2005 KIA Amanti

Typical pattern

1.7% of complaints about the 2005 KIA Amanti came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2005 vehicle — around the middle of the 245 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 8.0 yr in service. The most-reported system is speed control (29 complaints), typically at 5.3 yr or about 35,000 miles.

Complaints: 119
Median age at failure: 8.0 yr
Median mileage: 58,000 n=88
Crash / fire / tow: 7.6% of reports
Safety recalls: 0

In owners’ own words

Speed control 13,000 mi 1.6 yr in service

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE VEHICLE HESITATED. THIS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES FOR INSPECTION. THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

Speed control 13,000 mi 2.2 yr in service

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED UPON INITIAL ACCELERATION, THE ENGINE STALLED AND OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED FOLLOWED BY SUDDEN ACCELERATION WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. AFTERWARDS, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. *AK

Speed control 52,000 mi 5.3 yr in service

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA AMANTI. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT, THE RMPS INCREASED RAPIDLY, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND LUNGED INTO TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK SINCE A CRASH COULD HAVE OCCURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

Air bags mileage not reported 2.1 yr in service

SOON AFTER START UP, I PULLED OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY AND PROCEEDED TO TURN ONTO THE STREET AND I HAD NO POWER FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS, THEN IT GOES FULL OUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED 8 OR 9 TIMES. I HAVE BEEN VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE DEALER. THEY ARE CLUELESS. I HAVE BEEN BACK 6 TIMES FOR AN AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASH AND IT IS STILL ON. HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AND HAD TO GO BACK 3 TIMES FOR THAT. *JB

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2005 KIA Amanti

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

In owners’ own words

How to read this