2013 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN ACTIVATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000.

VERY HARD TO KEEP ON A STRAIGHT TRACK AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. SIGHT CORRECTIONS HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY MADE TO THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP THE CAR GOING IN A STRAIGHT PATH. THIS DRIFTING WILL HAPPEN NO MATTER HOW MUCH THE WIND BLOWING OR THE TYPE OF ROAD SURFACE, IT IS DEFINITELY COMING FROM THE CAR. IT'S BEEN HAPPENING SINCE DAY ONE. I'VE TRIED REDUCING THE AIR PRESSURE IN MY TIRES AND IT HELPED A LITTLE, BUT ONLY A LITTLE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. THIS IS NOT NORMAL. NOW I FIND OUT THAT MANY OTHER OPTIMA OWNERS HAVE THIS SAME STEERING ISSUE. KIA/HYUNDAI CORPORATE NEEDS TO COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION TO THIS STEERING ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE HAS AN ACCIDENT. REQUEST RESEARCH HELP. *TR

AT A 4 WAY STOP, (STOP SIGNS ONLY) THE CAR TO MY LEFT WAS COMPLETELY OBSCURED BY THE SIDE MIRROR AND WINDOW HOUSING. STREET LIGHTS ABSORBED HIS HEADLIGHTS, CAR WAS DARK BLUE. AFTER LOOKING BOTH WAYS I LET OFF THE GAS TO PROCEED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION TO SEE A DARK OBJECT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I BRAKE BUT WE MADE CONTACT SCRAPING THE PAINT FROM MY BUMPER. I WILL SAY I JUST MOVED HERE FROM A LARGER TOWN THAT ONLY HAD STOP LIGHTS SO I HAD NOT NOTICED THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I AM 5'2" TALL WHICH ALSO PUTS MY EYE LEVEL DIRECTLY LINE OF SIGHT WITH THE SIDE MIRROR. IT'S A PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS INVOLVED IN A MVA ACCIDENT ON 9/24/2014. I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT, FACING EAST, TURNING TO GO NORTH, IN SC IA A MAN RAN A RED LIGHT, COMING WESTBOUND AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED HIT THE TRAFFIC GOING SOUTH BOUND WHICH IN TURN THE 1993 FORD EXPLORER HIT ME HEAD ON. PUSHED MY 2013 KIA OPTIMA 40FT FROM THE LIGHT. THE IMPACT WAS PRETTY INTENSE AND I WAS HIT HEAD ON AND NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, AS I LOOKED IN THE BACK SEAT MY BACK SEATS WERE LAYING DOWN, BEFORE THE IMPACT THEY WERE IN A UP POSITION AND FULLY LOCKED..UPDATED 10/17/14 *BF UPDATED 3/30/15 *JS *TR

OUR VEHICLE CHANGES GEARS FROM AUTOMATIC TO MANUAL SHIFT ON ITS OWN WHILE THE CAR IS IN DRIVING AND THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. THIS HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES. AFTER THE 1ST OCCURRENCE WE CONTACTED OUR DEALER TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE ISSUE. WE WERE TOLD UNLESS THE ISSUE HAPPENS AGAIN AND THEY SEE IT, NOTHING CAN BE DONE. WELL SINCE THEN THE ISSUE HAS HAPPENED 4 MORE TIMES. THE LAST OCCURRENCE, WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEN WERE ADVISED TO CONTACT KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO HAVE THEM AUTHORIZE THE DEALER TO INSPECT THE ISSUE. THE DEALER PROVIDED A LOANER VEHICLE AT THAT TIME OF DROP OFF. AFTER 2 WEEKS OR INSPECTING THE VEHICLE AND WITH A DIAGNOSTIC TEST DONE, IT WAS DEEMED THAT THE CAR WAS OPERABLE AND SAFE. MY WIFE, WHO DRIVES THE VEHICLE, FEELS NO CONFIDENCE AND SAFETY TO DRIVE THE CAR. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO CONSUMER AFFAIRS AGAIN TO DISCUSS OPTIONS UPON WHICH I WAS TOLD A FEW TIMES THERE WAS NOTHING FURTHER TO DO AND THAT IF THE ISSUE HAPPENS AGAIN WE SHOULD BRING THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER. THIS WOULD THEN BRING US BACK TO STEP 1 AGAIN AND THE POSSIBILITY OF NOTHING BEING RESOLVED. I CANNOT ACCEPT THAT AS MY FINAL ANSWER. IF THE VEHICLE SLOWS SUDDENLY AND AN ACCIDENT OCCURS, WE WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION. I CANNOT ACCEPT THE FACT THAT IT WOULD TAKE AN ACCIDENT TO OCCUR BEFORE REAL ACTION IS DONE. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2013 KIA OPTIMA FROM A LOCAL DEALER WHO WAS SELLING IT SECOND-HAND. THE CAR HAS 13,500 MILES ON IT AT PURCHASE. WHEN TEST DRIVING THE VEHICLE I WENT IN A SMALL CIRCLE THAT INCLUDED ONLY VERY MINIMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING. ON JUNE 26,2014 MY FAMILY LEFT FOR A 5 HOUR TRIP TO CHARLESTON, SC. IT WAS ON THIS TRIP I STARTED NOTICING VERY EARLY ON THAT I WAS HAVING TO CONSTANTLY CORRECT THE STEERING TO THE LEFT AND THEN BACK TO THE RIGHT, OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN...ALL THE WAY DOWN TO CHARLESTON. SINCE NOTICING THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN AN ISSUE EVERY SINGLE TIME I'VE DRIVEN THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY, AND IT HAS RESULTED SEVERAL TIMES IN ME VEERING INTO THE LANE BESIDE WHETHER TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. I LITERALLY HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY MICRO-STEER THE CAR JUST TO KEEP IT WITHIN THE LANE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO PLAY IN THE STEERING WHATSOEVER. YOU CANNOT LOOK IN YOUR SIDE VIEW OR REAR VIEW MIRROR WITHOUT THE CAR DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT. THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING IN THE 2013 OPTIMAS. I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS TO KIA, AND KIA DOES NOTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY SAY IT'S WITHIN SPECS. THERE WILL BE MANY HEAD ON CRASHES WHERE CARS CROSS THE CENTER LANE BECAUSE OF THIS STEERING, AND IM SURE MANY FATALITIES WILL RESULT. I CAN PROMISE YOU THIS WILL HAPPEN IF IT ALREADY HASN'T. THERE ARE CERTAIN 2013 KIA/HYUNDAI MODELS THAT HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM REPORTED. 2013 WAS THE FIRST YEAR KIA/HYUNDAI UTILIZED ELECTRONIC STEERING. 2014 AND NEWER MODELS ALSO HAVE ELECTRONIC STEERING BUT THEY HAVE THREE STEERING MODES ON THEM TO ADJUST THE STEERING. THIS PROBLEM IS SPECIFIC ONLY TO 2013 MODELS. THERE ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AND SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. IT WILL HAPPEN, AND I WILL BE KEEPING THIS CORRESPONDENCE FOR MY OWN FUTURE LEGAL PROTECTION. *TR

THE FRONT BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE LOCK UP REALLY EASILY ON SLICK ROADS, THEY ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BUT THEY CLAIMED THEY WERE OPERATING TO SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE OPTIMA. I'M SPECULATING, BUT THEY APPEAR TO WORK AS THOUGH SOME ENGINEER SET THEM UP TO WORK ON ROADS THAT DON'T HAVE ICE OR SNOW ON THEM, NOT REALLY UNDERSTANDING OR REALIZING THAT WE HAVE ICE AND SNOW ON OUR ROADS, HERE IN THE USA. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED OR ENGINEERED, BUT IT REALLY APPEARS TO ME THAT ICE AND SNOW COVERED ROADS WERE NOT ACCOMMODATED FOR. I THINK THEY ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF DIFFICULTY STOPPING THE VEHICLE ON ICY, OR SNOW COVERED ROADS SAFELY AND WITHOUT THE FRONT WHEELS SKIDDING OUT OF CONTROL. THE ANTI-LOCK FEATURE DOES RELEASE THEM BUT AS SOON AS THEY APPLY AGAIN THEY GO INTO A SKID. *TR

WHEN STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN OR LIGHT AND TRYING TO GO AFTER THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN ACCELERATOR WON'T GO DOWN AND MOVE CAR FORWARD BECAUSE IT STICKS AND I HAVE TO TAKE FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR AND PUSH IT DOWN AGAIN TO GET IT TO GO. THIS IS NOW HAPPENING EVERY DAY FROM TIME TO TIME. TAKING IT TO THE DEALER TOMORROW BECAUSE I FOUND NO RECALLS ON THIS CAR LISTED YET. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED. THE FRACTURED GLASS PENETRATED THE VEHICLE INTERIOR HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 22,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND SPEED REDUCTION INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE VEHICLE DECELERATING AND HAD TO DEPRESS THE ACCELERATION PEDAL TO INCREASE SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND THE FAILURE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000. UPDATED 09/15/14*LJ UPDATED 1/8/2015 *JS