Your vehicle report
2004 Kia Spectra
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 71
- Received Jul 2004 to Mar 2022
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips11 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbags fail to deploy in crashes10 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Unintended acceleration despite braking7 complaints · 9.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #11V256000Kia is recalling certain model year 2004-2007 spectra ld vehicles manufactured from november 7, 2003, through march 6, 2007, originally sold, or currently registered in, connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. There is a possibility that corrosion of the fuel tank straps which hold the tank may occur as a result of prolonged exposure to road salt. As a result of the corrosion, one or both straps may separate allowing the fuel tank to contact the ground and possibly disrupt the integrity of the tank.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 16 crashes, 1 fire, 9 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 7 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
- Airbags fail to deploy in crashes
- Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off
- Airbag warning light stays on
1 more problem
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 15 |
| 2005 | 16 |
| 2006 | 6 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2008 | 11 |
| 2009 | 4 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 4 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 71 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 11 | 15% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 10 | 14% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 7 | 9.9% | – | |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 5 | 7.0% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 4 | 5.6% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 4.2% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 3 | 4.2% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #11V256000April 25, 201158,322 vehicles affected
fuel system, other: storage: tank assembly: mounting
Kia is recalling certain model year 2004-2007 Spectra ld vehicles manufactured from november 7, 2003, through march 6, 2007, originally sold, or currently registered in, connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. There is a possibility that corrosion of the fuel tank straps which hold the tank may occur as a result of prolonged exposure to road salt. As a result of the corrosion, one or both straps may separate allowing the fuel tank to contact the ground and possibly disrupt the integrity of the tank.
The fuel tank Can fall from the vehicle and strike the ground which could cause a fuel leak. Leaking fuel Can create a fire hazard.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel tank straps and attaching hardware with new zinc coated parts. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on june 6, 2011. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2004 Kia Spectra.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN