Used 2002 Kia Spectra Consumer Reviews
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Been a great little car
I bought my 2002 Kia Spectra in 2006 with 60k miles on it. It now has over 220k. Most of the work as been regular maintenance. I just put in a new head gasket and my clutch is starting to pop. It has been great in the snow (I drive a 100 miles a day in Colorado). And has always started. I've replaced the alternator (no big deal), scheduled timing belts, and front wheel bearings. The back struts are gone and there are a lot of rattles developing. The arm rest is very uncomfortable and my wife hates the seats. But it has been very very dependable. Gas mileage right now is about 35 to 38 mpg. I'm moving up in car class, but have daughter turning 16 and it will be a good first car for her.
Kia Specrta GSX
All and all this car is great for the money, the performance of this car is amazing in my eyes. Fun to drive, with its rated 125 horsepower, add a little aftermarket adjustments this car could have a great future. never had a problem for the engine. now at 109,000 miles still drives like brand new!!!!
- FOR PARTS OR OFF ROAD ONLYMSRP: $9902,125 mi away
Great Small car but can be pricey
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.
Worst Car Ever
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.
Electrical problems of the 2002 Kia Spectra
It has low beam head lights that do not work often. Power windows that blow fuses or fail for some other reason and a check engine light that never goes out.
Son's second car
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.
just good car period
No reason to buy $5000 more expensive Honda Civic. Spectra has just same power and feel as Civic and I felt it was even peppier and handles better. New Honda is just too boring
Transmissions
New transmission at 2000 miles - fighting with Kia at 60,000 for 2nd transmission. I like the car fine. It runs well (most of the time), gets ok gas mileage. Only problem I have is at 60,000 miles have to replace timing belt. Warranty does not cover car if this not done at 60,000. Getting ok from KIA for dealer to fix my car is a nightmare.
It's a car
Slow but practical. The automatic transmission is probably one of the worst ones I've ever seen. I've had mine for almost 2 years, and it's never left me stranded, so it's more reliable than you would expect from a Kia. If you put the back seats down, it's surprisingly big inside. Interior isn't worth mentioning.
Poor sound system
If it's sound that you want and you want a CD/Cassette combination, forget it. Kia offers CD only or Cassette only. Personally, facing such limited options I chose the cassette and ditched the CD. I can make compilation tapes of my favorite CD's and play them in the car. I do not want to buy two copies of my favorite CD's to avoid toting them back and forth between the house and car. And the sound quality in a car they tout as bordering on luxury is marginal at best. There's also plenty of storage space for cassette tapes but absolutely nothing for CD's. Whever the rocket scientist is who made this brilliant decision in options left his brain at home that day.
Not bad
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.
its all good
i think this car is a good little car, there is a place for the cd's. what most dealers will call a tape holder is also a cd holder. some of the kias come with out a radio so u can get ur own and as far as speakers u can always change those out. overall i think its a decent car for the money ur paying and its got a nice look to it. its affordable for most and can be fun to drive (espcially with a manual!). i've driven almost 7000 mi in less than 4 months of having the car and i havent seenanything yet. and i dont have any special features.
Impressed by this little car!
I bought this car as a price point issue. Little did I know what I was actually getting! It had plenty of zip under the hood and handled quite well! I was impressed most however when I recently had a very bad accident in my car. I Had a car pull out in front of me while I was traveling at 70 mph. I broadsided the car and suffered no more than a concussion and whiplash!. This car held up great! the passenger compartment was left fully intact. Well done!
Mixed Bag
This car has been good to me, but it has also caused me a LOT of undue stress and financial burden....I have replaced so many parts-my bumper literally just fell off while driving one day, has never been in a collision (to my knowledge) and it just fell right off...was expensive to replace, and then the driver side came loose 2 weeks later, have had to have the alignment redone far too often as it pulls very hard to the right and the heater breaks regularly. The inside of the car has just fallen apart as well, the bolt holding the seat in place fell out and i had to play over $400 to get it fixed, and then told it was not "the perfect fix, but the best they could do..." don't buy..
Good enuff
So far I have found my Spectra to be "good enuff"; transalation: good enuff that I don't mind a bit making that monthly payment. It's a blast to drive, gets 35 MPG in mixed driving, and in the Silver color I got, turns heads everywhere I go.
GSX rules
I have had no problems with window seals or handling with my Kia GSX it took a while to get what I wanted and I still was not able to get the ABS that I wanted.My Kia looks sharp and gets good mileage. I also have lots of room in the trunk which is a major plus. I also like the warranty that comes with it! Thank you Kia!
Spectra "toad"
We bought this car to be a dinghy for our motorhome. Can be flat towed. Easy hook-up, tows well because of its weight, doesn't bounce or sway, pulls very nice. Starts easy, runs good, drives easy, good mileage, easy to park, easy to maintain. We feel its a good choice for a "toad". G...
The Engine Fine, the Rest.....
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.
More Bang for the Bucks
Looked at several other similar cars including Elantra and Focus but Spectra drove and felt better. The price was lower and the dealer was much better to deal with. KIA offers the best warranty and the car is well enough equiped that there are only a few options.
Great Buy, Great Ride
I have owned my Kia Spectra for one year now and for the price, you can't beat it. Sure there were a couple of minor issues, however, I'm not sure why everyone has expected so much from a car with such a low price sticker. Basically, you get what you pay for. I'm very satisfied with the quality of my Kia and when it comes with a 10 yr, 100,000 mile warranty and 30 mpg on the highway, I can't complain! You won't go 0 to 60 in 1.2 so if you want that type of performance, write the check! I certainly would recommend a Kia to anyone who wants a sporty looking vehicle to get them from point A to point B.
Surprised Me!!!
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.
A good car for a good price
I had a Kia Rio before the Kia Spectra .I diffently prefer the Spectra over the Rio.For the money you save, the purchase was well worth it. You can not beat the warranty and reliability of this car!
Don't Do it
I got a brand new 2002 Kia Spectra. And b/f I was off the lot a headlight was out, it should have been an omen. The windows never worked right, and there was a weird knocking when it rained. And, the alternator was going after only 6 years. Last week, the transmission just went out! We were not going anywhere. $2000.00 worth of repairs on a car with only 136000 miles on it. I have a Subaru Impreza with 196000 miles on it that is 13 years old that is still working great! I only got 400.00 for the car b/c it was just so broken down! My two cents is if you want a car that will give you your moneys worth, buy a Subaru. I had only paid the car off one year b/f it died. Never again!
A great car
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.
not bad, for the price
I've had this car since August of 2002 and so far, I haven't had any major problems. The only problem I did have with the car is due to a mistake I strongly suspect the dealership made last time I had it serviced. Overall, though, it's been reliable and efficient. The interior is a little cheap, but this is an economy car, so that's to be expected. The outside is sharp. And the car is quite reliable.
She's snarky, but a good friend.
It was my first car, and I was pleased. It worked, and the warranty is phenomenal. My power window motors were constantly iffy, but that's small potatoes - it drove, and drove consistently. The dash and what have you are fairly boring. The CD player developed an interesting quirk where it sucks the cd back in when you eject it before you can grab it. That was fun. But it was a dang good value with cruise control to boot. Keep up on the maintenance and she'll behave. She is snarky; it never let me get too attached emotionally. But it was there for me.
not so reliable
transmission replaced at 14000 miles, exhaust system replaced at 16000 miles, at 28000 my radiator decided it had enough and blew a hole. overheated and shut the car off before I could pull over to the side of the road. otherwise its good.
Kia Spectra: The New Yugo?
The Spectra brings the word cheap back to the world of inexpensive cars. From fit and finish issues to gas mileage that rivals an SUV, the Spectra was amazing in its capability to miss every expectation we had for it. Those expectations were not high, but we had been given hope after our Focus and Echo. The engine was loud and every bump was felt through the cheap seats. The car did start each time it was asked, a point that typically goes unnoticed in cars today. It is difficult to say anything else that could be considered positive.
Not to Shabby
I bought this car w/ 49000 and now have 100000. I have had two wrecks with it and it looks terrible from the outside but I dont care since im a poor college kid. I love the fact that it has no auto locks, auto transmission, or power windows bc ALL of those features eventually go out so that was a plus for me. Of course great on gas, little to no maintenance, and great leg room being that I am 6'5". I have slept in it on numerous occasions on vacations with the seats folded down and is doable. At 98,000 my fuel pump went out and it cost me about $100 for me to replace myself. Timing belt lasted until 98,000 until i replaced it myself-$40. Fuel pump got clogged very early-$15
Love my kia
Best and only car I have ever owned
No way, no how
Window motor replace, cruise control replace, transmission rebuild by 10,000 miles. Second transmission rebuild (the day after 5 yr warranty was up) gear shaft replaced incorrectly by dealership(and almost killed us) and a new starter by 40,000 miles. KIA would not help us, they were very rude and when our gear shaft fell out, we waited at the side of the road for 5 hrs waiting for them to send a tow. HORRIBLE customer service. And everything is high priced to replace. I'm talking about a bolt costing $270. Before labor. It seemed like a good deal, but we have spent the buying price in repairs. Spend the extra $ for a different car. I have been broke ever since we got it. no way no how.
Good Value
The car runs great I haven't had any problems yet. The warranty is killer. I use the car as a second vehicle. I would recommend this car tomy friends and family.
Not a Bad Econobox
not bad at all for the price. Haven't had any major problems or any mechanical problems with the car. I drive a lot, and i mean a lot. pushing 30000 in just 6 months of driving. However, i have had a lot of minor annoyances with the car. Such as the stereo didn't match the Sticker, the Back seat doesn't latch correctly, the Truck Release is flaky at best. Overall Though its a good deal for the money.
Big Value
Koreans are trying hard to nitch their way into the Japanese market. The 2002 Spectra is a vast improvement to their initial attempts and seems to be on par with Hyundai. For the money, I couldn't find a better deal. I think Kia is doing what Honda did in the early 80's. I hope they succeed.
WORTH THE BENJAMINS!!
LOOKIN' AT THE PRICE I'M THINKIN' "MAMA MIA" I GOTS TO GET MYSELF INSIDE THIS LITTLE KIA TAKE IT FOR A RIDE "IS THAT CARMEN ELECTRA?" NO! THAT'S JUST MY REFLECTION IN THIS LITTLE KIA SPECTRA IT MAY NOT TOP THE LIST BUT IT BOTTOMS OUT THE PRICE SO IF YOU LOOKIN' 'ROUND FOR A RIDE THAT'S REALLY NICE HOP INTO THE KIA AND TAKE A LITTLE SPIN CUZ THE RIDE VS THE PRICE WILL BE WORTH THE BENJAMINS!
Nice car
This is a very nice car, especially for the price. Compared to other car manufactures, you can get a lot of the same comparable features/options for a lot cheaper price.
Like it all but the tires!
The car is peppy, looks different than other cars out there. I think that it is quicker than our 2002 Subaru GT Wagon. The main drawback is the poor quality stock tires. The tires wiggle just some shutting the doors. I can feel them flex too much in freeway driving. I want to replace them with quality tires and maybe slightly bigger wheels as soon as possible.
It's a college student car but not!!!
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!!!
Love this car!
I have had this car for a month now and I was able to get it at a great price! I absolutely love everything about it, especially the style! I am very pleased with this car and everytime I look at it, I am proud to say I own it!
nice little car
I have had this 2002 spectra for several years and it has performed well with very few issues. There are some basic issues that I have not fixed but do not cause a problem, such as a shock housing that allows the shock to rattle a bit. It not very powerful but for small city driving its fine and a bit fun. Not the most comfortable, it is a cheep car. Turning on the air conditioner will result is a noticeable pull on the engine. The interior is ok to look at but is mostly hard plastic. Starting in 2011 the summer heat from in the south has cause the plastic parts inside to start failing, things just randomly break or fall off or appear to disintegrate. Just replace belt for $600.
Great car
Its a great car I've have'nt had any problems I love the car.
A solid bargain
Best car for the value, by far. On par with the Mitsubishi Gallant S I trade in for it. The warranty is a big plus. The ride is great, sound system superior to what I had with the Gallant. A pleasure to drive.
2002 Kia Spectra
Purchased in Jan 2001 solely as a commutter mobile...30000+ a year going from Baltimoire to Falls Church, VA all at 32+MPG for an automatic! Not the sportiest thing on the road but get me from point A to point B
Spectra LS is a great car...
I have just under 30,000 miles on it.I paid about $16,000 for this car and I got all of the goodies, Cruise, power windows and locks, XM radio. Another great thing that I like about the Kia's that most do not know Alpine makes their radios.Also I have had very little problems with my car.The most major problem that I had was the Cruise control switch broke,and it was not because of poor quality,but rather me letting others drive it on vacation and them not knowing how to use the switches and they broke one off.I am extremely rough on my car and It is still going very strong for highway passing. So it is fun to drive and alot of "Bang for your buck".
Fun, Fun, Fun...
Car is fun, sporty, and affordable. With 17" aftermarket wheels, no one knows I spent as little as I did for a sharp looking and very reliable vehicle. Does the warranty get any better?
9 years and still going strong
I have over 123,000 miles on the car and have had no major repairs, except while under warranty it was discovered that I had a faulty transmission. It was replaced immediately. I agree with an earlier post that repairs, tires, brakes, even windshield wipers are more expensive than they should be. My pain has begun fading as well, but it's been 9 yrs. since I bought it. Very reliable.
Great Car
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.
This is really a good car!
I just drove it about 600 miles. I had no aches or pains when done- a major achievement on a 9 hour drive. The 5 speed is so responsive and I had no trouble at all with hills- even gained acceleration easily when needed. This is truely a lot of car for very little money.
Horrible VEhicle
I have had nothing but trouble with this car. It was built cheaply. It shakes and rattles and every month I seem to have to pay for something to get fixed. Warranty is horrible. Wheels and brakes defective! I've had them fixed several times and they continue to cause me problems. It can only get worse.
I am impressed
I bought my Spectra 5 months ago. I didn't expect much, considering the price I paid for it, but I am finding I really like it, and would seriously consider buying another Kia when the time comes. The inside is very comfortable, with thoughtfully arranged controls. My only complaint so far, is the paint job. My Kia seems to have a "bullseye" on it, as it has been "dinged" three major times in parking lots. Each time, I notice that the paint is flaking rather alarminly well beyond where the actual damage is! Also, the tires that come standard on it (Hankook) are really a joke. I've already replace them, and am much happier with the overall handling.