2001 Kia Spectra Consumer Discussions

New 2008 Kia Spectra....Owners..So what do you think?

• ikillbugs...

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Oct 5, 2008 10:24:54 AM

  well, if the stereo is your only real complaint, that's a pretty good overall review for your 2008 Kia Spectra EX. I have owned two Kia's, a 1999 Kia Sephia and a 2001 Kia Sportage 4X4. Both were fantastic vehicles, so, I am an active proponent for the Kia automaking brand. Nice picture of your Spectra, too, it looks good in white! BTW, Kia is making a replacement for the Spectra ... Read More

Kia Spectra Engine Issues

• Kia stalls when idling or A/C is turned on.

  Written by: jaxbmc on Mar 25, 2008 12:20:21 PM

  bought a used 2001 Spectra (70,000ish miles on it) 18 months ago. No problems at first, about six months in it started stalling (w/check engine light) when idling with the brakes on (at stoplights), usually about the time the engine cooling fan kicked on. Looked through the owners manual and consequently tightened the gas cap? huh who knew.. Seemed to do the trick so I added an extra rubber o-ring so ... Read More

• Under my hood....

  Written by: cichoracki on Feb 11, 2007 12:19:43 PM

  I have a manual 2001 kia spectra, that I purchased used with no owner's manual. Since I bought the car, I have replaced the alternator twice, and now I am having more problems... the car will not start, or begin to turn over, I know that I have a bad fuse in the relay box, but no diagram to go by to find out what fuse is bad. Any suggestions?

Low End Sedans (under $16k)

• Yes, spectraman...

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Oct 18, 2005 6:34:12 AM

  we can only conclude that those who still refute what we are saying have their heads firmly implanted in...the....sand. As the months roll by I continue to study cars, particularly small cars and SUV's. I am continually looking at the Japanese makes to see what I might like to try "next time." I like the Scion xA RS's 1.0 and 2.0 and the new Toyota Yaris, that won't be in the ... Read More

• Re: Underestimate HyunKIA at your own peril if you're an automaker

  Written by: spectraman on Oct 13, 2005 6:54:43 PM

  I have a chance of owning a 2001 Elantra when I was overseas and to tell you the truth .. i cant deny it.. it was a POS. GK: My 2004.5 Spectra EX is *anything* but a POS. Trust me on that one. I'm old enough to have driven domestic cars from the 70's, 80's, and 90's. I know a POS when I drive one. Will some bad ones slip through ... Read More

Kia Spectra Sedan

• Spectra vs Elantra

  Written by: spmrebel on Aug 20, 2005 10:10:38 AM

  Hi all, I justed wanted to post my feelings and experiences of the Spectra vs the Elantra. I own a 2005 Elantra GT Auto which I bought in Jan 05. My girlfriend bought a 2005 Spectra EX Auto in June 05. Both are maxed equiped except the Spectra doesn't has ABS/traction control option (couldn't find anywhere in southern CA) and we didn't get the rear spoiler since its hideous looking - ... Read More

• paulywog...

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Aug 31, 2005 7:04:15 AM

  what's more-the Kia Long-Haul Warranty really works-Kia does stand behind it. Not in my opinion, it is a fact. I know-I'm on my 2nd Kia in a row, a 2001 Kia Sportage 4x4. I loved my 1999 Kia Sephia sedan so much I decided to trade in early-at only 82,000 miles. Our Sportage 4x4 has treated us well. Kia vehicles aren't perfect, so you may need your Wanrranty. I have found ... Read More

• Re: Crash Test Dummies? The Impact of Televised Automotive Crash Tests [spectraman]

  Written by: backy on Dec 29, 2004 3:47:17 PM

  Yes, and we all know that the Cigarette-Smoking Man killed JFK, not Lee Harvey Oswald.   Re-read the IIHS' press release. Note how little extra attention they give the Spectra's results. The headline doesn't scream, "Kia Spectra rated Poor on latest IIHS tests!" They talk all about how well the Mazda 3 and Elantra did before they give the details on the Spectra.   Also look at some of the other ... Read More

• IIHS rating

  Written by: lngtonge18 on Dec 23, 2004 11:41:19 AM

  I personally have a problem with the Spectra being rated poor. All of the individual ratings were either marginal or acceptable. There were no poor ratings at all. I have to ask how the IIHS thinks the Spectra deserves an overall rating of poor when none of the individual ratings were poor. If anything, the Spectra should be rated marginal. Look at the Dodge Neon for example: It's structure was seriously ... Read More

Low End Sedans (under $16k)

• no title

  Written by: muffin_man on Dec 23, 2004 7:58:00 AM

  It's actually almost fascinating how poorly Kia cars perform on the IIHS tests. All quotes and statistics from the IIHS web site.   2001-2005 Kia Optima Side Test = POOR (w/SAB!) 2001-2005 Kia Optima Front Test = ACCEPTABLE   2004-2005 Kia Spectra Front Test = POOR "The Kia Spectra's poor performance was a surprise," says Institute chief operating officer Adrian Lund. "Most manufacturers have figured out how to design vehicles to ... Read More

• Hate to do it but...

  Written by: muffin_man on Dec 22, 2004 7:34:38 AM

  What do the people in this forum think of the recent IIHS crash tests of the all-new Kia Spectra? Poorest results of any car since 2001.   Would this deter you from buying this car?

2005 Kia Spectra/Cerato

• New Spectra's headrests rated "Acceptable" vs. competitor's "Poor"

  Written by: spectraman on Nov 16, 2004 11:23:43 AM

  Check out this excerpt and the full article. The new Spectra's seats were rated in the second tier of performance.... heads and tails above the other more reknown competition (even the Hyundai products such as the Elantra!) http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2004-11-15-whiplash_x.htm Here's a hand-edited excerpt of significant models and where they fell: Cars rated on whiplash impact By Earle Eldridge, USA TODAY Acceptable Kia Spectra 2005 models, all seats, active head restraints Lincoln LS, ... Read More

Low End Sedans (under $16k)

• spectraman, your 2004.5 Kia Spectra

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Nov 4, 2004 8:39:51 PM

  will hold up. I was very happy with how my 1999 Kia Sephia drove, handled and kept going. It really was a durable little sedan. My 2001 Kia Sportage is built like a tank and is performing like a true champ. Both of the dealers I've dealt with with the SUV have been both professional and spot-on with their work. If Kia put out a little sports coupe like Scion has ... Read More

2005 Kia Spectra/Cerato

• Re: Nice rig, spectraman! [iluvmysephia1]

  Written by: spectraman on Oct 27, 2004 6:44:03 PM

  Hey there, ILMS1! My out-the-door price was $14,373 (which included tax, doc fee, and dest), using a $1,500 rebate that KIA was running at the end of July 2004. I think there may be a similar rebate going on right now. Check the Edmunds Incentives section. Yes... that is a reflection you see on the front bumper. It's that shiny! :-) I've already given the car one coat of Turtle Wax ... Read More

• Re: [ateixeira #320]

  Written by: backy on Jun 30, 2004 12:33:38 PM

  Look where Kia was in 2001 (did they evaluate 2000 models in that survey?): the Sportage, the old Spectra, Rio was just out (?), no Optima, no Sorento, no Sedona, no Amanti. No wonder they did so poorly in the quality survey! Remember that Hyundai's quality improvement began in 1998 and only really picked up with the slate of new models for the 2001 model year (Elantra, Santa Fe, XG300). Since ... Read More

• A full report of the new Spectra

  Written by: alpha01 on Jun 29, 2004 5:45:08 PM

  .. should be available in the upcoming issue of Consumer Reports. The usually include that bar graph that shows most competitors- so given its Elantra lineage, we'll be able to see how well this newer version is executed against their last test Elantra -a 2001, and there have been very few real changes to the vehicle since then. VVT, for example, was a nice addition, but fairly modest, in terms of ... Read More

• orangelebaron

  Written by: backy on May 11, 2004 1:48:01 PM

  On the Elantra's crash tests, we were both wrong. Both the 2001 and 2004 models got two five-star ratings and two four-star ratings; that is why I said they had the same ratings. But I didn't look carefully enough. The 2001 car got four stars on the driver's side and five stars on the passenger side. The 2004 got five stars on the driver's side but four stars on the passenger ... Read More

• no title

  Written by: orangelebaron on May 10, 2004 10:56:03 PM

  Backy... I just looked at the Kia website and the features for the new spectra do say "8 way adjustable seat." http://www.kiaspectra.com/site.html Also I looked again at the NHTSA site and compared the 2001 Elantra with the 2004. The 2001 had a driver's side HIC of about 482 and the 2004 was about 308 bringing the rating up from 4 stars to 5. http://www.nhtsa.com/NCAP/Cars/1694.html http://www.nhtsa.com/NCAP/Cars/2814.html We still need to see if ... Read More

• Kia Reliability?

  Written by: malibu_jack on Apr 9, 2004 6:34:56 AM

  Hi I am new o this board and will be looking to replace my 2001 Nissan Sentra. I have looked into Kia before, but have been quite sceptical about long term reliability. Saw the 2005 Spectra at the Otawa car show this year and was somehwat impressed, but had a hard time keeping my eye on it when I saw the 2004 Mazda 3. How does Kia stack up to big ... Read More

• Uhhh-huummm............

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Apr 5, 2004 11:39:38 PM

  yeah, I was told with my Sportage 4x4 purchase in Sept.2001 to not exceed 60mph for the first 1000 miles. I actually stuck to that, too. It wasn't easy but, well, you know! Any American 2004 1/2 Kia Spectra buyers jump in here and detail away, OK? Getting suddenly interesting in here!

• Spectra Reliability / Depreciation

  Written by: ptshpboy23 on Feb 18, 2004 6:29:02 PM

  Hello folks, I have owned my 2001 Spectra GSX for 3 years now. The ONLY trouble that I have seen in the entire 3 years of ownership was the automatic transmission which was replaced at approx. 22K miles. It did not die, but rather started to exhibit a slight whining noise which became only slightly louder upon acceleration. It could have been an easy fix, but the dealer decided to replace ... Read More

• I think the blue one is an EX with the bodykit option

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Feb 15, 2004 5:54:49 PM

  installed. Yeah, however this new Spectra gets optioned by the buyer it is the answer for Kia right now. I happen to really like it's styling...to me it is better than my '99 Sephia styling, although I'm seeing those all over and still really like that body design a lot. This new design tops it-some will no doubt say it blows the old Sephia design away by a lot. This new ... Read More

• 2005 Kia Spectra EX vs. LX

  Written by: ptshpboy23 on Feb 14, 2004 5:48:04 PM

  One of the posters on here was confused about the supposed 'body kit'. After reading the post and looking through the various photos provided, I am under the impression that the body kit will be an upgrade to the EX model, or maybe part of the EX model in and of itself. In the 'blue'-colored photos and 'silver'-colored photo you can see there is a bit of a perceptible difference. To ... Read More

• Well, perhaps it's release will be delayed a few months

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Feb 1, 2004 8:54:56 PM

  and they'll call it the 2005 Kia Spectra. If the 2004 Kia Spectra is on the sales lots already(I'm sure it is)and it is the same body style that we've seen since 2001 or so, then this brand new style should be called the 2005 Kia Spectra IMO. Hopefully the home base will send clarifying signals out soon on this matter.

• pzev-good find. I was on the Kia site earlier tonight playing

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Oct 10, 2003 12:26:42 AM

  "Kia Online Tennis" and I didn't even notice this information about the Cerato. As a former owner of a 1999 Kia Sephia and a present owner of a 2001 Kia Sportage 4x4 I continue to follow Kia and Hyundai both with amazement. I think they're both the best thing going in new car availabilities-the Long Haul doesn't dampen my enthusiasm either. This new Cerato will offer a 1.6L and 2.0L engine ... Read More

Low End Sedans (under $16k)

• Upon a good, long extendo-glance at a 2002 Kia Spectra

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Apr 19, 2003 8:53:58 PM

  sedan on the road tonight I hereby proclaim Kia's Spectra sedan the best looking small low-end car on the road. Bar none. Kia just plain has the others beat in the body design department. I drive a 2001 Kia Sportage 4x4 but if Jerry Smith Chev-Buick-Kia of Anacortes, WA had stocked the 2002 Kia Spectra sedans by that day(Sept.29,2001)I bought my Sportage I would have picked up an '02 Spectra sedan. ... Read More

Kia Spectra GS, GSX (hatchbacks)

• aut2no-you best be gettin' used to ignoring the

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Oct 3, 2002 7:25:59 PM

  Kia naysayers, they come a DIME A DOZEN. Frankly Kia and Hyundai(too bad I can't say Daewoo anymore but I like the Lanos replacement called Kalos they are building!)are the only carmakers that I love! You should look at the new Rio for 2003 or grab an '02 Kia Spectra at a bargain price. Both the Spectra sedan and hatch look pretty nice to me. I'm a 2001 Kia Sportage owner ... Read More

Low End Sedans (under $16k)

• JD Power and our opinions

  Written by: lawman1967 on May 6, 2002 7:17:31 AM

  JD Power quality surveys are rather neutral things, hitting everyone soon after they buy a new car. The neutrality is probably best evidenced by the fact that Saturn, a maker of inexpensive cars, competes neck and neck for satisfaction with Lexus. The other truth is that people tend to vehemently defend what they buy, considering a negative opinion about their personal choice of wheels as an insult to them personally. The ... Read More

Kia Spectra GS, GSX (hatchbacks)

• Differance

  Written by: 02_spectra_r on Apr 4, 2002 2:41:33 AM

  The 2001 Spectra was a betta tester for Northern American market to experince a fun and sportier Sephia. But with more stand features, sport and performance for the price. The new 2002 Kia spectra is a Half redesign or Refreshment of the first spectra introduced in 2000. The 2002 Model has a new and heavier/thicker block to reduce noise and vibration while offering a boost in Horse Power (1hp) From 125hp ... Read More

• 02spectra-no problem about being slow

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Mar 14, 2002 10:03:57 PM

  to get back to me. I am on my 2nd Kia now-a 2001 Kia Sportage with 5-speed tranny. It's a solid SUV and loves to go off-road. It hops the bumps with ease and begs for more. I have had one small problem thats now fixed. My check engine light came on twice. The dealer put a new gas cap on and that fixed it. I am really impressed with the ... Read More

• 02_spectra_ r ......the new Kia Sorento SUV is one

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Feb 22, 2002 10:35:01 PM

  good looker isn't it? I drive a 2001 Kia Sportage 4x4 and I'm really enjoying it. Word has it that Kia is working on a Sportage re-design for the 2003 model year. That might include a 6-cyl.engine in it-at least as an option to the 4-cyl. The Sorento is going to be available with an electronically-controlled 4-speed automatic transmission only. Is that OK with you or would you rather have a ... Read More

Low End Sedans (under $16k)

• Vehicle Depreciation is best calculated with Bank Leasing Guides...

  Written by: protegextwo on Jan 11, 2002 5:58:17 PM

  ALG(Auto Leasing Guide) is the number one company, leading institutions use to calulate lease depreciation. Their site provides residual value data for new automobiles. http://alg.com/ http://12.107.25.158/muni/purisima.asp Here is how they rate: 24 months- 2001 Honda Civic ES retains 61% of it's value. 2001 Volks Jetta GLS retains 61% of it's value. 2001 Toyota ECHO retains 56% of it's value. 2001 Nissan Sentra SE retains 55% of it's value. 2001 Saturn SL2 ... Read More

Kia Spectra GS, GSX (hatchbacks)

• Hello 02 spectra r! I enjoyed your new

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Jan 3, 2002 10:24:08 PM

  Spectra review! I went to the owner's club and took a look at the 2002 Spectra hatchback in concept. Looks good to me! I have a 2001 Kia Sportage 4x4 that I love! I traded my '99 Sephia in for it in September. I just passed 8,000 miles in my Sporty and the only problem is at the 5,000 mile mark my check engine light stuck on. Took it to my ... Read More

Low End Sedans (under $16k)

• Test drives

  Written by: majorthomecho on Oct 21, 2001 6:22:26 PM

  Just a quick FYI. My roommate and I took test drives of the 2001 Kia Rio sedan and the 2002 Kia Spectra sedan. The reasons behind the test drive and the details on the test drives including my thoughts on the cars will be posted when I have more time. I will also post responses to Backy including my pick for the best car and to Randy.

Kia Spectra Sedan

• no title

  Written by: aniryu on Oct 11, 2001 11:32:51 PM

  "Check out bluewinds' link above and enjoy the new Kia Spectra sedan! Look at that beautiful Spectra sedan and drool! Kia has a definite edge in designing over Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Acura, Lexus, Daimler-Benz, Daimler-Chrysler, GM, Ford, Volvo, Jaguar, Renault, Daewoo, Hyundai, Fiat, Yugo(just kidding!), Nissan, etc., etc. Did I leave any out? No kidding. Kia designers smoke no crack my friends. You're getting the whole enchilada and you're getting ... Read More

• That Spectra is one great looking machine boys!

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Oct 11, 2001 10:31:21 PM

  Check out bluewinds' link above and enjoy the new Kia Spectra sedan! Look at that beautiful Spectra sedan and drool! Kia has a definite edge in designing over Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Acura, Lexus, Daimler-Benz, Daimler-Chrysler, GM, Ford, Volvo, Jaguar, Renault, Daewoo, Hyundai, Fiat, Yugo(just kidding!), Nissan, etc., etc. Did I leave any out? No kidding. Kia designers smoke no crack my friends. You're getting the whole enchilada and you're getting ... Read More

Low End Sedans (under $16k)

• Mr.major-you must have missed one of my posts!

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Oct 8, 2001 10:25:12 AM

  I went to Jerry Smith Chev-Buick-Kia with the intention of getting a Rio Cinco wagon or a Spectra sedan. Turns out they had no 2002 Kia Spectra sedans or 2002 Kia SpectraWing's in stock. They had the 2002 Kia Cinco wagons(3 or 4 of them) and they had the red one I wanted. My wife and I even test drove a black 2001 Kia Optima with the V6 engine and leather ... Read More

Kia Spectra Sedan

• aniryu-I saw one tonight on I-5 on the

  Written by: iluvmysephia1 on Sep 24, 2001 9:54:33 PM

  way home from work. It was going northbound on I-5 through Marysville. It had Florida plates and it was white. Almost looked like one of the new Corolla's in front. The wedgie-slant taillights look good. I'd love to see one in bluish-purple. My dealer e-mailed me back Saturday to say they have them but they've messed up before. They thought I meant 2001 Spectra's(I'm interested in the 2002 Spectra's)and said they ... Read More

Low End Sedans (under $16k)

• 2002 low-end summary

  Written by: backy on Sep 8, 2001 4:44:10 PM

  Just got my October Car & Driver with a (sparse) review of the 2002 cars. The bad news, for us here on this forum, is that not much is happening in the low-end market next year. For some reason (profits, maybe?) the automakers are concentrating on the more expensive cars, and trucks. For those of you w/o access to this mag, here's the details (with editorial commentary, of course): * Chevy: ... Read More

• NHTSA recalls 2000-2002

  Written by: bjfrank42 on Aug 28, 2001 8:53:09 PM

  Recalls for low end cars (none for 2002 yet) 2000 2001 Mazda Protege 1 1 Honda Civic 0 2 Kia Sephia 0 0 Kia Spectra 0 0 Kia Rio n/a 0 Toyota Corolla 0 0 Toyota Echo 1 0 Hyundai Accent 1 0 Hyundai Elantra 1 1 Nissan Sentra 0 1 and for anyone who says that this doesn't distinguish between major and minor recalls, neither does the JD Power and ... Read More

• Quality scores

  Written by: majorthomecho on Jul 30, 2001 6:50:09 AM

  I agree that the info from J.D. Powers is well hidden. They are supposed to have a consumer oriented site, but it was always down when I tried to access it and the link to it on the commercial site has been removed I noticed. Fortunately, I have written down some company wide and individual results. This was from some time back so I am not sure where the posts are ... Read More

Kia Spectra GS, GSX (hatchbacks)

• Hatchbacks are back

  Written by: babe1956 on Jul 26, 2001 4:14:59 AM

  I was searching for something different, sporty looking, inexpensive with a darn good warranty and there I found the Kia 2001 Spectra GSX Hatchback. Actually, you wouldn't know that its a hatchback unless you lift up the trunk. O.K., so I've only had it a week but so far for the money, I have a really good bargain. The GSX model comes with the pin striping, spoiler, leather covered steering wheel ... Read More

Low End Sedans (under $16k)

• MPG

  Written by: majorthomecho on Jul 20, 2001 9:54:39 AM

  No offense to your car meant. I was thinking of Kias of more recent vintage like the 2001 Kia Sephia which had an average of 250 problems per 100 vehicles or the 2001 Kia Rio which had an average of 255 problems per 100 vehicles or the Kia Spectra which had an average of 295 problems per 100 vehicles or the Kia Sportage which had an average of 300 problems per ... Read More

Inexpensive new hatchback wanted

• KIA Spectra 5-door Hatch

  Written by: serpentki on Feb 21, 2001 9:00:19 PM

  I am very pleased with my 2001 KIA Spectra GS. With the 100,000 mile warranty and $11,800 bottom line I recommend test driving one of these if you are in the market for a new hatchback. This car is a bit larger and heavier than other cars in its class. My gas mileage is a bit better than 30 mpg, about 27 around town. Don't knock a KIA till you try ... Read More

• 2000 Kia Spectra and 2001 Kia Rio

  Written by: trsrjs on Dec 28, 1999 4:21:40 PM

  For those you are asking when is Kia bringing these cars here in the U.S., Kia will bring the 4-door Sephia hatchback known as the Kia Shuma in Korea here starting in March 2000 based on their press release dated December 21. It will be called the Kia Spectra here in the U.S. and will be introduced at the L.A. Auto Show and the North America Auto Show in Detroit in ... Read More