A MANUFACTURING FLAW THAT AFFECTS THE METALLURGY.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE ROD CRACKS OR FAILS, LOSS OF VEHICLE STEERING CONTROL MAY OCCUR WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING RACK ASSEMBLY, WHICH INCLUDES THE TIE ROD COMPONENTS FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS WERE NOTIFIED BY TELEPHONE ON APRIL 8, 2005. AN ADDITIONAL LETTER WAS SENT TO OWNERS WHO HAD NOT TAKEN THEIR VEHICLES IN FOR REPAIR. THIS LETTER WAS MAILED MAY 20, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.