Fuel System complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Engine kept dying on me after I filled up the tank. I have had vehicle or 3 years now and never had this problem before. I don't top off the tank so I don't know how I could have caused this problem. I find it dangerous to drive in these conditions stalling out in rush hour traffic with no warning not even check engine light with 3 kids in the car and gas coming out of the bottom of my car onto the ground. I took it to Kia dealer and was told I overfilled the tank and that warranty would not cover damage of charcoal filter and all air and cabin filters filling up with gas so now I am stuck paying $400 that I don't have. It is a known problem to Kia but they will not set as recall or help accommodate us with damages and I am a single mom of 3 kid and can't afford this. I did not do anything wrong to cause this and yet we have to pay for it.
This car is trying to kill me. I turn on my car, feet aren't on the pedals, my rpms rev and sputter up to 4,000+ without me doing anything. Sometimes it will launch me a bit when I'm trying to back out of a parking spot. Sometimes I'll be at a stop sign or a red light, completely stopped, foot on the brake, hard. Cross-traffic flowing. Suddenly my engine revvs and my car lunges forward. Wtf Kia? I've taken it to Kia once and they told me its a transmission problem that's going to cost more than the car is even worth and more money than I have to spend. So now what? I'm going to pay for a life endangering mechanical problem that likely costs dollars and minutes to fix because the mechanic thinks its a transmission problem? Hopefully something is resolved before this car wrecks itself.
Tl contact owns a 2008 Kia Spectra. Upon starting the vehicle, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the fuel system sensor was replaced. The failure occurred three times. After each failure, the vehicle was taken back to the dealer who replaced the same sensor. The contact also stated that the motor shook, the brakes squeaked and the accelerator pedal became very hot. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the crankshaft was replaced. The failure mileage was 232 and the current mileage was approximately 35,000. Updated 04-05-13 the consumer also stated the crank shaft sensor failed.
My vehicle began experiencing intermittent issues with the air bag "off" illuminating with a passenger sitting in the front seat. This has happened on a half dozen occasions that I have noticed and goes off when the passenger adjusts their sitting position. The vehicle surges intermittently when stopped. Additionally brake pedal has stuck on a few occasions when the engine is cool. The vehicle will also cut out on occasion when driving down the road. I put it in neutral to restart, and continue driving. These all happen intermittently with no apparent rhyme or reason to them.
I purchased my 2007 Spectra5 used with 155,000 miles on it. The engine had no codes or any stored codes. It ran fine until I filled it up with gas. I DO NOT overfill the tank because I understand EVAP issues. After filling up the vehicle would stall at idle and occasionally lose power (momentarily) at highway speeds (55 mph and up). Obviously this is an extremely dangerous situation! Once the gas level got below 1/2 tank the issues went away...but now I ONLY fill the tank to halfway and the problems arise again every so often. Since there are no codes present I cannot replicate the issue without possibly damaging components further and I already replaced the battery, plugs, IAC valve, MAF sensor, and oil to try to remedy this problem. …
The Kia Spectra 2007 engine stalls after refilling. I did not 'top it off' at the gas station, it was simply filled up by the clicking of the fuel pump. The car stalled three times (all engine lights, brake lights suddenly turned on), wheel had weak control in the middle of the road, driving home (roughly 3 mile range). Fortunately, I was at the light every time (with people behind me). If I had been driving 60 miles per hour, I probably would've died, unaware of loss of vehicle control. I turned on my vehicle warning light immediately, and the cars behind me were able to get around me. I just took some time to research this, and apparently it's happening to a bunch of other people as well. Here's a youtube video documenting what happens, you basically lose control of your vehicle. …
After a minor accident where the car went in the ditch off the road the car caught fire and became rapidly engulfed in flames. What should have been a minor accident turned into a near fatality because of an aggressive fire. The driver had a medical emergency when pulling out of the driveway. The car crossed the road and entered the ditch directly across the driveway entrance. This should have been a walk away accident with minor or no damage to the car, but it burst into flames. The driver was able to get out of the car before burning to death and thankfully there were no other passengers. We had the car only a few weeks and do not have any knowledge of recalls being repaired.
The transmission keeps stalling and jolting the car, we cannot run the air conditioner and it only runs when in 3rd gear. There is definitely something wrong with the car and we don't even feel safe putting our children in the car, because it's not safe, and we cannot run the air conditioner without it stalling or jolting and not accelerating properly. We had the timing belt replaced in September 2018, we've had multiple oil changes and kept up with maintenance. However the problems have only gotten worse, our check engine light has been on since 02/2019 at least and we've put steering fluid in, but the problems keep getting worse. We can't run the air conditioner, our fuses keep blowing and I would like our car checked out and fixed.
Related recalls (1)
Fuel system, other › Storage › Tank assembly › Mounting
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,…
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA investigations
Refueling spit back
Based on the low rate of fuel spit-back incedents (14.3 incidents per 100,000 vehicles sold), a low warranty claims rate of 0.02 percent, and the lack of engineering information that would support the presence of an engineering defect, a safety-related defect trend has not been identified and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this…
Frequently asked questions
Which Kia Spectra years have fuel system problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (34), 2006 (15), 2003 (5) and 2008 (5) model years. Fuel System complaints make up 22% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for Kia Spectra fuel system problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 11V-256 (mounting, Apr 25, 2011). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Kia Spectra fuel system problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles; 39% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the storage › tank assembly (3 mentions), followed by the delivery › fuel pump (2).
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.