Used 2004 Kia Spectra Consumer Reviews
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Cars!!Cars!!Everywhere, Cars!!!
Junior, 07/04/2005
2004 Kia Spectra EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I love my spectra. I'm 6'1 and fit in it perfectly. My friends range from 6' to 6'5 and fit in the back seats perfectly. There is a little dash rattle, but my music is normally high enough to where I don't recognize it. This is one of my first cars and I love it more than all of the others.
Not the best
Unhappy, 11/28/2005
2004 Kia Spectra LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Unless you get a newer model Kia, they are not one tenth as safe as they are supposed to be.
No Brainer
Mike, 11/04/2006
2004 Kia Spectra EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
We bought this car with a considerable rebate, and to date it is an excellent value. Outside of a couple of minor trim issues on the inside, and malfunctioning of an interior warning light which were promptly fixed, the car has been no problem whatsoever. The car looks nice, is comfortable, and does what it is supposed to do. With the warranty, it is a no brainer.
Best 1st Car I Could Have Ever Asked For!!
Sid, 11/26/2016
2004 Kia Spectra LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
My mom bought this car new in 2004 and it has been in our family of five ever since Nov 2016. She passed the car along to me in 2012 and I am forever grateful to have been able to call this car mine. We put well over 260,000 miles on this car and I think that the car has definitely served it's purpose. Parts were always reasonably cheap and repairs were not much of an issue. However, in it's last years we were experiencing transmission issues (the car would jerk really hard and not switch gears properly). We also had problems with the odometer which would pick and choose whenever it wanted to tell us how fast or slow we were traveling. But other than those issues, the car was great and got us to and from our destinations safely. I recently bought the 2017 Kia Forte (the Spectra's replacement) because I love Kia so much and I could not be happier with it's performance.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Made ME a Kia Spectra convert!
R R Keogh, 09/07/2018
2004 Kia Spectra GS 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I would not likely have shopped for a Kia, but picked it up cheaply from a friend, & I have been pleasantly surprised. The dashboard has warped some in the Arizona heat, & there have been a couple of electrical issues I've since discovered are common with this year's make/model, but for reliability & performance, it is recommended.
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- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
High gas use
Martha, 08/31/2009
2004 Kia Spectra LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 2 people found this review helpful
I love this car but it uses a lot of gas. I take very good care of the car and go every 3 months for oil change and maintenance. When I drive long distance I get 32 miles a gallon and that is nice but most of the time I drive it in town not more that 8 miles each time and I get only 18 miles a gallon.
I bought a Lemon
Garcia, 03/22/2006
2004 Kia Spectra LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 2 people found this review helpful
This would have been great, especially for the price. Unfortunately, I bought a lemon. The car needed an alignment when we test drove it. That should have been a sign. But we liked the car and what it had to offer compared to the other compact cars. So that was the first thing wrong with this car. The O-2 sensor has gone out twice in the car. The odometer messed up so the whole dash had to be replaced. Countless times the check engine light has come on supposedly because the gas cap was not closed right. When you'd think we'd learn the by the second time how to put on a gas cap. Now to top it off right now our car is in the shop because the transmission needs to be replaced. LEMON!
Cleaned out my wallet
Bernice, 04/23/2010
2004 Kia Spectra 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
We bought this Spectra used at 32,000. Following year we put in a new clutch. We had 4 CV joints put in and now the Rack and Pinion is gone. Car is at 64000 miles. The dealership wants $1200 to replace. Called Kia and they offered no help. Have spent tons of money on this car and it always makes funny noises. I found a friend to replace rack with a used one for $250.00. I am stuck with this car for now but would never buy anything from KIA.
Love my little imported sports car
flipper, 04/29/2004
2004 Kia Spectra LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
We went on a 1400 mile trip with 300 hundred pounds of luggage and still got great gas mileage. This baby has more pep than my S10 BLAZER(V6)ever had. We are very satisfied.
The Totally Redesigned Kia Spectra !!!!
BaboonKikLore, 06/15/2004
2004 Kia Spectra EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
The new cars that Kia is releasing are the best, like the All-New Spectra, Amanti and Sorento. The Spectra has more power than the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. I recommend it to the people who want a peace of mind, comfort and best of all great gas mileage.
Amazing Car
LoveMyKia, 07/17/2004
2004 Kia Spectra LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
I had a 2000 VW Beetle that I traded in for my brand new Kia. The VW was a piece of TRASH and this kia is, in one word, amazing. The build quality, performance, and everything else far surpassed the VW. It is near silent on the freeway, it has SIX airbags, and yes, it's FAST. Don't waste your money on honda, toyota, or vw, Kia is by far the best way to go. Plus it's guaranteed for 10 years, who else can do that?
Kia rocks after 5 or 6 Toyotas
Pontiacprince, 11/09/2004
2004 Kia Spectra LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
Much better quality than any of the Toyota Corollas I've had over the years.Bought i for the many extras at a much lower price than Honda or Toyot was charging for similar vehicle.Gas Mileage is not the best..average 25-27 in city.Car seems heavy at times.Seats need another few inches extension for comfort.Very smooth and ideal on open highways.
Great New Model!
R. Jones, 11/29/2004
2004 Kia Spectra LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
We traded in our gas guzzler Dodge Ram Van 1500 for the new Spectra! I just figured I would be giving up power for gas mileage. The Spectra completely changed my mind. It has plenty of power! I have a lead foot and will not look the other way when someone is wanting to see what my car has, this one really gives great performance! It is priced thousands less than the competitors (ION, Civic), and you get more power or room, or both than the others. The only other car to really compare it to is the Accent...YUK! It has some road noise, but no more than expected from a compact. Lots of room for a smaller car.
2004 KIA SPECTRA EX
Agram, 07/31/2005
2004 Kia Spectra EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
2004 KIA SPECTRA EX Automatic. Bought May 2004 in Lodi, CA good buying experience. Good gas saver. Comfortable. Lazy automatic transmission. After just 10.000 miles my speedometer is dead. I ordered part; they say 7 to 10 days.
Don't trust their warranty
suckered, 07/18/2006
2004 Kia Spectra GS 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
They have two maintenance schedules. No one tells you that you are under the severe schedule until you need the warranty. Transmission failed at 38K. Kia won't cover because we didn't have the transmission fluid changed at 30K per the severe schedule. Normal schedule says look at fluid and replace if needed all the way to 105K. No customer support! No dealership support! A private transmission repair shop states that the fluid is fine & that the failure is due to part failure. Kia doesn't rebuild transmissions, they replace the whole thing and keep many in stock just for this reason. I think Kia is trying to avoid a recall. Wish superman would come to our rescue.
2004 Kia Spectra
kwitcherbytchn, 03/31/2007
2004 Kia Spectra EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
This is my second new car. I bought it for the warranty. And now I regret it. The gas mileage is horrible. I'm lucky to get 25 mpg. I had a Saturn and was getting 31 mpg. The trans kicks when accelerating, it makes funny noises on and off.