2002 Kia Spectra Consumer Reviews

Son's second car

Vehicle

2002 Kia Spectra 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

Purchased our 2002 Spectra 11/23/2011 for our son. Our son had a 2002 Saturn SL that was totaled in a accident. This Kia is very much like his Saturn, a basic car, no power windows, door locks or cruise control. Body has some dings and scratches but overall paint, body and interior in very good condition. Never owned a Kia, but good experience at Kia dealership. Clock was not working so they will replace it at no additional cost to me. I also purchased a two year warranty to cover all major components.
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Pros and Cons

Vehicle

2002 Kia Spectra 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

My Kia Spectra gets 35 miles to the gallon average. Since my purchase in June 2011, I have put 11,000 miles on my car, raising its total to 141,000. I have already replaced one tire, the engine damper, a shift cellanoid, two taillights and a headlight, and am currently in the process of replacing the trans relay switch. My transmission occasionally slips, and it doesn't have a "floaty" ride like some sites claim because the shocks quickly disintegrate. Overall, I do love my Kia despite severe hail damage and some minor issues. The cost of repairs thus far has cost me around 750$, less than half of what I paid for it. However, I likely wouldn't buy a newer model Kia because of poor reviews.
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Surprised Me!!!

Vehicle

2002 Kia Spectra 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 5M)

Review

I bought my Kia with 80k (or something like that) a year ago it now has 108k miles on it and is still going strong. I was really worried about buying a kia but I needed a cheap car right away! I was surprised when I bought it, she told me it was still under warranty until 100k (WOW!) She had all her maintenance records and it seemed she had some issues with the car the first year or two she bought it. Since Ive had it the only out of pocket expenses have been oil changes and tires. I have had NO mechanical difficulty with this car it has been extremely reliable as our only means of transportation. I am no considering buying a new kia when its time to buy a NEW car.
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Great Car

Vehicle

2002 Kia Spectra 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

I bought this car 4 yrs ago, with 55K miles on it. I drive over 100 miles a day and it has never gotten stuck in snow, it starts every time and only left me stranded once (needed a torque converter). It's a great car, has been hit by deer, broken into, and hit while parked, it's only let me down once. It's time to move on unfortunately as it is needing a lot more attention simply because of the miles I drive, it now has 156,000 miles and keeps on going.
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Worst Car Ever

Vehicle

2002 Kia Spectra GSX 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

This car has been nothing but issues since it was purchased. It had only 60,000 miles on it which is generally ok and since it wasn't a car for commuting, the mileage wasn't a big deal. After replacing the brake lights- needed new wiring harness, the brake system, the passenger side window that decided to not roll up one day. and various "check engine" lights and sensors later, the Kia WAS working. But alas, now the driver side window fell down by itself while parked in my driveway. It's not even worth the money that's already been dumped into it so at this point, I'm hoping the broken window gives someone some incentive to steal it.
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Great Small car but can be pricey

Vehicle

2002 Kia Spectra 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

Recently i bought my 2002 Kia Spectra, so far its been a great little car and even with a 153,000 miles on it it still has a lot of its kick still in it, cant burn out but it tries like hell to, but the only things i have had to done lately is servicing when bought the car it had no air filter and the spark plugs were bad so changed all that and it seemed like it had a new life in it, but recently the front right tire seemed like it was going to fall off due to a tire shop so i had to spend 500 dollars to get all that fixed but ever since then best little car i ever owned and gas mileage is great get a 100 miles to a forth of a tank plus it tries to be sporty at times.
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A great car

Vehicle

2002 Kia Spectra 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

My Spectra an 02' and has 178,000 miles and I'm shocked to say it is still running great. My dad and i bought this car over two years ago for about 2K as i was finishing high school. Everything in the interior and exterior still functions. I couldn't ask for a quicker and cooler AC, it works very well. The only set back is that mine has no CD player, but the radio and speakers are good and running. My father and I were a bit skeptical prior to purchasing a Kia, let alone a Used uncertified one, but it has definitely given us a lot to think back on. I'm going into my third year of college and doing just well with this auto. It is a very reliable car and hasn't had any mechanical errors.
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The Engine Fine, the Rest.....

Vehicle

2002 Kia Spectra 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

This Car Runs great, only downer for my car was all the electric when out on it, and repairing it was not fun. Right now I have no Speedier, the mileage is wrong, and I have no idea how much gas I have. My heater/ac stop working about 2 year ago. It a great starter car, had a good monthly price when I bought it, and keeps it value, but now my entire repair's are worth more than the car. Their now warping on the dash board and the arm rest was just crap, I had it replace once and it fell apart on its own.
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Not bad

Vehicle

2002 Kia Spectra 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

Bought this car after owning a 1988 Toyota Corrolla Wagon with 205,000 miles on it. This was a huge upgrade. We have 3 other kias, and we like them quite well. So this was a time to see if Kia's little cars were any good? Well, I'm happy! I've only had to get some belts replaced, and get new tires, other than that, its been a very reliable car. The people who owned it before me had to replace the transmission, and that was it. So I'm happy. There are just a couple of rattling noises, but nothing that the radio turned up really loud cant fix. Gas mileage is so so, should be better in my opinion, but it is far from being bad. I plan on getting 200,000 on this. It currently has 156,100 on it.
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It's a college student car but not!!!

Vehicle

2002 Kia Spectra LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

The only great thing about this car is that it only cost $26 to fill her up. My AC stop working at a certain point now my heater stop working and also my trunk is leaking water which is causing my car to smell like mildew and also my dashborad is rising!!!
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