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2004 Kia Spectra Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Critical

92 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.10 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical11V256000

Fuel System, Other:Storage:Tank Assembly:Mounting

THE FUEL TANK CAN FALL FROM THE VEHICLE AND STRIKE THE GROUND WHICH COULD CAUSE A FUEL LEAK.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK STRAPS AND ATTACHING HARDWARE WITH NEW ZINC COATED PARTS. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 6, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

KIA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2007 SPECTRA LD VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 7, 2003, THROUGH MARCH 6, 2007, ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT CORROSION OF THE FUEL TANK STRAPS WHICH HOLD THE TANK MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO ROAD SALT. AS A RESULT OF THE CORROSION, ONE OR BOTH STRAPS MAY SEPARATE ALLOWING THE FUEL TANK TO CONTACT THE GROUND AND POSSIBLY DISRUPT THE INTEGRITY OF THE TANK.

Complaint volume

92 this model-year 6 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

20Crashes
1Fires
12Injuries
1Deaths

Across 92 complaints. Severity Index 1.10.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Power Train · Automatic T…13 · 14%Air Bags13 · 14%Vehicle Speed Control7 · 8%Air Bags · Frontal · Sens…6 · 7%Air Bags · Frontal6 · 7%Electrical System6 · 7%Engine And Engine Cooling4 · 4%Suspension3 · 3%
  1. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 13 reports
  2. Air Bags — 13 reports
  3. Vehicle Speed Control — 7 reports
  4. Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module — 6 reports
  5. Air Bags:Frontal — 6 reports
  6. Electrical System — 6 reports
  7. Engine And Engine Cooling — 4 reports
  8. Suspension — 3 reports
  9. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 3 reports
  10. Fuel System, Gasoline — 3 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 (2) · 2006 (1) · 2007 (1) · 2008 · 2009

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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