10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
63,800 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2009 Kia Spectra engine problems

engine problem

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2009 Kia Spectra Owner Comments

problem #5

Dec 312021

Spectra

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My car seems like someone entered something in my gas tank while i may been in the store

- Allenhurst, GA, USA

problem #4

Jan 142019

Spectra

  • 95,000 miles
When I applied the brake, the car sped up and lurched forward hitting the vehicle ahead of me which was stopped at a traffic light; I had a mechanic inspect it, he said it was the brake calipers and replaced the calipers, and rotors, and the problem has continued to occur..have had it back to the mechanic 3 times and he says he cannot reproduce the problem

- Albany, NY, USA

problem #3

Apr 012016

Spectra

  • 89,000 miles
This car is trying to kill me. I turn on my car, feet aren't on the pedals, my rpms rev and sputter up to 4,000+ without me doing anything. Sometimes it will launch me a bit when I'm trying to back out of a parking spot. Sometimes I'll be at a stop sign or a red light, completely stopped, foot on the brake, hard. Cross-traffic flowing. Suddenly my engine revvs and my car lunges forward. Wtf Kia" I've taken it to Kia once and they told me its a transmission problem that's going to cost more than the car is even worth and more money than I have to spend. So now what? I'm going to pay for a life endangering mechanical problem that likely costs dollars and minutes to fix because the mechanic thinks its a transmission problem" hopefully something is resolved before this car wrecks itself.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #2

Jul 222014

Spectra

  • 57,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Kia Spectra. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle shut off and the vehicle slowed down to 10 mph without warning. The vehicle restarted independently and began to function normally. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing nor was the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 57,000.

- Moncks Corner , SC, USA

problem #1

Feb 232013

Spectra

  • 78,000 miles
I was visiting my fiance in Utah when a tan car hit my driver's side front end. We both were put into a spin and he hit me a secondary time. My car has since been totaled out and labeled as beyond salvage. The entire front end is missing and there is sever engine damage. The auto body shop and my insurance company said I needed to contact Kia and let them know about the airbag failure to deploy. Kia said my car is built to collapse a certain amount before airbags will deploy. They also said since I was put into a spin my car did not decelerate fast enough to trigger the airbags, but since I had decelerated while spinning that's what prevented them from deploying upon the second impact. They only investigated my car via photographs and my verbal statement to them. They also told me this was not a problem in my car, but according to this website there are multiple airbag deployment failures with my make and model car. I asked Kia if they would put what they had concluded in writing and at first they said yes but now they are saying it will take a while. I am concerned.

- North Port, FL, USA

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