Comments: 1-15, 16-18
Car shuts off while driving without warning.
Car stalled several times when put in reverse.
Flutters for no apparent reason.
Came with weather strip defect in all four doors.
Came with window handle defect.
My 2001 KIA Spectra has given me headache after headache. It has only been 1 year and 5 months since the day I purchased it.
I regret that I decided to purchase my first car from a KIA Dealership. These last seven moths have been horror for me.
I am now in process of getting relief from the NJ Lemon Law.
My car is an accident waiting to happen.
I have a 2001 KIA Spectra and I am having the same problems.
My car for the past 3 months has been cutting off on me whenever I am driving with no warning and it will rev up to 3,000 RPM while in park or neutral.
The 2001 Kia Spectra is a great car! I have to disagree with above comments. This is the first car I have bought on my own and it has been nothing, but great for me. I own a manual and I think of it as my little sports car. I have had no problems thus far with it and I am at 39,000 miles. I make very long road trips occasionally (400 plus miles) and the car handles great on these trips. I feel safe in it and everything is holding up very well in the car. I would recommend this car to any one, in fact I have! And friends have purchased Kia's as well!
I have a 2001 Kia Spectra with all the above defects, I'm the second owner and in NJ myself, now the transmission is become faulty and will move in 1st gear, 2nd gear sounds bad and reverse sticks in place before going in reverse. I have 2000 miles still left on warranty and hope they will fix it all. Otherwise I got a lemon : (
It seems to handle well though when it did work.
That is amazing these cars have transmission problems so early on in life. I myself drive a Honda Accord, now at 166k miles and the Transmission is as new. I will warn people not to purchase your make of Vehicle.
March 20,2004 I purchased a Kia Spectra and the car runs like a champ. It's a whole lot better than my last car which was a hunday eluntra. the kia I have is a 2001. I couldnt ask for a better car. I drive on the interstate on a every day basis. so I feel this car is a perfert match for me and the road. I now can keep up with the traffic. Before I was left in the dust to dry. I give this car A+. and a thumbs up. To the people complaining about your Kia. Maybe you didn't change the oil on time, or maybe you are hard on your cars you drive. If you love your car your car will love you back.
I just bought a 2001 KIA Spectra. My first car. It is an awesome car and I would recommend it to anyone. I bought it used and I love that car it is small, but enough room to fit a lot of people. It has an awesome trunk. It steers and rides great. You just have to know your car if you treat it good it will do the same to you. It is a Great car!
I hate my 2004 Kia Spectra! Sure, it's new and looks nice and everyone thinks I've got this great car, but believe me it sucks. From the moment I bought it I've had problems. The locks will lock/unlock rapidly on their own! Many times the alarm will go off when I start the car even though I unlocked it electronically (it should know it's me, right??). The alarm will also go off if my passenger gets in before I do. I have to relock it with the electronic keyring as if no one had gone near the car, then restart it. Sometimes this "clears the memory" and everything's fine. But somtimes the alarm will keep going off everytime I start it! My passengers and I have to get out, close all the doors, lock the car and start fresh... and hope it works! I truly regret getting this car, and I have six years to pay on it!!! The rpm's go wild many times when I'm trying to go from first to second, etc. Sometimes it refuses to get out of overdrive, even if I let off the gas for a long time. As soon as I press the gas the rpm's hit the roof. I almost get killed everyday on the freeway. I cannot pull out onto a 3-lane service road if I've stopped for gas. If anyone's in the 1st or 2nd lane I'll never make it to the 3rd lane in time: no power at all! I hate my car!
Wow, obviously some people here don't know how to operate a vehicle, I've had a 2001 Spectra GS since it was new with 8 miles on the odometer. It is now August of 2004 and the car has 85000 almost trouble-free miles on it. What's gone wrong with it you may ask? Door-seals were defective, which was taken care of through the dealership, and a seat-belt fastener button broke. That's it in 85,000 miles. Of course, I have had the timing belt replaced, but that was part of the maintenance, and the cars exhaust is beginning to grow louder, eventually needing replacement. But, all in all, it isn't bad, especially for a car that I can get 30 mpg in the city with and up to 42 mpg on the highway. It's sad that a few people can talk smack about a car and ruin the reputation of a good car company. BTW, I've owned several cars before this, we purchased this car for the warranty, and have seldom used it.
I bought a 2001 Kia Spectra GS for mother because she needed a new car, her old Nissan was starting to die. She drives very little (probably less than 3,000 a year) but the car seems to be holding up pretty good. It's never died or failed to start, even in the cold New York Winter. It handles well, has a lot of cargo space and all the controls are simple and easy to understand (important since my mother is in her sixties). The only thing that I notice is that the car's body appears to be more easily dented than most of the cars that I have owned in the past. I've noticed quite a few dings in the doors from other cars in parking lots that have struck it with their doors. Other than that, the car runs like a champ and has been trouble free.
I own a 2003 kia spectra. it is a great car if you like rentals. the car is great on gas and the radio is great now that I removed the door panels and insulated the speakers and panels. what has gone wrong? clutch bearing went bad, power steering and rack and pinion replaced due to leaks. I found if you MAINTAIN your car the way the manual tells you too, the car will have no problems. also the door seal defect is a lie. if you lube the weather stripping the problems won't happen. use silicone spray its cheap and works well. my 03 spectra has 62000 miles. be sure to replace all belts at 60k!!!
I own a 2001 Spectra gsx with only 39000 miles on it. I too was in love with my great lil' car until... the first battery died, then another, then another. The dealer proclaims that batteries "Just dye sometimes" another problem was the back hatch which doesn't properly release. The spark plugs apparently need to be replaced every 5000 miles and the large hole in the emissions system (you know the loud noise under the car) is really air in the gas tank because I didn't screw the gas cap on right(According to the dealer). The engine light is rarely off for more than a day. The power is rapidly depleting and my gas MPG is rising. The very reasons that I bought this little beauty (Cost, MPG, Warranty) have proven disappointing. I will never buy a Kia again!!! But not to worry I am so upside-down in my car payments, I won't be able to for a long time. I took very good care of my car and it wiped me out financially
My 2001 Kia Spectra GS is horrible. It has 61,000 miles on it and has been throughout three transmissions, the reverse went out, and several other problems with this car. I am the second owner however, the car originated in MA and I am in Florida myself. I think if you choose to purchase this car, you will use the full 100,000 mile warranty.
I wish all the idiots who write "If you love your car it will love you back." would realise that it is just a manufactured item, a machine, and no amount of careful driving or correct maintenance could prevent all of the reported failures.
You are insulting the intelligence of the owners.
Read all the other reviews and compare to other cars. There's a lot of dissatisfied owners out there.
I have a 2001 KIA Spectra and just like others it was very good the first 24,000 miles. Since then, it's been down hill. My Check Engine Light is on so much, I don't know when to take it seriously (even though I do every time). After 60,000 miles, they charge you $90 just for checking the light to see what wrong and majority of the times it's been the gas cap. I'm at 70,000 and had some financial issues and couldn't afford the 60,000 mile maintenance. My transmission went out two days ago and they will not honor my warranty because I failed to get the 60,000 mile maintenance. No car should be having transmission troubles this early regardless of upkeep. My cousin has an Accord and has never had the dealership do maintenance. She just gets her oil changes and she just got her belts changed at 85,000 miles and her card runs like a champ. I am so disgusted! I just paid the car off and now have to put over $2,000 into it which I definitely can't afford. Why have all this warranty and it goes to waste. I will never buy a KIA again!
I purchased my 2001 kia spectra 4 months ago and have had no problems. I think my car runs very good and take my word for it runs very fast. It runs anywere from 85 to 95 mph in the 1/4 mile stock. So as you can tell I am very satisfied with my car.