KIA SPECTRA5 · model year

2007 KIA SPECTRA5

11 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2007KIASPECTRA5 carries 11 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2007 SPECTRA5 is air bags with 4 filings, followed by unknown or other (3) and electrical system (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 38 investigation files overlapping the 2007 SPECTRA5, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

11
Complaints
1
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

11 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
ENGINE1
STEERING1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING1

Recent Complaints

20190624FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA SPECTRA5. WHILE THE CONTACT'S SON WAS LOOKING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED A RUSTED METAL PIECE DRAGGING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK STRAP WAS DETACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS SIMILAR TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V256000 (FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 117,000. *AS *TR

Mileage: 117,000

20181105FireENGINE

THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE DUE TO THE TUBING THAT CARRIES THE FLUID BURST AND THE OIL SPLATTERED ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND CAUSED A FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN DOWN A MAJOR ROUTE ROAD LEADING TO THE HIGHWAY

Mileage: 117,000

20181105FireSTEERING

THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE DUE TO THE TUBING THAT CARRIES THE FLUID BURST AND THE OIL SPLATTERED ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND CAUSED A FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN DOWN A MAJOR ROUTE ROAD LEADING TO THE HIGHWAY

Mileage: 117,000

20180319UNKNOWN OR OTHER

FUEL TANK STRAPS HAVE RUSTED AND ONE FELL OFF. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2007 KIA SPECTRA 5 BUT I AM TOLD THAT MY 2007 MODEL BASED ON THE VIN NUMBER WAS NOT COVERED. KIA WILL NOT REPAIR.

Mileage: 160,000

20171112ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE DOORS KEEP LOCKING EVEN AFTER REPEATEDLY OPENING EITHER WITH REMOTE OR FROM INSIDE THE CAR. THIS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IN A EMERGENCY SITUATION WHERE OCCUPANTS NEED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR.

Mileage: 55,000

20171001UNKNOWN OR OTHER

DOOR LOCKS GO HAYWIRE OPENING AND CLOSING WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING OR WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF. HAD TO BREAK THE LOCK ON THE DRIVER SIDE IN ORDER TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. NOW I HAVE TO ROLL THE WINDOW DOWN AND STICK MY ARM OUT OF IT, OPEN THE LATCH AND ROLL THE WINDOW BACK UP IN ORDER TO ORDER TO EXIT THE CAR. PASSENGER SIDE IS PERMANENTLY LOCKED ALSO. YOU CAN'T EVEN USE A KEY TO OPEN IT. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD!

Mileage: 60,000

20170829AIR BAGS

PASSENGER AIR BAG COMMUNICATION ERROR. B1449 AIRBAG CODE. IT WILL NOT SHUT OFF. I AM UNABLE TO GET STATE INSPECTION. 8/29/17

Mileage: 177,000

20150521CrashAIR BAGS

WAS IN A FRONT END COLLISON ON PASSENGER SIDE BROKE WINDSSHIED RIPPED THE. WINDSHIELD FRAME ON PASSANER SIDE UP WHICH DAMAGED FRAME ON PASSANGER DOOR SIDE MIRROR ON OUTSIDE DESTROYED AIR BAG ON PASSENGER SIDE CONTANTMENT DAMAGED WHAT I AM REALLY UPSET ABOUT IS THAT THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY ALL THAT HAPPENED WAS THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG CONDAINMENT JUST BROKE SLIGHTLY OPENED MY GRANDSON WAS IN THAT SEAT HE WAS LUCKY HIS HEAD DID NOT GO THROUGH WINDSHIELD WHAT SAVED HIM WAS SAFTEY BELT HOWEVER THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR IS 4000 AND THE BIGGEST EXPENSE IS HAVING TO REPLACE AIR BAGS WHICH ARE DEFECTIVE AND THE AIR BAG COMPARTMENT THIS IS TOTALLY A MAJOR PROBLEM.

Mileage: 115,000

20150421UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ON 4/17/15 I WENT TO A KIA DEALER OFF OF BROWNDEER RD. IN MILWAUKEE TO COMPLAIN THAT MY FRONT WINDOW SHIELD'S PROTECTIVE GASKET WAS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE ONLY 18732 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE AND EVEN THOUGH IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY I FEEL THAT KIA SHOULD HONOR MY PURCHASE THROUGH RUSS DARROW-WAUKESHA WISCONSIN MY SERVICING MY CAR. THIS CAR HAS BEEN PARKED IN A GARAGE UNTIL THIS LAST YEAR AND IN MY OPINION WITH THIS LOW MILEAGE AND PROPER SERVICE AND UPKEEP. I DEALER I WENT TO QUOTED ME THAT REPAIR WOULD COST ROUGHLY $250,00 WHICH I FEEL IS TOO EXPENSIVE. I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO CONTACT THE DEALER WITH MY CONSENT. THE DEALER'S ADDRESS IS 2141 EAST MORELAND BLVD WAUKESHA WI. 53186. TELEPHONE NO. 1-262-547-1300. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Mileage: 17,372

20141113AIR BAGS

DEFECTIVE O.C.S. MAT IN PASSENGER SEAT. CAR PROS IS CHARGING $1500.00 TO REPAIR THEIR DEFECTIVE SENSOR. SAFETY CONCERN....THEY RECALLED RIO...WON'T RECALL SPECTRA5 BECAUSE IT IS "NOT AN ISSUE". *TR

Mileage: 53,288

20141104AIR BAGS

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE. WEIGHT SENSOR ON DASH WILL NOT WORK AND THE AIR BAG SYMBOL IS TURNED ON THE DASH. DEALERSHIP SAID IT WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE ENTIRE SEAT AT LEAST $1500. *TR

Mileage: 40,000

Compare 2007KIASPECTRA5 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2007 KIA SPECTRA5 have?
The 2007 KIA SPECTRA5 has 11 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2007 KIA SPECTRA5?
The most-complained component for the 2007 KIA SPECTRA5 is AIR BAGS with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2007 KIA SPECTRA5 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.