Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Kia Amanti owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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
I have an '05 Kia Amanti. This car has a "sudden acceleration" causing the car to speed forward when applying the brakes. I have been in two rear-end collisions in the last year and have not been in an accident in over 30yrs prior. I have had the car taken to sentry Kia to be repaired but, they just say, they cannot duplicate the problem - so there is no problem. I know differently. I am afraid to drive this car. There have been many complaints on the Kia forum and other sites about this problem with the '05 Kia Amanti - yet Kia will not do anything for me. They force me to drive this weapon on wheels. I am beside myself as to what to do - I am afraid of hitting a pedestrian or even a child through the fault of the vehicle and not my driving!!
Just 2days ago my car started jerking real bad and also my transmission felt like it was stalling and the car was loosing acceleration power.then after a short hesitation the vehicle,while backing in the driveway accelerated and was hard to stop.today I noticed a small tremble in the transmission and my car almost went in traffic if I had'nt put the vehicle in neutral and applied force to the brakes,my vehicle was in motion on both incidents,I'm not afraid of my vehicle, but I don't want to cause or be in an accident.
In a parking lot while auto was in stationary position waiting for the lot machine to issue a ticket all of a sudden the car moved forward without me pressing the gas pedal. Perhaps when I pressed the brake pedal. Second occurrence, first not reported. Unknown why this dangerous situation occured
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Kia Amanti. While driving, the vehicle stalled and failed to accelerate. The dealer diagnosed that the accelerator sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
My Amanti was barely rolling as I pulled into a parking space. However, the moment I depressed the brake pedal, the car took off like a rocket! I looked down at the floor to be sure that I was stepping on the brake pedal and I was! When I realized the car had already taken down a sign and its pole, I thought perhaps the brakes had failed, so I stepped on the brake pedal even harder but the car continued to accelerate until it was out of control and taking me through a mass of pompous grass and out the other side into an empty strip of Land. After going through the pompous grass, the car spun to the left towards the tree lined parking strip. I panicked not knowing where the car was going to take me next or how I could stop it. Suddenly it occurred to me that perhaps if I could turn the key off, it would shut the engine down. I prayed that it would work and thank god it did. …
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. …
The vehicle has had sporadic problems with 'jack rabbiting', when pressing the accelerator pedal. With a light touch to the gas pedal, the jars literally jumps forward. In each case, it takes about three touches to the gas pedal, to get to 'normal driving. It is a fast acceleration, which causes the tires to 'screech' sometimes and the car to jump forward. The second item that started happening is that the car appeared to be stuck in first and would not shift. The car would not accelerate. This has now caused me to also get run over twice, due to not being able to accelerate. Another problem appeared yesterday. I applied the brake and the car would not immediately stop. The engine revved up, not fast, but it was enough to keep the car moving for a short distance, before it stopped. It scared the hell out of me. I have never experienced something like that with a vehicle.
We have had our 2005 Amanti into the dealership several times with complaints of "sudden acceleration" or jack rabbit type of starts. This problem has caused several near misses, but no wrecks so far. Each time we are told by the dealer that they can not duplicate the problem and no repair is made. The last time we took it in, we contacted the factory to get them to help. They kept the car for 4 days and still have not replicated the problem. This problem only occurs once or twice a month, so it is not surprising that the mechanic could not replicate it. The dealer tells me that Kia will not let them do any repairs unless they can duplicate the problem. I verified this talking to Kia factory customer service representative. Their plan is to do no repair unless the problem becomes constant. Needless to say, I feel this leaves my driving family in a potentially dangerous position.
Acceleration complaints in other Amanti years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2005 Kia Amanti?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2005 Kia Amanti, 35% of the model year's 83 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Kia Amanti acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2005 Kia Amanti. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Kia Amanti acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 35,000 miles, and 38% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.