Kia Optima Complaints (2009)

116 consumer complaints on file.

#10825581February 11, 2016
POWER TRAIN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH AND DECELERATING, THE VEHICLE JERKED VIOLENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS COLD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10821936January 24, 2016
POWER TRAIN
WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED AT FIRST AND AFTER SLOWING DOWN BETWEEN 20-30 MPH APPLYING BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE MAKES A HARD DOWNSHIFT JERK CAUSING A HARSH JOLT. THIS HAPPENS CONTINUALLY UP FIVE TIMES THEN DECREASES. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND COULD CAUSE DEATH.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10811256December 19, 2015
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), EXTERIOR LIGHTING
WHILE I WAS NOT NOTIFIED ABOUT A RECALL, UNTIL RECENTLY, THE DEALER ADVISED MY INFORMATION WAS PROBABLY NOT PASSED ON TO THE PROPER AUTHORITIES FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER. I WENT TO THE KIA DEALER IN CRYSTAL RIVER AND THEY SUPPOSEDLY PUT A NEW BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ON MY VEHICLE AND WHEN I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP MY ABS/ESC LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH AND MY CAR STARTED DOING ALL KINDS OF FUNNY THINGS LIKE VIBRATING AND SHUTTERING UNDER THE GAS PEDAL. YOU KNOW YOU COULD FEEL THE SHUTTERING ON THE GAS PEDAL. AT THAT POINT I HAD NO BRAKES AND BARELY STOPPED. I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY A TEMPORARY THING BUT NOW ITS DOING IT ALL THE TIME AND I CAN'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR AT ALL. I STILL OWE ALMOST 9000.00 DOLLARS AND CAN'T AFFORD A COSTLY REPAIR FROM A RECALL.. I HAVE SPOKE WITH SOME PEOPLE AND THEY ADVISED THAT THE RECALL HAS BEEN CAUSING THE ECS TO MALFUNCTION IN MANY CASES AND CAUSED THE STABILITY OF THE CAR AND ABS TO ACT UP.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10789825November 11, 2015
AIR BAGS, STRUCTURE:BODY
WHILE HITTING SEVERAL TREES IN MY KIA OPTIMA, GOING ABOUT 45MPH, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MY INSURANCE COMPANY SAID FROM THEIR EXPERIENCE AND FROM LOOKING AT THE DAMAGE OF THE CAR, THEY ALSO THINK THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. HOWEVER, NOBODY WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, NO THANKS TO THE AIR BAGS.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10788142November 3, 2015
AIR BAGS
FOR A LONG TIME, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON. WE HAVE TAKEN THE KIA TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS. EACH ONE SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE AIR BAG AND TURNED OFF THE WARNING LIGHT. BOTH DEALERSHIPS SAID THAT, IF YOU PUT A CELL PHONE ON A KIA CAR SEAT, THAT WILL SET OFF THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT EVEN THOUGH NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR SEAT. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON WHENEVER WE START THE CAR AND STAYS ON THE ENTIRE TIME, UNTIL WE TAKE IT TO A DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE LIGHT TURNED OFF DURING REGULAR SERVICE DEPARTMENT HOURS. THIS MEANS THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT, BECAUSE, IF IT'S ON ALL THE TIME, WE WILL NEVER KNOW WHEN WE DO HAVE AN AIR BAG PROBLEM. SINCE OUR FORD AND OUR HYUNDAI NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WHEN WE PUT A CELL PHONE ON THE CAR SEAT, THIS IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW IN THE KIA AIR BAG WARNING SYSTEM. BECAUSE YOUR FORM ONLY ALLOWS ONE DATE AND MILEAGE ENTRY, I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE TOOK OUR KIA TO KING KIA ON 09/26/2014, WHEN THE MILEAGE WAS 68,239, AND TO HERSON'S KIA ON 10/21/2015, WHEN THE MILEAGE WAS 71,649. SO KIA HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 12/18/15*LJ *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10785953October 26, 2015
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SHIFTING THE VEHICLE INTO THE PARK POSITION, THE KEY REMAINED STUCK IN THE IGNITION SWITCH WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. THE FAILURE WAS PERSISTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 96,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10763836September 15, 2015
POWER TRAIN
WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT JERKS FORWARD AND DOWNSHIFTS AGGRESSIVELY AROUND 30 MPH. KIA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WILL NOT FIX IT BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10735238July 20, 2015
AIR BAGS
THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN CLEARED 3 TIMES AND IT KEEPS COMING ON. THEY RECALLED THERE 2008 MODELS AND MY CAR WAS MADE IT 2008, AND I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE ONLINE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, THEY NEED TO RECALL 2009 MODELS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10730207June 24, 2015
SERVICE BRAKES
APPROACHING A STOP SIGN OR LIGHT, WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES SMOOTHLY, THE BRAKES WILL GRAB AND THE CAR WILL JERK TO A STOP, USUALLY WHEN THE CAR IS GOING LESS THAN 20 MPH. THIS IS MUCH WORSE IS COLD WEATHER. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING, IT NO LONGER OCCURS. WE JUST BOUGHT THE CAR IN AUGUST 2014, SO THIS IS THE FIRST WINTER WE'VE HAD THE CAR, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THE PRIOR OWNERS TRIED TO HAVE IT FIXED OR NOT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10712912April 26, 2015
ENGINE
I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS OTHER DESCRIBE HERE. I HAD THIS ISSUE IN 2011 WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM 10 MILE SPEED (BELIEVE) . DEALER FIXED WITH PROGRAMMING (AS THEY SAID). NOW RECENTLY LAST THREE MONTH HAPPENING EXACTLY LIKE FOLLOWING POST. I HAVE CONTACTED DEALER AND HAVE APPOINTMENT THIS WEEK. (SEE WHAT HAPPENS..) =========================== LATE LAST YEAR (2014) IN OUR KIA OPTIMA 2009 GOT SOME TRANSMISSION ISSUE WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN FOR. TO ME IT LOOKS LIKE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH KIA MUST RESOLVE. THIS IS WHAT I EXPERIENCED: IN 2014 OCTOBER, I STARTED FEELING A HEAVY JOLT/JERK WHENEVER I USED THE CAR AND THE ENGINE IS COLD. THE JOLT IS SO STRONG THAT EVERY PASSENGER NOTICED IT. THIS HAPPENS ONLY WHEN I TRY TO SLOW DOWN THE CAR AND IT GETS NEAR TO 20 MPHR. SO THE FACTORS ARE: 1. COLD 2. DOWNSHIFT 3. SPEED 20 MPHR ON SLIPPERY ROADS IT MAY BE VERY DANGEROUS WHICH CAN LEAD TO MAJOR INJURIES. KIA MUST ACCEPT THIS DANGEROUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT BEFORE IT START TAKING LIVES. IT IS VERY ANNOYING ISSUE TOO, IT IS ALWAYS ON MY MIND WHILE DRIVING WHICH IS CAUSING DISTRACTION WHILE DRIVING. KIA MUST TAKE AN ACTION INSTEAD OF SITTING QUITE. THEY MUST ISSUE RECALL THIS TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE. NHTSA ALSO SHOULD SUPPORT ALL THE PEOPLE WITH SAME PROBLEM SO THAT PEOPLE CAN BELIEVE THEIR SAFETY STANDARDS. I TOOK MY CAR 2-3 TIMES THERE AND EXPLAINED THE ISSUE, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIX IT SO FAR. IF KIA'S OWN DEALERS CANNOT FIX THIS PROBLEM THEN WHO WILL? THANKS FOR READING MY COMPLAINT AGAINST KIA! *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10701931March 26, 2015
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES
LATE LAST YEAR (2014) IN OUR KIA OPTIMA 2009 GOT SOME TRANSMISSION ISSUE WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN FOR. TO ME IT LOOKS LIKE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH KIA MUST RESOLVE. THIS IS WHAT I EXPERIENCED: IN 2014 OCTOBER, I STARTED FEELING A HEAVY JOLT/JERK WHENEVER I USED THE CAR AND THE ENGINE IS COLD. THE JOLT IS SO STRONG THAT EVERY PASSENGER NOTICED IT. THIS HAPPENS ONLY WHEN I TRY TO SLOW DOWN THE CAR AND IT GETS NEAR TO 20 MPHR. SO THE FACTORS ARE: 1. COLD 2. DOWNSHIFT 3. SPEED 20 MPHR ON SLIPPERY ROADS IT MAY BE VERY DANGEROUS WHICH CAN LEAD TO MAJOR INJURIES. KIA MUST ACCEPT THIS DANGEROUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT BEFORE IT START TAKING LIVES. IT IS VERY ANNOYING ISSUE TOO, IT IS ALWAYS ON MY MIND WHILE DRIVING WHICH IS CAUSING DISTRACTION WHILE DRIVING. KIA MUST TAKE AN ACTION INSTEAD OF SITTING QUITE. THEY MUST ISSUE RECALL THIS TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE. NHTSA ALSO SHOULD SUPPORT ALL THE PEOPLE WITH SAME PROBLEM SO THAT PEOPLE CAN BELIEVE THEIR SAFETY STANDARDS. I TOOK MY CAR 2-3 TIMES THERE AND EXPLAINED THE ISSUE, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIX IT SO FAR. IF KIA'S OWN DEALERS CANNOT FIX THIS PROBLEM THEN WHO WILL? THANKS FOR READING MY COMPLAINT AGAINST KIA! *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10695380March 19, 2015
SERVICE BRAKES
I AM A OWNER OF THE KIA 2009 OPTIMA, AND I BROUGHT IT FROM LUMBERTON KIA OF LUMBERTON, NC THE PROBLEM THAT I AM HAVING WITH MY 2009 KIA OPTIMA, IS WHEN I GET READY TO MAKE A STOP MY CAR JERKS REALLY HARD AND I HAVE TOLD THE LUMBERTON, KIA TO PLEASE CHECK IT WHEN I WOULD GET MY OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES BUT THE TECHNICIAN WOULD TELL ME THAT HE CHECK IT AND FEEL NOTHING BUT IT DOES IT IN MY CAR EVERY DAY EVEN MY PASSENGERS FEELS IT WHEN THEY ARE IN THE CAR.I FEEL THAT I HAVE A MALFUNCTION IN MY BRAKES BUT I NEVER WHO I NEEDED TO TALKED WITH ABOUT MY CAR UNTIL MY FRIEND TOLD ME ABOUT THIS WEB SITE.I HAVE NOT HAD NO ACCIDENTS THUS FAR WITH MY CAR AND I HOPE I DON'T IN THE NEAR FUTURE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10692363March 5, 2015
POWER TRAIN
WHILE SLOWING DOWN AND BREAKING THE TRANSMISSION MAKES A ROUGH DOWNSHIFT AROUND 20 MPH. IT WILL LITERALLY JOLT THE DIVER AND PASSENGERS. THE TRANSMISSION WILL DO THIS UNTIL IT HAS WARMED UP. IT IS ESPECIALLY BAD DURING THE COLD WINTER MONTHS. THE DEALER HAS LOOKED AT IT THREE DIFFERENT TIMES AND MADE ONE ADJUSTMENT TO THE TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE BUT TO NO AVAIL. I STOPPED BY THE DEALER AGAIN YESTERDAY AND THEY SAID I WOULD BE CHARGED A $105 FEE JUST TO LOOK AT IT. I AM AFRAID THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING TO LOCK-UP AND CAUSE A WRECK. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10680743February 2, 2015
POWER TRAIN
WHEN I GET AROUND 20 MILES PER HOUR THE CAR DOWNSHIFTS HARD FORM 2ND GEAR TO 1 ST GEAR HWNE IT IS COLD ...BUT ONCE IT WARMS UP IT IS FINE ...THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 53,000 MILES ON IT ... IT SHOULD NOT BE HAVING TRANSMISSION ISSUES ...IT HAS HARDLY BEEN DRIVEN ...I CALLED THE DEALER THEY SAID THE WARRANTY RAN OUT ... I CALLED KIA THEY SAID THE SAME THING ...THIS IS A ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE ... THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ... I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS ...IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT ...IT IS SAID THEY DON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS ... I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS HAD THIS ISSUE WITH KIA OPTIMAS ...PLEASE DO A RECALL ON THIS MATTER ...IT IS GETTING OUT OF HAND ..THANKS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10672981January 16, 2015
POWER TRAIN
WHEN THE VEHICLE SLOWS TO 20 MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR DOWNSHIFTS HARD BY ITSELF. CAR LURCHES FORWARD. IN RESEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THE SAME THING. FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS THE BRAKES, BUT MECHANIC SAID BRAKES WERE FINE. IT CAN ONLY BE THE TRANSMISSION / POWER TRAIN. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10668318December 26, 2014
AIR BAGS
THERE IS AN EXISTING RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR THIS MODEL UP TO MANUFACTURE DATE OF JAN 2008 (SC094). HOWEVER, MY VEHICLE MANUFACTURED OCT 2008 EXHIBITS THE SAME FAILURE. I BELIEVE THIS RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THE 2009 MODEL YEAR. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10666973December 17, 2014
AIR BAGS
THE AIRBAG LIGHT COME ON AT AROUND 84000 MILES. WHEN THE ERROR CODE WAS READ, IT WAS CONSISTENT WITH FAULTY OCS MAT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE (B1448). IT SEEMS TO BE AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM OF MANY KIA VEHICLES WITH POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS, YET THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL. THE ONLY SOLUTION SEEMS TO BE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MAT ($1700-2000), WITH ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL NOT MALFUNCTION AFTER 10 MILES (THE ELECTRIC SENSOR OF THE MAT CAN INTERFERE WITH ELECTRONIC DEVICES NEARBY). *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10661501December 2, 2014
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), STEERING, SERVICE BRAKES
THE ESC ALARM CAME ON AND THE CAR BEGAN SHUDDERING. I TRIED TO BRAKE BUT IT SEEMED TO MAKE THE SHUDDERING WORSE. IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER SO I COASTED THE VEHICLE.TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES. I TURNED THE IGNITION AGAIN AND THE CAR CAME ON FIRST TRY BUT THE ESC ALARM WAS STILL ILLUMINATED AND USUALLY IS ALTHOUGH IT TURNS OFF FROM TIME TO TIME. *JS
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10653402November 7, 2014
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
LEFT FRONT INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE BROKE IN HALF DURING NORMAL SERVICE. EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER, RIGHT FRONT INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE BROKE DURING NORMAL SERVICE. BOTH THESE INSTANCES MADE IT DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO EXIT THE CAR, WITHOUT ROLLING DOWN THE WINDOW TO ACCESS THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE. SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY RISK IF IT WERE TO OCCUR IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10650849October 28, 2014
AIR BAGS
SHORTLY AFTER WE PURCHASED THIS CAR THE AIR BAG (SRS) LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER. SCAN TEST FOUND CODE B1447 OC ECU DEFECT, FOUND POOR CONNECTION AT CONTROL UNIT. THEY CLEARED THE CODE AND STATED THE UNIT WAS WORKING NOW AS DESIGNED. EVERYTHING GOOD UNTIL 10/6/14, 57000MI., 52 DAYS OUT OF BASIC WARRANTY. CALLED KIA DEALER, WANTED TO SCAN IT FOR $95.00. SAID THEY WOULD APPLY SCAN FEE TO REPAIR BILL. (ILL BET THEY WOULD!) TOOK IT TO A LOCAL TECH. WHO HAS A HIGH TECH SCANNER. I DON'T HAVE THE CODE BUT HE TOLD ME IT HAS A DEFECTIVE PRESSURE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND IT WOULD BE AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. I THINK ITS HIGH TIME KIA DOES THE RIGHT THING AND OWNS UP TO ITS ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THIS LIFE-SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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