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Kia Spectra Review
| Customer Test Drive |
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| 2003 Kia Spectra Sedan | Back to Kia Spectra Reviews |
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| stock image shown | Add my Kia Spectra review | ||||||
| Ratings | |
| Overall: |
 
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| Comfort: |
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| Performance: |
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| Quality: |
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| Comments | |
Favorite feature: |
Price |
Least favorite feature: |
Service |
Advice to buyer: |
Any other car for pete's sake!! |
Detailed review: |
I bought this car for my girlfriend. She was so happy until about 6 months after we got it. The check engine light came on which they fixed. She didn't like the fact that after only six months something went wrong. October 2003 a Izusu Rodeo backed into her and dented the hood, borke the grill, and SCRATCHED the TOP of the bumper COVER (big words important). It was about $800 to fix and insurance covered it. We took her parents to Branson, MO. for Thanksgiving and didn't have any problems. In late January it developed a squeak in the right front suspension. The dealer said the strut was leaking. They decided to replace all 4?!? Three weeks later we got it back. They gave us a used car as a rental with what looked like blood stains on the seats and the wipers didn't work. It was a Daewoo. About a week after getting out car back it started squeaking again. We took it to a family mechanic and he said the strut was leaking. Also he noted that it didn't look like the struts had been replaced. Back at Kia they said it was the ball joints. We kept the car for the 5 days it took to get parts. When I picked it up it still squeaked. The service manager told me 'I don't know whats wrong with it.' That's amazing. I wanted to ask when he graduated from Automotive school....last week maybe? Then he said his technician noticed some damage and the car had been in an accident. I told him what damage had been done and what had been replaced and how it happened. He said that the problem must be because of the accident and they would not be able to honor the warranty for anymore work. I told him the damage and that the frame had no damage and the parts behind the grill and under the hood had no damage as per the bodyshop then what damage could have happened. Not only that but the only contact with the bumper was on top of it and it scratched it. His comment was the compression could of caused damage. What if I sit on the bumper I asked. Will the wheels fall off. He said that I should contact my insurance company and walked off. Funny it took over 4 weeks for them to find evidence of an accident. Of course if I had known that a car gets hit while parked and at less than 5 mph and immediately explodes I wouldn't have bought it. I took it to Ford and traded it in for a Ranger. I took a hit on the trade but with what I was going through and what I knew I was getting ready to go through, I said screw it. I have worked in the IT field for the past 7 yrs. If a tech of mine said to a customer 'I don't know what is wrong with it' he better have his resume ready. I have had several vehicles in my life and never had I been put off that bad by a dealer. Of all the vehicles that were warrantied none have been that much trouble. My advice is DO NOT BUY THIS CAR. Spend an extra 2 grand and get a bottom model Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, etc., etc. At least their service will be better. |
Also considered: |
2003 Honda Civic |
Vehicle purchased: |
2003 Kia Spectra |
| About This Reviewer... | |
Location: |
Dallas, Texas |
Other vehicles owned: |
2004 Ford Ranger |
Review submitted: |
March 24, 2004 |
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