There is absolutely no anti slip resistance on the pedals at all. There has been numerous of times, where my mother or my foot would slip off the brake onto the gas causing us to move forward towards the object in front of us. It finally got me and I hit the side of my highschool which damaged my hood and bumper. I would really have hated if one of my friends or anyone at all were in front of my…
2008 Kia Spectra cruise control problems
severe 12 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $600 · see cruise control across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
12
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
2crashes
2injuries
What stands out
Of the 5 model years of Kia Spectra we track for cruise control problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 12.
No new NHTSA cruise control complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 7 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 12 complaints on 2008 Spectra cruise control cluster around uncontrolled acceleration and engine surge—the most serious being a broken cruise control cable that caused red-line acceleration the driver could not stop, requiring emergency brake use and ignition kill to prevent rear-ending an 18-wheeler. The cable broke again on a second incident.
Engine surge and revving happen intermittently on startup, at traffic lights, and during downshifts, with one owner noting the dealer's throttle body cleaning didn't stick and surge worsened with each gear change. Another owner's vehicle stalled without warning right after an oil change and continued surging on restart through 3,500 miles of operation.
Speedometer failure is widespread in this generation: the gauge goes erratic (too high or low) then quits entirely, with multiple owners reporting the same issue across 2005–2009 Spectras. One owner was offered a new car instead of a repair.
One owner lost brakes entirely, careened into a building, and the airbags didn't deploy. Another's brake pedal lacked grip texture, causing their foot to slide onto the gas—they hit a building too.
Brake pedal hardness increased when engine surge occurred, and transmission clunking on first-gear downshifts was reported. Dealers often said they couldn't reproduce the failures or didn't respond to manufacturer inquiries.
Failure modes owners describe
Cruise control cable failure causing unintended acceleration
Cruise control cable breaks internally, losing ability to engage or disengage the acceleration throttle. Results in sudden red-line acceleration that cannot be stopped by cruise control button. Engine continues racing even after ignition off until battery or CC module disconnected.
When: Both incidents during highway driving; first resolved after ~2 hrs, second did not resolve
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden lurching to red-line acceleration with CC engaged; CC button will not disengage acceleration; Engine continues racing after ignition turned off; Vehicle shifts through gears uncontrollably
Repairs/costs cited: Kia dealer (Pitre KIA) diagnosed broken CC cable requiring replacement
Engine revving and surge on startup and at stops
Engine intermittently revs excessively on cold start, and surges at traffic lights or when slowing. Accompanied by vehicle attempting to lurch forward. Throttle body cleaning by dealer did not resolve. Revving worsens with each gear change. Occurs both at rest and while driving.
When: Intermittent, occurring within 15-20 minutes of startup and at stops; one documented incident after 45 minutes highway driving
Symptoms owners cite: Engine revving on startup; Engine surging at traffic lights and during deceleration; Vehicle lurching forward despite brakes applied; Excessive revving with gear changes; Jerking when shifting between gears
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer re-cleaned throttle body; mass air sensor flow filter and spark plugs replaced at another visit
Speedometer failure and erratic readings
Speedometer displays erratic readings (slower or faster than actual speed) then stops working entirely. No check engine light illuminates. Creates safety risk as driver cannot accurately determine speed, especially on highway. Multiple 2005-2009 Spectra models report identical issue.
When: After 15-20 minutes of driving; one complaint noted mid-day drops to zero after working in morning
Symptoms owners cite: Speedometer reading erratic (high or low); Speedometer stops working completely; No check engine light present
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership recommended buying new car rather than repair; demanded upfront diagnostic without identifying root cause
Stalling after oil service with surge on restart
Vehicle stalls without warning immediately after oil change. Upon restart, engine surges and RPMs race to high numbers, particularly when coming to complete stop. Dealer diagnosed mass air sensor flow filter and spark plugs as needing replacement.
When: First stall at low mileage (~4,200), recurring stalls through ~7,700 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden stalling without warning; Engine surging on restart and at stops; RPM racing to high numbers; Vehicle unable to maintain idle
Repairs/costs cited: Mass air sensor flow filter and spark plugs replaced
Brake pedal unresponsiveness with sudden acceleration
Brake pedal application fails to stop vehicle; instead vehicle suddenly accelerates uncontrollably, resulting in crash into building. Airbags fail to deploy despite collision impact; airbag warning light illuminates.
When: At 90,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal does not respond to application; Sudden uncontrolled acceleration; Vehicle crashes into building; Airbags fail to deploy
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle not repaired or diagnosed; driver sustained neck injury
Brake pedal surface slippage and lack of friction
Brake pedal has no anti-slip surface coating, causing driver's or passenger's foot to slip off brake pedal onto gas pedal. Results in unintended forward lurch. Incident resulted in collision with building.
When: Occurred multiple times; one documented crash at unreported mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Foot slips off brake pedal; Slipping causes accidental depression of gas pedal; Vehicle lurches forward unintentionally; Inadequate pedal grip surface
Engine surge and lunge forward during driving
Vehicle lunges forward with abnormal increase in engine RPMs. Occurs during highway driving. Dealer unable to diagnose cause. Manufacturer contacted via email but provided no response.
When: Between 48,000 and 51,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle lunges forward; Abnormal engine RPM increase; Uncontrolled acceleration
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle not repaired
Transmission hard shift or clunk on gear changes
Transmission shifts harshly with pronounced clunking noise, particularly on downshifts to first gear on highway. Does not occur consistently.
When: Intermittent, occurring during highway driving
Symptoms owners cite: Hard clunking noise during gear change; Violent shift to first gear; Inconsistent occurrence
Idle surge with hard brake pedal feel
Engine revs excessively even when vehicle is in Park. When revving occurs during driving, brake pedal becomes significantly harder to depress, indicating possible vacuum loss or brake assist failure.
When: Occurs at idle and during driving
Symptoms owners cite: Engine revving in Park; Hard brake pedal when revving occurs; Revving during driving; Loss of power assist feel
Vehicle surge while driving and stopped
Vehicle surges uncontrollably both during active driving and while sitting stopped in traffic. Pattern matches surge complaints from multiple narratives.
When: Occurs both while driving and stopped in traffic
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle surge while driving; Vehicle surge while stopped
Synthesized from 12 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
Had cruise control trouble with your 2008 Kia Spectra?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2008 Kia Spectra?
It's a meaningful issue. 12 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $600.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Across the 10 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most cruise control failures cluster between 48,000 and 110,000 miles, with the median around 97,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 48,000; a quarter make it past 110,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2008/Kia/Spectra.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.