2007 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED APPROXIMATELY 60% OF THE TIME WHEN SEAT IS OCCUPIED BY A PASSENGER. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN APRIL 2007. FROM ALL I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET, THIS IS THE MOST PREVAILING PROBLEM KIA OWNERS HAVE. KIA ACKNOWLEDGES THIS IS TRUE, BUT SAYS THIS IS SIMPLY HOW THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED. THEIR ONLY SOLUTION IS THAT PASSENGERS MUST SIT BOLT UPRIGHT AND WEIGH OVER 130 POUNDS. THEY ALSO ADVISE ME TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT TO "FIX" THE PROBLEM. NOT GOOD!!! *TR

IN 2007 I PURCHASED A NEW KIA OPTIMA 4CYL AUTOMATIC FROM A LOCAL DEALER. SOON AFTER, I DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD SOMETIMES REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHEN THERE WAS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT, MEANING THAT THE AIRBAG WAS OFF. KIA AUTHORIZED DEALER SAID THAT UNLESS PASSENGER IS SITTING IN UPRIGHT POSITION EXACTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEAT, THE SENSOR WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY. WE ALSO NOTED THAT IF PASSENGER NOT SITTING CORRECTLY AT FIRST COUPLE OF MINUTES OF DRIVE, BUT THEN REPOSITION HIMSELF IN UPRIGHT POSITION, SENSOR WILL NOT REACT AND AIR BAG WILL BE OFF UNTIL CAR RESTARTED. DEALER SAID THAT SENSOR IS CHECKING FOR PASSENGER ONLY ONCE AT THE BEGINNING OF DRIVE AND DOES NOT RE-CHECK DURING THE DRIVE. IT SEEMS NOT LOGICAL - IF I AM PICKING UP THE PASSENGER AFTER HOUR OF DRIVE WITHOUT TURNING THE MOTOR OFF, THE SENSOR SHOULD SENSE THE PASSENGER AND TURN ON THE AIR BAG. THE DEALERS ANSWER ABOUT UPRIGHT POSITION OF PASSENGER IS NONSENSE - OUR NISSAN QUEST 2004 HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS AND NISSAN COMPANY DID VOLUNTARY RECALL AND RE-DESIGN THE SEAT CUSHION SENSOR TO THE BIGGER AND MORE SENSITIVE ONE, SO POSITION OF THE PASSENGER ON THE SEAT DOES NOT MATTER ANYMORE. AS I SEE FROM SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH (JUST SEARCH FOR "KIA OPTIMA PASSENGER AIR BAG PROBLEM"), THERE IS A LOT OF CUSTOMER'S REPORTS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. IT LOOKS LIKE KIA COMPANY FOUND THAT DESIGN FLAW FOR SORRENTO MODEL, BUT I BELIEVE THEY WILL NEED TO CHECK OPTIMA 2007 AS WELL. I'VE BOUGHT KIA DUE TO ADVERTISEMENT OF KIA CAR'S 5-STAR SAFETY RATING, BUT NOW I AM REALLY CONCERN ABOUT SAFETY OF MY LOVED ONES IF THEY ARE ON THE PASSENGER SEAT IN MY CAR. IT IS A QUITE DANGEROUS CAR DEFECT AND I HOPE MY COMPLAINT WILL SPEED UP KIA RESPONSE TO THE POTENTIAL LIFE-THREATENING PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. SIX MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE THE IGNITION WOULD LOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE IGNITION WOULD LOCK BECAUSE THE WHEELS WERE TURNED WHILE PARKED. HE ADDED THAT SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE THE WHEELS TURNED LEFT OR RIGHT WHEN PARKED AND TO ENSURE THAT THE WHEELS WERE PARALLEL WHEN PARKED. NO REPAIRS HAD BEEN MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. THE CURRENT WAS 9,000.

KIA OPTIMA 2006.5 FROM DAY OF NEW CAR PURCHASE IN DEC 2006, CAR HAS HAD A FRONT END PROBLEM THAT RESULTS IN EXCESSIVE NOISE, VIBRATION, AND A CLUNKING SOUND WHEN THE VEHICLE STRIKES A SERIES OF BUMPS IN THE ROAD. DEALER AND OTHER OWNERS ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS TYPICAL OF MOST VEHICLES IN THIS MODEL YEAR. I AM CONCERNED THAT I COULD LOSE CONTROL IF THE CONDITION DETERIORATES FURTHER WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. DEALER DID REPLACE THE FRONT STRUTS A MONTH AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, BUT THE CONDITION PERSISTS. VEHICLE NOW HAS 12000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. *TR

IN 2007 I PURCHASED A NEW KIA OPTIMA FROM COLEMAN KIA IN TRENTON, NJ. SOON AFTER, I DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD SOMETIMES REMAIN ILLUMINATED EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS AN ADULT PASSENGER IN THE SEAT, MEANING THAT THE AIRBAG WAS NOT ACTIVATED. THE DEALER PERFORMED A SYSTEM CHECK AND DETERMINED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS PERFORMING TO SPECIFICATIONS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE DEALER THEN SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM UNLESS THE CONDITION OCCURRED IN THEIR PRESENCE.THIS TIME WHEN THE PROBLEM RECURRED I RETURNED TO THE DEALERWITH MY WIFE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THIS TIME, THE SEAT CUSHION ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THE NEXT TIME THE PROBLEM OCCURRED, THE DEALER PROVIDED ME WITH A BULLETIN FROM KIA OUTLINING PROPER SEATING POSITIONS. I WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT IF THE PROBLEM RECURRED (WHICH IT DID) THAT I SHOULD PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURN THE IGNITION OFF, HAVE THE PASSENGER GET OUT AND THEN BACK IN AND THEN RESTART THE CAR. THIS SHOULD ALLOW THE ONBOARD COMPUTER TO RESET AND (HOPEFULLY) RECOGNIZE THE PRESENCE OF A FRONT SEAT PASSENGER. AT THIS POINT, I CONTACTED KIA'S REGIONAL OFFICE TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE REFERENCE # IS K1580673. AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED WITH KIA'S FIELD TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE. IN THE MEANTIME, I WAS TOLD TO PLACE A TOWEL ON THE SEAT TO MORE EVENLY DISTRIBUTE PASSENGER WEIGHT?? ON 07/30/09, KIA'S FIELD TECH INSPECTED THE CAR AND DETERMINED THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WAS OPERATING TO DESIGN INTENT. SINCE THEN, I HAVE DISCOVERED NUMEROUS OTHER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS DOCUMENTING THIS PROBLEM. IT IS NOW CLEAR THAT KIA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS CONDITION BUT HAS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THE SYSTEM. SO FAR, KIA'S ONLY RESPONSE IS TO CITE IMPROPER SEATING POSITIONS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE POSITION OF THE PASSENGERS TORSO, ARMS OR LEGS SHOULD NOT PREVENT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM FROM OPERATING PROPERLY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE A TRAGEDY OCCURS....MARK LUDWIG *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. WHENEVER AN OCCUPANT WAS POSITIONED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED 80% OF THE TIME WHEN AN OCCUPANT WAS DETECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON NINE SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURE, BUT THERE WERE NO RESOLUTIONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AT A LOW SPEED, HE ATTEMPTED TO PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE. HE NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE INTO ANY GEAR AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE SHIFT CABLE NEEDED TO BE RE-ATTACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 38,100 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,591.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG INDICATOR WOULD ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED 75% OF THE TIME AND HE COULD NEVER DETERMINE WHEN IT WOULD ILLUMINATE OR DIM. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES WITHIN TWO YEARS, BUT THEY COULD NEVER DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD COLLECT SERVICE RECORDS AND GET BACK WITH HIM. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 11,800 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE TRUNK WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. UNEXPECTEDLY, THE TRUNK UNLATCHED WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPONTANEOUSLY. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CLOSED THE TRUNK DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOUR TIMES FOR INSPECTION, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURES OCCURRED ON THIRTY SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 14,000. UPDATED 03/18/09.*LJ THERE WAS A HESITIATION WITH THE VEHICLE BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH, THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. THERE WAS NO HEAT COMING FROM THE LOWER HEATING DUCTS. THE CRUISE CONTROL CAME ON BY ITSELF

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. ON JANUARY 27, 2009, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH IN THE SNOW. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE MOTOR, WIPER LINKS, AND WIPER BALL JOINT FAILED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MOTOR UNDER WARRANTY, BUT WANTED TO CHARGE $100.83 TO REPLACE THE BALL JOINT AND WIPER LINK BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE WARRANTY. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECT AND ALL THE PARTS SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER. SHE WILL FILE A REPORT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 21,000.