2005 Kia Spectra

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS ALL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY MADE THE REPAIR WITHOUT DETERMINING THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 52 MILES. AT 14000 MILES THE FAILURE REPEATED AND THE DEALER MADE THE REPAIR FOR THE SECOND TIME. ON 1/19/06 THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AGAIN BUT THIS TIME THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. *JB

I PURCHASED MY KIA SPECTRA ON 8/26/05 AND BY THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER THERE WAS A GRINDING, RUBBING NOISE THAT COULD BE HEARD IN THE STEERING, ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING. THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. SHORTLY AFTER THIS NOISE STARTED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED COMING ON. I HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME TRYING TO GET THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT, JEFFREY KIA IN ROSEVILLE, MICHIGAN. INITIALLY FOR THE FIRST WEEK TO WEEK AND A HALF THEY WOULD NOT RESPOND TO EMAILS OR PHONE MESSAGES. WHEN I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE IN THE SERVICE DESK PERSON CLAIMED THE SERVICE TECHS HAD A DIFFICULT TIME DETERMINING WHERE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS HEARD SEVERAL OTHERS VERY CLEARLY. FINALLY AFTER KEEPING MY CAR FOR AN ENTIRE DAY THEY DECIDED IT NEEDED A NEW STEERING ASSEMBLY - SUPPOSEDLY JUST BECAUSE A BUSHING WAS BAD. THEY NEVER GAVE ME A STRAIGHT ANSWER AS TO WHY THE ENTIRE STEERING ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED IF ONLY A BUSHING WAS BAD. THEY ALSO DETERMINED THE 02 SENSOR WAS FAULTY. THERE IS A RECALL ON MY MAKE VEHICLE BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE MY VEHICLE AS IT WAS ASSEMBLED AFTER THE RECALL PERIOD. I STRONGLY SUSPECT THEY KNOW MY VEHICLE IS SUBJECT TO THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT IS WHY THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE STEERING ASSEMBLY. HOWEVER, 2 DAYS AFTER PICKING UP MY VEHICLE I AM AGAIN HEARING THE SAME GRINDING NOISE WHILE DRIVING AND ESPECIALLY DURING TIGHT TURNS. I HAVE CONTACTED THE PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF JEFFREY KIA AND THEY REFUSE TO RETURN MY CALLS. I AM ATTEMPTING TO GO TO ANOTHER DEALER. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG HAS A SEAT SENSOR AND IT SHOULD TURN THE AIR BAG ON WHEN THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. THE PASSENGER IS AN ADULT MALE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO A DEALERSHIP, THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEREFORE, THERE HAVE BEEN NO CORRECTIONS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. *NM UPDATED 11/29/2005 - THE FAILURE OCCURS EACH TIME THE MALE PASSENGER SAT IN THE SEAT. *NM

I PURCHASED A 2005 KIA SPECTRA EX ON JULY 11, 2005 AND HAVE ALSO BEEN EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH MY "ADVANCED" PASSENGER AIR BAG SYSTEM. AS OTHER POSTERS HAVE STATED, THE LIGHT HAS COME ON WHILE DRIVING WHEN A PERSON OF PROPER STATURE IS IN THE SEAT AND STAYS OFF FOR VARYING AMOUNTS OF TIME. I LIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS THANKFULLY WE HAVE THE LEMON LAW HERE THAT ALLOWS YOU SOME PROTECTION FOR DEFECTS OF THIS NATURE. TOMORROW MY CAR GOES IN FOR THE FINAL REPAIR ATTEMPT AND IF IT IS NOT FIXED, IT WILL BE CLASSIFIED AS LEMON, ALLOWING ME A REFUND OR REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR THIS PROBLEM 4 TIMES AND STILL DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE LAST TIME IT WAS IN, THE SYSTEM WAS RE-PROGRAMMED IN ACCORDANCE WITH A RECALL THAT WAS ISSUED. THIS REPROGRAMMING DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A LARGER ISSUE AT HAND. IF ANYONE ELSE HAS GOTTEN TO THIS POINT, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT SWEETCLR@YAHOO.COM. *NM

I HAVE A 2005 KIA SPECTRA, THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT HAS A FEATURE THAT MEASURES THE WEIGHT OF THE PASSENGER AND TURNS ON OR OFF THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG. TWICE NOW WITH A FULL SIZED ADULT SITTING CORRECTLY IN THE SEAT THE AIR BAG WOULD TURN OFF FOR NO REASON. BOTH TIMES IT HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY OR IN CITY TRAFFIC...THE AIR BAG REMAINED OFF FOR AROUND 5-10 MIN WHEN IT JUST WOULD TURN BACK ON. THERE WAS NO CAUSE THAT WE COULD SEE FOR IT TO JUST TURN OFF AND ON. DURING THAT TIME, IF WE WOULD HAVE CRASHED THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED. *JB

I BOUGHT A NEW 2005 KIA SPECTRA 5 (LESS THAN A MONTH AGO) WITH AIRBAG SENSORS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DISABLED LIGHT HAS COME ON AND STAYED ON WITH AN ADULT SITTING IN THE FRONT SEAT. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALER TWICE FOR REPAIRS. THE FIRST TIME, THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG (AND THAT THE PERSON MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SITTING PROPERLY IN THE FRONT SEAT). THE SECOND TIME, AFTER STATING THAT I WAS NOT LEAVING UNTIL SOMETHING WAS DONE, THE SEAT WAS REMOVED AND SENT OUT FOR REPAIRS. WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK THREE DAYS LATER, NOTHING HAD BEEN FIXED. WHILE MY CAR WAS IN THE SHOP, I WAS GIVEN A KIA SPECTRA AS A RENTAL CAR. THE RENTAL CAR EXHIBITED THE EXACT SAME ISSUES. *JB

I OWN A SPECTRA 5. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE CAR IN MOST EVERY ASPECT, BUT THE FRONT SPOILER IS NOT SECURED TO THE CAR PROPERLY. I TAPPED IT ON A PARKING CURB ONCE, AND NOW IT'S COMPLETELY FALLING OFF. MY KIA DEALER COULDN'T FIX IT AND SAID I NEEDED TO GO TO THE BODY SHOP. I WENT TO A KIA BODY SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD BE MORE THAN $700 TO FIX AND THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE NEXT TIME IT CAUGHT ON A PARKING CURB OR LOW DIP IN THE ROAD IT WOULDN'T FALL OFF AGAIN. I AM NOT PREPARED TO PAY $700 TO REPAIR SOMETHING THAT WAS DESIGNED TO BE THAT LOW TO THE GROUND BUT IS NOT BE ABLE TO HANDLE SOME MINOR IMPACT AS IT WAS BOUND TO EXPERIENCE. ALMOST ALL ROADS HAVE SOME DEFECTS THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS SPOILER TO HIT THE GROUND AND MANY CAR PARKS HAVE SPEED BUMPS AND ENTRANCES TO DRIVEWAYS HAVE DIPS THAT THIS WILL MOST CERTAINLY CATCH ON AGAIN. I AM GOING TO HAVE TO REMOVE FROM THE CAR UNTIL KIA CAN MAKE STURDY ENOUGH TO HANDLE NORMAL USE. *NM

DT: CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, AND WHEN SHE TRIED TO STEER THE CAR TO THE RIGHT IT CONTINUED TO GO TO THE LEFT. APPROXIMATELY FOUR HOURS PRIOR TO THIS THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE WITH VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CAR WENT IN TO A GUARD RAIL ON SOUTHBOUND 14 FREEWAY IN PALMDALE, CA. SHE NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER. A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. ONLY THE PASSENGER CARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE REMAINED. . WHEN THE CAR HIT THE GUARD RAIL, IT WAS THROWN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, THEN HIT THE OTHER GUARD RAIL. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION AND BRUISES. THERE WAS ALSO A POLICE REPORT.*AK

WE BOUGHT A KIA SPECTRA 5 ON 06/18/2005, A 2005 MODEL. ON 06/19/05 THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT (WE WERE THE FIRST OWNERS, LESS THAN 100 MILES) OUR KIA DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE CAR AFTER TWO WEEKS OF TRYING TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM, ON 07/27/05, MY HUSBAND STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND TURNED RIGHT, THE CAR WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE TURN (HUSBAND SAID NOTHING ON THE CAR WOULD WORK, STEERING FROZE AND BRAKES FAILED) HE THEN RAN UP ON A CURVE CAR SUSTAINED OVER 2800.00 DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE TO UNDERCARRIAGE, WHEELS, DRIVE SHAFT ETC. HUSBAND SUFFERED BRUISES AND CONCUSSION ( I AM AN RN HE DID NOT SEE PHYSICIAN) REPORTED TO INSURANCE CO, INSURANCE APPRAISER ALSO AWARE OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND DEALER NOTIFIED, NOTHING WAS DONE. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.