We buy whole non-running and junk cars. Sell the whole car as it sits.

Free pickup anywhere in the US

(877) 421-6008Get my offer
Model file · KiaUpdated · 6 sources

Selling an old or dead Kia Amanti

Vehicle speed control is the part Amanti owners complained about most. It shows up in 45 of the 247 complaints filed with NHTSA, and 26 of those are on the 2005 alone. No recall was ever issued for it. The Amanti's only two recalls are for the brake light switch, and NHTSA lists neither for the 2004-2006 model years (one notice's wording may take in the 2006, so check the VIN).

A champagne-colored Kia Amanti sedan parked in a wet parking lot
Photo: IFCAR · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Model years (EPA)
2004-2009
Complaints to NHTSA
247
Year with the most complaints
2005 (83)
Component named most
Vehicle speed control (45)
Recall campaigns
2, both brake light switches
Engines listed
2.7- and 3.0-liter V6s
Successor
Kia Cadenza

The newest Amanti is a 2009, so a big repair is hard to justify. You can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

Kia's big sedan before the Cadenza

The Amanti was Kia's full-size car, listed by the EPA as a large car from 2004 to 2009. Wikipedia says it was built from 2003 to 2011 at Kia's Hwaseong Plant, related to the Hyundai Grandeur, and was replaced by the K7, sold here as the Cadenza. Its predecessor was the Kia Enterprise. Engines listed are 2.7-liter and 3.0-liter V6s, with 5-speed or 6-speed automatics.

Problems by model year

We have no generation split to go by, so the EPA years fall into two groups: the three years with no recalls, and the three with both.

2004-2006: speed control and air bags, no recalls

These three years hold 203 of the 247 complaints. What owners named:

  • 2004 (73 complaints): air bags 10, vehicle speed control 8, gasoline fuel system 8. One reported fire, the Amanti's only one.
  • 2005 (83 complaints): vehicle speed control 26, air bags 16, power train 8.
  • 2006 (47 complaints): power train 11, vehicle speed control 9, air bags 5.

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for any of them. If one of these cars has a speed control or air bag problem today, no free recall repair is waiting for it.

2007-2009: brake light switch recalls

Complaints drop off: 15 on the 2007, 25 on the 2008 and 4 on the 2009. The 2007 does carry the Amanti's single reported death.

Both recalls cover a stop lamp switch that may malfunction; under 09V130, dealers replace it free of charge. Recall 09V130 covers the 2007 Amanti in a campaign of 139,844 vehicles that also includes the Sedona, Sportage, Sorento and Rondo. Recall 13V114 covers 2007-2009 Amantis in a campaign of 980,377 across many Kia models. Neither number is the Amanti's alone.

Complaints and recalls by model year

NHTSA owner-complaint totals, pulled on October 10, 2026.

Model yearComplaintsCrashesInjuredRecall campaignsComponent named most
200473890Air bags (10)
200583540Vehicle speed control (26)
200647660Power train (11)
200715012Air bags (4)
200825211Electrical system (6)
20094101Speed control, visibility, service brakes (1 each)

On the 2008, NHTSA's unknown-or-other category (7) is left out of the last column.

Is it worth fixing?

  1. Brake lights acting up on a 2007-2009? Run the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup. If the switch recall is still open, a Kia dealer replaces it free.
  2. Transmission or engine trouble? Power train tops the 2006 list. On a car this age, a bad transmission or blown engine usually costs more than the Amanti is worth running.
  3. Do the math. Our repairs cost more than it is worth page lays out how. For an aging car in general, see old or high mileage.

Selling an Amanti whole

Ask for an offer online or call (877) 421-6008. Give us the year and odometer reading, describe the trouble, and say if it can be pushed. Tell us where the truck will find it (garage, back lot, driveway). Leave the wheels, converter and everything else on. Pickup is free anywhere in the US. Missing the title? See selling with no title.

More Kia sedans: the Cadenza, K900 and Optima, or every Kia we cover.

Questions people ask

Which Amanti year has the most NHTSA complaints?
The 2005, with 83 as of October 10, 2026. The 2004 has 73 and the 2006 has 47. On the 2005, speed control alone accounts for 26 of them.
Were there recalls for the Amanti's speed control complaints?
No. The Amanti's only two recalls, 09V130 and 13V114, both concern the brake light switch, and NHTSA lists both for 2007 and later cars. NHTSA data shows no campaigns for the 2004-2006, though the 09V130 notice reads 'MY 2006-2007', so check a 2006 by VIN.
Can I sell an Amanti that won't start and has no title?
Often, yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. The title rules depend on your state; our no-title guide covers the options.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. EPA fuel economy data: Kia Amanti model years and class fueleconomy.gov
  2. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), Kia Amanti, counted October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 09V130: stop lamp switch, 2006-2007 Kia models nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 13V114: brake light switch, 2007-2011 Kia models nhtsa.gov
  6. Wikipedia: Kia Amanti (engines, transmissions, plant, predecessor and successor) en.wikipedia.org