2008 KIA SPECTRA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 KIA SPECTRA. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS SMOKE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT VEERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. A FIRE AND A POLICE REPORT WERE FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,500. ACCORDING TO THE LETTER FROM THE CONSUMER'S LAWYER, THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED BY AN ELECTRICAL FIRE ARISING UNDER THE DASHBOARD, APPARENTLY FROM THE BLOWER/VENTILATION SYSTEM. UPDATED 09/14/15. *JB MA 10/5 STATUS UPDATED 11/19/15.*JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER DENIED ANY LIABILITY. THEY BLAMED THE FIRE ON A PAST INCIDENT, WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS FILLED WITH TOO MUCH OIL. UPDATED 04/25/16.*JB *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPECTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, A SECOND VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. DURING THE CRASH, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, BUT THE DRIVER SUFFERED FIRST DEGREE BURNS ON BOTH ARMS AND RIGHT HAND FROM CHEMICALS USED IN THE AIR BAGS. THE FRONT PASSENGER ALSO SUFFERED AN INJURED RIGHT HAND AND SHOULDER FROM THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS RECEIVED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

I WAS PROCEEDING STRAIGHT THROUGH A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN A PASSENGER TRUCK TURNED ILLEGALLY IN FRONT OF ME FROM THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY AS WOULD THINK IT SHOULD AT THAT SPEED. FORTUNATELY, MY SEAT BELT PREVENTED ME FROM GETTING A MORE SERIOUS INJURY. I DID RECEIVE A SEVERE BRUISE THAT TOOK MONTHS TO DISAPPEAR AND AGGRAVATED AN EXISTING BACK CONDITION. PERHAPS IT IS JUST AS WELL OR BETTER THAT THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY SINCE THE AIRBAG MAY HAVE GIVEN ME A MORE SERIOUS INJURY. FORTUNATELY, I HAD NO PASSENGER AND THE OTHER PERSON IN THE TRUCK DID NOT GET HURT. MY CAR WAS TOTALED. I AM THANKFUL TO GOD THAT I AM ALIVE TODAY....UPDATED 12/10/15 *BF

THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND THE DEALER SAIID IF WOULD COST A $100 TO TELL YOU WHAT WAS WRONG.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 KIA SPECTRA. WHILE AT A STOP, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR BRUISES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR, MARCH 2013 AND THE CAR DIED WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY. I WAS AT A RED LIGHT IN MAY 2014 AND THE CAR DIED AT THE STOP LIGHT. FOR THOSE TWO INCIDENTS THE KIA DEALERSHIP INDICATED AN ISSUE WITH THE CHARCOAL CANISTER. NOW, I HAVE A THIRD INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED APRIL 25, 2015, I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES PER HOUR AND THE WHEELS LOCKED UP AND THE CAR DIED WHILE DRIVING ON A MAIN STREET. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR 3 BUSINESS DAYS AND THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE CAR IS STOPPING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME. THESE INCIDENTS COULD HAVE HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATALITY. THE KIA DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN DILIGENTLY TRYING TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE HOWEVER; THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE. I AM SHARING THIS INFORMATION JUST IN CASE OTHER DRIVERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE. *TR

THE AIRBAG SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT APPEARS TO BE FAILING, SIMILAR TO OTHER KIA MODELS. THE LIGHT INDICATING THE AIRBAG IS OFF IS ILLUMINATED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OCCUPIED BY AN ADULT. *TR

THE SENSOR LIGHT TURNED ON AND DISABLED AIRBAGS. WE TOOK IT TO THE ALL STAR KIA IN BATON ROUGE OFF OF SIEGEN LANE. THEY TOLD US IT WOULD BE 1549. TO FIX IT. I CONTACTED CORPORATE OFFICE SPOKE TO [XXX] , HE TOLD ME HE WOULD SEND THE CASE TO REGIONAL OFFICE SINCE I WANTED THEM TO PAY FOR IT. THREE DAYS LATER [XXX] CALLED ME AND SAID THEY WOULD PAY FOR HALF OF THE COST, WE DECLINED HE SAID HE WOULD THEN SEND IT TO THE REGIONAL OFFICE. I REMINDED HIM HE HAD SAID THAT THREE DAYS AGO. FINALLY I REACH A [XXX] IN REGIONAL WHO WAS NOT VERY PLEASANT AND SHE SAID IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, SO THEY COULD NOT PAY FOR IT. I TOLD HER I WOULD NOT LET THIS GO. TODAY 4-13-15 SHE CALLED AND LEFT A MESSAGE ON MY PHONE SAYING THAT THE DEALER WOULD PAY HALF OF THE COST AND THAT I HAD 30 DAYS TO ACCEPT. I FEEL LIKE THIS SHOULD OF BEEN A RECALL SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY CONSUMERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM SAME MODEL CAR. THEY RECALLED 146,000 THOUSAND OTHER CARS DIFFERENT MODELS AND YEARS FOR THE SAME THING. JUST WANT THEM TO BE HONEST AND DO THE RIGHT THING. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I HAVE A 2008 KIA SPECTRA. AT 140,000 MILES THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND HAS BEEN ON SINCE, I AM NOW AT 158,000. I HAVE READ WHERE THE SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, HOWEVER I DO NOT HAVE THE MEANS TO DO SO. . .UPDATED 07/21/15 *BF UPDATED 9/23/2015 *JS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, A KNOCKING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WINDOW FAILED TO ROLL DOWN. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000. UPDATED 4/15/15*CN UPDATED 9/28/2017*CN