2003 Kia Spectra GSX from North America - Comments

After driving the car off the dealer's lot, I have had problems with starting the car almost every day. It tends to hesitate before finally turning over. Sometimes the car will stay started - other times, the car will stall. When I start the car a 2nd time, it starts like a car is suppose to nromally start. I returned to the dealership 5 days after picking up the car and showed the salesperson how the car was starting. The salesperson vertified there was a problem (the car hesitated every time they tried to start the car), but that it would be fixed and covered under the warranty. I have brought the car back to the dealership twice and both times the car has started properly everytime it has been started. The salesperson who sold me the car is no longer working at the dealership. I have left the car overnight the 1st time and for 3 nights the 2nd time. I would also stop in at various times during the days to have the service manager and myself start the car. Each time, the car started perfectly. I just picked the car up on July 11 and on that evening it didn't start properly the 3 times I started it. The following day, the car hesitated miserably, but would eventually start. The next day, the car started all 4 times without a problem. Today, the car hesitated for a long time, tried to start and then stalled.

Warranty is only good if "things" break. Because I can't recreate the problem with starting my car, the dealership won't replace any parts because Kai won't reimburse them for the repair when the part doesn't fail for them. This is not right. The car didn't work from the beginning. They should replace the part. I proved that there was a problem 5 days after taking ownership of the car. Just because I couldn't get my car in the shop for another week is no reason to now not repair my car.

I owned a 2001 Kia spectra 1.8l had similar problems with it. By the time the car had 12,000 miles the dealer ship had changed the battery 4 times and replaced the alt.3 times. The car just would not turn over it had a short and they couldn't find it, Factory reps had looked at it several times with no answer they would get it to start, say its fixed we would take it home and the next morning it was dead. Kia would not deem it a lemon so we traded it in on a jeep. The dealership went above and beyond, but Kia didn't care. I wouldn't own a kia if it was free I would sell it>

To continue my story, I eventually left my car for a week with permission for a technician to drive my car until the problem was recreated. 5 days later, they called and confirmed that the fuel pump was defective. Since then, I haven't had any problems.