2005 Kia Spectra Body and structure Problems
- Complaints
- 6about this part
- Share
- 6%of 103 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 76,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the body and structure of the 2005 Kia Spectra, 6% of the 103 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 76,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I own a Spectra 5. I am very happy with the car in most every aspect, but the front spoiler is not secured to the car properly. I tapped it on a parking curb once, and now it's completely falling off. My Kia dealer couldn't fix it and said I needed to go to the body shop. I went to a Kia body shop and they told me that it would be more than $700 to fix and there was no guarantee that the next time it caught on a parking curb or low dip in the road it wouldn't fall off again. …”
NHTSA complaint #10134756, filed 2005-08, 5,000 miles“One blinker light would flash faster then the other. The radio would randomly scan stations continuously. Battery would die. 9/28/2013 when vehicle was started, all the lights in the vehicle began flashing/blinking and the car made a buzzing sound. When key was removed the flashing and buzzing continued for a minute longer. After a jump start the car started, but the blinker lever would no longer go down to turn on left blinker. Later that day aaa tested the battery which was no longer holding a charge and had to be replaced. …”
NHTSA complaint #10586695, filed 2014-05, 100,000 miles“The chrome layer on the plastic door handles inside the vehicle is delaminating from the underlying plastic handles. The sharp edges pose a laceration hazard to the occupant when opening the door.”
NHTSA complaint #10472609, filed 2012-08, 50,000 miles“The contact owns a 2005 Kia Spectra. The contact stated that the driver side door would not close fully. The door alarm would chime sporadically to indicate that the door was not fully closed. The vehicle was neither inspected nor repaired for the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10402464, filed 2011-05, 72,000 miles“The contact owns a 2005 Kia Spectra. The contact stated that while attempting to exit the vehicle, the door failed to open. The contact pulled the door panel off and noticed that the linkage and the latch were both fractured. The contact could only open the window and the door from the exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they advised that the latch and linkage needed to be replaced. The contact purchased the part and made the repairs himself. The manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 84,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10486551, filed 2012-11, 84,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10201529Sep 13, 2021TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFORMATION FOR HEADLAMP CONDENSATION AND MOISTURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this…
- 10058518Jul 1, 2015Kia: an additional application of anti-corrosion protection will be applied on some vehicles underbody components to help prevent corrosion. Model 2004-09 spectra, 2006-10…
- 10037242Oct 1, 2010Kia: on some 2004-2009 spectras the doors are locking intermittently without the driver commanding them to.
- 10028348Nov 6, 2008Kia: doors locking intermittently without driver input from the rke transmitter or key switch may be caused by wear on switch contacts in door latch assembly resulting in high…
Body and structure: other model years
Other parts of the 2005 Kia Spectra
43 complaintsVehicle speed control
12 complaintsElectrical system
11 complaintsBrakes
10 complaintsSteering
10 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
7 complaintsSeat belts
5 complaintsEngine
4 complaintsFuel system
4 complaintsSeats
4 complaintsSuspension
4 complaintsExterior lighting
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2005 Kia Spectra
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology