2008 Kia Amanti Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2008 Kia Amanti. The contact stated there were several failures with the clockspring assembly feature causing the horn and cruise control to become inoperable. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was also illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic confirmed the failure with the clockspring assembly. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.

NHTSA ID

11472547

Incident

May 25, 2021

Mileage

68,000 mi

[XXX] This was a persistent problem since the car was new; yet, undiscovered by the dealer after their examination. Continued complaint produced no result. Engineer's analysis: Rear Sway Bar End Linkage is designed to rotate during a (leaning outward) pitched road cornering and the resulting torsional forces on the frame. Both rear shock absorbers interfere with the travel of the Sway Bar end linkage during their designed rotational dynamic range. This interference of rotation destroys the shock absorber by repetitive striking and inhibits full functional rotation of the sway bar and end linkage. A mechanic (Jig-Saw Auto; Carson City, Nevada 06/24/2021) replaced damaged shocks hoping to fix the problem; but, it did not. When another mechanic (Les Schwab North Carson City, NV 06/30/2021) put the KIA car on a lift, and discovered the problem a quote was given for a repair of the new shocks which were now damaged. When, by chance, a licensed engineer (yours truly) examined the area, the design flaw was discovered. Replacement of parts would result in damage to parts from the design flaw. --[XXX] , Licensed P.E. in CA and IL. [XXX] cell ph. On Behalf of Dr.[XXX] DDS. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

11423020

Incident

Jun 30, 2021

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA AMANTI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE DOES NOT OPERATE EVERYDAY THE BATTERY WILL RUN DEAD. THE SUNROOF WILL INDEPENDENTLY OPEN. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC PANEL FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW ELECTRONIC PANEL WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTION THAT ON ANOTHER OCCASION WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH A DEER AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO INJURIES TO EITHER DRIVER OR PASSENGER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE DAMAGE OF THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,500.

NHTSA ID

11317044

Incident

Mar 9, 2010

Mileage

2,500 mi

POWER SIDE VIEW MIRRORS ARE MOVING WHILE DRIVING OR WHEN SHIFTING TRANSMISSION FROM PARK TO REVERSE/NEUTRAL/DRIVE. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS WHEN I GO TO LOOK OUT THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS THEY ARE CONSTANTLY IN A DIFFERENT POSITION THEN HOW THEY SHOULD BE SET. I'M CONSTANTLY ADJUSTING THE MIRRORS AND THEY CONTINUE TO MOVE ALL OVER THE PLACE ON THEIR OWN.

NHTSA ID

11124384

Incident

Sep 4, 2018

Mileage

72,000 mi

THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE WILL MOVE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT A COMMAND. TOO OFTEN WHEN I WANT TO CHANGE LANES, THE MIRROR IS NOT IN THE CORRECT POSITION. DANGEROUS

NHTSA ID

10745532

Incident

Aug 1, 2013

Mileage

40,000 mi

LEFT AND RIGHT OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRRORS SELF ADJUSTING AGAIN!! DEALER TOLD US WHEN THEY FIXED IT THE LAST TIME THAT THIS PART WAS RE-ENGINEERED AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM AGAIN. THE FIX WORKED UP UNTIL NOW AND HERE WE ARE AGAIN!!!! HAVEN'T CONTACTED THE DEALER YET.

NHTSA ID

10734818

Incident

Jul 10, 2015

Mileage

110,000 mi

OUTSIDE RIGHT AND LEFT REARVIEW MIRRORS SELF ADJUSTING. INSTALLED YET ANOTHER NEW MEMORY SWITCH #88995 3F200

NHTSA ID

10734813

Incident

Mar 22, 2013

Mileage

60,125 mi

LEFT AND RIGHT OUTSIDE MIRRORS ADJUSTING ON THEIR OWN ALL THE TIME!! DEALER SPECIAL ORDERED PARTS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM. NEW PARTS WERE INSTALLED ON 1/24/13.

NHTSA ID

10734812

Incident

Jan 14, 2013

Mileage

59,856 mi

OUTSIDE LEFT AND RIGHT MIRRORS SELF ADJUSTING. DEALER REPLACED BOTH MIRRORS THIS TIME ON 9/07/12

NHTSA ID

10734808

Incident

Aug 27, 2012

Mileage

51,900 mi

OUTSIDE LEFT AND RIGHT REARVIEW MIRRORS SELF ADJUSTING. DEALER INSTALLED ANOTHER NEW MEMORY SEAT SWITCH

NHTSA ID

10734806

Incident

Dec 12, 2011

Mileage

43,118 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT 40MPH THE TRANSMISSION MADE A HARD SHIFT...THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE JUMP. DEALER SAID THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THEY WOULD ONLY DRIVE IT AROUND THE BLOCK.

NHTSA ID

10734804

Incident

Dec 12, 2011

Mileage

43,118 mi

LEFT AND RIGHT REARVIEW MIRRORS ADJUSTING ON THEIR OWN. DEALER REMOVED AND REPLACED SEAT CONTROL SWITCH. DEALER COULDN'T DUPLICATE PROBLEM ON PREVIOUS VISIT ON 9/03/10 AND TOLD US TO BRING IT BACK AS SOON AS IT HAPPENED AGAIN.

NHTSA ID

10734800

Incident

Oct 2, 2010

Mileage

25,023 mi

MIRRORS ADJUSTING RANDOMLY ON THEIR OWN.

NHTSA ID

10734799

Incident

Jul 3, 2010

Mileage

22,915 mi

I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE LOW BEAM HALOGEN BULBS 4X IN THE LAST TWO YEASR. THESE BULBS ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN THE AFTERMARKET AUTO PARTS STORES....HAVE TO PURCHASE FROM LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THEY NEVER HAVE THESE BULBS IN STOCK, ALWAYS HAVE TO ORDER AND USUALLY TAKES 3-4 DAYS. JUST REPLACED BOTH THE LEFT & RIGHT ON 01/26/15 AND THE RIGHT BULB BURNED OUT AGAIN YESTERDAY 4/26/1/5.....EXACTLY 4 MONTHS.....NOT ACCEPTABLE KIA!!!! THE PARTS MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THEY'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS HAPPENING NOT ONLY IN THE AMANTI, BUT IN OTHER MODELS AS WELL. SO FAR BOTH BULBS THAT WERE REPLACED ON 4/26/15 ARE STILL WORKING.

NHTSA ID

10734794

Incident

Feb 26, 2015

Mileage

99,000 mi

2008 KIA AMANTI. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BRAKE PADS ISSUE AND CONSUMER REQUESTS EXPLANATION OF WHO DETERMINES VEHICLE MODEL YEAR. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED ON OCTOBER 12, 2013, HE HAD THE BRAKE PADS REPLACED. THE MECHANIC ORDERED 2008 PADS AND FOUND THEY DID NOT FIT. HE CHECKED THE INFORMATION ON THE DECAL AFFIXED TO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE, THE OWNER'S MANUAL, WARRANTY AND CONSUMER'S INFORMATION MANUALS AND ALL OF THEM SHOWED THE VEHICLE TO BE A 2007 MODEL BUILT IN KOREA IN MAY 2007. THE MECHANIC THEN EXCHANGED THE PADS FOR 2007 AND INSTALLED THEM WITHOUT A PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THAT MANY VEHICLES, WERE BUILD IN PREVIOUS YEARS. UPDATED 01/22/14

NHTSA ID

10559886

Incident

Oct 12, 2013

WHILE DRIVING, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE MIRRORS WILL READJUST AT RANDOM. THIS NOT ONLY MASHED CHANGING LANES UNSAFE, BUT ADDS AN UNNEEDED DISTRACTION TO SET THEM BACK TO A USABLE POSITION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10547735

Incident

Oct 3, 2013

Mileage

63,142 mi

FIRST NOTICED PROBLEM WHEN MERGING ONTO INTERSTATE. THE DRIVERS SIDE MIRROR WAS POINTING DOWN SO I ADJUSTED IT WHILE ACCELERATING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. ONCE THE MIRROR WAS IN PLACE I SWITCHED THE MIRROR SELECTOR SWITCH TO THE CENTER NEUTRAL POSITION. THE MIRROR IMMEDIATELY STARTED MOVING ON ITS OWN AND ENDED UP POINTING TOWARD THE SKY. I HAD A NEAR MISS WITH A SMALL CAR IN MY BLIND SPOT. EVEN BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL MORE NEAR MISSES. THE DEALERSHIP SIMPLY DISCONNECTS THE BATTERY FOR A FEW MINUTES AND SENDS ME ON MY WAY. THIS FIXES THE PROBLEM FOR A FEW HOURS BUT IT ALWAYS COMES BACK. BOTH SIDE MIRRORS ARE DOING THE SAME THING BUT THE DRIVERS SIDE IS MORE AFFECTED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10511532

Incident

Jan 15, 2013

Mileage

71,000 mi

THIS IS THE 2ND TIME FOR THE SAME ISSUE (MILEAGE 17900) -PREVIOUS ISSUE WAS JULY 2012. DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE-CAR SUDDENLY LOOSES POWER DOWN TO IDLE ONLY SPEED. FORTUNATELY, THEN & TODAY NO TRACTOR TRAILERS RAN OVER TOP OF THE CAR. COULD MANGE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OUT OF THE WAY. KIA IS OBVIOUSLY NOT FIXING THIS POSITION SENSOR/COMPUTER PROBLEM. DRIVING THE CAR IN LIMP MODE TO A GARAGE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS MUST GET UP TO 25MPH THEN USE THE CRUISE CONTROL-IN TRAFFIC IT IS OFF & ON.START & STOP. BE FOREWARNED YOU SHOULD FORCE KIA TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. I AWAIT YOUR RESPONSE. I SEE SOMEONE ELSE HAS PUT IN A COMPLAINT-I WONDER HOW MANY OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE NOT COMPLAINED. (LIKE MY FIRST EXPERIENCE). *TR

NHTSA ID

10511154

Incident

May 8, 2013

Mileage

24,465 mi

HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR SINCE I PURCHASED IT ON 12/14/12. IT IS A 'SHIFTING/GEAR/TRANSMISSION ISSUE. ITS A 4 YR OLD CAR, BOUGHT FROM DEALER-KIA OF BEDFORD, OH. THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP COMES ON AFTER TRYING TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE, AND THE CAR WON'T MOVE(ITS REVS IN PLACE LIKE ITS IN NEUTRAL). 1) 1ST WORK ORDER, DONE ON 1/3/13, WAS TO REPLACE THE 'FRONT WIRING ASSEMBLY'HARNESS AND ELECTRICAL LED LIGHT ASSEMBLY. 2) 2ND WORK ORDER, DONE ON 1/18/13, REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION INHIBITOR SWITCH AND CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH... 3)THE 3RD PROBLEM HAS JUST OCCURRED YESTERDAY, 1/28/13. SAME ISSUE, I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, GOING INTO 'DRIVE' AND LOST THE 'SHIFTING/ACCELERATION' CAPABILITY. PUT CAR BACK INTO PARK FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN TRIED AGAIN AND THE 'GEAR' POPPED INTO 'DRIVE'. BEEN HAPPENING INTERMITTENTLY SINCE YESTERDAY. THE 'MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP' HAS REMAINED ON SINCE THIS 3RD INCIDENT ON 1/28/13. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE FIXABLE. THERE IS A BASIC WARRANTY THAT IS STILL ACTIVE ~ 7 MONTHS OR @18,000 MILES LEFT! *TR

NHTSA ID

10495032

Incident

Jan 28, 2013

Mileage

42,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA AMANTI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED HOWEVER, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE SHOULDER STRAP OF THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN THE PASSENGER. AS A RESULT, THE PASSENGER STRUCK HER HEAD ON THE WINDSHIELD AND SUSTAINED NECK INJURIES. IN ADDITION, THE PASSENGER SUFFERED FROM AN ECHOING AND ROARING INSIDE HER HEAD. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

NHTSA ID

10480113

Incident

Sep 23, 2012

Mileage

55,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA AMANTI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE VIEW MIRRORS MOVED AND WOULD NOT STAY IN PLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO ASSIST HER AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CONTINUE REARRANGING THE MIRRORS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT HER AT A LATER DATE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000. UPDATED 10/16/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. UPDATED 10/18/2012 *JS

NHTSA ID

10472794

Incident

Jul 5, 2012

Mileage

35,000 mi

WHEN ADJUSTING THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS THEY JUST START MOVING ON THEIR OWN ...SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING .. AND IT'S DANGEROUSE ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY MOVE WITHOUT U REALIZING AND YOU GO TO CHECK THEM AND THEY ARE ALL WEIRD SO YOU HAVE TO ADJUST THEM WHILE DRIVING .. ONCE YOU'VE ADJUSTED ONE THE OTHER ONE WILL MOVE FOR NO REASON.. *TT

NHTSA ID

10462496

Incident

Feb 1, 2011

Mileage

30,000 mi

AT 65 MPH ON A BUSY FREEWAY -WITHOUT ANY WARNING, ENGINE DIED TO IDLE SPEED AND NO POWER. TRY CROSSING 3 LANES OF FAST TRAFFIC WITH NO POWER AND RAPID DECELERATION ! FORTUNATELY NO IMPACTS BUT SOME TERRIBLE NEAR MISSES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED . THE CODE WAS P2135 -THROTTLE POSITION SWITCH FAILED.THAT CAUSED P2106 &P1295 "LIMP HOME MODE"-WHICH SHOULD BE CHANGED TO " KILLED IN ACTION(KIA) WHILE LIMPING MODE". IF YOU CHECK THE INTERNET, THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM ACROSS A RANGE OF KIA AND HYUNDAI VEHICLES.THERE ARE TSB'S FOR IT.JUST SEARCH "2135 KIA" OR P2135 HYUNDAI". THE RETAIL PRICE FOR THE TSB REPAIR IS ONLY $165. IT REQUIRES REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE TPS AND A REFLASH OF THE ECM. IT IS FREE UNDER WARRANTY. WHY NOT MAKE THIS A RECALL? THE DEFECT IS WIDESPREAD,EASY AND CHEAP TO REPAIR AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY -WHY NOT A RECALL? DEALER WAS EXCELLENT .FIXED THE PROBLEM -THEY WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10442598

Incident

Jan 4, 2012

Mileage

13,200 mi

DRIVERS' MIRROR ADJUSTMENT/MEMORY SETTING: THE DRIVERS' MIRROR WILL START CLICKING/MOVING,WHEN I HIT THE REMOTE.WHEN THE MIRRORS TILT DOWN AFTER PUT IN REVERSE,THE DRIVER'S MIRROR WILL NOT RETURN BACK TO THE MEMORY SETTING,WHICH HAS TO BE RESET EVERYTIME,IN ORDER TO PROPERLY USE MIRRORS.I HAVE TURNED OFF THE MEMORY FOR THE MIRRORS,BUT THE MIRROR CONTINUES TO MOVE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10376285

Incident

Jan 11, 2011

FROM THE DAY I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE THE THROTTLE TIP HAS BEEN VERY AGGRESSIVE. I BARELY TOUCH THE GAS PEDAL AND THE CAR JUMPS FORWARD. I FEEL THIS COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT AND CAUSE POTENTIAL INJURY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10290514

Incident

Nov 12, 2008

Mileage

1,000 mi