Most common 2005 Kia Amanti problems
Share of the 83 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Kia Amanti complaints by model year
Best Amanti years: 2007, 2008. Years to avoid: 2004, 2005. Compare all years →
What 2005 Kia Amanti owners say
Speed control & acceleration all 29 →
I purchased my Kia from jd byrider in 2016 of July and I have had a real deal with this car. In the pass 4 years with this car I have poured more than $5,000 into this car into it. Every time you get this car fixed it has a new problem about 1 month later or the check engine light comes on. But recently my wife was driving her mother and my daughter around shopping about 10 miles in distance from the house the mall and driving store to store. It was 93 degrees outside and she had the A/C running and suddenly the car started to have sudden acceleration she tried to stop the car and it did not stop the engine keep revving up harder harder and harder. At this point she was able to turn back into the parking lot after getting off the main rode. This car is a danger to people driving it and others near this car should not be on the street I repeat this car should not be on the street. …
As I pulled up to park my car behind a parked car, my car surged and crashed into the back of the parked car. I was easing into the space at a very slow speed and actually had my foot on the brake. The motor suddenly revved up, I felt the surge, stood on the brake pedal, but was unable to control the car. Although damage was minimal, I was concerned about another occurrence driving the vehicle and had it towed into the dealership. The service advisor said they have never heard of an incident like this with the Amanti. There are many reports of these unexplained acceleration incidents with the Kia Amanti online. Hopefully these people are reporting them to you. If this had happened while trying to stop at a crosswalk for pedestrians, someone would have been seriously injured. At the consumers request, the component was revised to speed control. 05/10/11
Air bags
Since purchasing my 2005 Kia Amanti air bag light has been on; the vehicle has never experienced an impact which would cause the airbags to deploy neither have any of the airbag components ever been tampered with. The throttle control of the vehicle is extremely sporadic and often causes hesitation, lurching, no acceleration, and even loss of all power. I have had the dealership update the ECM and the tps replace but the problem still persisted. I noticed the throttle body plate was extremely difficult to actuate so I then purchased another throttle body and replaced my older one. Everything functioned as should be expected up until approx. 3 months ago the issues started back up again. I noticed the throttle body motor had started to become increasingly hot to the touch indicating an excessive amount of resistance within the motor circuit. …
Ever since I have owned the car, the airbag light has been on and does not go off until the car is off. The RPM gage has always been erratic when driving at normal speeds. The car lurches forward when at a stop light and while accelerating. The engine smells as if wires are burning and it seems increasingly hot, but the gage stays normal. The gas tank cannot be filled quickly, I have to trickle gas into the tank brake pads wear down constantly. I have already filed a complaint about the brake light switch being defective and this should be addressed before someone gets killed.
Transmission & drivetrain
I read about recall on 2007 Kia Amanti and the stop lamp switch. It said could make it hard shift from park to gears. I own a 2005 Kia Amanti and yesterday afternoon after driving several hours with no problems, I started it out in reverse it was a semi hard shift then put into drive and it was a extremely hard shift. As well the check engine light came on. I also read about a software update that can be done but can not find how to preform the update.
Sudden acceleration. I was slowing for a traffic light I expected to turn red. I had my foot on the floor boards, away from the accelerator, letting the care slow by itself. The light did turn red and I had to apply the brakes. I keep my left foot to the left of the brakes on the floor board. As I applied the brakes with my right foot I felt my left foot so I knew I applied the brakes. Car accelerated. Only putting the transmission I neutral and flooring the brake pedal with both feet prevented a wreck. No warning lights came on. In October of 2011 the dealer replaced ignition coil; packs spark plugs and spark plug wires. However on 5/7/12 the problem returned- worse than ever before the car finally stopped tachometer reading was 4700 RPM. Doctors often ask patients to rate pain open a scale of 1-10. This incident would rate an 8. …
2005 Kia Amanti engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 15 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Kia Amanti a good car?
Based on 83 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Amanti rates use caution: 1.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the Amanti at the same age. It is one of the Amanti years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Kia Amanti?
The speed control & acceleration — 29 complaints, 35% of all complaints for this model year, most often about accelerator pedal. Next are the air bags (16) and transmission & drivetrain (12).
How many recalls does the 2005 Kia Amanti have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2005 Kia Amanti. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Kia Amanti?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2007 and 2008. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2004 and 2005. See the full Kia Amanti years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Kia Amanti problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 50,000 miles; 49% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.