There are 6 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2005 Kia Amantiin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CAR. HOWEVER, I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT MOST OF THE TIME DO TO INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH ACCELERATION. AT TIMES, WHEN I STEP DOWN ON THE GAS NOTHING HAPPENS, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR TAKES OFF LIKE A RABBIT. ON A TRIP TO SOUTH DAKOTA, AFTER USING THE BLINKER TO CHANGE LANES, THE BLINKERS WENT CRAZY, BOTH ON AT THE SAME TIME, THEN FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER, I COULDN'T GET THEM TO STOP AND THE ESC LIGHT WAS FLASHING. I PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND ALL WAS GOOD ,FOR A FEW MORE MILES ANYWAY. I HAD TO DO THIS SEVERAL TIMES ON MY WAY HOME. THIS WAS SCARY AS I WAS 1500 MILES FROM HOME. HAVEN'T HAD THAT ISSUE SINCE AND THAT WAS 4 MONTHS AGO (NO ENGINE LIGHT FOR CODES AT THIS POINT). NOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR IS RUNNING LIKE CRAP. ENGINE LIGHT FINALLY CAME ON AND THE CODE IS STATING MISFIRE IN #3 SPARK PLUG. THE CAR IS RUNNING VERY POORLY, UNDRIVEABLE. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT ISSUES WITH THIS CAR SINCE I BOUGHT IT A YEAR AGO. I HAVE READ CHANGING THE THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR AND UPDATING THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE MAY BE WHAT'S WRONG. HOWEVER, TRYING TO CONVINCE KIA TO DO THIS IS ANOTHER BALL GAME. THERE IS ALSO A HIGH PRIORITY RECALL ON THE STOP LAMP SWITCH, RECALL #SC077. ALSO SEE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #KT2007030801. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ACCELERATION ISSUE, SOME INVOLVING ACCIDENTS. WHY WONT KIA ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AND OFFER A RECALL ON THE TPS AND A REFLASH ON THE COMPUTER??? ALL WE GET IS THE RUN-A-ROUND AND THE SHOP NOT HEARING OF SUCH A THING. REALLY???? COME ON!!!!! *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA AMANTI. GASOLINE BEGAN TO SPILL OUT FROM THE FUEL LINES LOCATED NEAR THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE WHILE THE CONTACT WAS REFUELING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER FUEL WAS ADDED TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE IN-TANK VALVE WAS STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION, ALLOWING FUEL TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. APPROXIMATELY 18 MONTHS LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN BACK TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,094 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,000.
ENGINE SURGE/STALL IN THE 2005 KIA AMANTI. I HAD IT REPAIRED (OR SO THEY SAID) LAST JUNE, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. SINCE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON THEY SAY THEY CAN NOT FIND OR FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR
CAR JERKS UNCONTROLLABLY WHEN PROCEEDING FROM ANY STOPPED POSITION.. THE CAR JERKS CAUSING GREAT POTENTIAL FOR A FATAL ACCIDENT. IT ONLY HAPPENS ON HOTTER DAYS.. RIDICULOUS KIA DEALERSHIP IN THORNTON, CO WANTS ME TO ONLY FILL THE TANK UP HALF WAY TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM, THIS CAR IS UNDER FULL WARRANTY & WAS ONLY 3 MONTHS OF USE BEFORE FIRST REPORTED PROBLEM. THEY CALL IT "VAPOR LOCK" WHICH SOUNDS RIDICULOUS.. IT ISN'T VAPOR LOCK. *TR
ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS SINCE I BOUGHT CAR IN 2006 ,THE CAR SUDDENLY SLOWS TO 10-15 MPH, YOU GET NO RESPONSE FROM THE GAS PEDAL, THEN SUDDENLY LURCHES FORWARD AT FULL THROTTLE. EVERY AMANTI OWNER I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HAS THIS ISSUE! A DRIVER COULD BE EASILY INVOLVED IN A FATAL INCIDENT WITH THIS ISSUE. THIS ALSO OCCURS UPON STARTUP WHEN PARKED. IF THERE IS A CAR IN FRONT OF YOU IN A PARKING LOT, YOU WOULD HIT IT. ONE OWNER SAID HE HAD THE CONTROL MODULE "FLASHED" AND IT SOLVED HIS PROBLEM. COULD WE PLEASE GET SOME ACTION ON THIS? KIA IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. I TELL THE SERVICE ADVISOR ABOUT IT EVERY TIME I'M AT THE DEALER. I WILL FILE A GIANT LAWSUIT IF I'M INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND SURVIVE. I'M IN ON A CLASS ACTION SUIT IF ANYONE HAS ONE GOING. *TR
ON WINDOW STICKER STATES CAR SHOULD AVERAGE 17 MILES PER GALLON CITY, AND 25 MILES PER GALLON ON HIGHWAY. OVER A NINE MONTH TEST WHICH I KEPT A RECORD OF DATE, TOTAL MILES ON CAR, MILES DRIVEN, TOTAL GAS TO REFILL TANK, AND MILES PER GALLON THE BEST MILEAGE WE GOT WAS 14.51 CITY. THE BEST OVERALL MILEAGE WAS 17.55 MILES AND THAT WAS A TRIP TO THE COAST. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND HE CLAIMS THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE. THIS IS MY WIFE'S CAR AND WE DO NOT DRIVE IT THAT MUCH BECAUSE OF THE PRICE OF GAS. WE WERE MISLED BY THE WINDOW STICKER AND WE FEEL THAT THE NHTSA SHOULD MAKE THE MANUFACTURER STATE THE CORRECT FINDINGS ON MILEAGE FOR THIS CAR. I AM CAUGHT BETWEEN A HARD PLACE AND A ROCK FOR MY WIFE LIKES THE CAR AND I FEEL IT IS A PIECE OF CRAP. *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