There are 4 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2005 Kia Spectrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
IN JANUARY 2016 THIS CAR WENT INTO A SUDDEN INVOLUNTARY ACCELERATION. FIRST TIME IN EXTREMELY COLD AND ICY WEATHER. TOOK TWO FEET ON BRAKE AND IT STILL MOVED INTO THE INTERSECTION BEFORE ENGINE SLOWED DOWN. SECOND AND THIRD TIMES, IN PARKING LOTS IN WARMER CONDITIONS, IT DID THE SAME SUDDEN ACCELERATION WITH FOOT ON BRAKE. PUTTING IT IN NEUTRAL CAUSED EXTREMELY LOUD ROAR BEFORE IT SUDDENLY STOPPED. THESE ALL OCCURRED WHEN GOING FROM GAS PEDAL TO THE BRAKE. THESE WERE TERRIFYING. AND KIA DEALERSHIP MECHANICS SAY THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. SAID IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXTRA HEAVY BOOTS ON MY FEET OR MAYBE THE FLOOR MAT WEDGED UNDER PEDAL. THIS IS KIA LACK-OF-RESPONSIBILITY BULLSHIT!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SPECTRA. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, AN ABNORMAL NOISE EMITTED FROM THE REAR DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V256000 (FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 149,909.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 70 MPH WHEN THE FUEL TANK STRAPS BECAME FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE STRAPS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V256000 (FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 231,000.
PULLING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY TO CENTER LANE AND THEN MERGING WITH TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. RPMS WOULD FLARE, BUT CAR HAD NO POWER AS IF ENGINE WAS NOT GETTING FUEL. THIS WOULD HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHO STATED GAS HAD GOTTEN INTO AN EMISSIONS PART IN THE FUEL TAKE, STATING IT WAS CAUSED FROM OVER FILLING THE TANK. VEHICLE OWNER TOLD DEALER THAT THE TANK HAD NEVER BEEN OVER FILLED OR CAPPED OFF WHILE FUELING THE VEHICLE, SO THE PART MUST BE DEFECTIVE. VEHICLE OWNER STILL HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE CANISTER CLOSE VALVE. DEALER CLAIMED THAT RPM FLARE UP AND LOSS OF POWER WAS CAUSED FROM THE CLUTCH SLIPPING, ALTHOUGH RPM FLARE UP NEVER OCCURRED WHILE DEALER HAD THE VEHICLE. AT 100,000 ESTIMATED MILES, THE SAME FUEL VALVE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN, AND TO DATE, THE FUEL TANK HAS NEVER BEEN OVER FILLED. *TR
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 26, 2026