2006 Kia Spectra problems
The 2006 Kia Spectra has 129 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (38%) concerns air bags. Next are fuel system (12%) and brakes (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 129 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 38% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 34 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 37 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 68,000 miles 102 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 32 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 5 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 10 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 12 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 14 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 15 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 6 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 3 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 3 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 102 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 68,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 56,000 miles (42 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 34 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 37 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 97% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2006 ranks 8th most-complained-about out of 10 model years of the Kia Spectra with enough data (57 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
My brother was in a automotive accident. He lost control of his vehicle hit a concrete median, his brakes stop working and his air bags didn't deploy. This is all stated in his police report. He was air lifted to the hospital where doctors inform the family he broke both his legs and arms. He had to have an operation in his skull to relieve pressure in his brain. As of now nothing has been correct.
After a minor accident where the car went in the ditch off the road the car caught fire and became rapidly engulfed in flames. What should have been a minor accident turned into a near fatality because of an aggressive fire. The driver had a medical emergency when pulling out of the driveway. The car crossed the road and entered the ditch directly across the driveway entrance. This should have been a walk away accident with minor or no damage to the car, but it burst into flames.
Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 60 MPH, the vehicle was involved in a side impact collision with another vehicle on normal road conditions. The passenger side airbag did not deploy. Four occupants in the vehicle sustained minor to moderate seatbelt injuries. All the occupants were wearing their seatbelts. A police report was taken. There were no warning prior to the incident. The vehicle was towed to a storage lot. The manufacturer was notified and sent an inspector to investigate.
Tl* - the contact called regarding the 2006 kia spectra. The contact stated that the passenger's side air bag light illuminated when there was a passenger in the front seat. The failure mileage was 14. This happened intermittently. The dealer had reprogrammed the computer, and changed the passenger's front seat, which had not resolved the problem. The manufacturer sent a representative to examine the vehicle, and the air bag light illuminated while a passenger was in the front seat. The current mileage was 1600.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 kia spectra. While driving approximately 35 MPH over a pothole, the vehicle stalled and would not restart. The contact called a family member who recommended the fuel shut off valve and the vehicle started again. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.