Kia Optima Complaints

7,843 consumer complaints on file.

#10971826April 11, 2017
STEERING
AT 40,000 MILES THE STEERING BEGAN GETTING 'STICKY' OR 'STUCK' AT THE 12 OCLOCK POSITION. IT WAS PARTICULARLY NOTICABLE WHEN CRUISING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. IT GOT SO BAD THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO OVERCORRECT AND VEER LEFT AND RIGHT (MILDLY). THE DEALER REPLACED A PART CALLED THE FLEX COUPLER AND THE PROBLEM VANISHED. ONE YEAR LATER, AT 51,000 MILES THE CAR IS DOING THE EXACT SAME THING AGAIN. NOW, HOWEVER, THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY (BY A MONTH). THE DEALER TELLS ME THAT IT NEEDS A NEW STEERING COLUMN AND THAT WILL COST ME <> 1500 DOLLARS. IF MY EXPERIENCES ARE ANY INDICATION, I WILL BE REPLACING STEERING PARTS EVERY 10,000 MILES??? BAD STEERING IS VERY PRETTY UNSAFE GUYS. THINK WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS PROBLEM.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971831April 11, 2017
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
MY CAR STARTED SMELLING LIKE BURNING PLASTIC AND THEN IT COMPLETED SHUT OFF. THANKFULLY I WAS ALREADY IN A TURNING LANE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I ONLY HAD 60K MILES ON THE CAR AT THAT TIME. SEEMED LIKE AFTER MY ENGINE WAS REPLACED MY WINDOWS STOPPED ROLLING UP. THEN MY FUEL PUMP WENT OUT. I NOTICED THAT IT FELT LIKE SOMEONE WAS PRESSING ON MY BRAKE AS I WAS TRYING TO GO AND THEN MY TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WOULD COME ON. WE FIXED THIS. NOW IT NOT EVEN A YEAR LATER AND ITS DOING IT ALL OVER AGAIN. THIS IS NOT SAFE AS PEOPLE ARE BEHIND ME WHEN THIS HAPPENS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971860April 11, 2017
ENGINE
MY 2008 KIA OPTIMA STALLS RANDOMLY. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF THE CAR IS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION. THERE ARE TIMES THAT I START IT AND IT WILL STALL IMMEDIATELY AND SOMETIMES IT WILL STALL AS I AM BACKING OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE. THERE ARE ALSO TIMES WHEN I WILL BE DRIVING AND IT WILL STALL WHICH HAS NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE PROBLEM DOES NOT PRODUCE A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE ISSUE THAT I AM EXPERIENCING SOUNDS VERY FAMILIAR TO THE NEWER OPTIMAS THAT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN RECALLED. THE MOST RECENT STALLING OCCURRED YESTERDAY, 04/10/2017, AND THERE WAS A KNOCKING SOUND ALONG WITH THE STALLING OUT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971878April 11, 2017
ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING MY CAR IT JUST STOPPED RUNNING. IT COMPLETELY JUST DIED. NO ENGINE WARNING LIGHT, NO OIL LIGHT, NO WARNING LIGHTS AT ALL. I COULD NOT GET IT TO START UP AGAIN AND HAD TO HAVE TO TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC SINCE IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT. THE MECHANIC TOOK LESS THAN 5 MINUTES TO DETERMINE THAT THE ENGINE HAD JUST SEIZED. WHAT THE HECK!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971891April 11, 2017
ENGINE
I TOOK MY 2012 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AS WE WERE TAKING A ROAD TRIP TWO DAYS LATER. SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD. TWO DAYS LATER AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS MY CAR STARTED TO HAVE A CLICKING SOUND AS I ACCELERATED (WE WERE GOING APPROXIMATELY 65MPH). THERE WERE NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS AND ON WITHIN A MINUTE I HEARD A CLUNK SOUND AND MY DASH READ "HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE. SAFETY STOP AND DO NOT DRIVE." THE HYBRID BATTERY QUICKLY STARTED TO DECREASE SO WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO IMMEDIATELY PULL OVER ALONG A NARROW SHOULDER AS WE WERE 15 MILES FROM THE NEAREST TOWN. THIS WAS A NARROW TWO LANE HIGHWAY WITH OUR CAR UP AGAINST THE CONCRETE BARRIER WITH A LAKE DIRECTLY DOWN THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BARRIER. WE WERE STRANDED THERE FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS TRYING TO COORDINATE A TOW TRUCK AND TAXI (THERE WERE THREE OF US. MYSELF, MY HUSBAND, AND OUR 3 MONTH OLD SON). THE LOCATION OF WHERE WE WERE STRANDED WAS COMPLETELY UNSAFE WITH SEVERAL SEMI TRUCKS PASSING BOTH WAYS AND WE HAD TO TRANSFER ALL OUR BELONGINGS AND MOVE OUR 3 MONTH OLD SON TO THE TAXI ALONG THIS NARROW SHOULDER ON THE HIGHWAY. ONCE MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER THEY SAID THE ENGINE BLEW AND I WOULD NEED A NEW SHORT BLOCK. AFTER GETTING MY CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER TO MY HOMETOWN THEY SAID THEY FOUND METAL SHAVINGS AND MY CYLINDER 1 BLEW. I WAS QUOTED $4,500-$11,000 FOR THE REPAIRS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CAN ATTEST TO MY PERFECT MAINTENANCE. LESS THAN THREE WEEKS LATER KIA RECALLS 1.4 MILLION ENGINES AND THEY ARE CLAIMING MY MODEL IS NOT BEING RECALLED. I FIND IT ODD THAT THE EXACT ISSUE I HAD ARE THE EXACT REASONS THESE ENGINES ARE BEING RECALLED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971907April 11, 2017
AIR BAGS, ENGINE
THE VEHICLE STARTED IDLING ROUGHLY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. STOPPED AT THE NEAREST AUTOMOBILE CENTER, THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND INDICATED THAT THERE MAYBE A DEFECT TO THE ENGINE AND THAT MY ENGINE MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971918April 11, 2017
ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, STEERING
ON APRIL 5TH 2017, MY KIA OPTIMA STARTED TO MAKE A HORRIBLE SOUND. I WAS ON HWY 26 HEADED INTO PORTLAND OR. GOING THROUGH THE TUNNEL, AS I WAS GOING INTO THE TUNNEL THE HORRIBLE KNOCKING NOISE STARTED. THERE WAS CARS IN FRONT OF ME AND CARS BEHIND ME. THIS WAS AT 4:30 AM.. ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON, I HAD NO BRAKES, NO STEERING AND NO WAY TO ACCELERATE. DRIFTED TO THE SIDE AND HAD IT TOWED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971974April 11, 2017
ENGINE
ENGINE SEIZED UP ON ME WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE LIGHT ETC, ON I-10 NOVEMBER 2016, CONTACTED KIA CASE # K3330321 HAD ME TOW THE VEHICLE TO THEM FOR WARRANTY EXTENSION WORK FOR THE ENGINE CONNECTING ROD. THEY THEN TOLD ME IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND WOULD NOT REPAIR VEHICLE. I CANCELED PLATES AND IT IS STILL SITTING IN MY YARD UNREPAIRED. EVEN HAD THE CASE ESCALATED HIGHER UP WITH KIA WITH NO RESULTS. ONLY INCURRED MORE COST, THEY ESTIMATED ME $7000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971564April 10, 2017
ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO MAINTENANCE RELATED ISSUES AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 58,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971591April 10, 2017
ENGINE
ON NOV 18 2016 WHILE DRIVING DOWN A MAJOR HIGHWAY MY CAR JUST SHUT OFF. ALL THE LIGHTS LIGHT UP ON THE DASH AND BEFORE I PULLED OVER , I WAS DRIFTING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I GOTTEN THE CAR TO ANCIRA KIA IN SAN ANTONIO TX WHERE IT SAT TILL DEC 28 2016 BEFORE RECEIVING A CALL. THE DEALERSHIP HAD SAID THE WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER WHAT HAD HAPPEN. THE FIRST EXCUSE THEY SAID WAS DUE TO SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. AFTER PROVIDING RECEIPTS SHOWING THE CAR MAINTENANCE, THEY SAID IT WAS DUE BECAUSE I LET MY CAR SEAT FOR A YEAR WHILE I WAS DEPLOYED. AFTER ASKING HOW THIS COULD BE IF THE CAR WASN'T MOVED, THEY SAID THEY FOUND METAL SHAVINGS IN MY ENGINE. KIA HAD MY CAR CLOSE TO 60 DAYS FIGHTING WITH ME ON WHY THEY WOULD NOT FIX MY CAR. IT FORCED ME TO TRADE THE CAR IN SO I CAN GO TO WORK AND PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY. MY QUESTION IS, IF THERE'S A RECALL ON MY CAR HOW WOULD I GO ABOUT FAILING PAPERWORK ?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971690April 10, 2017
ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TRADED IN DUE TO THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT NO LONGER OWNED THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED NO SOLUTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971243April 8, 2017
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I HAVE TWO KIA, ONE 2013KIA SOUL, AND KIA OPTIMA 2015, FIRST THE KIA SOUL WON'T START, LOOKS LIKE NO BATTERY AT ALL, DEALER SAY IT WAS A BAD BATTERY, BUT THE PROBLEM START AGAIN, JUST THIS TIME LOOSE ALL POWER WHEN RUNNING, THEY TOWING BACK TO THE DEALER THIS TIME, THEY SAY THIS TIME WAS CRANK PISTON SENSOR, NO COST AT THIS TIME, THIS HAPPEN ON 08/01/2016, NOW THE KIA OPTIMA, SAME, I DRIVE ALL MORNING, THE DAY WAS HOT, AND I STOP AT THE STOREFOR WATER, DON'T TAKE MORE THEN 5MIN. WHEN I GET BACK TO MY CAR, CARS UNLOCK THE DOOR, BUT HAVE NO POWER AT ALL, I CHECK THE BATTERY WITH A FLUKE MULTIMETER, READS 12 VOLTS WHEN I DISCONNECT THE NEGATIVE POST, AND 6 VOLTS WHEN I CONNECTED BACK TO THE BATTERY, THEN MY FRIEND STOP BY, AND JUMPSTART MY CAR, SAME THING, I DISCONNECT THE NEGATIVE POST AND I TAKE CHASSIS GROUND FOR THE JUMPSTART, SAME THING, THEN I TOOK OF THE BATTERY FROM A CHEVY 2002 SILVERADO, MY FRIENDS TRUCK, AND I CONNECTED DIRECT TO MY CAR, SAME THING, I ENDED TO CALL ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE FOR KIA MOTOR, TO TAKE IT TO THE KIA DEALER, THE TOWING TRUCK DRIVER SAY, THEY PICKUP A LOT OF KIA'S CARS FOR THE SAME REASON, THIS TIME HAPPEN ON 04/05/2017, I DID CLAIM TO KIA MOTOR, THEY SAY WAS THE BATTERY, AND I JUST THINK THEY WANT SALE A 300 AND SOMETHING BATTERY, AND A HAVE TO BUY A NEW BATTERY EVERY TWO YEARS, WITH THE NEW KIA AND HYUNDAI RECALLS I THINK THEY SHOULD RECALL THIS TWO CARS!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971244April 8, 2017
ENGINE
ENGINE FAILURE WITH MY NEW 2015 KIA OPTIMA AT 42,000 MILES. KIA DENIED WARRANTY COVERAGE DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO PROVE ALL OIL CHANGES. KIA ALSO DENIED KNOWING THERE WAS AN ENGINE DEFECT ON THIS 2.4L GDI ENGINE. TODAY I SEE AN ENGINE RECALL FINALLY FROM KIA, HOWEVER THEY STOPPED PREMATURE AT THE 2014 MODEL. I HAD TO PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE TO BE INSTALLED OUT OF MY OWN POCKET ON A BRAND NEW VEHICLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971443April 8, 2017
ENGINE
"ENGINE SEIZING RECALL" KIA RECALL NUMBER IS SC147. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE ABOUT 70 MPH HEADING TO JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA FROM VALDOSTA GEORGIA AND THE CAR BEGIN TO DECREASE IN SPEED THEN AS IT DECREASED SPEED I PULLED OVER AND GOOD THING I DID BECAUSE THE WHEEL LOCKED. I TRIED TO START THE CAR BUT NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. I WAS IN THE CAR LEFT LANE WHEN THE CAR BEGIN TO DECREASE IN SPEED AND AS I TRIED TO PULL OVER THERE WERE CARS PASSING AND I WAS ALMOST HIT NOT ONLY FROM BEHIND BUT ON THE SIDE BECAUSE THE CAR COULD NOT BE DRIVEN FAST ENOUGH TO PULL OFF THE ROAD.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971072April 7, 2017
ENGINE
I WAS DRIVING LONG DISTANCE AND I HEARD KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM MY ENGINE, IT BECAME LOUDER AND LOUDER SO I COULDN'T DRIVE ANYMORE. THE ENGINE KNOCKED OFF.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971075April 7, 2017
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO LACK OF OIL PRESSURE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971230April 7, 2017
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
TAMARA RECALL. WHILE DRIVING DOWN FREEWAY THE CAR TURNED COMPLETELY OFF. ALSO THE BACK WINDOWS DON'T ROLL UP OR DOWN ALL THE TIME WITH THE SWITCH. DEFECTIVE SWITCHES.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971223April 7, 2017
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE ENGINE KNOCKING AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AND STABILITY LIGHT FOR SPEED CONTROL. TOOK CAR SEVERAL TIMES TO DEALER AND THEY FINALLY TOLD ME ABOUT THE ENGINE NEED WORK DONE TO IT BECAUSE THEY HAVE DONE ALL THEY CAN DO TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I PAID FOR THEM TO REPLACE OIL CONTROL SELENOID AND THE CODE POO11 STILL COMES UP. THE CAR CUTS OFF IN TRAFFIC.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10970990April 6, 2017
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
24,000 MILES. CLICKING/ TICKING NOISE COMING FROM BEHIND THE DASH ON THE DRIVER SIDE/CENTER OF DASH. NOISE STARTS WHEN CAR IS STARTED AND CEASES WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF. NOISE IS CONTINUOUS DURING DRIVING. NOISE DOES NOT CHANGE IN VOLUME OR PACE DURING DRIVING.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10971009April 6, 2017
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
WE LEASE A 2017 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID WITH TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE. IT HAS 1986 MILES AND IS THREE MONTHS OLD. LAST WEEK THE CAR WHILE IN MOTION JUST STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC ON A MAJOR ROADWAY WITH NO WARNING. MY WIFE WAS ABLE GET OFF THE ROAD BY CONSTANTLY RESTARTING THE CAR. AFTER ALMOST ONE WEEK WE FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS A FAILURE OF THE BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WOULD NOT CHARGE THE MAIN BATTERY.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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