Kia Spectra feels like brakes are locked or too tight

Have the charging system tested. Possible alternator starting to get bad

With old style handbrake, you can remove some screws around the handbrake covering. The screws are sometimes well hidden so you have to look around.
When you get the covering off, there are two adjusting nuts at the rear of the handbrake. Turn the nuts until you can get "5 clicks" on the handbrake to set the brakes.
Some jack up the car while doing this so they can rotate the wheels by hand to feel when the brakes touch the pads.
Hope this helps

problem master cylinder not allowing the fluid to return to the reservoir ( blocked compensating port) take it to a professional brake shop for a proper diagnosis

All vehicles made since about 1988 have ABS (25 years ?)

You can see the abs pump & hcu unit, if you open the hood
& wires to the sensors at each wheel

mine is in the right rear brake. i first found it in 2007, when my car was in moisture, like after rain. you could hear it and feel it, you knew exactly where the problem was.i had my oil changed by NTB and had a free 22 point check, they found the problem, with little effort. the kia dealership never found a problem. i became disappointed after leaving my car with them. i was so sure they'd find the problem and fix it under warranty. my spectra had two other problems too. trunk would unlock without any effort from me. the park lights would come on with out my help. it took two years to have my lights fixed, but my trunk is still an issue after 4 years.

i was told call a service writer when my trunk opens. and i said then what, are you going to fix it then. i just can't leave my car with you for days.

The rear brakes on the Spectra will always engage less than the front brakes. If you have to push hard on the brake pedal then you probably have air in the brake lines from the last brake pad replacement. The brakes need to be bled with this method: Use 1/8 inch 2 foot long hose from parts store and attach from bleeder valve ball on the brake caliper to a bottle partially filled with brake fluid. End of hose should be submerged in bottle. With second person holding brake pedal to floor, slowly turn bleeder valve counter clockwise (loosen tiny bit) with wrench and watch for dirty brake fluid to create bubbles in the bottle. When bubbles start, quickly tighten bleeder valve back to tight. Second person lifts foot while valve is tight and then pushes pedal to floor again and THEN you again open bleeder valve slowly turning counter clockwise and watch for bubbles. Repeat until no more bubbles can be created in the bottle where the hose is submerged. Move to next caliper and repeat. For a firm brake pedal you will need to repeat this on all four calipers. My 2003 Kia's rear brake pads "fell apart" and never wore out in 190000 miles because they do not get used. The braking power is primarily in the front disk brakes on this model. Removing and replacing the rear drum brake linings did not even require me to bleed the brake lines. They weren't that tight before or after the replacement procedure.

follow your brake pedal up till you see switch its on the backside of brake arm.hope that helps

You are most likely hearing metal on metal on the brake pads. The brakes are not attached to the gear shift in any way. Unless those Koreans have done some really wierd design.

Brake lamp switch is normally the culprit of this problem, it is located on the brake pedal assembly itself.

MIKE

2006 kia spectra...brake and battery light came on car was still running, it never cut off....what do you think that could be?