Kia Optima Complaints

7,843 consumer complaints on file.

#10864273May 10, 2016
ENGINE
OIL WAS LOW CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON NEED NEW ENGINE SAID IT WAS FROM METAL SHAVINGS IN OIL
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10863931May 9, 2016
STEERING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA OPTIMA. WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL IN EITHER DIRECTION, A CLICKING NOISE WAS PRESENT COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A COUPLING WITHIN THE STEERING SYSTEM WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10863592May 6, 2016
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA OPTIMA. WHEN UTILIZING THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLES, THEY FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 177,526.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10863334May 5, 2016
STEERING, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
-1ST PROBLEM- HEADLIGHTS/ FOG LIGHTS SEEM TO BURN OUT WAY TOO OFTEN. I'VE OWNED CARS FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND NEVER HAD TO REPLACE BULBS AS OFTEN AS I DO WITH THIS CAR. -2ND PROBLEM- STEERING SEEMS TO BE DIFFICULT TO KEEP ON ROAD AND WHEEL SEEMS TO BE STICKING. I FIND MYSELF OVER-CORRECTING TO "UNLOCK" THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAVE A LONG DAILY COMMUTE, 184 MILES ROUND TRIP, SO MY 3 YEAR OLD CAR HAS OVER 100,000 MILES. I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW AND NEVER HAD THE STEERING PROBLEM UNTIL RECENTLY. THE HEADLIGHTS BURNING OUT HAS BEEN ON GOING SINCE ABOUT 2 MONTHS AFTER BUYING THE CAR. OTHER THAN THOSE 2 THINGS, THE CAR HAS BEEN GREAT WITH GREAT GAS MILEAGE, GOOD RIDE, ETC. HOWEVER, THE STEERING PROBLEM SCARES ME NOW.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10863331May 5, 2016
STEERING
A FLEXIBLE COUPLING HAD TO BE REPLACED IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE COST OF THE PART WAS $1.35. THE LABOR TO REPLACE THE COUPLING WAS $250.00. I PAID A TOTAL OF $287.17 TO REPLACE A PART THAT COST $1.35. THE STEERING WAS LOOSE CAUSING THE ISSUE TO BE IMPERATIVE TO REPLACE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10863469May 5, 2016
AIR BAGS
I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MPH IN A BACK-STREET WHEN I DROVE OVER A STEADY BUMP, WHICH CAUSED THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. THE BUMP IN NATURE I WOULD SAY WAS NOT A ROUGH BUMP. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR BACK TO DEALER AT SHAUMBURG KIA ADDRESS: 1100 E GOLF RD, SCHAUMBURG, IL 60173 PHONE:(847) 908-0502
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10863486May 5, 2016
AIR BAGS
MY AIRBAG CONTINUES TO HAVE PROBLEMS AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. THE CAR WAS JUST STARTED AND STATIONARY WHEN THE LIGHT WENT ON.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10862486May 2, 2016
ENGINE
TRYING TO STATE A SHORT VERSION OF THIS BRUTAL SITUATION!! PURCHASED THE CAR WITH 60,000 MILES MY CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY HAS NOT REACHED 100,000 MILES AND THE ENGINE IS GONE. OF COURSE KIA WILL NOT FIX MY CAR I WOE $24,000 ON.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10862355April 30, 2016
STEERING
AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50MPH, AFTER KIA PERFORMED AND ALIGNMENT AND NEW TIRES INSTALLED, THE STEERING REQUIRES CONSTANT CORRECTION. THERE ALSO APPEAR TO BE ALOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CAR WILL NOT DRIVE IN A STRAIGHT LINE. IT TAKES ALOT OF WORK CORRECTING THE STEERING.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10861976April 28, 2016
ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING HOME ONE DAY IN DECEMBER 2015, EACH TIME I APPROACHED A STOP LIGHT, YIELD SIGN OR SLOWED TO A LOW SPEED (LESS THAN 15 MPH), MY VEHICLE WOULD SHUT-OFF MULTIPLE TIMES. MY IN MOTION SPEED WAS APPROX 45 MPH WHEN NOT APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT OR YIELD SIGN. IT HAPPENED BOTH WHEN I WAS TURNING AND GOING STRAIGHT ON MAIN ROADS WITH 2-4 LANES. THE DEALERSHIP AND ANOTHER ASME CERTIFIED MECHANIC BOTH STATE ENGINE FAILURE, WHICH SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH 2.4L ENGINES MANUFACTURED BY KIA AND HYUNDAI AROUND THIS YEAR UP TO 2015.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10862113April 28, 2016
STEERING
UNABLE TO DRIVE STRAIGHT. PULLS TO LEFT AND RIGHT. I'M DRIVING ALL OVER THE LANE. WEARS ME OUT JUST TRYING TO DRIVE IT. AND ALL THIS CLICKING NOISE GOING ON...WHY DOESN'T KIA FIX THESE PROBLEMS? WHY IS IT SUCH A MYSTERY?? WHY ISN'T THIS A RECALL? AN AUTOMOBILE THAT WON'T DRIVE STRAIGHT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10861988April 28, 2016
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
POWER DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT WORK AT TIMES BOTH INSIDE AND WITH THE REMOTE PREVENTING ALL ABILITY TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE CAR IS AT A STOP BOTH WHILE RUNNING AND NOT RUNNING. I GENERALLY DO NOT TRY TO OPEN THE DOORS WHILE I'M DRIVING.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10861979April 28, 2016
ENGINE
AT 60,100 MILES THE ENGINE FAILED. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NO OIL LIGHT EVER CAME ON. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT DENIED IT ALONG WITH KIA CORPORATE. PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. MAINTAINED TO KIA STANDARDS AS WELL WITH OIL CHANGES. WITH EVERY OIL CHANGE I WAS TOLD THE OIL WAS FINE AND NOTHING SEEMED WRONG OR AMISS WITH THE OIL IN THE CAR. I TOOK MY CAR TO HAVE AN OIL CHANGE THE DAY BEFORE MY ENGINE BLEW. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN IT MADE A VERY LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE IT TO WORK. I HAD THE CAR TOWED IMMEDIATELY TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR 18 MONTHS AS THE SECOND OWNER. I AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10861429April 26, 2016
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
RECURRING, INTERMITTENT LACK OF ENGINE RESPONSE TO PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR; PARTICULARLY NOTICEABLE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT AT A BREAK IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC. ENGINE ACTS AS IF STALLING, THEN RECOVERS AFTER A SECOND OR TWO DELAY. KIA DEALER SERVICE ADVISES THAT THIS IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE AND NOT ADJUSTMENT IS POSSIBLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE MAY BE STATIONARY OR MOVING A LESS THAN 5 MPH WHEN THIS OCCURS. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND NOT APPARENTLY RELATED TO FUEL OR CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. RESULTS IN DRIVER UNCERTAINTY IN ANY GIVEN TURNING SITUATION WHETHER THERE IS SUFFICIENT TIME TO MAKE THE TURN; SEVERAL NEAR CRASH EPISODES HAVE OCCURRED WHERE LACK OF ENGINE RESPONSE TO POWER DEMAND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SLOW RATHER THEN ACCELERATE. CONDITION OCCURS MOST FREQUENTLY DURING CITY DRIVING, BUT MAY ALSO OCCUR AT HIGHWAY TURNING SITUATIONS WHERE THE VEHICLE HAS STOPPED BEFORE ATTEMPTING A TURN.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10861177April 25, 2016
ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING OVER 55 MPH, THE ENGINE WOULD BEGIN TO RUMBLE. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT NO OIL WAS PRESENT. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE LOW OIL SENSOR WARNING LIGHT HAD NOT ILLUMINATED TO ALERT OF THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000. UPDATED 09/08/16*LJ *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10861198April 25, 2016
ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT APPX 60MPH THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED ON US, AND ALL OF THE INDICATOR LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON-FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. THERE WAS NO KNOCKING SOUND PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING (WE FOUND OUT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP) AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO OUR KIA DEALERSHIP, WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED, BUT THERE WAS OIL IN THE CAR. I AM NOW HAVING TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE. AFTER READING MULTIPLE STORIES OF THIS HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE KIA NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10861073April 23, 2016
STEERING
THE STEERING WHEEL MAKES A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN BARELY TURNING LEFT TO RIGHT, AND ALSO SHAKES WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. THE CLUNK NOISE OCCURS ALL THE TIME EVEN WHEN IN PARK AND TURNING THE WHEEL LEFT TO RIGHT. FEELS AS THOUGH IT'S SOMETHING GOING BAD IN THE STEERING SHAFTS OR COLUMN.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10860676April 21, 2016
HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA HYDRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 85 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYBRID SYSTEM WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER HAD POTENTIAL SAFETY CONCERNS AND OFFERED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10860301April 19, 2016
SEATS, AIR BAGS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA OPTIMA. WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT TRACK FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 97,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10860348April 19, 2016
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I OWN A 2012 KIA OPTIMA ON APRIL 5, 2016 I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND MY SUNROOF EXPLODED. AT THE TIME I WAS DRIVING ON CLINE AVENUE (912). I WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING OUT OF THE NORMAL. THERE WERE NO CAR AROUND ME TO HIT ME THERE WAS NO FALLING DEBRIS FROM ANYWHERE. I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION SOUND AND WHEN I LOOKED UP I SAW MY SUNROOF WITH A HUGE HOLE AND TWO MORE LOUD POPS CAME AFTER THAT. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE CONTACTED KIA USA THE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS AND HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANYWHERE WITH THEM. THEY HAVE NOT OWNED UP TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS HAPPENING IN THEIR VEHICLES (2011 -2015). I DISCOVERED THIS WHILE RESEARCHING ON LINE. ONCE THE EXPLOSION HAPPENED I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT AND WHERE I HAVE IT SERVICED ON A REGULAR BASIS. THEY HELD MY CAR FROM MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2016 UNTIL FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016. NOTHING WAS DONE TO IT. THEY CLAIM THAT THEY WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD IT SO THEY COULD AN INVESTIGATION OF THE CAR. I HAVE GIVEN 3 DEPOSITIONS OVER THE PHONE TO KIA WITH A PROMISE THAT SOMEONE WOULD GET BACK TO ME SOON. THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED YET. IN THE MEAN TIME I HAD TO GIVE THE DEALER SHIP A DEPOSIT SO THEY COULD ORDER THE GLASS TO FIX THE SUNROOF. THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT IT WILL COST $440.00 FOR THE CLASS AND $80.00 DOLLARS LABOR. THIS MAY NOT SEEM LIKE MUCH, BUT TO ME IT IS AND I FEEL LIKE THIS IS KIA'S RESPONSIBILITY. WHEN I WAS DOING MY RESEARCH ON-LINE I FOUND ARTICLE OF OTHERS CAR MAKERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM BUT THEY PAID FOR THE REPAIRS. I WAS TOLD THAT MY WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER GLASS AND SINCE THE TOTAL COST IS $520 AND MY INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE IS $500. SO THIS IS MONEY I HAVE TO PAY OUT OF MY POCKET AND PRESENTLY I AM DRIVING AROUND WITH A PIECE OF PLASTIC FOR A ROOF.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Kia Optima