There are 13 stored owner reports matching the engine leading-label group for the 2003 Kia Spectra in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 13 of 13 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH KIA USA HONORING MY WARRANTY FOR DAMAGE DONE TO MY CAR IN WHICH I AM NOT AT FAULT. THEY HAVE MADE ALLEGATIONS AS TO THE PROBLEMS WHICH ARE UNTRUE FROM MY STAND POINT AND I AM 23 YEAR OLD SINGLE MOTHER WITH NO VEHICLE NOW. I HAVE MADE MANY ATTEMPTS TO HAVE THIS ISSUE RESOLVED AND IT HAS BEEN ALMOST 2 WEEKS AND STILL HAD NO RESOLUTION. *NM
DT: 2003 KIA SPECTRA. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN 2 ACCIDENTS AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DURING THE FIRST ACCIDENTCONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS CUT OFF BY SOMEONE IN FRONT. IN TURN A SUV HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE ON THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE. DURING THE SECOND ACCIDENT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED A CAR IN FRON. THIS WAS A FRONT TO REAR COLLISION AT 25 T-30 MILES MPH. THERE WAS INJURIES IN THE SECOND ACCIDENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. ALSO, THERE THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH OIL CIRCULATION. ITHE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE OIL SENDING UNIT WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *AK
I AM WRITING IN REGARDS TO AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MY 2003 KIA SPECTRA. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME I HAVE DROPPED OFF MY VEHICLE TO THE TALLAHASSEE KIA REPAIR SHOP. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST REPAIR, 5-19-05 I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS RECTIFIED. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE PROBLEM AT THE BEGINNING OF JUNE I WAS TOLD TO HAVE THE FUEL FILTER REPLACED, I HAVE DONE SO BUT THIS HAS NOT RECTIFIED THE PROBLEM. AS OF LATE, PERHAPS DUE TO THE HEAT, THE PROBLEM IS WORSE. THE VEHICLE IS STILL SURGING FORWARD WHILE I HAVE MY FOOT PRESSED ON THE BRAKE. THE PROBLEM OCCURS AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN AROUND TOWN OR ON ROAD TRIP AND WILL SOMETIMES WHEN I FIRST START IT UP. IT OCCURS MORE OFTEN WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING IS RUNNING. MY FATHER BELIEVES THAT THE COMPUTER IS BAD OR THAT THE SERVICE HAS NOT BEEN DONE ACCORDING TO THE BULLETINS. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS NOT ONLY A DANGEROUS SITUATION BUT IT IS CAUSING ADDITIONAL WEAR AND TEAR ON THE TRANSMISSION AND BRAKES. AT THIS JUNCTURE, THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WHEN I SPOKE WITH A SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT MY LOCAL TALLAHASSEE DEALERSHIP AT THE BEGINNING OF JUNE I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD DROP THE VEHICLE OFF AND THEY WOULD TRY TO SIMULATE THE PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN I WAS WITHOUT A VEHICLE FOR A NUMBER OR DAYS AND HAD TO RELY ON FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR TRANSPORTATION TO WORK AND SCHOOL. I AM SCHEDULED TO BRING IN MY VEHICLE 8 -10-06 AND THEY ARE STILL REFUSING TO PROVIDE A VEHICLE FOR TRANSPORTATION. WITH NO OTHER CHOICE I AM FORCED TO BRING IT IN FOR SAFETY REASONS. *JB
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THIS CAUSES HESITATION, LOST OF POWER, AND STALLING. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO DEALER ON TEN SEPARATE OCCASIONS. DEALER REPLACED VARIOUS PART, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. SUDDENLY, THE ENGINE SLOWED DOWN AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO COULD NEITHER DUPLICATE NOR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *LA NM
DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN OR WHILE BRAKING OR PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT VEHICLE REVVED AND LURCHED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES. THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK UPDATED 1/11/2006 - THE TRANSMISSION LINE HAD COME OFF AND CAUSE COOLANT TO LEAK. THE LINE WAS REPAIR AND TRANSMISSION WAS FLUSHED BUT TRANSMISSION SLIPPED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED THREE TIMES AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR THREE TIMES. THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN AND THIS TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE GENE PULSE ASSEMBLY. THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE WAS REPROGRAMMED. THE ENGINE RAN ROUGH INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE IDLE SPEED ACTUATOR. *NM
I BOUGHT A KIA SPECTRA 2003 ON 9/27/03 WITH MANUFACTURER'S DATE OF 11/4/02. IT WAS A USED CAR WITH 20,000 MILES ON IT. ON 10/09/03, THE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING AN EMISSION SYSTEM PROBLEM. THE DEALER CHECKED IT AND REPLACED THE GAS CAP THAT THEY DISCOVERED WAS LEAKING. HOWEVER, ON 10/10/03, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, THE CHECK LIGHT BLINKED ON MOMENTARILY WHILE THE CAR LOST SPEED, AND WHEN THE LIGHT BLINKED OFF IT RESUMED ITS SPEED. IN REVIEWING TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS, IT APPEARS THAT KIA SPECTRAS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 5/4/01 AND 7/12/02 WERE TO BE HAVE THE ORVR VALVE REPLACED. I AM CONCERNED THAT MY CAR MAY HAVE THE SAME DEFECT BUT IS NOT COVERED BY THE TSB. I WOULD APPRECIATE RECEIVING FURTHER UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION FOR MY CAR IN CASE THE TSB IS EXTENDED TO INCLUDE THE MANUFACTURE DATE OF MY CAR. *LA
WHILE DRIVING AT 15MPH ENGINE LOCKED UP. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND DIAGNOSED WITH WATER INSIDE THE ENGINE. DEALERWON'T COVER THE GUARANTEE. *AK
AIR CONDITIONING QUIT WORKING SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE. KIA RETURNED THE CAR AFTER 2 WEEKS. IT WORKED FOR 1 HOUR. RETURNED IT TO KIA-KIA RETURNED AFTER 5 WEEKS. AIR WORKED FOR 3 WEEKS. RETURNED TO KIA-SAID IT WAS THE FREON. WORKED FOR 30 MINS AND QUIT. I CANNOT TAKE IT BACK TO HAVE IT WORKED ON BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT GIVE ME A CAR TO DRIVE. I AM CURRENTLY DRIVING IN THE HEAT WITH NO AIR BECAUSE THEY REFUSE TO ACCOMODATE ME. I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR 5 MONTHS AND ONLY DRIVEN IT FOR 3.5 MONTHS BECAUSE OF REPAIRS.
THE ENGINE MADE A HORRIBLE NOISE. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *NLM THE DOOR WAS MISALIGNED, REAR LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE, SNOW HAD GOTTEN INTO THE REAR SEAT(S), THE VEHICLE LEAKED, SEAT BELTS WERE INOPERATIVE, CLICK NOISE IN THE WIPERS WHEN ON A LOW SPEED, PULLING NOISE IN THE ENGINE PER MECHANIC, AND PULLING WHEN SHIFTED. SCC
SNOW ENTERED THE VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED THE DOOR NOT TO OPEN. *NLM THE DOOR WAS MISALIGNED, REAR LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE, SNOW HAD GOTTEN INTO THE REAR SEAT(S), THE VEHICLE LEAKED, SEAT BELTS WERE INOPERATIVE, CLICK NOISE IN THE WIPERS WHEN ON A LOW SPEED, PULLING NOISE IN THE ENGINE PER MECHANIC, AND PULLING WHEN SHIFTED. SCC
THE BACK PASSENGER SEAT BELTS WERE NOT LONG ENOUGH TO HOLD A 135 POUND PASSENGER. *NLM THE DOOR WAS MISALIGNED, REAR LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE, SNOW HAD GOTTEN INTO THE REAR SEAT(S), THE VEHICLE LEAKED, SEAT BELTS WERE INOPERATIVE, CLICK NOISE IN THE WIPERS WHEN ON A LOW SPEED, PULLING NOISE IN THE ENGINE PER MECHANIC, AND PULLING WHEN SHIFTED. SCC
THE VEHICLES WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD MOTOR YET THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. *NLM THE DOOR WAS MISALIGNED, REAR LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE, SNOW HAD GOTTEN INTO THE REAR SEAT(S), THE VEHICLE LEAKED, SEAT BELTS WERE INOPERATIVE, CLICK NOISE IN THE WIPERS WHEN ON A LOW SPEED, PULLING NOISE IN THE ENGINE PER MECHANIC, AND PULLING WHEN SHIFTED. SCC
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.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.