There are 10 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2004 Kia Amantiin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The 2004 Kia Amanti will accelerate on it's own. I have been in local traffic and it accelerates and de-accelerate like a run away horse. It will then drive normal. The check engine light comes on sometimes and goes back out. This last time the light came on, I took to an electrical auto repair place. The computer read out said it needed a throttle body. I replaced it as suggested. The 2004 Kia Amanti attempts to accelerate on it's own and stops and drives normal again. The check engine light is on again. I would like to get what is perfect and right for the Kia to perform better and be safe. How do I do that?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA AMANTI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE TURNED OFF AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,045.
ON 6 SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE HAS SLOWED DOWN AND "CHUGGED" OUT OF THROTTLE POWER WHILE INITIALLY DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF ANYWHERE BETWEEN 35 AND 65 MPH. IF THE VEHICLE DOES MANAGE TO KEEP DRIVING, IT DOES SO IN A VERY JERKY WAY, ALMOST LIKE SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE STICK. I'VE FOUND THAT THE ONLY WAY AROUND THIS JERKING IS TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN SPORT-SHIFT MODE IN A LOWER GEAR SO THAT THE RPMS STAY ABOVE 3000. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE IS ENTIRELY UNRESPONSIVE WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED, WHICH (MULTIPLE TIMES) NEARLY PUT ME IN A SEVERE CAR ACCIDENT ON BUSY I-95 IN BOTH FLORIDA AND PHILADELPHIA, PA. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS ONLY EVER REMAINED ON ONCE, GIVING AN ERROR CODE P1614: "ENHANCED TRACTION SYSTEM ENGINE CONTROL MODULE MALFUNCTION." IN THE PAST, TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND BACK ON IMMEDIATELY HAS FIXED THE ISSUE TWICE. OTHER TIMES THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO REMAIN OFF FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE THE PROBLEM WOULD CLEAR UP. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ONLY 2 OF THE 6 TIMES THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED. THE FIRST TIME IT CAME ON, IT DID NOT REMAIN ON ALTHOUGH THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. CURRENTLY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN RUNNING SMOOTHLY SINCE THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE OF THIS ISSUE WHICH HAPPENED ON JANUARY 8, 2015. I DO BELIEVE THE PROBLEM MAY BE LINKED TO THE FUEL INJECTORS. I FIND THAT ADDING FUEL SYSTEM CLEANER TO A FULL TANK OF GAS EVERY OTHER WEEK HELPS ME AVOID HAVING THIS PROBLEM. *TR
WHILE, BACKING OUT OF GARAGE THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. KIA ROAD TESTED THE CAR AND COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST PERFORMED BY J.B.A. KIA OF ELLICOTT CITY, MD FOUND NOTHING WRONG. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE CAR HAS HAD A SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION INCIDENT. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO NHTSA IN JANUARY 2010, CONFIRMATION (ODI NUMBER) FOR THAT REPORT IS 10375033. KIA REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR ON 1/18/2011. *TR
SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *TR
2004 KIA AMANTI - ON COLD STARTUP THE ENGINE SOMETIMES REVS AGGRESSIVELY WHEN PULLED INTO GEAR, CAUSING THE CAR TO LURCH FORWARD OR BACK IF THE BRAKE IS NOT FIRMLY APPLIED. IT IS A DANGEROUS SCENARIO. I'VE ASKED KIA TO LOOK AT THE PROBLEM AND THEY'VE SAID THEY CANNOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE AND HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF IT. *TR
AFTER PULLING THE CAR FORWARD OUT OF THE GARAGE IN THE MORNING AND WHILE STOPPED TO WAIT FOR THE GARAGE DOOR TO CLOSE (BRAKE APPLIED, IN GEAR), THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTS TO BURST-LURCH FORWARD (NOT TOUCHING GAS PEDAL). THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN YEAR-ROUND. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT RE-PRODUCE THE PROBLEM, BUT ALSO HASN'T KEPT THE VEHICLE OVERNIGHT FOR A COLD-START. HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF NEAR-COLLISIONS AT THE END OF MY DRIVEWAY. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA AMANTI. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PURCHASE DATE AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 27,000.
I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2004 KIA AMANTI. AS I APPROACHED 30,000 MILES THE ENGINE WOULD PERIODICALLY LOSE POWER WHILE IN OPERATION, THEN RESTORE SECONDS LATER. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO MY DEALER. I WS TOLD THEY WOULD RESET THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM, AND THAT WOULD RESOLVE THE ISSUE. SINCE THEN THE ISSUE HAS SURFACED (3) TIMES. TWO OF THE THREE TIMES ALMOST LEAD TO A SERIOUS CRASH. DURING THESE PRECIOUS FEW SECONDS (3-5) THERE WAS ABSOLUTLEY NO ENGINE POWER AVAILABLE. I NOTICE IT IT SEEMED TO OCCUR WHEN REMOVING THE FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL, THEN REAPPLYING IT TO GAIN POWER. AT THIS POINT THE ENGINE JUST DROPPED OFF. IT WILL RESTORE AND RACE TO HIGH RPM SECONDS LATER. IT HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE I WAS AFRAID OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE. IT WAS A CRAP SHOOT EVERYTIME YOU NEEDED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ACROSS ON COMING TRAFFIC WHETHER OR NOT MY CAR WILL LOSE POWER. IT WAS NOT A STALL, NEEDED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTERWARDS. THE VEHICLE RECOVERED ON ITS OWN.*AK
DEAR SIR: I AM THE OWNER OF A 2004 KIA AMANTI. THERE ARE 43,542 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE VEHICLE ENGINE RUNS FINE AND THEN WILL SUDDENLY GO INTO LUGGING AND MISFIRING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS CAUSING DOWN SHIFTING. WHEN I TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND LEAVE IT TO SET OVERNIGHT OR FOR MORE THAN EIGHT HOURS AT WORK, THE ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON BUT THE ENGINE RUNS FINE ONCE STARTED AGAIN. AFTER A FEW MORE STARTS THE ENGINE LIGHT GOES OFF. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM OF THE SYMPTOMS. THEY RAN TESTS AND SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. THEY SAID BRING IT BACK WHEN IT DOES IT AGAIN. FINE, SO IT GOES INTO THE MISFIRING ON A WEEKEND AT NIGHT TRAVELING THE INTERSTATE. NO CHANCE TO JUST LEAVE THE ENGINE RUNNING FOR A DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. NOW IT RUNS FINE AGAIN UNTIL ANOTHER INCONVENIENT SITUATION. PROBLEMATICALLY, THE ENGINE BEHAVIOR CREATES A DRIVING HAZARD AT HIGH AND LOW SPEEDS AND COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED BY KIA, NOT BY ITS IGNORANT OR ILL TRAINED DEALER MECHANICS. ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROBLEM? IS IT THE COMPUTER MODULE THAT MAY HAVE A SHORT OR CRACK IN THE HOUSING? MISFIRING IS A TIMING ISSUE AND MOST SURELY GOES TO THE FIRING ORDER AND TIMING CONTROLLED BY THE ADVANCE MECHANISM AND THE MODULE. OR IS IT THE THROTTLE SYSTEM? OR EGR VALVE OR SOLENOIDS? DO AMERICANS NEED TO DIE BEFORE KIA COMES UP WITH AN ANSWER? I NEED TO GET THIS FIXED BEFORE MY WIFE WHO PANICS MAY HAVE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026