Tl* the contact owns a 2002 kia spectra. After opening the front driver and passenger side windows, they failed to close. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front driver side window needed a new motor. The vehicle was repaired. The technician confirmed that the front passenger side needed to be lubricated. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. In addition, the contact stated that after the vehicle was inspected, the technician stated that the lower control arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact also stated that when the brake pedal was depressed and there was an abnormal noise coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the rear brake drums needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 72,896.
2002 Kia Spectra brakes problems
15 complaints (16% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 63,000. 4 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 15
- of this car's complaints
- 16%
- typical mileage
- 63,000
- crashes
- 4
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Foundation components1
- Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Kia Spectra brakes problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Rear drum brake wheel cylinder leakage
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this preliminary evaluation to investigate allegations of rear drum brake wheel cylinder leakage in 2002 kia spectra vehicles.this investigation was prompted by kia?s early warning report to the agency for the first quarter of 2004, which contained a single field report that identified 13 incidents of wheel cylinder leakage in the subject vehicles.the subject vehicles are available in both 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback body styles.the same parts supplier provides wheel cylinders for both vehicle types, although their part numbers differ.these parts are used on all my2002-2004 spectra ?type-I? Vehicles manufactured through 12/30/2003.additionally, my2001-2005 kia rio vehicles built through 11/17/2004 use the same wheel cylinders as the subject spectra ?type-I? 4-door sedan.my2004 spectra ?type-ii? Vehicles, which started production on 12/8/2003, do not use the subject components as they are equipped with rear disc brakes.the manufacturer notified odi of one complainant whom alleged a crash caused by, ?inadequate brake system response,? Resulting in one person injured.however, it appears that multiple causal factors may have contributed to the crash incident and no single factor has been identified as the primary cause.in total, odi is aware of 5 consumer complaints, 1 field report, and 813 warranty claims related to the alleged defect in 2002 kia spectra vehicles.none of the complainants alleged degraded stopping performance or loss of braking capability caused by wheel cylinder leakage.to date, the complaint rate is 7.0 per 100,000 vehicles and the warranty rate is 1.13%.kia?s analysis of warranty return parts indicates a slow rate of fluid loss; tests showed a maximum fluid loss rate of 1 cc per 4000 brake applications (the master cylinder reservoir has a 134cc fluid capacity between the ?full? And the level at which the brake warning lamp is illuminated).kia testing of a vehicle equipped with a leaking wheel cylinder showed that after 100 stops from 100 km/h the pedal stroke increased 5%, pedal force increased 13%, and the braking distance increased 7% (51.7m vs. 48.1m) when compared to the same vehicle with a non-leaking wheel cylinder.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
PE04065
What 2002 Kia Spectra owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Driving at 35 MPH, slowing down approaching traffic light, pressed on brakes and had almost no tension. Nearly smashed directly into the person in front of me. Used both feet with all the pressure I could give to stop the car. Found out that the brake proportioning valve is leaking brake fluid leaving me with no brake fluid whatsoever. Very dangerous. The proportioning valve needs replacing. I have been filling up the brake fluid reservoir at least once a week. This is an incredibly dangerous situation to be in. Thousands of people have had this same problem, why has this not been assessed?
As I was about to stop down a steep hill my brakes gave away and jesus took the wheel is all I can say.brake came on no brake fluid .I get my oil changed every 3,000 miles it just leaks out as soon as I replace it. Mechanic for 40 years said never seen this happen on a car. The connector were the valves or connecting is leaking all the brake fluid out .
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 kia spectra. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the brakes failed. The contact stated that the brake pedal went completely to the floorboard. The contact added brake fluid to the vehicle however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that she noticed that the brake fluid was leaking out of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Car just caught on fire while driving. No caution lights came on. Fire started around the back tire of car, passenger rear. Possibly trunk. Have photos. Smoke quickly entered back seat area with only moments to stop and jump out before it went up in smoke.
2nd request. I have a 2002 kia spectra, ls. What I attributed to an engine surge since owning the car has turned out to be more serious and frightening. The gas and brakes pedals are too close, this was noticed by a mechanic and my daughter. When depressing either pedal, both are depressed at the same time. Depending on which one gets more pressure, that's the one that takes over. When parking in a handicap spot last week I was fortunate to be aiming at the space between the cars facing me. I managed to remove my foot in time to depress the brake before I went all the way through to the next lane behind the cars. This has happened many times. So far I've been fortunate enough to remove my foot and step on the brake before I was hit by another car, or I ran into them. The brake pedal is also crooked but that has nothing to do with their positions. I am a small person so I can't imagine how a person with larger feet can deal with this. Even my hiking shoes make the problem worse because they are wider. As a 73 yr. Old woman, I am still an able driver and not imagining this. It's terrifying and I've told my children if I'm ever killed in a car accident, that will no doubt be the cause. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Loss of brakes when air condition is on.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 kia spectra. The emergency brake has not worked properly since the vehicle was purchased in april 2002. The vehicle continued to move after the brake was engaged. On several occasions, the dealer stated that the brakes are fine and to pull a little harder. The failure mileage was 63,000.
On friday november 28, 2008 at 4:45pm, I was driving on state highway 58 by jenkins and rosedale highway in bakersfield, ca. I was going approximately 50 MPH and was approximately 50 yards from the vehicle in front of me. I had to slam on my brakes due to the car in front of my braking automatically, my brakes locked up and I was in a front end crash. Not only did my brakes lock up, but my duel sided air bags in my 2002 kia spectra which I have only owned for four months did not deploy. Luckily no one was badly injured but due to this incident my muscles are badly sore and bruised. The whole front end of my vehicle is destroyed and most importantly my headlights which are required by law to have, are shattered.
Three years ago while traveling down I-40 the cruise control stuck on the car, the brakes locked up. The car had climb to 90 MPH in a 65 before I realized what was happening. The only way to stop the car was to put the car in neutral and cut the engine. Thank the dear lord in heaven me and 2 other co-workers were not in heaven traffic that day. I had the car towed to kia in winston salem, nc where the mechanics are the only ones that had ever worked on that car at that time. They tried to say that it was an animal or someone must have touched the cable causing it to slip out of the groove which would cause the cruise control to stick. They flipped it back on and it worked fine until friday night, august 1, 2008 around 9:00 at night when me and my 10 yr old daughter was coming home from having dinner out. Again the cruise control stuck started accelerating with no way of stopping it and the brakes locked up. The car had climbed to 70 MPH in a 55 before I finally put it in neutral and cut the engine. The car has scared me twice now. I am scared that it will happened it again and next time we want be lucky. I am afraid this car may end up hurting us or someone else really bad. I complained to kia 3yrs ago they didn't care when the car was still under warranty and I sure don't see them caring now. Do you?
Questions about the 2002 Kia Spectra brakes
Does the 2002 Kia Spectra have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 15 complaints about the brakes of the 2002 Kia Spectra, 16% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2002 Kia Spectra brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 63,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Kia Spectra brakes?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Kia Spectra have bad brakes?
The Kia Spectra model years with the most brakes complaints are 2003 (18 complaints), 2002 (15 complaints) and 2005 (10 complaints).
Other 2002 Kia Spectra problems
Airbags 22Transmission 12Electrical 9Seat belts 8Visibility 8Acceleration 7Engine 6Body 5Steering 4Suspension 4Fuel system 3Lights 3Tires 3Seats 2Wheels 2Locks 1
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