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2008 Kia SPECTRA5

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 15 of 16 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

Fuel/propulsion System complaints

2 reports
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115,000 miles · Oct 1, 2018
Fuel/propulsion SystemService BrakesVehicle Speed Control

SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION (SUA): CRUISE CONTROL (CC) SET TO ~85 MPH, SUDDEN LURCHING RED-LINE ACCELERATION OCCURRED, CC WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. HAD TO FIGHT MY VEHICLE (PULL E-BRAKE) TO GET SAFELY TO FREEWAY SHOULDER THEN TURN IGNITION OFF. CAR CONTINUED TO TRY TO RED LINE AFTER IGNITION KILLED, SHIFTING THRU ALL GEARS, BATTE…

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SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION (SUA): CRUISE CONTROL (CC) SET TO ~85 MPH, SUDDEN LURCHING RED-LINE ACCELERATION OCCURRED, CC WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. HAD TO FIGHT MY VEHICLE (PULL E-BRAKE) TO GET SAFELY TO FREEWAY SHOULDER THEN TURN IGNITION OFF. CAR CONTINUED TO TRY TO RED LINE AFTER IGNITION KILLED, SHIFTING THRU ALL GEARS, BATTERY TERMINALS DISCONNECTED OR CC MODULE DISCONNECTED. VERIFIED BRAKE LIGHTS WORKED FINE AFTER PULLING OVER. 1ST INCIDENT - BEHIND AN 18-WHEELER, ALMOST REAR ENDED SAID 18-WHEELER! AFTER ~2HRS THE CAR "RESOLVED" ITSELF & STOPPED TRYING TO ACCELERATE. 2ND INCIDENT - HAD TO NAVIGATE MULTIPLE CARS AROUND & PULLED OVER IN A CURVE! DID NOT RESOLVE ITSELF THIS TIME - ROOT CAUSE PER PITRE KIA: CC CABLE "BROKEN" (WOULD NOT ENGAGE/DISENGAGE ACCELERATION COIL AS NEEDED). EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS EVEN WITH AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER!! 1. OUT-OF-CONTROL ACCELERATION RUN-AWAY MAN-SLAUGHTER DEATH-TRAP CAR = NOT SAFE FOR ANYONE TO DRIVE INCL 16 Y.O. SON WHO I INTENDED TO GIVE THIS VEHICLE TO NOR CAN MY DISABLED SISTER (WHO IS LEARNING TO DRIVE) DRIVE IT SAFELY!! 2. EXCESSIVE WEAR & TEAR TO ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, BRAKES ETC FOR RED LINED ACCELERATION! 3. AFTER RESEARCH, FOUND OUT THE SAFETY MECHANISM THAT WOULD MORE SAFELY SHUT DOWN THE CARS IN THESE TYPE OF INSTANCES WAS CHOSEN BY MFG TO NOT INSTALL (KIA BUYS CAR IF RUNAWAY VEHICLE MAKES HEADLINE NEWS OR IF DEATHS THERE ARE MAJOR LAWSUITS). ABSOLUTELY HORRIFYING TO THINK IT WOULD HAVE KILLED MY 16 Y.O. SON LIKE THIS ARTICLE: HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NEWS/2017/KIA-SUED-FOR-95-MILLION-IN-DEATHS-OF-TWIN-BOYS.SHTML

NHTSA ODI #11132447

34,185 miles · Dec 17, 2014
Fuel/propulsion System

THIS HAD BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE ABOUT 24,000 MILES, BUT DEALER JUST SAID TO ADD POWER BOOSTER OR SOMETHING...BY THE TIME OF THIS FIRST DOCUMENTED DEALER CHECK OUT, IT HAD GOTTEN MUCH WORSE... IT HAS BEEN IN SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL, AND OTHER THAN SPENDING MONEY ON VARIOUS SOLUTIONS (THAT DID NOT WORK) IT HAS PROGRESSIVE…

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THIS HAD BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE ABOUT 24,000 MILES, BUT DEALER JUST SAID TO ADD POWER BOOSTER OR SOMETHING...BY THE TIME OF THIS FIRST DOCUMENTED DEALER CHECK OUT, IT HAD GOTTEN MUCH WORSE... IT HAS BEEN IN SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL, AND OTHER THAN SPENDING MONEY ON VARIOUS SOLUTIONS (THAT DID NOT WORK) IT HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN MUCH WORSE. FINALLY I WAS TOLD BY DEALER TO NOT OVERFILL OR TOP OFF THE TANK WHEN FILLING WITH FUEL. SOMETHING THAT I DO NOT DO!!! THE VEHICLE HAS NOW REACHED THE POINT AFTER FILLING WITH FUEL, I HAVE TO USE ABOUT 1/4 OF A TANK BEFORE IT WILL RUN SOMEWHAT NORMALLY (UP TO 100 MILES). IT DIES AT STOPS, WILL SUDDENLY CUT OUT GOING DOWN THE ROAD, AND WHEN GOING SLOWLY AROUND CURVES, WILL DIE. THIS IS VERY HAZARDOUS, AS THE POWER STEERING QUITS AT THE SAME MOMENT, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. I HAVE JUST GOTTEN OFF THE PHONE WITH KIA USA, AND THE YOUNG LADY INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A NEW ONE TO HER. THAT MAY BE, BUT THE INTERNET IS LOADED WITH INCIDENTS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM, AS IS YOUR SITE. IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE JUST THE 2008 MODELS EITHER. I BELIEVE THAT NHTSA SHOULD TAKE A LITTLE LOOK INTO THIS, BEFORE IT RESULTS IN SOME FATALITIES, IF IT HAS NOT HAPPENED ALREADY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10664927

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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.