Kia Optima Complaints

7,843 consumer complaints on file.

#11088812April 18, 2018
SERVICE BRAKES
TAKATA RECALL- WHILE TRAVELING TO WORK GOING 40MPH I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN MY CAR APPROACHING A RED LIGHT ON BURLINGTON AVE/ MO-9. AS I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKES MADE A THUMPING NOISE BUT DID NOT SLOW OR STOP THE CAR. I LIFTED MY FOOT AND PRESSED DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN, AND AS BEFORE THE BRAKES MADE A THUMPING NOISE BUT DID NOT SLOW OR BRAKE MY VEHICLE. THERE WERE CARS STOPPED AT THE RED LIGHT THAT I WAS APPROACHING THUS I TURNED MY WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AVOIDING HITTING THE CARS AT THE RED LIGHT, JUMPED THE MEDIAN, AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. BOTH VEHICLES HAVE BEEN TOTALED OUT.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11088940April 18, 2018
ENGINE
MY CAR HAS A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE, THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET INSPECTED FOR THE RECALL SEPTEMBER 2017. TEAM KIA OF EL CAJON; THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE SALVAGE TITLES AREN'T COVERED UNDER RECALL WARRANTY. 4/18/2018 WHILE DRIVING IN THE FAST MOVING TRAFFIC , MY CAR'S ENGINE SHUT OFF. AFTER MEETING WITH THE MECHANIC TODAY I WAS TOLD THE ENGINE WENT OUT. THESE SIGNS INDICATE TO ME THAT THE ENGINE WENT BAD DUE TO THE RECALL ISSUE THAT THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPLACE. I'VE OWNED THE CAR FOR LESS THAN A YEAR AND PROVIDED PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR AT THE SCHEDULED TIMES. PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE VECHILE THE CAR RECEIVED A ENGINE CLEARANCE THROUGH KIA DEALERSHIP AND THROUGH MY PRIVATE MECHANIC, SAYING THE ENGINE WAS GOOD. NOW 8 MONTHS LATER AFTER HEARING CONTINUOUS KNOCKING NOISE AND ALMOST GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT I FEEL LIKE IM NOT RECEIVING FAIR TREATMENT OR GETTING MY CAR'S ENGINE REPLACED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11088683April 17, 2018
AIR BAGS
TAKATA RECALL. MY AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON IN THE SUMMER OF 2017 AND HASN'T GONE OUT SINCE. I HAVE NEVER HIT ANYTHING TO MAKE THE AIR BAG LIGHT COME ON. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PLACES HOOK MY CAR TO THEIR TESTING MACHINES AND NOTHING COMES UP ON THEIR MACHINE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11088437April 16, 2018
STRUCTURE:BODY
DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM EITHER THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED BUT I WAS ABLE TO FINALLY GET THE DOOR OPEN BEFORE AND DISENGAGED THE ACTUATOR. AS LONG AS NO ONE LOCKED THE DOOR, IT WORKED FINE, HOWEVER; MOTHER RECENTLY HAD WORK DONE ON HER CAR AND WHEN THEY RETURNED IT, THEY LOCKED THE DOOR. I'VE SPENT NUMEROUS HOURS TRYING TO GET THE DOOR OPEN SO THAT I CAN REPLACE THE MECHANISM AND ACTUATOR BUT HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. AFTER LOOKING ONLINE, THIS SEEM TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH KIA, THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION AND NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO. NOT SURE HOW LITTLE ELDERLY PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO SAFELY GET OUT OF THEIR VEHICLES IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. (THIS HAPPENED WHILE STATIONARY ON A FLAT, PAVED ROAD).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11084819April 12, 2018
ENGINE
2015 KIA OPTIMA. DROVE OUT OF MY PARKING LOT AND MY CAR JUST CUT OFF AFTER I TURNED THE CORNER AT 4:30 IN THE MORNING HEADING TO WORK. TRIED TO START IT AGAIN IT STARTED AND CUT RIGHT BACK OFF. HAD IT TOWED TO THE KIA DEALER IN FREDERICK. THE DEALER CALLED ME AND SAID THAT MY ENGINE FAILED BECAUSE IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY OIL IN IT AND IT HAD SLUDGE AND A CRACK IN THE ENGINE. I WAS FURTHER TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO BRING ALL OF MY OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS TO PROVE I WAS GETTING MY OIL CHANGED. MY CAR IS NOT EVEN 3 YEARS OLD. THE WARRANTY CLEARLY STATES THAT YOU ARE COVERED 10YEARS OR 100,000 MILES WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. KIA IS NOT WILLING TO HONOR THEIR WAIRRANTY WHICH IS DEAD WRONG. GOT A CALL TODAY STATING THAT IT WAS GOING TO COST $7200 TO FIX MY ENGINE. LAST TIME I CHECKED I WAS NOT RELATED TO ROCKEFELLER. PEOPLE JUST DON'T GO AROUND DELIBERATELY CRACKING ENGINES. THIS CAR NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. HOW WAS IT RECALLED FROM 2011-2014 SKIPPED 2015 AND RECALLED AGAIN IN 2016. I'VE BEEN DOING MY HOMEWORK WITH THIS SITUATION AND THERE HAVE BEEN 98 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 2015 KIA OPTIMA WHICH 48 OF THEM WHERE ABOUT THE ENGINE AND KIA NOR NHTSA HAD INVESTIGATED ANY OF THEM. THAT'S BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WANT TO FIX THERE ISSUES THAT THEY KNEW ABOUT PRIOR TO IT HAPPENING. THIS IS A TRUE SAFETY HAZARD AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT IT. IT IS NOT FAIR THAT WE PAY SO MUCH MONEY FOR A CAR AND THEN WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS TO IT YOU CAN'T EVEN GET IT FIXED. BUT I BET IF IT WAS ONE OF THOSE CORPORATE PEOPLES CARS THEY WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM HONORING THE WARRANTY OR BETTER YET GIVING THEM A NEW CAR.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11084654April 11, 2018
ENGINE
I OWN A 2015 KIA OPTIMA LX. THIS PAST WEEKEND, I WAS DRIVING HOME WHEN MY CAR JUST SHUT DOWN. I THEN HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD DUE TO THE CAR HAD NO POWER. I TURNED THE KEY OFF, AND TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR AGAIN. BUT IT JUST CLICK ONCE AND THAT WAS IT. IT NEVER WOULD START AGAIN, I HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME AND PUT IN MY DRIVEWAY UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. I CALLED JEFFERY KIA THE NEXT DAY AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THEM. AFTER TWO DAYS, THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED AND TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD SEIZE UP AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR IS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD WITH JUST UNDER 60,000 MILES AND HAS A FULL WARRANTY. BUT THE DEALER STATED THAT SINCE I DID NOT HAVE THEM DO MY OIL CHANGES THAT THEY REQUIRED ME TO BRING THEM RECEIPTS FROM OTHER PLACES TO PROVE THE OIL WAS BEING CHANGED. I TOLD THE DEALER THAT I DO MY OWN OIL CHANGES, DUE TO I DON'T TRUST OIL CHANGE ESTABLISHMENTS. THE DEALER THEN REQUESTED THAT I BRING THEM RECEIPTS FROM WHERE I BOUGHT THE OIL AND FILTER TO PROVE THAT THE OIL WAS BEING CHANGED. I TOLD THE DEALER WHO KEEPS RECEIPTS LIKE THAT!!! WHY WOULD I KEEP RECEIPTS FOR OIL THAT I BOUGHT AT A AUTO PARTS STORE. I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD HAVE TO KEEP SUCH RECEIPTS. BUT AFTER DOING MY RESEARCH CONCERNING THIS ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF KIA, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. BACK IN 2014, KIA AND HYUNDAI BOTH RECALLED 1.2 MILLION VEHICLES FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. AND IT APPEARS, THAT IT IS STILL NO CORRECTED. THEY SHOULD BE THE ONES TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR FOR THIS ISSUE, SINCE THEY KNEW ABOUT IT FROM THE START AND FAILED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT UNTIL IT AFFECTED TONS OF INNOCENT BUYERS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11084464April 10, 2018
AIR BAGS
ONE CAR HEAD ON CRASH. PASSENGER SIDE CURTAIN DID NOT DEPLOY. PASSENGER HAD MANY INJURIES RIGHT SIDE. HAPPENED IN CONSTRUCTION ZONE ON A HIGHWAY, IN MISSOURI.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11084368April 10, 2018
ENGINE
1) 59,000 MILES ENGINE HAS DEVELOPED ROUGH IDLE WHEN STATIONARY. IDLE IS WORSE UNDER LOAD CONDITIONS. RPM FLUCTUATES BETWEEN 500-550 WHEN IN DRIVE. IDLE AT 600 WHEN IN PARK. MOMENTARY LOSS OF POWER WHEN ACCELERATING. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL ON THE 2.4 GDI ENGINE. KIA DEALERS CLAIM THE ENGINE IS NORMAL. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS WHEN THE ENGINE IS STARTING TO FAIL. 2) INTERMITTENT ENGINE WON'T START. ELECTRONICS ACTIVATE, BUT ENGINE DOES NOT START. KIA DEALERS CONTINUE TO CLAIM EVERYTHING IS NORMAL SINCE THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. HAVE BEEN STRANDED DUE TO ENGINE NOT STARTING.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11083991April 9, 2018
AIR BAGS, STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND MY HORN I BLOWING FOR UP TO 45 MINUTES RANDOMLY AT ANYTIME; DRIVING OR STATIONARY. MY CAR IS UNSAFE. I HAD MY CAR DIAGNOSE AT COBB COUNTY KIA IN KENNESAW, GA 30144 AND THE SERVICE MANAGER, JOE TOLD ME THAT THE ISSUE WAS THE CLOCK SPRING WHICH KIA HAS RECALLED ON SEVERAL OTHER MODELS. THE CAR IS UNSAFE; THE AIRBAG DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS $600.00 FOR A SAFETY ISSUE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11084056April 9, 2018
ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO PATRICK KIA (4810 NINE MILE RD, RICHMOND, VA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE OIL IN THE ENGINE WAS NOT BEING CORRECTLY DISTRIBUTED AND RECOMMENDED AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. *TT
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11083538April 6, 2018
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
WHEN I COLD CRANK IT THE ENGINES SOUND VERY VERY LOUD RATTLE AND SETTLES TO A LOUD RATTLE AFTER ABOUT GETTING WARMED UP WITH THE ENGINE VIBRATING WHICH COULD ALSO BE SEEN. I TOOK IT IN WARMED UP & THE TECHNICIAN STATED AFTER A REVIEW, HE DIDN'T HEAR A RATTLE OR A KNOCK (THATS A LIE, I AM GOING BACK AGAIN & REVIEW WITH THE TECH) I ALSO HEAR A RATTLE FROM THE LEFT CV AXLE WHEN THE TRAC CONTROL COMES TO PLAY, TURNING ON A HARD RIGHT & A THUMP WHEN PULLING HARD ON A WET PAVEMENT ON A GREEN LIGHT. THIS COLD CRANK RATTLE CANNOT BE HEARD ON OTHER OPTIMAS WHEN I ASK TO HEAR THEM START THE OTHER CARS UP. THIS IS RIDICULOUS THIS IS A 30000 MILE CAR & SHOULD BE HAVING A VIBRATING ENGINE & A COLD CRANK RATTLE OR ANY RATTLE AT ALL WHEN WARMED UP, IT SHOULD BE SMOOTH.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11083692April 6, 2018
ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, BUT THE NOISE PERSISTED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER (MCGUIRE KIA, 21280 US-27, LAKE WALES, FL 33859) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE OIL PORT WAS CLOGGED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT THE DEALER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS LOCATED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11083499April 5, 2018
SERVICE BRAKES
WHEN BRAKING ON A ROUGH SURFACE (NOT NEW PAVEMENT) THE BRAKE PEDAL KICKS BACK UP IN QUICKLY, AND BRAKING POWER IS LOST DURING THE UPKICKING. VERY DANGEROUS, AS THERE IS NO WAY TO COME TO A SECURE, SAFER STOP IN A TRAFFIC SITUARION. NOT TALKING ABOUT EMERGENCY BRAKING, NORMAL BRAKING WILL CAUSE THIS PROLEM. THE SAME LACK OF BRAKING ABILITY IS EXHIBITED ON A WET STREET SURFACE, AND NOT NECESSARILY A SLICK, DANGEROUS SURFACE. THIS IS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA SXL, I BOUGHT IT WITH 14,000 MILES ON IT IN 2014, AND THE PROBLEM EXISTED THEN. AND STILL PERSISTS. IN EARLY 2015 THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM, THOUGH I FOUND THIE PROBLEM STATED IN BLOGS BY KIA OWNERS BACK THEN. THE KEY POINT IS THE BRAKES DON'T HOLD STEADY ON ROUGH SURFACES OR WET ROADS. AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT GOING AWAY. THANKFULLY I HAVE NOT HAD TO MAKE ANY EMERGENCY STOPS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11083503April 5, 2018
ENGINE
IN MARCH OF 2017, KIA ISSUED A RECALL FOR THERE ENGINES IN THE OPTIMA FOR THE YEAR I OWN. WE STILL HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION FROM KIA ABOUT BRINGING OUR KIA OPTIMA IN FOR THIS RECALL. OUR VIN SHOWS THAT OUR CAR IS PART OF THIS RECALL. A YEAR LATER WE STILL HAVEN'T HEARD FROM KIA. OUR CAR IS NOW STARTING TO STALL WHEN WE SIT AT RED LIGHTS. WE WOULD LIKE FOR KIA TO FINALLY REACH OUT TO US TO REMEDY THIS MATTER.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11082650April 3, 2018
ENGINE
I HAVE A 2015 KIA OPTIMA THAT COMPLETELY DIED ON ME ON 4/1/18. WE WERE WAITING TO TURN INTO A BUSINESS PARKING LOT AND THE ENGINE JUST SHUT OFF IN THE TURNING LANE. WE TRIED JUMPING IT AND IT DID NOTHING. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY AND BEFORE THEY EVEN LOOKED AT IT, THEY WERE SAYING THE ENGINE PROBABLY SEIZED AND SAID WE NEED TO GET OUR OIL CHANGE RECORDS TOGETHER BECAUSE WE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. THEY PROCEEDED TO TRY AND BLAME IT ON US AS WE DID NOT GO TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE OIL CHANGED. WHO WOULD THINK TO SAVE OIL CHANGE RECORDS?! WE'VE OWNED MANY DIFFERENT CARS AND NEVER HAD TO DO THIS OR EVER HAD OUR ENGINE SEIZE. KIA WILL MOST LIKELY REFUSE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD COST $7,000 AND POSSIBLY TAKE UP TO A MONTH TO COMPLETE. I STILL OWE MONEY ON THIS CAR AND CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH IT. SINCE WE'RE A ONE CAR FAMILY, WE WERE FORCED TO GO OUT AND BUY ANOTHER CAR LAST NIGHT. I'M DISGUSTED WITH HOW WE WERE TREATED AND WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER KIA AGAIN. THEY SHOULD BE PAYING OFF MY LOAN BECAUSE THEY WERE WELL AWARE OF THE ENGINE ISSUES IN THE 2011-2014 OPTIMAS, AND STILL SOLD US A CAR THAT WAS POSSIBLY DEFECTIVE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11082470April 2, 2018
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND HEARD A LOUD BOOM, IT SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION OR AS IF SOMEONE WAS SHOOTING. SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME. I THEN HEARD AND FELT WIND COMING INTO MY KIA. I PULLED OVER AND MY FRONT ROOF OF MY PANORAMIC SUNROOF HAD A BIG HOLE IN IT AS IF A METEOR HAD FELL OUT OF THE SKY ON IT. . I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP NO HELP, I CONTACTED KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS...NO HELP OR RECALLS. I FILED A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO HAVE MY ROOF REPAIRED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11082411April 1, 2018
ENGINE
I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN FOR A TEST DUE TO THEIR ENGINE RECALL CAMPAIGN IN NOV/DEC 2017. MY CAR PASSED THEIR "SO CALLED" LISTENING TEST, BUT I AM STILL UNCERTAIN IF THAT TEST IS ADEQUATE. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE WHAT I HAVE READ FROM OTHER PEOPLE IS THAT THE ENGINE QUITS AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITHOUT NOTICE EVEN AFTER PASSING THE TEST. I PUT MY FAMILY IN THIS CAR ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS AND I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR SAFETY.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11081980March 29, 2018
ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT NOTIFIED HIM OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME. THE DEALER (KIA COUNTRY OF SAVANNAH, 1 PARK OF COMMERCE BLVD, SAVANNAH, GA 31405, (912) 335-4176) WAS CONTACTED TO SCHEDULE A RECALL REPAIR, BUT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED TO DETERMINE WHEN THE PART WOULD BE AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11082000March 29, 2018
AIR BAGS
"TAKATA RECALL" AIRBAG LIGHT ON (CONSTANTLY)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11082017March 29, 2018
STRUCTURE:BODY
THE PAINT IS PEELING OFF OF MY CAR WHILE THE CAR IS STATIONARY
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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