2007 Kia Spectra Powertrain & Transmission Problems

I purchased my 2007 Spectra5 used with 155,000 miles on it. The engine had no codes or any stored codes. It ran fine until I filled it up with gas. I DO NOT overfill the tank because I understand EVAP issues. After filling up the vehicle would stall at idle and occasionally lose power (momentarily) at highway speeds (55 mph and up). Obviously this is an extremely dangerous situation! Once the gas level got below 1/2 tank the issues went away…but now I ONLY fill the tank to halfway and the problems arise again every so often. Since there are no codes present I cannot replicate the issue without possibly damaging components further and I already replaced the battery, plugs, IAC valve, MAF sensor, and oil to try to remedy this problem. From reading other’s comments about this same problem I do not want to keep pouring money into a problem that KIA itself seems unable, and unwilling, to fix. This is extremely frustrating and dangerous as occasionally the vehicle loses all power on the highway at speeds exceeding 55mph and I feel an accident is inevitable. I’m not financially well off enough to just eat the cost of this vehicle and get a new (used) vehicle though so KIA has really put me (AND OTHER DRIVERS) in a difficult and dangerous position. As others have stated from mechanics who have tried to diagnose this issue, there may be a serious issue with the EVAP system including, but not limited to, the charcoal canister and purge valve. I will try replacing the fuel filter in the gas tank but I do not have high hopes that this will fix this problem. Once again, there are no codes present before or after these stalling/power loss problems and live data from and OBD2 scanner is within parameters for this vehicle and it’s age. I need to report this now so everyone, ESPECIALLY KIA, is aware of this issue and information.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA SPECTRA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SUDDENLY SHIFT OUT OF GEAR AND THE SPEED REDUCED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRE HARNESS TO THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE ABOUT 65 MPH. ALL OF SUDDEN, THE CAR LOST ALL FORWARD MOTION POWER. WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS, THE RPMS INCREASED, BUT THE CAR DID NOT GET ANY POWER. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN WITHOUT PROBLEM. AFTER STOPPING ON THE SHOULDER, I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. AFTER STARTING AGAIN, I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, THE FORWARD POWER WAS WORKING AGAIN AND THE CAR SHIFTED FINE. TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS CHANGED AT 110,000 MILES. SUSPECTING TRANSMISSION, I TOOK TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST. I WAS GIVEN THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: ERROR CODE P0750 SHIFT SOLENOID; ERROR CODE P0755 SHIFT SOLENOID B; ERROR CODE P0760 SHIFT SOLENOID C; ERROR CODE P0765 SHIFT SOLENOID D. WAS GIVEN PRICE QUOTE TO FIX, BUT ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT KIA DEALERSHIP ABOUT PROBLEM AS THEY HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE ON OTHER SIMILAR KIA SPECTRAS. CALLED DEALERSHIP TO INFORM THEM OF PROBLEM. LEFT MESSAGE, BUT NEVER GOT A RETURN CALL; AND THE ONE TIME I GOT A PERSON, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD HAVE SOMEONE FROM SERVICE CALL ME BACK. NEVER HEARD FROM ANYONE. ON MAY 16, 2015, THE SAME THING HAPPENED, ONLY THIS TIME TURNING THE CAR OFF DID NOT WORK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY AND RECONNECT, THEN THE CAR SHIFTED AGAIN. HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM? IS THERE A RECALL? BEFORE I SPEND $2000, I WANT TO KNOW IF KIA IS AVOIDING MY CALLS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THERE IS PROBLEM? DID INTERNET SEARCH AND HAVE FOUND SIMILAR COMPLAINTS.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST ALL POWER IN THE GAS PEDAL,( YOU CAN FLOOR THE PEDDLE AND IT DON'T GO OVER 2000 RPM ) ALMOST RESULTING IN A COLLISION. IT ONLY COMES ON WHEN IT WANT TO, I HAD THE CODES CHECKED AT AUTO ZONE AND THEY SAID ITS SAYING ALL THE SOLENOIDS ARE BAD. I LOOKED UP THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND THERE ARE ALOT OF OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS SAME ISSUE IN THE SAME YEAR, +1 AND-1, AND WITH THE SAME APPROXIMATE MILEAGE, IT SAYS THAT KIA HAS COME OUT WITH AN UPDATE TO THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER TO REMEDY THE ISSUE, THE KIA DEALER WANTS AN OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT TO UPDATE THE COMPUTER, WHEN DISCUSSING THIS WITH KIA CORPORATE THEY SAID WELL IF A RECALL IS ISSUED THEN WE CAN GET REFUND, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE CASH TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, AN UPDATE SHOULD BE FREE, THEY ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THE DEFECT, THERE FOR BECAUSE OF THE DANGER IT CAN CAUSE A RECALL IS IN ORDER... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THE CONTACT NOTICED A SMELL SIMILAR TO BURNING RUBBER. THE POLICE REPORTED TO THE SCENE AND ASSISTED IN MOVING THE VEHICLE ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED OR INSPECTED BY A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

I BOUGHT THE CAR AT 50K MILES AND STARTED HAVING ISSUES. SEAL FOR WINDSHIELD POPPING OUT,AIRBAG LIGHT ON PASSENGER SIDE STAYS ON CONSTANTLY TRANSMISSION JERKING,AND DOORS AUTO LOCKING IN PARK POSITION. BALL JOINTS NO GOOD AND HAD TO PAY PUT OF POCKET. REFUSED TO COVER WARRANTY BECAUSE I DIDN'T BUY THE CAR NEW. HAVE TO CALL LOCKSMITH TO GET KEYS OUT,CAUSE I REFUSE TO BRAKE WINDOWS,THAT ALSO ARE MISALIGNED ON DRIVERS SD CAUSING IT TO NOT CLOSE FULLY. SHAME THEY CAN'T WARRANTY THEIR CAR YET ONLY CONVENIENT COVER ONLY BUYER...SMH REFUSED

WHILE DRIVING MY 2007 KIA SPECTRA- AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ON 1/1/2008, DOWN THE ROAD AT 45MPH, THE CAR SUDDENLY WENT FROM HIGH GEAR TO LOW GEAR AND IT STAYED ON LOW GEAR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT FIX. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS SOME TYPE OF RELAY THAT NEEDED TO BE RESET. THEY RESET THE RELAY THAT DAY. SINCE THEN IT HAS HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES AT HIGHER SPEED, WHICH THE DEALERSHIP FIXED THE PROBLEM EACH TIME. SO THAT'S A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES IT HAS HAPPENED. NOW, FOR A FOURTH TIME, IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN ON 11/01/2014. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2007 KIA SPECTRA BRAND NEW...IT ONLY HAD 55 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AT TIME OF PURCHASE. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW WEEKS IT STARTED TO GRIND IN 2ND GEAR, I TOOK THE KIA TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY INFORMED ME THAT SOME SCREWS HAD COME LOOSE AND THAT IS WHERE THE GRINDING WAS COMING FROM, I WAS DRIVING WITH SCREWS IN THE CLUTCH! THEY GAVE ME A RENTAL AND PUT THE SCREWS BACK IN THE CLUTCHING SYSTEM. I GOT THE CAR BACK AND IT DID GOOD FOR A WHILE AND THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED, AGAIN THEY SAID SCREWS WERE LOOSE AGAIN! I QUESTIONED HOW THE SCREWS KEPT COMING LOOSE, THEY HAD NO EXPLANATION FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS TIME THEY DIDN'T GIVE ME A RENTAL, I HAD TO GET MY OWN AND THEY HAD TO LEAVE WORK EARLY. GOT THE CAR BACK AND IT DID FINE FOR A SHORT WHILE AND AGAIN THE SAME PROBLEM! I TOOK IT TO KIA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THIS TIME IT WAS SOME PLASTIC PIECE THAT HAD COME LOOSE AND THAT WAS MAKING IT GRIND IN 2ND GEAR. AGAIN, I WAS WITHOUT MY VEHICLE AND AGAIN, NO RENTAL. GOT THE CAR BACK AND DROVE FINE FOR A FEW DAYS THEN THE SAME PROBLEM. CONSIDERING HOW LONG THEY KEPT MY CAR EACH TIME AND HOW LONG I WAS WITHOUT A VEHICLE EACH TIME...I CALLED KIA AND TOLD THEM THE SAME PROBLEM WAS HAPPENING AGAIN. THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT UP THERE AND THEY WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT...I COULDN'T BE WITHOUT A VEHICLE FOR THAT LONG AGAIN AND MISS WORK AGAIN AND FIND WAYS FOR MY CHILDREN TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO SCHOOL. THINKING IT WAS THE PLASTIC PIECE AGAIN, I JUST KEPT DRIVING IT BECAUSE OF ALL THE PAST PROBLEMS, I ASSUMED IT WOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY. I WAITED LONGER THIS TIME DUE TO THE LENGTH OF TIME THEY KEPT IT EACH TIME AND I REALLY NEED MY VEHICLE. SO BECAUSE I WAITED TOO LONG, THEY ARE QUESTIONING THE FACT AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT WILL BE UNDER WARRANTY AND WANT ME TO SIGN A PAPER SAYING THAT IF THEY TEAR IT DOWN AND DON'T FIND ANY MANUFACTURING DEFECTS, THEN I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TEAR DOWN AND ANY REPAIRS! *TR