Kia Optima Complaints

7,843 consumer complaints on file.

#10926014November 14, 2016
STRUCTURE:BODY, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE WASHING THE VEHICLE, WATER WAS OBSERVED IN THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEALANT AROUND THE HEADLIGHTS WAS FAILING. THE HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT REPAIRED OR REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10926013November 14, 2016
STEERING, WHEELS
I HAVE A 2012 KIA OPTIMA AND MY STEERING WHEEL IS MAKING A LOUD CLANKING NOISE WHEN I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD OR SLIGHTLY TURN THE WHEEL . I HAVE SEARCHED ON LINE AND IT'S SAYING IT IS A CLUSTER NOT SURE WAT THAT IS I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT SHOULD BE UNDER RECALL BECAUSE THAT CAN CAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOOSE IT'S DIRECTIONS AND I COULD EITHER CAUSE AND ACCIDENT OR BE PART OF ONE
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10925697November 14, 2016
STEERING
THE OPTIMA IS NOT EVEN 5 YEARS OLD - THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN MAKING AN ODD NOISE WHEN STATIONARY WHEN TURNED SLIGHTLY LEFT OR RIGHT. THEN, TRAVELING ON NORMAL CITY STREETS, A LOUD NOISE COULD BE HEARD COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN, EVEN OVER SLIGHT CRACKS OR BUMPS, AND AT LOW SPEEDS. BUT NOW, THE CAR'S STEERING COLUMN IS VERY LOUD AND SHAKES VIOLENTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS - STARTING AT 50MPH. IT IS SO LOUD I CANNOT HEAR THE RADIO AT ALL. I CAN NO LONGER GO ON ANY TRIPS WITH THE CAR.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10925489November 11, 2016
ENGINE
I HAVE A 2013 KIA OPTIMA GDI ENGINE, I HEAR A NOISE IN THE ENGINE AND LATTER STAR WITH SMOKE LIKE BURNING OIL, THE ENGINE BLOAT
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10925413November 10, 2016
STEERING
MY 2012 KIA OPTIMA SX T-GDI ONLY HAS 70K MILES AND IS GIVING ME STEERING ISSUES (LOUD POPPING/CLICKING NOISES, WHICH YOU CAN FEEL AS WELL). THESE ISSUES ARE FELT AT ALL DIFFERENT SPEEDS, AND ALL DIFFERENT TURNING ANGLES. I WAS INFORMED, AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE, THAT THE FLEX COUPLING NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ($4 PART, BUT OVER $200 IN LABOR). I AM NOT WILLING TO PAY THIS DUE TO A FAULTY PART, SO KIA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! IN CONDUCTING MY OWN RESEARCH, I AM ONE OF HUNDREDS THAT ARE HAVING THIS SAME EXACT ISSUE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10925175November 9, 2016
STEERING
I HAVE A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. LIKE EVERYONE ELSE I AM HAVING STEERING WHEEL ISSUES. THIS NEEDS TO BE ON RECALL!!!!! I AM A LITTLE OVER 60,000.00. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE POSSIBLE LAWSUIT. I CALLED KIA TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND SHE SAID THIS SOUNDS NORMAL AND I NEED TO BRING IT IN TO DO A COMPUTER RESET. I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS. NOT HAPPY. THIS NEEDS TO BE ON RECALL!!!!!!!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10925228November 9, 2016
ENGINE
AT APPROXIMATELY 118,000 MILES, THE CONNECTING ROD AND ENGINE FAILURE HAPPENED WHILE TRAVELLING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON RHODE ISLAND STATE ROUTE 114 IN EAST PROVIDENCE, RI. THE ENGINE SEIZED COMPLETELY AND I WAS ABLE TO COAST THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE I THEN REQUIRED A TOW TRUCK. THANKFULLY IT WAS 1AM AND NO CARS ON THE ROAD. NOBODY WAS HURT. BALD HILL KIA IN WARWICK, RI NOW HAS MY CAR, BUT NO ETA ON WHEN IT WILL BE READY. THEY TELL ME THAT THERE ARE TWO OTHER OPTIMAS WAITING FOR ENGINES AHEAD OF MINE. THIS IS 100% UNACCEPTABLE. I SPENT $26,000 ON THIS CAR IN GOOD FAITH AND KIA WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY THEY EXTENDED ON THE ENGINE IN A TIMELY FASHION. WHILE THEY HAVE OFFERED A LOANER CAR FOR NOW, THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE IN WRITING THAT THE LOANER WILL BE OF NO COST TO ME. I AM NOW STUCK WITH THE OPTION OF HOPE AND WAIT THAT KIA DOES THE RIGHT THING, OR TAKE MATTERS IN TO MY OWN HANDS BY CONTACTING NHTSA AND CONSIDERING THE PURCHASE OF A NEW VEHICLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10924482November 6, 2016
ENGINE, STEERING
THERE'S A TICKING IN MY MOTOR WHEN FIRST STARTING UP N LAST ABOUT 5-10 MINS AFTERWARDS AND ALSO A CLANKING AND POPPING SOUNDS IN STEERING EVEN WORSE WHEN HITTING A HOLE OR GOING ACROSS INTERSECTIONS OR RAILROAD CROSSINGS STEERING SLIPS SOME GOING DOWN THE ROAD AT VARIOUS SPEEDS
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10924510November 6, 2016
ENGINE
I BOUGHT MY 2012 KIA OPTIMA USED WITH 68K MILES ON IT IN MARCH 2016. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT 8 MONTHS AND IT NOW HAS 80K MILES. THE CAR CONSUMES A LOT OF OIL. I HAVE GIVEN THE CAR 4 OIL CHANGES SINCE PURCGASE AND HAVE NOT SEEN WHERE IT MAY BE LEAKING OIL UNDERNEATH THE CAR. WHEN ACCELERATING, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THEY CAR WILL STALL FROM A LACK OF POWER AND I WILL HEAR A TICKING SOUND WHEN IT STALLS. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND WHERE THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT WITH THIS, AND OTHER KIA MODELS', MOTOR. THIS IS MY ONLY TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM WORK. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR 8 MONTHS AND HAD TO FINANCE THE ENTIRE COST. IF MY CAR'S SYMPTOMS ARE SYNONYMOUS WITH THE OTHER COMPLAINTS, I SUSPECT MY MOTOR WILL BE DONE WITH IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT AFFORD TO REPAIR OR REPLACE A NEW MOTOR!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10924553November 6, 2016
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE LOSES ACCELERATION WHEN DRIVING, HAVE TO LET GO OF GAS PEDAL AND PUSH AGAIN TO GAIN ACCELERATION AGAIN
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10924375November 4, 2016
ENGINE
DRIVING DOWN ROAD 55 MPH ENGINE SHUT OFF HAD TOWED TO DEALER. ENGINE SEIZED FROM FAULTY CONNECTING ROD REPLACEMENT ENGINE 2 MONTH BACK ORDER. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10923952November 3, 2016
ENGINE
THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND HAD AN OIL CHANGE THE PREVIOUS DAY. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND AN AUDIBLE CLICKING OR TAPPING NOISE CAME ON WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. MY WIFE HAD JUST ENOUGH TIME TO PULL OFF INTO A LOCAL BUSINESS AND PARKED THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO KIA AND THEY ADVISED THERE WAS "SLUDGE" IN THE ENGINE AND WE HAD NOT BEEN MAINTAIN THE VEHICLE PROPERLY. OFFERED TO PRODUCE RECORDS BUT THEY ADVISED THEY STILL WOULD NOT COVER IT. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10923961November 3, 2016
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
THE SUNROOF EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10923711November 1, 2016
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. I HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER'S SHOP THINKING THAT MY POWER TRAIN WARRANTY WILL TAKE CARE OF THIS. COME TO FIND OUT THE CONNECTING ROD HAS A DEFECT AND THE WARRANTY IS NULL AND VOID BECAUSE ITS TECHNICALLY NOT CONSIDERED DAMAGED....................I SAID EXACTLY WHAT YOU THE READER WOULD OF SAID. IT WASN'T PRETTY. THINKING ABOUT LAWYERING UP. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10920049October 30, 2016
AIR BAGS
AIR BAG LIGHT ON DASHBOARD STAYS ON, STARTED TWO DAYS A GO.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10920056October 30, 2016
STEERING
OUR 2011 KIA OPTIMA STEERING WHEEL STARTED MALFUNCTIONING AT ABOUT 78000 MILES. MOVES FREELY WHEN IT SHOULDN'T, SLIGHTEST BUMP AND STEERING WHEEL JUMPS UP AN DOWN AND MAKES A LOUD CLICKING NOISE AND EFFECTS SAFE STEERING. CAN'T FIND A RECALL, THOUGH I FIND THIS PROBLEM IN NUMEROUS WEB SEARCHES. THEY GONNA WAIT TIL PEOPLE ARE KILLED OR INJURED ( IF NOT ALREADY) UNTIL THEY TAKE REPAIR ACTION? ! I UNDERSTAND IT'S A $4 PART WITH AVERAGE AROUND $600.00 LABOR TO REPAIR.WHO HAS THAT KIND OF MONEY TO FIX THEIR MANUFACTURING PROBLEM? HELP PLEASE THIS NOTICED UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS DRIVING TO WORK ON NORMAL MAIN STREET. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10919846October 28, 2016
ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON, THE RPM'S DROPPED AND THE CAR SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT RESTART. GOT IT TOWED TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP THEY CALLED SAID IT WAS MY STARTER. MY FIANCE STOPPED BY THERE SAID IT'S NO WAY IT WAS THE STARTER. THE SERVICE TECH PUT A BREAKER BAR ON THE MOTOR AND IT WAS LOCKED UP TIGHT. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10919004October 26, 2016
POWER TRAIN
OVER THE LAST MONTH, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING MANY TRANSMISSION ISSUES WHERE THE MY 2012 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID IS HARD SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS 2-3 AND 5-6; SAME WHEN DOWN SHIFTING. I HAVE HAD TO BREAK EXTRA LONG BECAUSE OF THE DOWNSHIFTING, THE CAR 'LURCHES' FORWARD, AND I FAIL TO GET SUFFICIENT POWER IN THE PROPER GEAR WHEN I ACCELERATE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10918702October 25, 2016
ENGINE
I BOUGHT MY NEW/USED 2013 KIA OPTIMA AT THE END OF JUNE 2016 WITH NO IDEA THAT THIS PARTICULAR MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR HAD SUCH ISSUES. THE CAR SEEMED TO RUN NICELY. I AM A VERY CONSERVATIVE DRIVER SO I RARELY TOOK THE RPMS UP PAST 2.5 WHEN TAKING OFF. ONE DAY, NOT EVEN 90 DAYS INTO OWNING MY KIA, I HOPED ON THE HIGHWAY. IN ORDER TO SAFELY MERGE INTO TRAFFIC I HAD TO ACCELERATE UP TO 3.5 RPMS TO REACH SPEED OF 65MPH. WHEN I DID I HEARD A STRANGE ALMOST CLICKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE AND GRAY SMOKE POURING FROM THE BACK END OF MY CAR. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. JUST BACK OFF THE EXIST NEXT TO MY GYM WAS A GARAGE. I CAREFULLY MANAGED TO GET MY CAR THERE WHERE THEY TOLD ME THE DEVASTATING NEWS (THAT I'VE LEARNED NOW SO MANY KIA OPTIMA OWNERS HAVE FACED)...A BLOWN ENGINE. KIA HAS ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS PROBLEM, BUT WITH SUCH LIMITATIONS THAT THEY RARELY ACTUALLY COVER THE ACTUAL REPAIR. I'VE TAKEN MY KIA TO THE DEALER (PER KIA CUSTOMER AFFAIRS REQUEST) FOR THEM TO TELL ME THE SAME THING AND NOW, BECAUSE KIA WON'T WARRANTY IT DUE TO EXEMPTIONS ON THEIR "EXTENDED" WARRANTY, I HAVE TO PAY THE DEALER $300. I HAVE A NOTE ON THIS CAR FOR 72 MONTHS. I'VE ONLY MADE 3 PAYMENTS! NO ONE CAN HELP ME AND I'M NOT THE ONLY KIA OWNER FACING THIS DILEMMA. THE ROD THAT IS DEFECTIVE IS CAUSING ISSUES WITH THE OIL WHICH IS ALLOWING METAL FLAKES TO ENTER THE ENGINE. THUS CAUSE SEIZURES IN THE MOTOR AND ENGINE FAILURE. AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED THE ENGINE COMPLETELY DIES CREATING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. PLEASE HELP! *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10918888October 25, 2016
ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE ENGINE OIL INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS BURNING OIL EXTREMELY FAST. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO LOW MAINTENANCE OF HAVING THE OIL CHANGED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT SHE NEEDED TO PROVIDE ALL DOCUMENTS OF PREVIOUS OIL CHANGE MAINTENANCE. DUE TO NOT HAVING THE OIL CHANGES PERFORMED AT A KIA CERTIFIED DEALER, THE CONTACT WAS OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 45,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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