Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (0)
No US recalls found for the 2008 Kia Spectra.
Owner complaints (121)
Owners filed 121 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Kia Spectra (20 crashes, 3 fires, 21 injuries, 1 deaths reported). Among 10 model years of this model, it ranks #2 for the most complaints (median 100).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 61 | |
| Vehicle speed control | 15 | |
| Electrical system | 14 | |
| Engine | 10 | |
| Unknown or other | 10 | |
| Exterior lighting | 8 | |
| Seat belts | 8 | |
| Service brakes | 5 |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2008 Kia Spectra.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Kia Spectra 5-DR w/SAB | – | – | – | – |
| 2008 Kia Spectra 4-DR w/SAB | – | – | – | – |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2008 Kia Spectra version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectra 2.0 L Automatic 4-spd | 24 | 32 | 27 | $2,500 |
| Spectra 2.0 L Manual 5-spd | 23 | 30 | 26 | $2,600 |
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada). Recalls updated 2026-10-30.