Overview & Reviews

Kia Motors is a South Korean automaker that's relatively new to the United States. In its early years, Kia largely catered to budget-minded consumers with well-equipped vehicles priced below competing models. More recently, this growing brand has kept value a priority while also emphasizing technology and sportiness.

Founded in Korea in 1944, Kia started as a producer of steel tubing and bicycle parts. The company's name has its roots in the Chinese language, and means "to arise, to come up out of Asia." By the early 1950s, the company had produced Korea's first bicycle; by the latter part of the decade, Kia had branched out into motor scooters, with the rollout of the C100.

The 1960s saw Kia expanding its lineup to include motorcycles and three-wheeled cargo vehicles. Naturally, the next logical step was automobile production, and the company began moving in this direction in the early 1970s. By 1973, Kia had built a facility designed to make its automotive dreams a reality; its Sohari plant held the distinction of being Korea's first fully integrated automobile production facility, and went on to spawn Korea's first internal-combustion gasoline engine. A year later, Kia unveiled the Brisa, Korea's first passenger car. By the end of the decade, Kia's technology was being used to manufacture vehicles like the Peugeot 604 and the Fiat 132.

By the late '80s, Kia's lineup included new models like the Concord, Capital, Potentia and Pride. In 1987, Ford brought the Pride to U.S. shores, rebadging it as the Ford Festiva. Seven years later, Ford dealers got a replacement for the entry-level, subcompact Festiva in the form of another Kia constructed product, the Aspire.

Kia finally began selling vehicles in the U.S. under its own name in the early '90s, trumpeting its presence with the introduction of the compact Sephia. The car's rollout was gradual; in the early days of its production, the Sephia was only available in select Western states. By the mid-'90s, SUVs had emerged as a phenomenally popular and profitable vehicle segment. Kia responded with the 1995 Sportage, a compact SUV. By the end of the '90s, Kia's nationwide rollout was nearly complete.

Financial difficulties in the late '90s prevented Kia from expanding its lineup beyond those two models. Hyundai, South Korea's other major automaker, acquired the company in a merger in 1998.

Kia has been on a major upswing since its purchase by Hyundai, with improvements in build quality, performance and overall refinement. Reliability, previously a weak point, has also improved markedly and consumers' confidence was further bolstered by Kia's substantial warranty program. Today, Kia is on a dramatic upswing and offers a broad lineup of well-built coupes, sedans and crossovers that stand out for their value, performance and sporty styling.

User Reviews:

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  Finally Got Rid of It - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By No Kia No More - August 15 - 10:00 am

  Purchased this car for a family of 5 in July 2006 from Central Kia in Dallas, TX. Over the course of the next 4 years it spent over 90 days in the shop on 56 appointments. We had a vast assortment of issues ranging from wheel replacements to ECU replacements. In between we had both O2 sensors replaced, 3 fuse blocks, Throttle body, several power packs, W/S washer pump, radio, sway bar and several cosmetic items replaced. Unreliability is the key for this vehicle. Even when it ran it felt like it was going to die at any minute. Ate tires like no tomorrow and was in general a very poor vehicle. We took it to 3 different dealers service departments for the work. DO NOT BUY A KIA, EVER!

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  Its a Kia... - 2008 Kia Rio
  By Dreamorpheus - August 12 - 9:26 pm

  Within the first year of owning the car, both front wheel-bearings went out. Twice each. Needs an O/D or 6th gear, MPG dwindles at highway speeds. The interior is rather gray, bout four different shades of gray, makes your soul sad. Have a issue with the driver- side window crank; keep smacking my knee on it, knocking off the knob. You also cant really sleep in the hatch, bit cramped, and the floors not flat. As unpleasing, and some times annoying this all may be, its still a good little car. Its a grate car to buy new, by the end of the warranty you can just throw it away. It handles like a go-cart, gets good MPG in town, CHEAP, and they fix almost anything for the life of the car.

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  Warranty useless - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By captaink - July 28 - 10:00 am

  Purchased top-of-the-line Sedona EX with leather, sunroof, etc. After delivery, we found a cracked interior trim piece (pillar), a ripped interior trim piece (on passenger side sliding door), a scratch on the radio, a place on a leather seat that had been rubbed with sand paper to remove a stain/mark, and an incessantly rattling rear seat. The dealership cant or wont fix problems. Cant get parts, etc. Van was in shop for 21 days of the first 40 days after delivery. Think twice before you purchase one of these. "You get what you pay for." Look at Honda and Toyota.

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  PROBLEM FROM DAY 1 - 2004 Kia Spectra
  By debrastark - June 18 - 4:32 pm

  I purchased this vehicle from a Barrie Ontario dealer in Sept 2004..it had 18000 on it (I was told it was a rental car b4 I bought it)-in any case the check engine light was on from day one. The most disturbing is when you would go it would hesitate and not seem to "catch" a gear..no power-you would turn it off turn back on and it would seem to reset itself. I took it to Barrie Kia before we moved and they said "if the problem isnt occuring right then we cant see it"-I told them while its still under 20,000 if I find its transmisison related later I wont be happy. In any case I now work at Honda (thank the lands) I have thus far replaced the alternator and battery. There are FIVE codes (all

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  Worst car Ive ever owned - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By lissal - June 18 - 6:26 am

  I purchased this car new, and owned it for 5 years. In that time, I replaced the serpentine belt 3 times, the alternator once, the radiator twice (the replacement from the Kia garage had a hole in it, though it was supposedly a new part), and the alternator belt 4 times. The electrical system started acting wonky after three years, and after spending 2 months in the Kia garage, I got it back but the internal lights never worked after that. I cut my losses and gave the car to a friend, who told me that the engine died at 78,000 miles. I would never again buy a Kia.

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  Engine trouble - 2013 Kia Optima
  By sjh12 - May 31 - 8:35 am

  Bought this car as college graduation gift for my son. Drove it from Midwest to west coast to begin a job in a new city. Across country, engine light comes on and now needs to be in for service 3 days. This should NOT happen with a brand new car. Starting a new job and needing to get car in for service in a new city is a HUGE hassle. Wish we had bought something else.

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  eh... its good for the price - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By Jamie - May 22 - 8:53 pm

  It gets me where I need to go. No major problems. The only bad part is the standard interior is not fun. No automatic door locks, windows etc. Other than that, its not too bad for the low price.

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  junk - 2013 Kia Soul
  By wfergee - May 11 - 10:32 am

  worst car I ever owned.poor mileage, poor quality. already replaced steering column, and injectors

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  Kia, Kia, Kia - 2001 Kia Spectra
  By Amberismyenergy - May 5 - 4:50 am

  I have had it time in and time out with this car. I have had to replace the complete make up of the rear brakes, the battery, the rear break lights several times (not because i leave lights on) compressor, starter, plugs, the right axle. Yes when i go up a hill i have to turn air conditioner off. haha Very loud when Im trying to go fast, people think Im angry, when Im in a hurry. The dash board has completed folded because of the sun! WONDERFUL!!

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  Will never buy a Kia again - 2004 Kia Optima
  By Carmen - May 1 - 4:50 am

  I bought this vehicle 3 years ago and Ive had nothing but problems. Kias 100,000 mile warranty only applies if you are the original owner which is dumb. I see why the warranty expires at 100,000 mile because thats when all the problems begin. I always keep up with the maintenance because this is my only transportation to work, so I make it a point to take good care of it; but even then it seems like everything is going wrong with it. I absolutely hate it!