There are 5 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 2003 Kia Spectrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
2003 KIA SPECTRA. NEVER BEEN IN A WRECK. POWER WINDOWS FAIL TO WORK. A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW CAME OFF THE TRACK, AND THE IN-DOOR ASSEMBLY HAD CRUMBLED WITHIN THE DOOR. TOOK GETTING AN ENTIRE ASSEMBLY TO REPAIR THE WINDOW. TODAY, THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW DOES NOT OPEN. MOTOR STILL WORKS. A CLICKING SOUND CAN BE HEARD AS IT RUNS, BUT IT IS NOT GRIPPING THE WINDOW TO LOWER IT. (STILL NOT REPAIRED). *TR
DRIVER'S DOOR WINDOW REGULATOR FAILS CAUSING WINDOW TO SLIDE DOWN TRACK INTO THE DOOR. THE POWER REGULATOR RAISES AND LOWERS THE WINDOW WITH A METAL WIRE RUNNING THROUGH PLASTIC GUIDES ON A METAL TRACK. THE ENDS OF THE WIRE ARE CAPPED INSIDE A PLASTIC BRACKET TO WHICH THE WINDOW IS ATTACHED. THESE PLASTIC PARTS WEAR AND CRACK CAUSING THE WIRE TO COME LOOSE THUS PREVENTING THE WINDOW FROM BEING HELD UP. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT REPORTED WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED WHILE DRIVING. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE ACTIVATED TO REMOVE SNOW AND ICE FROM THE WINDSHIELD, BUT THEN BECAME INOPERABLE. AS THE TEMPERATURE CONTINUED TO DROP THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS REMAINED MOTIONLESS. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO ICE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 6,500.*AK UPDATE 4/25/07 *TR
MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING 2 CAR LENGTHS AHEAD OF ME AND OUR 2 YEAR OLD SON IN HIS CAR SEAT IN BACK. HE WAS DRIVING APROX 50 MPH. HE WAS IN A 2003 KIA SPECTRA. THE BACK WINDOW BLEW OUT. I CALLED KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS A WARRANTY UP TO 60000 MILES. WE IMMEDIATELY DROPPED THE CAR OFF. THEY SAID WE DID SOMETHING WRONG IE HIT SOMETHING THREW SOMETHING ECT. THEY CLAIMED THE FOUND A PEBBLE ON THE BACK LID (WE SEARCHED THE CAR) THE PEBBLE HAD THE SAME EPOXY FOUND ON THIER SHOP FLOOR. THEY DID NOT REPLACE NOR TAKE BLAME. WE WERE BLOWN OFF. AND SCIENTIFICALLY SPEAKING IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR A PEBBLE TO FLY BACKWARDS INTO A REAR WINDOW AND SHATTER IT. THERE ARE NO OVER PASSES OR ANYTHING IN THAT AREA. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IN THE RAIN WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
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