The Lemon Index
Kia Spectra reliability: problems and recalls.
Owners filed 950 complaints about the 2000 to 2009 Kia Spectra with the government, most about airbags.
No Lemon Index score yet: we don't have reliable sales numbers for this car, so here's what YouTube owners say, next to the raw complaint counts.
YouTube rank and complaints, by model year
YouTube rank: we read 388 YouTube videos about the Kia Spectra and ranked each year with 10 or more videos by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. It measures tone, not failure rates. Complaints are the raw number owners filed with NHTSA: popular years draw more partly because more were sold, and without usable sales figures we can't turn them into a per-car score.
What owners say on YouTube
2000–2004 Spectra · 199 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Nothing stands out.
Before you buy, watch
2005–2009 Spectra · 197 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Nothing stands out.
Before you buy, watch
Praise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
Complaints and recalls by model year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 23 | 0 |
| 2001 | 40 | 0 |
| 2002 | 92 | 0 |
| 2003 | 90 | 0 |
| 2004 | 71 | 1 |
| 2005 | 103 | 2 |
| 2006 | 118 | 1 |
| 2007 | 162 | 1 |
| 2008 | 137 | 0 |
| 2009 | 114 | 0 |
Popular years draw more complaints partly because more were sold. We don't have usable sales for this model, so these are counts, not a score.
What owners complain about
| System | Share of complaints |
|---|---|
| Airbags | 32% |
| Electrical | 8% |
| Transmission & drivetrain | 7% |
| Speed control | 6% |
| Engine | 4% |
| Seat belts | 4% |
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 22,059 and 95,600 miles. The middle report was at 60,789 miles, from 703 complaints.
How serious
| Crashes | Fires | Injury reports | Death reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 190 | 20 | 126 | 6 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.
In owners' words
2007 Kia Spectra has a problem with the air bag and sensor on the passenger's side.
2007 Kia Spectra owner · NHTSA complaint 10270289
Intentionally t-boned and side impact airbags didn't deploy. Now my airbag light is on.
2008 Kia Spectra owner · NHTSA complaint 10348663
I was driving a loaner car 2006 Kia Spectra when someone was driving an older model grand marquis turned infront of me and I hit her smack dab int he middle of her passenger side doors and our airbags did not deploy.
2006 Kia Spectra owner · NHTSA complaint 10186076
Recalls 2
11V256000 Apr 2011 Fuel System, Other / Storage / Tank Assembly / Mounting
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
Fix. 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 Apr 2005 Steering / Linkages / Tie Rod Assembly
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE STEERING TIE RODS MAY HAVE A MANUFACTURING FLAW THAT AFFECTS THE METALLURGY.
Fix. 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.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. Check the exact car's VIN for open recalls.
Quick answers
What are the most common Kia Spectra problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the top areas are airbags, electrical, transmission & drivetrain.
How many recalls does the Kia Spectra have?
2 safety recalls on record for the 2000 to 2009 models.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, YouTube videos (titles and channels link to them). We don't give this model a Lemon Index because we don't have its sales by year yet. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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