2013 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

I HAVE FOUND THE TRACTION CONTROL TO BE TOO DRASTIC AT TIMES. WHEN PULLING ON TO A HIGHWAY THERE IS USUALLY A SMALL BUMP (DIFFERENCE IN HEIGHT, ABOUT 2", BETWEEN THE ROAD AND THE PARKING AREA). IF I'M ACCELERATING (WHICH YOU USUALLY HAVE TO DO TO GET ONTO A BUSY ROAD), WHEN THE CAR GOES OVER THE "SMALL BUMP" THE TRACTION CONTROL KICKS IN AND THE CAR LOSES A LOT OF THE POWER YOU NEED TO AVOID THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE TRACTION CONTROL CAUSES THE CAR TO COME TO A "ROLLING STOP". THIS SEEMS A LITTLE TOO EXTREME TO ME AND I FEEL LIKE THIS WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND POTENTIAL LOSS OF LIFE. I HAVE OWNED 4 OTHER CARS WITH TRACTION CONTROL (2 SATURNS, 1 CORVETTE, AND A KIA FORTE). NONE OF THE VEHICLES MENTION HAD AN ISSUE LIKE THIS. USUALLY THE TRACTION CONTROL WILL "GRADUALLY" SLOW DOWN THE WHEEL OR WHEELS THAT ARE TURNING FASTER THAN REQUIRED. THE OPTIMA ALMOST COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP, LOSING 95% OF IT'S POWER ON JUNE 6, 2014 I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER (FETTE KIA). I WAS ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THIS WAS HOW THE CAR WAS DESIGNED. THE ISSUE HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES THE DATE ABOVE WAS USED TO COMPLETE THE FORM. *TR

DURING THE SECOND OIL CHANGE AT THE DEALERSHIP, I INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S EXHAUST WAS VERY STRONG AND WAS COMING INTO THE VEHICLE BOTH AT SPEED AND WHILE SITTING. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO HAVE ONLY PREMIUM FUEL IN IT TO STOP THE ISSUE. THE OWNERS MANUAL DOES NOT STATE THAT THIS IS THE CASE BUT IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE STRONG EXHAUST, WE SWITCHED TO ONLY USE PREMIUM FUEL WHICH PREVENTED THE MAJORITY OF THE STRONG FUMES BUT NOT ALL. IN GETTING THE VEHICLE'S THIRD OIL CHANGE, THE OIL WAS EXTREMELY DIRTY AND THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT HE HAD SEEN NO REASON WHY A VEHICLE OF SUCH LOW MILEAGE SHOULD HAVE OIL ANYWHERE NEAR THE CONDITION THAT IT DID. *TR

ON NOV 22ND MY SON WAS DRIVING IN DETROIT AT 11PM WHEN THE BACK PASSENGER TIRE BLEW. WENT TO THE TRUNK TO GET THE SPARE AND THAT'S WHEN WE DISCOVERED IT DIDN'T COME WITH A SPARE. NEXT DAY GOT IT TOWED AND PAID 234$ FOR A NEW TIRE. ON DEC 21ST, HUSBAND DRIVING HOME LATE HIT A SMALL POTHOLE AND BLEW THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. GOT IT TOWED AND AGAIN 234$ FOR A NEW TIRE. ON MAY 25TH WAS DRIVING MY STEPSON HOME AND BLEW THE SAME FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. IT TOOK OVER 3 1/2 HOURS FOR THE TOW TRUCK AND SINCE IT WAS A HOLIDAY WEEKEND I WAS WITHOUT A CAR FOR TWO DAYS. AND THIS TIME IT ONLY COST ME 211$ CUZ I HAD A COUPON. 3 TIRES IN 6 MONTHS IS NOT RIGHT! THERE'S 2 OTHER DRIVERS AT MY HOUSE AND THEY HAVEN'T HAD PROBLEMS WITH DRIVING ON THE ROADS! *TR

I WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. I UNBUCKLED MY SEATBELT AND THEN LEANED FORWARD TO PICKUP SOMETHING OFF THE FLOOR. WHEN I STARTED TO RELEASE THE SEATBELT AND THE SHOULDER STRAP PULLED MY HEAD INTO THE HEAD REST MY MY NECK. THE MORE I PULLED THE SEATBELT TO LOOSEN IT, THE TIGHTER IT GOT. NOTHING HELPED. FINALLY MY FRIEND WHO HAD BEEN DRIVING, REMOVED THE SIDE PANEL AND THEN REMOVED THE LOCKING MECHANISM ON THE SEATBELT TO RELEASE MY NECK. *TR

MY 2013 KIA OPTIMA LX, WHICH I BOUGHT NEW WITH ONLY 7 MILES, IS HARD TO KEEP ON A STRAIGHT TRACK AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. SLIGHT 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, BUT I CHALKED IT UP TO THE NEW TIRES NEEDING TO BE BROKEN IN. NOW THE CAR HAS 12,000 MILES AND TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED AND THE ISSUE IS STILL THERE. I'VE DRIVEN ENOUGH CARS TO KNOW THAT 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. UPDATED 11/24/2014 *JS

ON 5/15/14 AT APPROX. 0430AM, WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. WITH MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. BECAUSE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE CAR MOVED LESS THAN TWO FEET. I THEN PLACED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL, WHERE THE MOTOR REV'D TO APPROX. 7000 RPM. I THEN IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND THEN BACK ON. AFTER TURNING IT BACK ON, THE CAR THEN RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTIONS. LATER THE SAME DAY I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICEMAN, A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED, HOWEVER THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, HE HEARD A VERY LOUD NOISE AND AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT THE SUN ROOF HAD EXPLODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN VERIFIED THE FAILURE AND REPLACED THE SUN ROOF. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 15,369. UPDATED 06/12/14 UPDATED 07/15/14 MA UPDATED 07/18/2014*JS

THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES NOW, AND JUST THE THIRD THIS PAST WEEKEND SO I AM FINALLY WRITING A COMPLAINT. MY KIA HAS A FAULTY MAP SENSOR, THE DEALER SAYS, AND WHEN IT GOES OUT (ABOUT EVERY 2 MONTHS) MY CAR COMPLETELY DIES ON ME; I HAVE NO ACCELERATION, BRAKES LOCK UP AND MY POWER STEERING IS GONE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE TWO OF THE THREE OCCURRENCES HAVE BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN IT HAPPENS, I AM FORCED TO YANK THE STEERING WHEEL TO A SHOULDER AND LET THE CAR COME TO A STOP. SOMETIMES IT RESTARTS, SOMETIMES IT DOES NOT. IN ALL THREE INSTANCES, MY CAR HAS HAD TO BE TOWED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR NOT ONLY ME BY ANYONE IN THE CAR WITH ME AS WELL AS ANY OTHER KIA DRIVER'S OUT THERE. I HAVE FILED MY COMPLAINT WITH KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS BUT THEY DO NOT OFFER A REPLACEMENT, JUST MONEY. WHILE I APPRECIATE THE OFFER, MONEY DOES NOT DO ANYTHING FOR MY CONFIDENCE IN DRIVING THE CAR. IT IS A BRAND NEW CAR, JUST ONE YEAR OLD. I FEAR FOR MY LIFE EACH TIME I DRIVE MY CAR BUT I HAVE NO OTHER OPTION, I DRIVE A LOT FOR WORK. ALL I AM SEEKING IS A REPLACEMENT CAR, I LOVE THE CAR AND ALL IT OFFERS BUT IT DOES NOT PERFORM WELL AT ALL AND I AM VERY FEARFUL OF THIS. PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN OR IF YOU HAVE HAD SIMILAR ISSUES. *TR

I WAS EXITING TO TURN RIGHT ONTO THE STREET WHEN I LOOKED DOWN FOR A FEW SECONDS AND HIT THE MEDIAN HEAD ON. THERE WAS A BIG TERRA-COTTA POT WITH A TREE PLANTED IN IT THAT I HIT HARD. IT RIPPED THE FRONT BOTTOM PART OF MY CAR OFF AND BROKE MY TRANSAXLE. IT WOULDN'T DRIVE ANYMORE AND IT TOTALED MY CAR. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS EVER CAME OUT EVEN WHEN I HIT HEAD ON. I HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL FOR A CSCAN. I ENDED UP WITH A CONCUSSION FOR ALMOST THREE MONTHS AND STILL HAVE A KNOT ON MY HEAD. I WAS ALSO WEARING MY SEAT BELT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AS THE VEHICLE SWAYED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000.