2006 Kia Spectra
This year drew an ordinary 118 complaints for a Kia Spectra — the model's median is 136. What they were about is the unusual part: 11% of them mention properly, against 3% across the model's other years.
NHTSA opened a defect investigation into this model year.
| Complaints filed | 118 |
|---|---|
| Median for this model | 136 |
| Involving a crash | 30 |
| Involving a fire | 3 |
| Recalls | 1 |
| EPA combined | 25 mpg |
What the complaints were about
- properly — 11% of this year's complaints, against 3% across the model's other years (3.7×). Owners wrote it as: properly, 3rd, 3rd gear, fuses.
- place — 7.6% of this year's complaints, against 2.1% across the model's other years (3.6×). Owners wrote it as: place, front windshield, molding, popped.
- car only — 6.8% of this year's complaints, against 2.5% across the model's other years (2.7×). Owners wrote it as: car only, where car, labor, honor.
Words owners used for the same problem are counted together, so a fault written four different ways is measured once. Grouped by which complaints they appear in, not by a list anyone wrote in advance.
What owners wrote
A BURNING ODOR WAS PRESENT IN THE VEHICLE AND THE HEAT BLOWER WOULD NOT OPERATE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO DEFROST THE FRONT WINDSHIELD BECAUSE THE HEAT BLOWER WAS INOPERABLE. THE FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE HEAT…
AIRBAG LIGHT ON DUE TO FAULTY PASSENGER SIDE SEAT SENSOR. EXORBITANT COST TO REPLACE. CAN'T AFFORD.
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint filings, with identifying details removed.
Recalls for this year
- 11V256000 FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER Fixed free of charge.
How this was worked out
Every year of the Kia Spectra was compared against its own history rather than against other cars, which removes popularity and age from the answer — a common car draws more complaints at equal reliability, and an older one has had longer to accumulate them. A year is flagged when it drew at least 2.5× this model's median and at least 50 complaints.
This is a fault record, not a review. Nobody files a federal complaint to say the car was fine, so it shows what tends to go wrong — not whether owners liked it, and not whether it is a good car.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations, retrieved . Look this vehicle up directly on NHTSA's site to check anything here.
Own a 2006 Kia Spectra? What happened to yours?
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