There are 9 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2003 Kia Spectrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.
MY MOTHER BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW COUPLE YEARS BACK. HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS TILL NOW. ON MY WAY TO WORK IM GOING AROUND A CURVE AND TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. THOUGHT FOR A SECOND I ACCIDENTALLY PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. MY TRANSMISSION NEVER SLIPPED, SHIFTED HARD OR ANY OTHER SIGNS OF PROBLEMS. THIS IS CRAZY, NOT SURE YET IF KIA IS COVERING THEY PROMISED WARRANTY.. I REALLY HOPE SO.. *TR
IN APRIL OF 2009 MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WITHOUT WARNING RIGHT IN THE CENTER LANE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC AS I WAS LEAVING MY HOME, I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP JUST TO FIND OUT THAT KIA WOULD NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY AND THE COSTS ($1550) CAME OUT OF MY OWN POCKET. THE REPAIRMAN TOLD ME THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURS QUITE OFTEN WITH THE 2003 KIA SPECTRA BUT THERE WAS NO SAFETY RECALL. NOW IT IS SEPTEMBER OF 2011 AND THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT AGAIN! WITH THIS VEHICLE AT LESS THAN 70,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT BE GOING OUT TWICE ALREADY! *TR
I BOUGHT MY 2003 KIA SPECTRA BRAND NEW,KEPT UP WITH OIL CHANGES AND MAINTENANCE,MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 71,OOO MILES. I HAD THE SO CALLED 100,000 MILE WARRANTY ON IT. THEY DID NOT COVER ANY OF IT THEY SAID BECAUSE I LIVE IN GA IT GETS HOT,SO THE WARRANTY WONT COVER IT. ALSO,I WAS RECENTLY IN A FENDER BENDER AND MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY,AND WE HAVE ALSO HAD SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE KIA PLACE BECAUSE OF MINOR STUFF SUCH AS THE AIR NOT WORKING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUALLY STAYING ON. THE 2003 KIA SPECTRA'S ARE A JOKE AND IF YOU LIVE WERE IT GETS HOT OR TOO COLD YOUR WARRANTY IS OF NON EFFECT.
TOOK THE CAR TO WALMART FOR FLUID CHECKS. ABOUT A WEEK AFTER LEAVING THERE, I HIT AN ICY PUDDLE AND LOST THE ABILITY TO PUT THE CAR IN GEAR. AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE CAR RECOVERED, BUT AFTER THAT WHEN THE CAR WAS COLD IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. I RETURNED TO WALMART WHO ADVISED ME THEY COULD NOT GET THE PROBLEM TO OCCUR, PROBABLY BECAUSE THE CAR WAS WARM. ALSO, THEY ADVISED ME THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS FINE. SINCE THE PROBLEM PERSISTED, I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO SAID THERE WAS INTERNAL PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. HOWEVER EXPERIENCE TELLS ME IT'S PROBABLY THE FLYWHEEL. NOW THEY DON'T WANT TO HONOR THE WARRANTY CLAIMING FLUIDS WERE NOT CHANGED. HOWEVER THE PROBLEM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FLUIDS. ALSO THERE IS A SIMILAR PROBLEM, ODI 10112469, WHICH WOULD IMPLY THIS COULD BE A DEFECT. MY CAR HAD 54,000 MILES. *AK
EVERY TIME I TAKE OFF FROM A STOP SIGN ECT. MY TRANSMISSION KICKS WHEN SHIFTING FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. IN AN AUTOMATIC,IT IS RARE. IT IS ONLY A 2003 TOO. I HAVE HAD PEOPLE TELL ME THAT TRANSMISSIONS ARE DESIGNED LIKE THAT. BULL!!! *NM
WE HAVE A 2003 KIA SPECTRA. THIS CAR CAME WITH A 100K MILE WARRANTY. WHEN WE BOUGHT THE CAR IN DECEMBER OF 2003 IT HAD ONLY 79 MILES ON IT. IN DECEMBER OF 2004 WITH ONLY 23,000 MILES ON IT, IT GOT STUCK IN THE SNOW IN THE ROAD BLOCKING TRAFFIC. WE HAD TO PUSH THE CAR OUT OF THE STREET. AFTER PUSHING FOR A SHORT TIME TRANSMISSION BURNED UP AND IS NOW DESTROYED. I LIVE IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY SO I GET SNOW OCCASIONALLY. DOES THIS MEAN THAT ANYONE LIVING WHERE IT SNOWS SHOULD NOT BY A KIA? I AM AWARE OF THE STIPULATION IN THE WARRANTY THAT THE WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER DAMAGE DONE BY SNOW, ICE, ROAD DEBRIS ETC. MY ARGUMENT IS THAT I HAVE HAD OTHER CARS, A SATURN FOR INSTANCE WITH CLOSE TO 100K MILES ON IT. IT HAD GOTTEN STUCK IN THE SNOW SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I LIVED IN OHIO. I HAD TO PUSH IT OUT OF A SNOW DRIFT, SPUN THE TIRES. NEVER DID I HAVE A TROUBLE WITH THE TRANSMISSION. NEVER WOULD I THINK THAT A NEW CAR WOULD BE DESTROYED THAT EASILY, NOR DO I THINK THAT IT IS RIGHT FOR THE DEALER TO SAY IT IS ALL MY FAULT. ARE KIA OWNERS NOT SUPPOSED TO TRY TO GET TO WORK IF IT SNOWS. THIS IS KENTUCKY, NOT MICHIGAN. I THINK PURCHASERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE CAR. FOR INSTANCE, A COOLER PART THAT ?MAY? HAVE METAL PARTICLES IN IT, HAS TO BE REPLACED AND WAS PRICED AT $400. WHEN I CONTACTED KIA'S CORPORATE HEAD QUARTERS DIRECTLY I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THE DISTRICT MANAGER HAD INSPECTED THE CAR AND MADE THE FINAL DECISION. *JB
AT 13,500 MILES TRANSMISSION FAILED. *AK
THE FRONT PANEL IN THE CONSUMER'S 2003 KIA SPECTRA MADE NOISE. *NM THE CONSUMER HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS CONCERNING THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT WAS BROKEN, DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOORS WERE INOPERATIVE, FAULTY SPEAKER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR IN REVERSE, THERE WOULD BE A CLICKING SOUND IF IT WAS FORCED, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 30 MPH FOR 10 MINUTES. *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