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Kia Spectra Recalls

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Recall Date Problem Area Recall Text
06/06/11 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.

The fuel tank can fall from the vehicle and strike the ground which could cause a fuel leak. leaking fuel can create a fire hazard.

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 safety recall no. sc090.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
05/20/05 Suspension and Steering On certain passenger vehicles, the steering tie rods may have a manufacturing flaw that affects the metallurgy.

If the rod cracks or fails, loss of vehicle steering control may occur which could result in a crash.

Dealers will replace the steering rack assembly, which includes the tie rod components free of charge. owners were notified by telephone on april 8, 2005. an additional letter was sent to owners who had not taken their vehicles in for repair. this letter was mailed may 20, 2005. owners may contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.

Kia recall no. sc-047.customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
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10/31/05 Electrical and Air Conditioning On certain vehicles equipped with an advanced air bag feature, the occupant classification system (ocs) installed in the right front seat of the vehicle may misclassify a child restraint seat (crs) as an adult. this may occur if the crs is installed after an adult has been seated in the right front seat. if there has not been a 'key on' ' key off' cycle with the right front passenger seat empty prior to installation of the crs.

The possibility of misclassification of a crs as an adult may allow the right front airbag or side impact airbag to deploy in a crash and could result in injury to the right front occupant.

Dealers will reprogram the vehicle's ocs electronic control unit (ecu) to remove the feature that may cause the crs to be recognized as an adult. the recall began on october 31, 2005. owners may contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.

Kia recall no. sc-053.customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

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Kia Spectra Recalls

Some things are often misunderstood about recalls and technical service bulletins (TSBs). Plus a disclaimer.

  1. Recalls do not have to be issued only because something is prone to failure. NHTSA (a government agency) can only require a recall if a failure will affect safety, emissions, fuel economy, or compliance with some other regulation or law. Manufacturers can voluntarily recall cars for problems that do not affect these, though.
  2. Recalls often apply to only some cars of a specific model year, rather than all of them. You should receive a letter from the manufacturer if your car has been recalled. You can also check with the dealer, which will know which (if any) recalls pertain to your car.
  3. The primary purpose of TSBs is to inform dealers about known problems with a car and how to fix them. They are not the same as recalls. As with recalls, TSBs often only apply to some cars, not the entire model year.
  4. Dealers often will not provide a preventive repair just because a problem described in a TSB might happen to your car. They'll usually want to observe symptoms that the problem is already affecting your car.
  5. Even if there are symptoms, a manufacturer doesn't have to pick up the cost of a TSB repair if the car is out of warranty, though sometimes they do.

We provide the text of recalls and TSBs as provided by NHTSA. There can be errors in the text. If you sign up for notifications in My Garage, we will try to get these to do, but for various reasons (some beyond our control) cannot guarantee you will receive them. When in doubt about a recall or TSB, contact the dealer.