2013 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

I WAS SITTING AT A STOP SIGN WAITING TO CROSS TWO LANES, WHEN CLEAR I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL . THE TIRES SPUN A LITTLE ON SOME ANTISKID; AS A RESULT THE TRACTION CONTROL INTERVENED. THE CAR SEAMED TO LOOSE ALL POWER!!. WITH TRAFFIC ON ITS WAY I DRIFTED ACROSS ONE LANE BEFORE GETTING FULL POWER BACK. THIS TCS IN MY 2013 KIA OPTIMA IS NOT SAFE-- SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED! WHAT SHOULD I DO !? *TR

PROBLEM IS ONGOING. VEHICLE WANDERS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. CONSTANT STEERING CORRECTION NECESSARY. YOU CANNOT DRIVE THE CAR IN A STRAIGHT LINE. SLIGHT CORRECTIONS HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY MADE TO THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP THE CAR GOING IN A STRAIGHT PATH. . I LITERALLY HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY MICRO-STEER THE CAR JUST TO KEEP IT WITHIN THE LANE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN. THIS DRIFTING WILL HAPPEN NO MATTER HOW MUCH THE WIND IS BLOWING OR THE TYPE OF ROAD SURFACE. I HAVE INSTALLED NEW TOP QUALITY TIRES AND HAD AN ALIGNMENT SCRUPULOUSLY PERFORMED. NO IMPROVEMENT. *TR

IS ANYONE GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE OVERLY SENSITIVE ELECTRONIC STEERING ON THE 2013 KIA OPTIMAS THAT CAUSE THE CAR TO ZIG ZAG WITHIN THE LANE OF TRAVEL??? THIS TYPE OF COMPLAINT IS PROMINENT ALL OVER THE INTERNET ON MANY DIFFERENT SITES. THERE IS, QUITE SIMPLY, A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE STEERING ON THESE CARS, AND COMPLAINTS TO KIA OR THE NHTSB SEEM TO FALL ON DEAF EARS. WILL IT TAKE A FATALITY DUE TO THESE ISSUES FOR SOMEONE TO TAKE NOTICE OF THE MAJOR HAZARD THESE PARTICULAR CARS PRESENT TO DRIVERS?!? THE ELECTRONIC STEERING IS EXTREMELY OVERLY SENSITIVE...SO BAD THAT ONE CAN BARELY LOOK DOWN TO TURN THE DEFROST ON OR LOOK INTO THE REAR VIEW MIRROR OR SIDE VIEW MIRRORS WITHOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR THE CAR TO DRIFT IN ANOTHER LANE IN THE SAME DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, OR EVEN IN AN ONCOMING LANE OF TRAVEL!! YOU LITERALLY CANNOT MOVE YOUR HAND AT ALL ONE WAY OR ANOTHER WITHOUT THE STEERING REACTING. A 1/4 MOVEMENT TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT??? YOU'LL FEEL THE CAR SHIFT IN THE DIRECTION TURNED, SO THAT LEAVES THE DRIVER HAVING TO CONTINUALLY KEEP HIS HAND TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT JUST TO KEEP IT IN THE LANE OF TRAVEL, THUS CAUSING THE CAR TO ZIG ZAG DOWN THE LANE OF TRAVEL, GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF AN IMPAIRED DRIVER. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR EVEN SPEEDS 45MPH OR HIGHER IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP THE CAR GOING IN A STRAIGHT LINE WITHOUT HAVING TO CONTINUALLY CORRECT IT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. ABOUT A MONTH AGO I LOOKED DOWN TO TURN THE DEFROST ON AND WHEN I LOOKED BACK UP THE CAR WAS HALFWAY IN THE ONCOMING LANE OF TRAVEL FOR GOD'S SAKE! SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE, WHETHER IT BE A SIDE SWIPE ON THE HIGHWAY OR A HEAD ON COLLISION, SOMETHING WILL EVENTUALLY HAPPEN, AND WHEN SOMEONE FINALLY DIES MAYBE THEN KIA OR THE NHTSB WILL FINALLY LOOK INTO THE ISSUE. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON DARBY ROAD IN HAVERFORD, PA GOING ABOUT 30 MPH. SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER SAFELY STOPPING SHE INSPECTED THE CAR AND FOUND THAT THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS NO LONGER STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN BUT WAS TILTED. THE HAVERFORD POLICE RESPONDED AND ASKED IF SHE HAD HIT ANYTHING. SHE REPLIED "NO". THE POLICE LOOKED DOWN THE ROAD AND COULD NOT FIND ANY POTHOLES OR ANYTHING THAT HAD BEEN STRUCK. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO WEST CHESTER, PA KIA DEALERSHIP. THEY ARE INSISTING THAT SOMETHING HAD TO HAVE HIT THE VEHICLE. THEY SAY THAT THERE IS EVIDENCE OF SCRAPES ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I TOLD THEM THAT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO THE CAR BEING DRAGGED BY THE TOW TRUCK TO GET IN ON TO THE FLATBED WHEN IT WAS TOWED TO OUR HOUSE. WHEN IT WAS REMOVED FROM THE TOW TRUCK IT WAS AGAIN DRAGGED ON THE GROUND. THE SAME THING HAPPENED THIS MORNING WHEN ANOTHER TOW TRUCK CAME TO TAKE IT TO KIA OF WEST CHESTER. THEY ARE NOW GOING TO TOW IT FROM THERE TO GRAN SPORT AUTO IN WEST CHESTER, PA AND I AM SURE MORE DAMAGE WILL OCCUR. I FEEL THAT SINCE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, NO POTHOLE AND NO COLLISION WITH ANYTHING THAT THIS COULD BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. KIA IS SAYING IT HAD TO HAVE OCCURRED BECAUSE OF IMPACT. *TR

WE GOT A NEW KIA OPTIMA SXL 2013. THE TYRES ARE FILL WITH NITROGEN GAS. ON OUR LAST STATE INSPECTION WE WERE TOLD THE THERE WAS 25% LEFT ON THE TREAD OF EACH TYRE & WILL REQUIRE CHANGING SOON. STARTED TO CHECK OUT PRICES IN THE AREA AT ALL THE TYRE MERCHANTS. ONLY TO FIND IN MY HORROR THAT ONLY TWO PLACES IN A 30 MILE + RADIUS CAN DO NITROGEN FILL & THE PRICES ARE HORRENDOUS. IT SHOULD NOT BE THIS DIFFICULT TO SIMPLY CHANGE TYRES ON A CAR. KIA AS WELL AS A LOT OF OTHER NEW CARS DON'T COME WITH A SPARE TYRE, BUT INSTEAD SUPPLY YOU WITH A SMALL COMPRESSOR UNIT. BECAUSE OF THIS DIFFICULTY, IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE GOING TO BE FORCED TO CHANGE OVER TO AIR FILLED TYPES, AND BUY A NEW SPARE WHEEL & TYRE FOR THE TRUNK. AT A GREAT DEAL MORE EXPENSE, THAN SHOULD BE REQUIRED. KIA USA ARE BEING OF LITTLE OR NO HELP WHATSOEVER. VERY ANGRY. I AM NOW IN THE STAGE OF MAKING A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, AS WE IT IS ALSO A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. ANYONE ELSE IN THE SAME BOAT???? *TR

THE STEERING GETS STIFF AND TENDS TO STICK WHEN GOING STRAIGHT THIS CAUSES SLIGHT OVER STEERING BACK AND FORTH CONSTANTLY. IT SEEMS TO COME ON WORSE THE LONGER YOU DRIVE. *JS

THIS IS THE MOST RECENT OF A LARGE NUMBER OF TIMES MY CAR HAS WONDERED INTO ANOTHER LANE OF TRAVEL BY ITSELF. TODAY MY SON AND I WERE GOING OUT TO EAT. THERE WAS A COLD RAIN FALLING, SO THE WINDOWS STARTED TO FOG UP A BIT. I LOOKED DOWN JUST LONG ENOUGH TO TURN THE DEFROST ON AND WHEN I LOOK BACK UP MY VEHICLE IS ABOUT 3/4 INTO THE OTHER LANE OF TRAVEL AND MY HAND DID NOT MOVE AT ALL!!! HAD THERE BEEN ANOTHER CAR COMING IN THE OPPOSITE LANE OF TRAVEL THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A HEAD ON CRASH AND THERE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN FATALITIES TOO, ALL BECAUSE KIA WILL NOT FIX THIS ISSUE THEY KNOW THEY HAVE WITH THE 2013 OPTIMA. THE CAR WONDERS CONSTANTLY SO YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO LOOK IN YOUR REAR VIEW OR SIDE VIEW MIRRORS, NOT CAN YOU LOOK DOWN LONG ENOUGH TO TURN THE HEAT OR AC ON WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE CAR WONDERING TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT INTO OTHER LANES OF TRAVEL, POTENTIALLY CAUSING ACCIDENTS. ON AND TRIP OF LENGTH, IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS WONDERING FROM HAPPENING YOU HAVE TO 100% OF THE TIME CORRECT TO THE LEFT AND THEN BACK TO THE RIGHT AND THEN BACK TO THE LEFT AND BACK TO THE RIGHT, ALL THE WAY TO YOUR DESTINATION, AND ALL WITHOUT TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL NO MORE THAN 1 INCH TO THE RIGHT OR 1 INCH TO THE LEFT, SO IN ESSENCE I AM HAVING TO CONSTANTLY STEER THE WHEEL BACK AND FORTH WITHIN A 2 INCH RANGE OF MOTION. THERE IS NO CENTERING OF THE VEHICLE AND HOLDING THE STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT AND THE CAR STAY STRAIGHT. THERE IS ALWAYS A CONSTANT BACK AND FORTH TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN THE LANE OF TRAVEL. THAT IS HOW SENSITIVE THE EPS IS. IT IS NOT AN ALIGNMENT ISSUE. NOW THERE ARE SEVERAL POST ON THE INTERNET OF KIA DEALERS BEING ABLE TO ADJUST THE SENSITIVITY OF THE STEERING THROUGH THE COMPUTER, AND THESE PEOPLE ALSO SAY THAT INITIALLY KIA TELLS THEM NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT. IT APPEARS KIA IS DECEIVING THEIR 2013 OPTIMA OWNERS. *TR

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WITH 22000 MILES. ON MY FIRST RELATIVELY LONG TRIP, I GOT UP TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND NOTICED THAT THE CAR HAS NO STRAIGHT POSITION. IT NEEDS CONSTANT ADJUSTMENTS, EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT (MOSTLY RIGHT ). THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN CHECKED FOR ALIGNMENT DISCREPANCIES, BUT EVERYTHING IS WITHIN MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS. THERE NEEDS TO BE AN UPDATE TO THE ELECTING POWER STEERING MODULE/STEERING ANGLE SENSOR. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING DESIGN FLAW. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS UNTIL YOU LISTEN, KIA? WE THE PEOPLE CALL UPON THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES TO HELP IN RESOLVING THE ISSUE. *TR

IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD THE CAR ON A STRAIGHT TRACK. WILL DRIFT LEFT,WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT TO A STRAIGHT TRACK,THE STEERING REQUIRES SO MUCH FORCE TO CORRECT THAT THE RESULT IS AN OVER CORRECTION TO THE RIGHT. THIS SCENARIO REPEATS FOREVER. THE STEERING STICKS AND CANNOT BE HELD IN A STRAIGHT LINE. *TR

IF THE WHEELS SLIP SLIGHTLY WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOPPED POSITION, THE CAR LOOSES ALL POWER AND STOPS. I REALIZE THAT THERE ARE SKID CONTROL MECHANISMS, BUT THIS IS NOT SAFE. I BROUGHT IT TO THE KIA DEALER IN DENVILLE NJ AND THEY CLAIM IT IS "NORMAL". THIS MORNING, I PULLED OUT ONTO A BUSY ROAD AND THE TIRES SLIPPED SLIGHTLY ON THE WET SURFACE. THE CAR LOST POWER AND STOPPED. I CAN CLOSE TO CAUSING AN ACCIDENT WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SAFE FOR ME TO ENTER THE ROAD. *TR