Dirt cheap cars sold me a car that wont pass inspection
2003 Kia Spectra body problems
11 complaints (12% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 104,000.
- owner complaints
- 11
- of this car's complaints
- 12%
- typical mileage
- 104,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Body2
- Body: hatchback/liftgate1
- Body: bumpers1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Kia Spectra body problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2003 Kia Spectra owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I bought a car from a used dealer and I was informed that it had no frame damage but I took it to two garages and both garages informed me that there was frame damage front and back and the one garage I took it to said that they were aware of the frame damage
The dash, where it meets the windshield, has curled up and detached from the defroster vent on the driver side. The plastic defroster vent is also crumbling from being exposed to the sun. I can't believe how cheap of materials was used for this.
2003 kia spectra. Never been in a wreck. Power windows fail to work. A couple months ago, the passenger side window came off the track, and the in-door assembly had crumbled within the door. Took getting an entire assembly to repair the window. Today, the driver's side window does not open. Motor still works. A clicking sound can be heard as it runs, but it is not gripping the window to lower it. (still not repaired).
Driver's door window regulator fails causing window to slide down track into the door. The power regulator raises and lowers the window with a metal wire running through plastic guides on a metal track. The ends of the wire are capped inside a plastic bracket to which the window is attached. These plastic parts wear and crack causing the wire to come loose thus preventing the window from being held up.
The front panel in the consumer's 2003 kia spectra made noise. *nm the consumer had several problems concerning the vehicle. The drivers seat belt was broken, driver and passenger doors were inoperative, faulty speaker, the vehicle would not move forward or in reverse, there would be a clicking sound if it was forced, the vehicle would not accelerate over 30 MPH for 10 minutes.
Front bumper cover coming loose on 2003 kia spectra with 38,050 miles. Due to the cover coming loose, the inside plastic wheel well also came loose and rubbed against front tire damaging both the tire and the the plastic wheel well. Vehicle has never been in an accident and shows no signs of structural damage per kia dealer and outside mechanic. Kia refuses to repair under warranty claiming that the front bumper cover coming loose and causing this problem is an "adjustment issue". The outside mechanic and I believe this is a not an adjustment issue, rather a manufacturers defect and a likely safety issue. Should the plastic wheel well have came loose on the highway it is possible that the friction created from it rubbing against the tire could have increased the tire temperature in such a way that could have LED to catastrophic front tire failure. I would like this matter corrected by the dealership as part of their (ironically) bumper to bumber warranty.
Tether anchors: child seat rear tether can not be installed/used properly on hatch back model. The hatch cover, anchor location, and cargo prevent the tether remaining snug. The hatch cover pushes on the tether, loosening the strap. The anchors position make it impossible to load, transport or unload cargo without coming into contact with the tether and causing it to loosen. The owner's manual cautions against using a tether in the middle seating position (recommended position for child safety seats) because the tether could slip between the split seats, again causing slack and preventing the tether from helping hold the child seat secure.
The vehicles windshield wipers failed intermittently. The dealer replaced the windshield motor yet the problem persisted. *nlm the door was misaligned, rear lights were inoperative, snow had gotten into the rear seat(s), the vehicle leaked, seat belts were inoperative, click noise in the wipers when on a low speed, pulling noise in the engine per mechanic, and pulling when shifted. Scc
The back passenger seat belts were not long enough to hold a 135 pound passenger. *nlm the door was misaligned, rear lights were inoperative, snow had gotten into the rear seat(s), the vehicle leaked, seat belts were inoperative, click noise in the wipers when on a low speed, pulling noise in the engine per mechanic, and pulling when shifted. Scc
Questions about the 2003 Kia Spectra body
Does the 2003 Kia Spectra have body problems?
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the body of the 2003 Kia Spectra, 12% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2003 Kia Spectra body problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 104,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Kia Spectra body?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
Other 2003 Kia Spectra problems
Brakes 18Transmission 16Engine 14Airbags 11Visibility 10Electrical 9Seat belts 9Lights 7Fuel system 5Steering 4Acceleration 3Seats 3Suspension 3Locks 2Wheels 2Tires 1
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