2006 Kia Spectra

I WAS APPROACHING GERMANTOWN AVENUE FROM MT. AIRY AVENUE WITH THE EXPECTATION OF MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN ON TO GERMANTOWN AVENUE WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. I GRIPPED THE WHEEL AND TRIED TO RECOVER CONTROL OF THE CAR AND WAS SUCCESSFUL WITHIN INCHES OF A VEHICLE TURNING ONTO MT. AIRY AVENUE. THE ACCELERATOR TOOK CONTROL OF MY CAR (AND ME).I RECOVERED CONTROL OF MY CAR. LATER IN THE DAY WHILE DRIVING THE SAME EVENT HAPPENED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FACT THAT I WAS NOT IN A "TURN MODE" *TR

I WAS WAITING AT A RED LIGHT, WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO SPEED UP AND THE CAR STARTED TO PULL FORWARD EVEN WITH ME STEPPING HARDER ON THE BRAKE. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND THE REVVING SLOWED DOWN. THIS HAPPENED A FEW MORE TIMES, INCLUDING WHILE TRYING TO PARK AT A MALL. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO AVOID AND ACCIDENT BY SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL EVERY TIME THE CAR SURGED. THIS IS A RENTAL CAR, NOT MY CAR. *TR

80,000 MILES AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. WHEN OCCUPANT IS SEATED IN THE OCCUPANT SEAT, "AIR BAG WARNING OFF" LIGHT REMAINS (EVEN TO THIS DATE 11/18/14). A KIA SPECIALIST, IN ASHEVILLE, NC, DIAGNOSED AS WEAR AND TEAR. ALSO, STATED THAT IT COULD BE SOMEONE NOT SITTING IN THE SEAT PROPERLY AND/OR OVER WEIGHT COULD CAUSE IT TO GO OUT. SERIOUSLY, NO ONE IN MY CAR IS OVER 190 LBS. THE SENSOR ISN'T WORKING AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE $1800 TO REPLACE THE SEAT AND THE SENSOR. KIA KNOWS THERE ARE ISSUES WITH THE KIA SPECTRA 2006 JUST LIKE THE RIOS. AFTER RESEARCHING ON LINE AND FINDING OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR KIA'S SPECTRA 2006 AIRBAG, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT KIA HAS AIRBAG ISSUES WITH THE SPECTRA 2006 WHICH NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED. *TR

PASSAGE SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON,TOOK IT TO KIA DEALER THEY CHECKED CONNECTIONS LIGHT WHEN OFF FOR A FEW MONTHS,CAME BACK ON HAD IT CHECKED AGAIN DEALER TELLS ME THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SENSOR IN THE SEAT,BUT THAT THE KIA SPECTRA WAS NOT PART OF A RECALL. THE RIO AND SEPHIA WERE, THE SPECTRA TOOK THE PLACE OF THE SEPHIA, SO WHY WAS THIS NOT RECALLED. THIS IS STILL A PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR CHANGING THE NAME DID NOT FIX THE AIR BAG SENSOR PROBLEM IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THERE HAS BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND THE ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL TANK STRAPS WERE EXCESSIVELY CORRODED CAUSING THE RIGHT SIDE STRAPS TO FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V256000 (FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DECLINED TO ANSWER WHY THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,055.

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. WHEN OCCUPANT IS SEATED IN THE OCCUPANT SEAT, "AIR BAG WARNING OFF" LIGHT REMAINS. A SPECIALIST DIAGNOSED THE OCCUPANT SENSOR AS BEING DEFECTIVE, THE SAME DESIGN AND ISSUE AS IN THE 2006 KIA RIO AND KIA OPTIMA, BOTH OF WHICH HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS SAME SPECIFIC ISSUE. THE COST FOR REPAIR IS APPROX. $1600. A RECALL SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED FOR THIS ISSUE ON THE 2006 KIA SPECTRA. *JS

ON JANUARY 31, 2014, I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND WAS IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION. THE OTHER DRIVER WAS AT FAULT. THE AIR BAGS IN MY 2006 KIA SPECTRA DID NOT DEPLOY! THE POLICE OFFICER ALSO DOCUMENTED THIS IN THE POLICE REPORT. I CONTACTED KIA ON FEBRUARY 1, 2014 WITH PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE POLICE REPORT. IT IS NOW MARCH 13, 2014 AND THEY HAVE NOT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE ARE OTHER KIA SPECTRA OWNERS WHO ARE UNAWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. THERE WAS NEVER A RECALL ABOUT THE AIR BAGS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A BURNING ODOR WAS PRESENT IN THE VEHICLE AND THE HEAT BLOWER WOULD NOT OPERATE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO DEFROST THE FRONT WINDSHIELD BECAUSE THE HEAT BLOWER WAS INOPERABLE. THE FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE HEAT BLOWER WIRE HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.