2003 Kia Spectra LX from North America

Summary:

Great buy

Faults:

Nothing to report at this time.

General Comments:

I am impressed with the quality, performance, speed and handling. The look is luxury.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 31st October, 2003

2003 Kia Spectra LS 1.8L DOHC from North America

Summary:

Do your research before purchasing this car!

Faults:

The first day that I got the car, the passenger side seatbelt broke and would no longer retract.

Air conditioner is causing the car to idle up and down very wildly with a loud squeal coming from the air conditioner pulley.

With no aftermarket items added to the car to contribute to any outside issues, the car has stalled out several times.

Gas tank has been replaced for leakage at only 6800 miles.

Car only gets about 225 miles to the tank of gas.

General Comments:

I don't want to say that this car is a complete lemon, but I would say that it has some serious defects for a car only 6 months driven.

The price of the car is a tad cheaper than most models in it's class.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 20th July, 2003

2003 Kia Spectra GSX 1.8 from North America

Summary:

Good car if it would just start 100% of the time

Faults:

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.

General Comments:

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 Kia 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.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 14th July, 2003

16th Mar 2004, 18:15

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>

12th May 2004, 13:39

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.