2005 KIA SPECTRA Steering Problems

BAD SHAKING IN STEERING WHEEL AND SOUNDS COMING FROM FRONT END. ONLY WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY

Mileage: 160,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND THE BRAKES SEIZED. THE CONTACT HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE'S DIRECTION AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN BACK TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED ONE STEERING RECALL FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V183000 (STEERING) AND ONE TSB FOR THE AIR BAGS, BUT THERE WERE NO BRAKE OR AIR BAG RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SPECTRA. WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO PULL TO THE LEFT. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,900.

Mileage: 49,900

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SPECTRA. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A POPPING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE MANUFACTURER TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. SHE EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE TIE ROD SNAPPED. TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLUNKING SOUND EVERY TIME SHE MADE A TURN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 90,200.

Mileage: 90,200

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SPECTRA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT FELT THE VEHICLE PULLING DRASTICALLY TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TIE RODS WERE FAULTY AND THE TIRES WOULD NOT WEAR. SHE STATED THAT THE TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED EVERY 3,000 MILES FOR THE LAST 46,000 MILES ON HER VEHICLE. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2005 KIA SPECTRA, WHICH WAS IDENTICAL TO THE FAILURE SHE WAS EXPERIENCING. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V183000 (STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY). THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT EVERY 20,000 MILES THE TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE TIRE LIFE STATES THAT THIS SHOULD OCCUR EVERY 60,000 MILES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 46,250.

Mileage: 24,000

WHILE DRIVING A WINDY MOUNTAIN ROAD OUR 2005 KIA SPECTRA STEERING LOCKED UP AS IF THE CAR WAS IN PARK. A KIA SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN VICTORVILLE WAS UNABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG AND THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO US. A FEW MONTHS LATER THE SAME EVENT HAPPENED AND THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION WHEN THE CAR WAS IN PARK. THE CAR WAS UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY HOWEVER, THE SERVICE CENTER CLAIMED AN ADJUSTMENT WAS NEEDED WHICH WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND WE PAID $240 TO HAVE THE ADJUSTMENT MADE. YESTERDAY, THE STEERING LOCKED UP AGAIN A WINDY MOUNTAIN ROAD NEARLY SENDING US OVER THE EDGE OF A CLIFF. PER THE KIA DEALER, VEHICLES THAT WERE MANUFACTURED ONE MONTH AFTER OUR VEHICLE'S PRODUCTION DATE HAD A RECALL FOR THE SAME STEERING PROBLEMS BUT THAT THE RECALL DOES NOT APPLY TO OUR VEHICLE ONLY THOSE MANUFACTURED 30 DAYS AFTER THE MANUFACTURE DATE OF THIS PARTICULAR CAR. *TR

Mileage: 45,000

VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN 70 MILES BEFORE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM FAILED, 1400 MILES BEFORE I DETERMINED THE STALLING PROBLEM WAS NOT OPERATOR ERROR, AND ABOUT 90 DAYS BEFORE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND FINDING A SHAKE IN THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE SELLING DEALER 20 TIMES WITH THE AIRBAG PROBLEM AND STEERING SHAKE UN-REPAIRED. SC0055 ON THE AIRBAG ISSUE, REPROGRAMMING THE SENSOR(S) AND REPLACING THE SEAT BOTTOM HAS NOT ELIMINATED THE PROBLEM OR FAILURES. 7 NEW TIRES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AND BALANCED, TO INCLUDE ROAD-FORCE BALANCING 3 TIMES WITHOUT CORRECTING THE SHAKE IN THE STEERING. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TEST DRIVEN HUNDREDS OF MILES AT THE DEALERS REQUEST. *JB

Mileage: 314

I PURCHASED MY KIA SPECTRA ON 8/26/05 AND BY THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER THERE WAS A GRINDING, RUBBING NOISE THAT COULD BE HEARD IN THE STEERING, ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING. THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. SHORTLY AFTER THIS NOISE STARTED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED COMING ON. I HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME TRYING TO GET THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT, JEFFREY KIA IN ROSEVILLE, MICHIGAN. INITIALLY FOR THE FIRST WEEK TO WEEK AND A HALF THEY WOULD NOT RESPOND TO EMAILS OR PHONE MESSAGES. WHEN I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE IN THE SERVICE DESK PERSON CLAIMED THE SERVICE TECHS HAD A DIFFICULT TIME DETERMINING WHERE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS HEARD SEVERAL OTHERS VERY CLEARLY. FINALLY AFTER KEEPING MY CAR FOR AN ENTIRE DAY THEY DECIDED IT NEEDED A NEW STEERING ASSEMBLY - SUPPOSEDLY JUST BECAUSE A BUSHING WAS BAD. THEY NEVER GAVE ME A STRAIGHT ANSWER AS TO WHY THE ENTIRE STEERING ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED IF ONLY A BUSHING WAS BAD. THEY ALSO DETERMINED THE 02 SENSOR WAS FAULTY. THERE IS A RECALL ON MY MAKE VEHICLE BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE MY VEHICLE AS IT WAS ASSEMBLED AFTER THE RECALL PERIOD. I STRONGLY SUSPECT THEY KNOW MY VEHICLE IS SUBJECT TO THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT IS WHY THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE STEERING ASSEMBLY. HOWEVER, 2 DAYS AFTER PICKING UP MY VEHICLE I AM AGAIN HEARING THE SAME GRINDING NOISE WHILE DRIVING AND ESPECIALLY DURING TIGHT TURNS. I HAVE CONTACTED THE PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF JEFFREY KIA AND THEY REFUSE TO RETURN MY CALLS. I AM ATTEMPTING TO GO TO ANOTHER DEALER. *NM

Mileage: 1,000

DT: CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, AND WHEN SHE TRIED TO STEER THE CAR TO THE RIGHT IT CONTINUED TO GO TO THE LEFT. APPROXIMATELY FOUR HOURS PRIOR TO THIS THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE WITH VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CAR WENT IN TO A GUARD RAIL ON SOUTHBOUND 14 FREEWAY IN PALMDALE, CA. SHE NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER. A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. ONLY THE PASSENGER CARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE REMAINED. . WHEN THE CAR HIT THE GUARD RAIL, IT WAS THROWN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, THEN HIT THE OTHER GUARD RAIL. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION AND BRUISES. THERE WAS ALSO A POLICE REPORT.*AK

Mileage: 1,700

WE BOUGHT A KIA SPECTRA 5 ON 06/18/2005, A 2005 MODEL. ON 06/19/05 THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT (WE WERE THE FIRST OWNERS, LESS THAN 100 MILES) OUR KIA DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE CAR AFTER TWO WEEKS OF TRYING TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM, ON 07/27/05, MY HUSBAND STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND TURNED RIGHT, THE CAR WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE TURN (HUSBAND SAID NOTHING ON THE CAR WOULD WORK, STEERING FROZE AND BRAKES FAILED) HE THEN RAN UP ON A CURVE CAR SUSTAINED OVER 2800.00 DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE TO UNDERCARRIAGE, WHEELS, DRIVE SHAFT ETC. HUSBAND SUFFERED BRUISES AND CONCUSSION ( I AM AN RN HE DID NOT SEE PHYSICIAN) REPORTED TO INSURANCE CO, INSURANCE APPRAISER ALSO AWARE OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND DEALER NOTIFIED, NOTHING WAS DONE. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.

Mileage: 1,651