2005 Kia Amanti Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe unpredictable throttle behavior: hesitation, lurching, sudden surges, and occasional loss of power, often occurring at low speed, from a stop, or when shifting out of reverse. Dealers frequently report being unable to duplicate the problem, and many complaints note that throttle body cleaning, sensor replacement, or control module updates did not resolve it. Secondary reports include a persistently lit air bag light and, on higher-mileage cars, transmission and front-end or rust-related suspension problems.

1. 1
   Vehicle speed control

   Hesitation, surging and lurching on acceleration

   • 43 complaints (52%)
   • median 52,000 mi at 5.5 yrs old (37 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2020

   Owners describe the car failing to respond when the accelerator is pressed, then surging or jumping forward abruptly, sometimes with the engine revving on its own. Several report the car lurching in parking lots or at stop lights, and some describe the vehicle dropping to low speed or losing power entirely before recovering. Complaints mention that dealers often could not reproduce the problem, and that throttle body cleaning, throttle position sensor or accelerator sensor replacement, or control module updates were tried with mixed results. Reported from very low mileage up to about 100,000 miles, with many complaints under 30,000 miles and no clear seasonal pattern.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the car from a stop, from reverse into drive, and at a steady cruise, and ask whether any throttle body, sensor or software work has been done. A scan tool check for stored throttle and pedal codes is worthwhile.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “In a parking lot while auto was in stationary position waiting for the lot machine to issue a ticket all of a sudden the car moved forward without me pressing the gas pedal. Perhaps when I pressed the brake pedal. Second occurrence, first not reported. Unknown why this dangerous situation occured”

   NHTSA complaint #11196144, filed 2019-04, 6 miles

   “We have had our 2005 Amanti into the dealership several times with complaints of sudden acceleration or jack rabbit type of starts. This problem has caused several near misses, but no wrecks so far. Each time we are told by the dealer that they can not duplicate the problem and no repair is made. The last time we took it in, we contacted the factory to get them to help. They kept the car for 4 days and still have not replicated the problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10319276, filed 2010-03, 52,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Air bag warning light stays on

   • 14 complaints (17%)
   • median 61,000 mi at 10.0 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • filed 2006–2022

   Complaints describe the air bag or SRS light staying illuminated with no prior impact, and in some cases reappearing after modules or sensors were replaced. Owners report dealers resetting the light, replacing the SRS module, or telling them the air bags still work, and several say the cause was never found. A few owners whose cars were later in a collision state that the air bags did not deploy. Reported across a wide mileage range, roughly 17,000 to 155,000 miles, and often present soon after purchase.

   What to check: Turn the ignition on and confirm the air bag light goes out after the self-test; ask for any SRS repair records and whether the light has been reset before.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Ever since I have owned the car, the airbag light has been on and does not go off until the car is off. The RPM gage has always been erratic when driving at normal speeds. The car lurches forward when at a stop light and while accelerating. The engine smells as if wires are burning and it seems increasingly hot, but the gage stays normal. The gas tank cannot be filled quickly, I have to trickle gas into the tank brake pads wear down constantly. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11120402, filed 2018-08, 70,000 miles

   “Since purchasing my 2005 Kia Amanti air bag light has been on; the vehicle has never experienced an impact which would cause the airbags to deploy neither have any of the airbag components ever been tampered with. The throttle control of the vehicle is extremely sporadic and often causes hesitation, lurching, no acceleration, and even loss of all power. I have had the dealership update the ECM and the tps replace but the problem still persisted. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10733468, filed 2015-07, 126,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Stalling or loss of engine power while driving

   • 17 complaints (20%)
   • median 93,000 mi at 9.5 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2021

   Complaints describe the engine cutting out at speed or at a stop, warning lights coming on, and the car sometimes failing to restart until towed. Owners report control module replacement, throttle cleaning, and diagnoses pointing to the accelerator pedal assembly or its housing, with repairs sometimes not lasting. Some say the car revs or lurches on startup. Reported from about 49,000 miles upward, with several cases above 90,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for any engine control module or accelerator pedal assembly service history, and check that the check engine light is off and no stored codes remain after a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving on interstate in my 2005 Kia Amanti and the car accelerated on it's own. Car speed increased and then just stopped. When I restarted the car, it started but when placed in drive car was completely immobile. Brought it in to Kia of kenner and was told that the throttle needed to be cleaned. Problem fixed, so I thought...next incident was driving and completely lost power in the middle of a busy intersection. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10359947, filed 2010-10, 93,000 miles

   “When driving the engine suddenly quits, the car jerks, and the accelerator does not work. I have to coast to the side of the road and restart the car. This is a huge safety issue since there is no warning before this happens. Another issue is the engine revving upon starting. I have to hold the brake firmly because the car will intermittently lurch either forward or back without warning. I have also had the car try to lurch forward at a stoplight. I have to keep the brake firmly depressed since it is an intermittent problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10610291, filed 2014-07, 131,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Harsh or delayed shifting, stuck in gear

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe hard or delayed shifts, the car seeming to stay in first gear and not accelerate, and jerking when moving between reverse and drive. Some link it to a brake light switch or stop lamp circuit, noting difficulty shifting out of park, and one owner references a transmission fluid application bulletin. Others report the engine quitting or stalling and needing a restart. Mostly between about 40,000 and 100,000 miles, with some reports at very low mileage.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test reverse-to-drive shifts and check that the brake lights work and the shifter moves freely out of park; ask whether the transmission fluid was changed per the bulletin's specification.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I read about recall on 2007 Kia Amanti and the stop lamp switch. It said could make it hard shift from park to gears. I own a 2005 Kia Amanti and yesterday afternoon after driving several hours with no problems, I started it out in reverse it was a semi hard shift then put into drive and it was a extremely hard shift. As well the check engine light came on. I also read about a software update that can be done but can not find how to preform the update.”

   NHTSA complaint #11269102, filed 2019-10, 265,457 miles

   “I began to notice that my car was jumping at stop lights on a city street; as if it wanted to accelerate when the brake was pushed. I went to start it one evening and the battery was completely dead. I got a jump and then noticed that the brake lights would not turn off. I had a friend check the brake light switch the following day and he stated that the switch was so loose that it fell into his hand. He tightened the switch so I could try and put a charge on the battery. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11120387, filed 2018-08, 70,000 miles
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Fuel odor, leaks or slow refueling at the tank

   • 16 complaints (19%)
   • median 23,200 mi at 4.1 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2021

   Complaints describe gasoline spilling near the rear wheel area during refueling, which one owner attributed to a stuck in-tank valve, and difficulty filling the tank at normal pump speed. Others report jerking or stumbling on acceleration that they connect to fuel delivery, with one owner told to fill the tank only halfway. Reported from roughly 35,000 to 70,000 miles, with one instance described as happening on hotter days.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Refuel the car during the test drive and watch for drips or pump shutoff issues, and ask whether the fuel tank valve or canister components have been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On window sticker states car should average 17 miles per gallon city, and 25 miles per gallon on highway. Over a nine month test which I kept a record of date, total miles on car, miles driven, total gas to refill tank, and miles per gallon the best mileage we got was 14.51 city. The best overall mileage was 17.55 miles and that was a trip to the coast. We took the car to the dealer and he claims that there is nothing wrong with the engine. This is my wife's car and we do not drive it that much because of the price of gas. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10162359, filed 2006-07, 3,390 miles

   “Car jerks uncontrollably when proceeding from any stopped position.. The car jerks causing great potential for a fatal accident. It only happens on hotter days.. Ridiculous Kia dealership in thornton, co wants me to only fill the tank up half way to avoid this problem, this car is under full warranty & was only 3 months of use before first reported problem. They call it vapor lock which sounds ridiculous.. It isn't vapor lock.”

   NHTSA complaint #10247396, filed 2008-10, 35,663 miles

Buying note. This model year draws repeated reports of inconsistent throttle response and an air bag light that often resists repair, so a thorough test drive plus a scan-tool check of stored codes is worth more than service records alone. On higher-mileage cars, inspect the front-end and underbody for rust and listen for steering or suspension noise before deciding.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.