2007 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

ON TWO OCCASIONS (TO DATE) MY KIA OPTIMA HAS BECOME INOPERABLE - UNABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. THE FIRST OCCURRED DURING THE WINTER IN FEBRUARY 2010. AFTER ONE OF MANY SNOWSTORMS THIS SEASON I WAS DRIVING ON A PLOWED ROAD THEN ENCOUNTERED AN AREA WHERE THERE WAS ONLY ROOM ENOUGH FOR ONE CAR TO PASS. WHEN I PULLED OVER TO ALLOW AN APPROACHING VEHICLE TO PASS MY CAR WAS IN ABOUT 8-INCHES OF SNOW. WHILE MOVING THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR BETWEEN REVERSE TO GET OUT OF LOOSELY PACKED SNOW I FOUND I COULD NO LONGER GET THE CAR INTO A DRIVE GEAR ' FORWARD OR REVERSE. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER OPERABLE AND WAS CAUSING A ROAD HAZARD FOR OTHER VEHICLES. THE DEALER CLAIMED SNOW CAUSED THE SHIFTING CABLE TO DETACH FROM THE GEAR SELECTOR. THE DEALER, HOLLY KIA, REPORTED THE PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED BY REATTACHING THE CABLE TO THE SELECTOR. MORE RECENTLY MY SON WAS OPERATING MY VEHICLE ON OR ABOUT JULY 6TH, 2010 ' A 100+ DEGREE DAY. HE REPORTED THAT HE WAS IN REVERSE TO MOVE THE CAR TO ANOTHER PARKING SPOT IN A CAR DEALERSHIP AND THE CAR COULD NO LONGER BE SHIFTED INTO ANY GEAR' AGAIN. DURING THIS INSTANCE THE CAR WAS ON A STEEP INCLINE AND MY SON WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR AROUND OTHER PARKED CARS BUT THE CAR HAD TO BE COASTED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GRADE IN ORDER TO BE SAFELY PARKED. AFTER THE SECOND INSTANCE, THE CAR WAS AGAIN TOWED BACK TO HOLLY KIA FOR REPAIR - HOLLY KIA IS NOW REPLACING THE SHIFTING CABLE. THE HOLLY KIA SERVICE DEPARTMENT CLAIMS THIS PROBLEM WITH THE 2007 KIA OPTIMA AS A MANUFACTURING FLAW. MY CONCERN IS, AFTER THE REPAIR CAN THE CAR BE TRUSTED AND OPERATED SAFELY ' BOTH INCIDENTS LEFT THE CAR IN A VERY COMPROMISED STATE AND A HAZARD TO OTHER VEHICLES (MOVING AND PARKED). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2007 KIA OPTIMA LS. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE SHIFTER CABLE DISCONNECTED AND WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK. THE KEYS WERE NOT IN THE IGNITION WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE. WHEN SHE GOT BACK INTO THE VEHICLE THE BRAKES AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WERE ENGAGED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE CABLE WAS ATTACHED AT NO CHARGE TO THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 73,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH A PASSENGER OCCUPYING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AND WHEN THE CONTACT WOULD SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, THE LIGHT WOULD SHUT OFF. THE FAILURE PERSISTED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER SEVEN TIMES. TWO NEW SEAT BOTTOMS WERE REPROGRAMMED FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,851 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 23,013. UPDATED 08/11/10. *LJ UPDATED 08/17/10

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE AN OWNERS MANUAL WAS NOT INCLUDED WITH THE VEHICLE WHEN HE PURCHASED IT USED. WHEN HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT WAS TO DOWNLOAD THE SIX HUNDRED PAGES AND PRINT IT. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE LACK OF THE MANUAL WAS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE HE COULD NOT LEARN HOW THE CAR OPERATED AND POSSIBLE SAFETY DEFECTS.

I DRIVE A 2007 KIA OPTIMA, I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT; WHILE DRIVING 55MPH, I BROADSIDED A VAN. UPON INSPECTION OF MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED THAT THE DRIVERS SEAT CAME OFF THE TRACK AND TWISTED TOWARD THE DRIVERS DOOR, TIGHT AGAINST THE INSIDE DOOR FRAME. THE BACK OF THE SEAT CAME FORWARD, WHICH LED TO NO MORE GIVE IN THE SEATBELT - WHICH I THINK CAUSED MY LEFT CLAVICLE TO SNAP IN TWO. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. OCCASIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START WHEN HE PLACED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THEY INFORMED HER THAT WHENEVER SHE PARKED THE VEHICLE, THE FOUR WHEELS HAD TO BE IN A STRAIGHT LINE OR ELSE IT WOULD NOT START. THE KIA MANUFACTURER WAS NEVER CALLED. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALER FOR ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7895.

WHEN MY WIFE SITS IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF OUR KIA OPTIMA APPROXIMATELY 20% OF THE TIME THE "AIRBAG OFF" LIGHT NEVER TURNS OFF. WE HAVE FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE DEALER ON HOW TO PROPERLY SIT IN THE SEAT ETC. WE HAVE HAD THE DEALER LOOK AT THE VEHICLE TWICE AND SO FAR THEY HAVE REFUSED TO FIX IT. MY WIFE'S WEIGHT VARIES FROM 130-140LBS. AT MY FIRST VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME THE WEIGHT LIMIT WAS 110LBS. THIS PAST VISIT WE WERE TOLD THE LIMIT WAS 120LBS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY NHTSA THAT THEY TEST WITH A CRASH DUMMY WEIGHING 108LBS SO REGARDLESS MY WIFE IS WELL OUTSIDE OF THE WEIGHT THRESHOLDS. THIS IS A DUPLICATE OF ORIGINAL COMPLAINT 10299891. I WAS TOLD BY NHTSA THAT ADDING THE WEIGHTS OF OCCUPANTS WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THEM. *TR

WHEN MY WIFE SITS IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF OUR KIA OPTIMA APPROXIMATELY 20% OF THE TIME THE "AIRBAG OFF" LIGHT DOES NOT TURN OFF. WE HAVE FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE DEALER ON HOW TO PROPERLY SIT IN THE SEAT ETC. WE HAVE HAD THE DEALER LOOK AT THE VEHICLE TWICE AND SO FAR THEY HAVE REFUSED TO FIX IT. *TR

WE HAVE A 2007 MODEL KIA OPTIMA AND HAVE HAD CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE TURN INDICATOR BULB ON THE TAIL LIGHT BLOWING. ALSO THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT FRONT HEADLIGHT BURNING OUT. WE HAVE REPLACED THE REAR BULB THREE TIMES AND THE LEFT HEADLIGHT TWICE ALREADY SINCE WE HAVE HAD THE CAR. I WAS CURIOUS AS TO WHETHER THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT OTHER KIA OWNERS WERE HAVING. THE TURN SIGNAL BULB WENT OUT IN JUNE OF 2009 AND AGAIN IN OCTOBER OF 2009. THE LATEST INCIDENT WAS ON JANUARY 4TH IN 2010. *TR

PARKING BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, BRAKE LIGHTS. THE REAR STOP LAMP AND TAIL LAMP BULB HAVE A DEFINITE MALFUNCTION. WHEN PRESSING ON THE BRAKE THE LIGHTS BLINK AND CERTAIN INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS ARE AFFECTED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND MUST BE COVERED IN THE RECALL. *TR