2005 Kia Spectra

THE HYDRAULIC CYLINDER GETS AIR IN IT IN COLD WEATHER BELOW -10 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT . IT HAPPENS ANYTIME IT GETS BELOW THIS TEMPERATURE. IT CAUSES THE DRIVER TO BE UNABLE TO SHIFT THE CAR. USUALLY THE DEALER BLEEDS THE CYLINDER AND IT IS FINE. COULD LEAVE THE DRIVER STRANDED OR UNABLE TO MOVE THE CAR OUT OF THE WAY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. IT HAS HAPPENED EVERY WINTER SINCE 2005 AND USUALLY MORE THAN ONCE A WINTER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SPECTRA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT FELT THE VEHICLE PULLING DRASTICALLY TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TIE RODS WERE FAULTY AND THE TIRES WOULD NOT WEAR. SHE STATED THAT THE TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED EVERY 3,000 MILES FOR THE LAST 46,000 MILES ON HER VEHICLE. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2005 KIA SPECTRA, WHICH WAS IDENTICAL TO THE FAILURE SHE WAS EXPERIENCING. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V183000 (STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY). THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT EVERY 20,000 MILES THE TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE TIRE LIFE STATES THAT THIS SHOULD OCCUR EVERY 60,000 MILES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 46,250.

WHILE DRIVING A WINDY MOUNTAIN ROAD OUR 2005 KIA SPECTRA STEERING LOCKED UP AS IF THE CAR WAS IN PARK. A KIA SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN VICTORVILLE WAS UNABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG AND THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO US. A FEW MONTHS LATER THE SAME EVENT HAPPENED AND THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION WHEN THE CAR WAS IN PARK. THE CAR WAS UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY HOWEVER, THE SERVICE CENTER CLAIMED AN ADJUSTMENT WAS NEEDED WHICH WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND WE PAID $240 TO HAVE THE ADJUSTMENT MADE. YESTERDAY, THE STEERING LOCKED UP AGAIN A WINDY MOUNTAIN ROAD NEARLY SENDING US OVER THE EDGE OF A CLIFF. PER THE KIA DEALER, VEHICLES THAT WERE MANUFACTURED ONE MONTH AFTER OUR VEHICLE'S PRODUCTION DATE HAD A RECALL FOR THE SAME STEERING PROBLEMS BUT THAT THE RECALL DOES NOT APPLY TO OUR VEHICLE ONLY THOSE MANUFACTURED 30 DAYS AFTER THE MANUFACTURE DATE OF THIS PARTICULAR CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SPECTRA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE SIDE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND HIS SEAT BELT DID NOT TIGHTEN ON IMPACT. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT FROM THE ANGLE THE VEHICLE WAS STRUCK, THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED; HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE VIN AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 48,000.

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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SPECTRA. AFTER ACTIVATION, THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER WOULD DISENGAGE WITHOUT WARNING. ON ONE OCCURRENCE, THE LIGHTER DISENGAGED, LANDED INSIDE A TRASH BAG, AND CAUGHT FIRE. AS OF NOVEMBER 27, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 34,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SPECTRA. ONE YEAR AGO, THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE BECAME DETACHED. THE CONTACT TOOK HER VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SINCE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. EXACTLY ONE YEAR AFTER REPLACING THE BUCKLE, IT HAS DETACHED AGAIN. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 20,300 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,424.

ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, STALLING, AIR BAG LIGHT AND EVEN CAR SHUT OFF ON THE FREEWAY. AFTER ONLY TWO WEEKS THE CAR STARTED WITH ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS; THE RIGHT HEAD LAMP KEPT BURNING, THE CAR WAS AT THE SHOP FOR TWO WEEKS FOR REPAIR. ON 5/24/06 THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP AGAIN FOR ELECTRIC PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT, THERE WAS ALREADY A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM AND THE REPAIR WAS DONE TO IT. ON 08/15/06 THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN FOR MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL AND ENGINE PROBLEMS, THE CAR HAD PREVIOUSLY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY, HAD A STALLING PROBLEM, THE RADIO WOULD SCAN BACK AND FORWARD FOR A STATION BY IT-SELF WHEN THE A/C OR THE TRAFFIC LIGHT CAME TO USE, ALSO THE BATTERY WENT DEAD. THE CAR WAS AT THE SHOP FOR TWO DAYS AND MANY REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED, UNFORTUNATELY THIS TIME THE DEALER DID NOT PROVIDE A WRITTEN REPAIR DESCRIPTION, (BUT I HAVE A COPY OF THE COMPLAINT INVOICE). NOW, 03/02/2007 AND WITH 27700 MILES THE CAR STARTED TO PRODUCE ALL THE ABOVE PROBLEMS AND I WILL TAKE THE CAR FOR A 4TH REPAIR ON MONDAY 03/05/2007. I ALREADY CALLED KIA'S CONSUMER SERVICE 800-333-4542 TO REQUEST A LEMON EXCHANGE OR REFUND. *JB