RoadVitals

2004 Kia Spectra Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Mar 28, 2022
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
13%
of 71 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Kia Spectra submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistance
Filed Mar 28, 2022
Fire reported

The contact owns a 2004 Kia Spectra. The contact stated the cruise control feature was not operating properly. The contact stated while her boyfriend was driving and approaching a traffic light, when depressing on the brake pedal the vehicle failed to stop and accelerated independently to 80 mph. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to stop the vehicle by using the emergency brakes and parked on the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to her residence. The contact stated while inspecting the vehicle, they noticed the cruise cable was not in place was separate from the box. The contact also stated she saw the area was black/burned. The contact called local dealer and them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.

NHTSA ID
11458700
Incident
Mar 24, 2022
Mileage
121,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 14, 2009

THE CRUISE CONTROL UNIT WHEN ENGAGED IT ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN. OR IT TOLALLY DIS-ENGAGES ON ITS OWN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10283916
Incident
Sep 11, 2009
Mileage
115,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 28, 2008
Crash reported

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SPECTRA. WHILE SLOWING DOWN FOR A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE MAKES A LOUD NOISE AND ACCELERATES. THE CONTACT HAD TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE IN ORDER FOR THE FAILURES TO STOP. THE FAILURE BEGAN IN JANUARY OF 2008. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. ON NOVEMBER 9, 2008, WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH IN REVERSE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE CONTACT WAS UNINJURED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE BODY SHOP. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37,000. UPDATED 12/17/08.*LJ UPDATED 12/18/08. *JB

NHTSA ID
10250075
Incident
Nov 9, 2008
Mileage
28,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 5, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SPECTRA. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AUTOMATICALLY. THE VEHICLE CAN ONLY BE STOPPED BY BEING TURNED COMPLETELY OFF. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 34,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,600. UPDATED 03-19-08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE DEFECT. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED PROBLEM HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN. UPDATED 03/19/08 *TR

NHTSA ID
10220138
Incident
Oct 25, 2007
Mileage
33,600 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 15, 2006

ELECTRONIC SPEED CONTROL FAILS TO TURN ON OCCASIONALY.

NHTSA ID
10170880
Incident
Jul 15, 2006
Driver assistanceTransmission
Filed Oct 14, 2005

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HER TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO BE SLIPPING. SHE HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES TO BE EXAMINED. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM OCCURRED BETWEEN 20-40 MPH. THIS WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM BUT OCCURRED MORE FREQUENTLY. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE CONSUMER HAD TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER AND PLACE THE VEHICLE IN PARK THEN BACK TO DRIVE. EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A TEMPORARY FIX, THE VEHICLE WAS STILL HARD TO PULL OVER WHEN IN TRAFFIC. THE CONSUMER HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH KIA, AND THEY TOOK HER INFORMATION AND HAD THE DEALERSHIP CALL HER BACK. WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS AT THE DEALER, THEY SIMPLY EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, THEN GAVE IT BACK TO THE CONSUMER AND TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN FIND THAT IS WRONG. THE DEALERSHIP MADE THE UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN THEY TREATED HER LIKE SHE MADE UP THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER IS CONSIDERED APPLYING FOR THE LEMON LAW IN HER STATE. *AK (12/08/05) THE RPMS WOULD INCREASE BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO FASTER. KIA REPLACED THE COMPUTER BOARD IN RELATION TO THE TRANSMISSION. *SC UPDATED 1/25/2006 - *NM

NHTSA ID
10139671
Incident
Sep 3, 2004
Mileage
7,590 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 7, 2005

KIA SPECTRA 2004, CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEM OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *BF THE CONSUMER HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10113741
Incident
Mar 1, 2005
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 8, 2005

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE, SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. HOWEVER, MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
10111139
Incident
Nov 4, 2004
BrakesDriver assistanceSteering
Filed Sep 17, 2004

WHILE DRIVING AND UPON PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER EIGHT TIMES. ALSO, THERE WAS VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHICH MADE A BANGING NOISE. *AK *JB

NHTSA ID
10092639
Incident
Aug 23, 2004
Mileage
900 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .