Kia Optima Complaints (2003)

141 consumer complaints on file.

#10115422April 12, 2005
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
THE STANDARD SAFETY STRAP IN THE MIDDLE REAR SEAT WILL NOT SECURELY FASTEN THE CHILD SEAT. AFTER A PERIOD OF DAYS THE STRAPS WILL LOOSEN. *AK THE CAR SEAT DID NOT FIT PROPERLY IN THE REAR SEAT EVEN WHEN PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED. THE CONSUMER HAS TRIED MULTIPLE CHILD SEAT BRANDS AND TYPES ALL WITH THE SAME RESULT. ON THREE OCCASION THE SEAT HAS TIPPED OVER WHILE THE CHILD WAS SECURED IN IT. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10107846January 24, 2005
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 KIA OPTIMA ON I85 AT 65 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND SLOWED QUICKLY TO LESS THAN 10 MPH. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SPUTTER AND BACKFIRE UNTIL I WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER AND WAIT APPROXIMATELY. 15 MINUTES BEFORE PROCEEDING NORMALLY. MY WIFE HAS ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS AND IS AFRAID OF BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR THIS ISSUE 4 TIMES. THE LAST REPAIR INVOLVED PARAMOUNT KIA IN HICKORY WHERE THE MECHANIC REPLACED MANY OF THE ASSUMED PROBLEM PARTS SUCH AS FAULTY WIRING HARNESS, ECM, MAF SENSOR AND FUEL PUMP WITHOUT RESOLVE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THEY HAD NO IDEA ON HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10106925January 6, 2005
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE DEFROSTER. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN THE ELEMENTS THE WINDOWS ON THE LEFT SIDE FOG UP BADLY, CONSUMER MUST ROLL THE WINDOW DOWN TO SEE WHAT IS ON LEFT SIDE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING FINE. *AK...*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10109386December 21, 2004
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE TIME IT TOOK TO GET THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS. *BF *SC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10105586December 3, 2004
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BRAKE FAILURE, FRONT ROTORS GROOVED, PADS HEAT GLAZED, REAR ROTORS ALSO. PLUS REAR CALIPERS WERE BOUNDED UP. *BF THE DOORS LOCKED BY THEMSELVES, AND THERE WAS SQUEALING WHEN THE CONSUMER PLACED THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE DOORS HARNESS CONNECTION WAS POOR AND SHORTED OUT. *SC *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10103232November 22, 2004
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP
THE ENGINE AND AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND OFF. THE ENGINE OXYGEN SENSORS WERE REPLACED. THE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER PROBLEMS. *BF THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT HE GAS CAP WAS THE PROBLEM. REFERENCE TO RECALL#04V180000. THE DOOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE CONTINUED TO LOCK WITHOUT PRESSING. *SC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10094984October 4, 2004
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON. DEALER ORDERED THE PART. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE PART, THIS MAKES DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG INOPERABLE. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10083319July 20, 2004
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE CONSUMER NOTICED WHILE DRIVING, THAT THE DOORS LOCKS UNLOCKED AND LOCKED WITHOUT PRESSING THE LOCK BUTTON WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS FLASHING. PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10082037July 15, 2004
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
THE CONSUMER REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WAS WEARING HIS SEAT BELT, HOWEVER THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE COLLISION WAS UNDER THE TRUCK'S BUMPER. THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE CONSUMER SUFFERED SHOULDER AND HEAD INJURIES IN THE COLLISION. *JB
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#10075412June 15, 2004
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
IT WAS RAINING HARD IN OUR AREA( 1 INCHES IN 1 OUR). I LIVE 3 MILES IN ON A COUNTY DIRT ROAD AND IT WAS MUDDY WITH STANDING WATER. WHEN ALL THE WATER AND MUD WAS SPLASTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THE WAS IDLEING ROUGH. THIS IS THE (2) SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED. THE FIRST TIME WAS ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO IN APRIL WHEN WE HAD SAME TYPE OF WEATHER. TOOK THE CAR TO MY DEALER SERVICE DEPT AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIND NOTHING WRONG AND THAT I HAD WATER IN MY GAS. I PUT ATLEAST TWO BOTTLES OF DRY GAS IN TANK. CAR RAN FINE UNTIL THE EVEING OF 6/14/03 WHEN AGAIN WE HAD ALOT OF RAIN AND THE SAME 3 MILE WET, MUDDY, STANDING WATER DIRT ROAD. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10074228May 25, 2004
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
WHEN PULLING THE DOOR LOCK UP TO GET OUT OR PULL THE DOOR HANDLE, THE LOCKING MECHANISM FAILS TO DISENGAGE. THE CONSUMER WAS TRAPPED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. A TOW COMPANY WAS CALLED TO ASSIST THE CONSUMER IN GETTING OUT OF THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10068967January 15, 2004
POWER TRAIN
I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR AUGUST 14. THAT NIGHT IT WOULD NOT START. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS CAR OVER 4 HOURS AND PUT ABOUT 60 MILES ON IT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10050360December 10, 2003
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT
WHILE TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION THERE WAS HEAVY VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONSUMER ALSO HEARD A LOUD CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP/MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT FAILURE. DEALERSHIP MECHANIC DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10044891October 28, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND HIT THE GUARD RAIL. THE DRIVER WAS INJURED AND TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. INJURIES UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS. MECHANIC DETECTED BOTH FRONTAL UPPER BALL JOINTS CRACKED. *AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#10040353September 23, 2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CONSUMER TURNED ON THE IGNITION SWITCH AND HEARD A CLICKING NOISE, AND THEN LIGHTS/RADIO, AND AIR CONDITIONER WENT OFF. A BURNING SMELL CAME FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER VENTS. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. DEALER STATED NOTHING COULD BE FOUND WRONG WITH THE CAR. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10020412June 27, 2003
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
THE DESIGN OF THE LARGE OVER VIEW MIRROR, ONLY ALLOWED THE CONSUMER TO SEE HALF OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. *JB THE FRONT WINDSHIELD VISIBILITY TO THE RIGHT WAS BLOCKED BY THE FRONT REARVIEW MIRROR DUE TO LARGE SIZE OF THE MIRROR AND INABILITY TO LOWER THE DRIVERS SEAT ENOUGH AND ALMOST HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE. THE REAR VIEW MIRROR BLOCKED THE VISIBILITY OF THE RIGHT HALF OF THE WINDSHIELD AND DID NOT SEE THE VEHICLE TRAVELING FROM RIGHT TO LEFT UNTIL IT WAS IN FRONT OF THE CONSUMER. SCC *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10020418June 27, 2003
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH
THE VEHICLE CAME EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC SWITCH TO TURN THE HEADLIGHTS ON OR USE THE MANUAL SWITCH. WHEN THE AUTOMATIC SWITCH WAS USED, THE HIGH BEAMS WERE INOPERATIVE. *JB IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO TURN ON THE HIGH BEAMS. THE DEALER STATED IT WAS NORMAL. ALSO, THE POSITION OF THE REAR VIEW MIRROR SIZE/HEIGHT OF THE DRIVER SEAT LIMITED FRONT VIEW ON THE RIGHT OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONSUMER ALMOST HIT A PASSING VEHICLE AS HE WAS GOING INTO THE DEALERS LOT AND COULD NOT SEE IT UNTIL IT WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. *SCC *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10021932May 30, 2003
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:INTERIOR
THE LOCATION OF THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR AND SUN VISOR IS OBSTRUCTING THE VIEW THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. THIS RESULTS IN POOR VISIBILITY, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. SEAT CANNOT BE LOWERED TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10021935May 30, 2003
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
VEHICLE COMES EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL OPERATED HEADLIGHTS. WHEN THE AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT ARE ENGAGED VEHICLE'S HIGH BEAMS ARE INOPERATIVE. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10007273February 24, 2003
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE.*AK *JB
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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