Faults:

CV axle, I am a/was a teenager, so doing burnouts killed them.

Pull piece for hatch broke, but still opens.

Dash is coming apart like in my Sephia and Sportage.

Ate through brakes and tires.

General Comments:

This car is a lot sportier than my BMW. Not to mention a lot more reliable, and I had the most reliable one; a 1990 535i 5 speed. It also has a lot of room for a sub compact car. I love how this car looks and drives. The A/C works great in Ga weather.

What other car can you find with low miles on it used, besides really rare old classic cars.

It also looks great with seventeens and tinted windows.

The only thing I really have a problem with Kia is the horrible dashboard glue that they used. But they have improved it, because my sister's Optima has not one deformity on it.

The car has never let me down, no matter what. My check engine light came only only once, but it was my fault. I lost my gas cap and bought one from Advance, but it was the wrong kind. Then I blew a front speaker, but I was getting better ones anyway.

Other than that, I have had no other problems with it.

Faults:

Cracked tail pipe.

Replaced driver-side rear door molding.

Replaced front doors window molding.

Rebuilt clutch.

Replaced driver-side front tie rod.

Driver side seat has worn through the upholstery in one spot.

Dashboard below windshield is beginning to pull away due to heat.

Lost cylinder one spark plug at 84000 miles.

General Comments:

In general this car has been very reliable, very economical and all around a good choice for my family. We have had a mixture of mechanical and cosmetic defects, but it has served well. We are considering replacing this vehicle with another KIA, the Sedona, as our family has grown, but would own another Spectra if it were feasible.

We have been extremely satisfied with this vehicle as it has served us quite well.

Faults:

Electrical short (fixed under warranty).

Exhaust leak at 30,000 miles (fixed under warranty).

Doors won't close properly in very cold weather - greasing the latch mechanism fixes the problem.

Hatchback interior release lever broke.

Struts replaced at 70,000 miles - not covered by warranty and cost $800 to replace.

Factory stereo went out at 74,000 miles.

General Comments:

We bought this car new because we wanted an inexpensive car that was versatile and good on gas. The car has delivered - 32mpg and we have hauled just about everything in it, including a tree, a full-sized treadmill, paving stones (I think that contributed to the struts going bad), and 4 adult males that averaged 290lbs each. The hatchback make this car as useful as a station wagon, but better looking.

The Spectra is also fun to drive. Decent acceleration with the manual tranny, although the air conditioning saps a lot of power. Handling is terrific, if you invest in decent tires (Lotus tuned suspension). Car tends to hunker down at high speeds.

The car is comfortable enough on long drives - seats are adequate. However road and engine noise become wearisome after extended travel.

Interior components look and feel cheap at times, but overall have lasted okay.

We have been very pleased with this car and are handing it down to our 16 year old daughter who has loved the car for 5 years already.

Faults:

Transmission repair -- twice, right after I bought it. I bought it used from a jeep dealer who didn't check the transmission before selling it; they didn't even know that the fluid in not checkable by user. I almost ruined the car before I found that out!

Door handle and lighter plug.

Remote hatchback latch broke off.

Rear defogger doesn't seem to work all over.

Armrest and its compartment it poorly designed.

General Comments:

I bought this because it was the cheapest non-junker car I could find on which an extended warranty was available. Also, I have a friend who's gotten about 90K on a 98 Sephia, which is very similar.

I'm not crazy about it, but it'll do. There's nothing really wrong with it. I'll probably keep it 'til it's ready for the junkyard, like most of my previous cars.