2007 Kia Spectra Electrical System Problems

THE DOOR LOCKS HAVE GONE HAYWIRE. THEY CLICK ON AND OFF AUTOMATICALLY WHETHER YOU ARE DRIVING OR IF THE ENGINE HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. HAD TO BREAK THE LOCK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IN ORDER TO EXIT THE CAR. PASSENGER SIDE WILL NOT OPEN AS WELL EVEN VIA USING A KEY IN THE DOOR LOCK. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD! CONTACTED KIA A MONTH AGO, THEY NEVER GOT BACK TO ME. I HAVE SEEN ON THE INTERNET WHERE OTHER KIA OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.

ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO OR MORE, THE VEHICLE STARTED LOCKING WHENEVER IT WANTED TO, SO I HAVE TO WEAR THE KEYS AROUND MY NECK ON A LANYARD. NOW, ABOUT 4 WEEKS AGO, THE VEHICLE STARTED NOT LETTING ME OUT OF THE CAR. THE DOOR UNLOCK BUTTON DOES NOT RELEASE THE MECHANISM. THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THE DRIVER SEAT IS TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW, OPEN THE CAR FROM THE OUTSIDE BY REACHING MY ARM THROUGH THE OPEN WINDOW, OPENING THE DOOR, ROLLING UP THE WINDOW AND TURNING THE CAR OFF. WERE I TO GO OFF THE ROAD INTO A BODY OF WATER, I COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR. IN READING ON THE INTERNET, I SEE THIS AS A PROBLEM WITH KIA OPTIMA MODELS.

DEAR SIR/MADAM, THIS VEHICLE HAS THE PROBLEM OF LOCKING ITS DOOR AUTOMATICALLY. ON THE REPORTED INCIDENT DATE, INSIDE THE GARAGE THE DOOR LOCKED AUTOMATICALLY (ALSO HAPPENS WHEN I TRY TO OPEN BOTH DOORS) SECONDS AFTER BUCKLING UP MY 5 YEAR OLD SON. THE KEYS WERE INSIDE THE CAR AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER HAD I NOT LEFT THE GARAGE DOOR OPEN TO GET THE SPARE KEY FROM HOME. WHEN I REPORTED THIS ISSUE BACK IN 2008 AND 2011, KIA DIDN'T HAVE TECHNICIANS AND ASKED ME TO COME BACK LATER. I REPORTED THE SAME WHEN I WENT FOR SERVICE IN APRIL 2013 THEY TOLD THAT THEY WILL DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND PARTS WILL NEED TO BE PAID FOR IN ADDITION TO DIAGNOSTIC FEES. I REVIEWED ONLINE AND IT SEEMS KIA HAS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF VEHICLES WITH THIS ISSUE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IN CASE A CHILD GETS TRAPPED INSIDE THE CAR IN WHICH CASE THE WINDOWS MAY NEED TO BE SHATTERED TO GET ACCESS TO THE CHILD (AND CAN CAUSE INJURY TO THE CHILD AS WELL). I WOULD APPRECIATE RECOMMENDING KIA TO FIX THE PROBLEM FOR ALL AFFECTED PEOPLE THANKS AND BEST REGARDS, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I HAVE A 2007 KIA SPECTRA AND THE WIRES TO THE FAN CONTROLLER ARE MELTING. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SOME PROBLEM AND KIA DOES NOT HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THE PROBLEM. THESE WIRES GET VERY HOT AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT A FIRE HAZARD. SO AS IT IS NOW I HAVE NO AC NO HEAT.

MY CAR WAS PARKED, IN MY DRIVEWAY, AND HAD RAN FINE THE DAY BEFORE. I WENT OUT AND STARTED THE CAR BUT COULD NOT GET THE CAR OUT OF PARK AND INTO REVERSE. I WAS UNABLE TO EVEN ROLL THE CAR A LITTLE BY PUSHING IT, WHICH INDICATES THE CAR WAS STUCK IN PARK WITH FORCE. I HAD MY NEIGHBOR COME OVER AND HE MANAGED TO, WITH A TON OF PRESSURE, PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE. SEEMS TO NOT BE AS HARD ON A FLAT SURFACE BUT MY DRIVEWAY HAS A SLANT TO IT. PUT CAR BACK IN DRIVEWAY AND TRIED TO LEAVE A COUPLE HOURS LATER AND SAME ISSUE. I HAD TO PURCHASE AAA AND HAVE SOMEBODY COME OUT TO PULL OUT OF PARK. LOOKED ON LINE AND THERE'S A TON OF RECALLS BIG MINE THE 2007 KIA SPECTRA. WHICH IS THE ONLY YEAR NOT BEING RECALLED. I WAS TOLD, BY KIA DEALERSHIP IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE BUT PET MY RESEARCH, NO IT'S NOT. THEY WANT TO CHANGE FOR REPAIR YET EVERY OTHER KIA MAKE IS RECALLED. *JS

OWNER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE QUIT MOVING AND WOULD NOT RESTART. UPON INSPECTION, THE IGN 2 30 AMP FUSIBLE LINK LOCATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FUSE BOX WAS BLOWN AND THE STARTER SOLENOID, LOCATED ON THE STARTER, WAS MELTED. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS NO FACTORY CIRCUIT PROTECTION BETWEEN THE BATTERY AND THE STARTER SOLENOID. IT IS SPECULATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH BECAME STUCK IN THE START POSITION AND MELTED THE STARTER SOLENOID DUE TO CONTINUOUS STARTER OPERATION AFTER THE INITIAL START UNTIL MELTING AND SMOKE OCCURRED. WHILE THERE WAS NO FIRE THIS TIME, THE ABSENCE OF CIRCUIT PROTECTION ON THIS CIRCUIT POSES A SERIOUS RISK BECAUSE THIS WIRE RUNS FROM THE BATTERY, OVER THE TRANSMISSION, AND UP BEHIND THE ENGINE, ULTIMATELY TO THE STARTER SOLENOID. THERE ARE MANY PLACES WHERE THIS WIRE COULD RUB AND WEAR OFF THE INSULATION OVER TIME, CAUSING A SHORT TO GROUND DIRECTLY TO THE BATTERY WITH NO CIRCUIT PROTECTION. *TR

WIRING SYSTEM OVERHEATED AND THE STARTED SPARKING. THE RELAY AND COATING MELTED OFF THE WIRES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING MOTOR FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS MELTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 134,000. *TR

THE DOORS KEEP LOCKING EVEN AFTER REPEATEDLY OPENING EITHER WITH REMOTE OR FROM INSIDE THE CAR. THIS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IN A EMERGENCY SITUATION WHERE OCCUPANTS NEED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR.

ON MY 2007 KIA SPECTRA THE BLOWER MOTOR HAS A FIELD EFFECTS TRANSISTOR, THE TRANSISTOR HAS MALFUNCTIONED AND GOT SO HOT IT HAS MELTED THE PLUG AND WIRING TO IT. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO KIA AND THEY INSIST THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. AFTER LOOKING ON THE INTERNET I HAVE FOUND THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS THIS PROBLEM. *TR

Doors LOCK and UNLOCK on their own. I have been locked out numerous times, some with the engine still running.I brought car to Kia numerous times, and was told there was nothing that could be done, it was a manufacturing defect. I feel this could prevent a very serious problem , both in a collision, or if a child were to be locked in the car. At times the car locks by itself so quickly, I cannot even turn the key fast enough to open the door. I have owned this car since 2009, and it has happened at least 50 or more times.

REPORTING 3 ISSUES: ***FUEL SYSTEM: IN JULY 2009, ONE MONTH AFTER I PURCHASED MY USED 2007 KIA SPECTRA (46K MILES), THE VEHICLE STALLED AT IDLE/LOW RPM WHILE IN TRAFFIC ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. ONCE RESTARTED, IT CONTINUED TO STALL AT EVERY IDLE UNTIL A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS CONSUMED. ALMOST 5 YEARS LATER, THE PROBLEM IS ONGOING. STALLING OCCURS IF THE FUEL TANK IS FILLED (TO THE POINT OF AUTOMATIC PUMP SHUT-OFF). THE TANK HAS NEVER BEEN "TOPPED OFF". IN AUGUST 2011, THE STALLING WAS SO FREQUENT AND HAZARDOUS DUE TO TRAFFIC CONDITIONS THAT THE DRIVER HAD TO PRESS THE GAS PEDAL DOWN WHILE BRAKING IN ORDER TO RAISE RPM AND REDUCE STALLING. THE OWNER HAS HAD SOME SUCCESS IN AVOIDING THE ISSUE BY FUELING TO NO MORE THAN 80% OF TANK CAPACITY. THE REPEATED INTERMITTENT STALLING POSES AN ENORMOUS SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY ON CONGESTED ROADWAYS. ***AIR BAGS: ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED (INDICATING THE AIR BAG IS TURNED OFF) WHILE AN ADULT WAS SEATED. ***GEAR SHIFT AND IGNITION KEY: BEGINNING IN MAY 2012, AND IN NUMEROUS INSTANCES FOLLOWING, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO PARK. MECHANIC DISCOVERED A BROKEN SAFETY LOCK IN THE SHIFTING MECHANISM. THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED, BUT OVERRIDDEN BY ACCESSING THE PLASTIC LEVER UNDERNEATH THE CONSOLE AND PULLING WITH THE LEFT HAND WHILE SHIFTING. THE IGNITION KEY GETS STUCK FREQUENTLY (4 OUT 5 USES) EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK. *JS

THE DOORS LOCK AGAIN IMMEDIATELY AFTER UNLOCK. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST ALL OF THE TIME. THE LOCKS ALSO LOCK AND UNLOCK REPEATEDLY WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. *TR

2007 KIA SPECTRA WITH DEFECTIVE AUTO-OFF HEADLAMPS. CONSUMER STATES THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED THE BATTERY TO DIE AND HIM TO NEED A JUMPSTART. HE ALSO STATES THAT THE LIGHTS WILL COME ON PERIODICALLY AND WILL SOMETIMES STAY ON. *KB THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER REPLACED SEVERAL COMPONENTS, INCLUDING THE IGNITION SWITCH WHICH FAILED, AS WELL AS THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH. *JB