2012 KIA OPTIMA Complaints
View complaints related to 2012 KIA OPTIMA. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. There are more than 980 complaints submitted for the 2012 KIA OPTIMA. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.
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2012 KIA OPTIMA- Shalimar, FL
The horn stops working, steering heat stop working, control functions and air bag warning. I changed the clock spring and it fixed all those issues the first time but within 6 months all those issues happened again. Is there something more wrong?
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2012 KIA OPTIMA- Leitchfield, KY
Sudden engine failure while driving with no warning. Vehicle began jerking, shaking, and losing power. RPMs dropped unexpectedly and the engine stalled intermittently. Multiple misfire codes were present (cylinders 1, 3, and 4), and the engine was found to have low or no compression in cylinder 1. The condition rapidly worsened to near complete engine failure. The vehicle was operating normally prior to this incident. This failure is consistent with known Kia engine defects involving internal engine damage, including rod bearing failure. This is a safety concern due to sudden loss of power while driving.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2012 KIA OPTIMA- Snellville , GA
A issue with the Valve cover gasket leaking into the engine causing a misfire. Making the car suddenly stop while driving which is very unsafe. I took the car to the dealership and they want to charge me for the repairs. I have 2 kia optima hybrid and both cars have the same issue around the same mileage. There were no warning lights during the time it was at the shop. However one day the check engine light did come on and the OBD code P1326 came up. When I took it to the shop the check engine light disappeared and the dealership said they will not check my engine unless they see the code on their end. I believe later down the line the engine will stall out and it should be fixed now while under warranty. However I received no help from the dealership unless I am willing to pay upfront. In addition to this there are electrical issues the front seats aren't moving immediately when the button is pressed. The steering wheel buttons barely work along with the radio. This is a huge problem that needs to be fixed.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2012 KIA OPTIMA- Bluefield, WV
When the brake pedal is pressed on the brakes will grab. It snatches the car kinda hard. Also when you give the car gas it will hesitate and will not accelerate. Another with the gas is that you can be driving at a higher speed such as 45 to 55 or so and you press down the gas pedal like your going into passing gear and it will not accelerate it’s like it’s trying to stop. Feels like the car is gonna fall on down onto itself and it loses power.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2012 KIA OPTIMA- Fresno, CA
Unknown but We were driving home from friant in motion when the car died and started smoking, no indication light were on before until after the incident all warning lights were on dash. Our lives were put at risk due to this. We were not able to control steering wheel or to get out of the way of traffic.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
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2012 KIA OPTIMA- Vilonia, AR
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the engine was knocking at startup. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); and the VIN was included in the recall; however, the manufacturer declined to honor the recall because the original owner of the vehicle had failed to respond to the recall notification. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had declined to honor the recall due to the previous owner not having the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 189,369.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2012 KIA OPTIMA- Pendleton, SC
•I’m not sure what failed, the car was parked. And yes it’s available for inspection. •I had just parked the car coming from work and at the time. If I was in the car any longer than 5 more minutes it possibly could’ve been catastrophic. • All I know as of right now is that 5 days ago, it was escalated and I received a case number and a case manager 3 days ago. •The car has not been inspected •not that I’ve noticed, the engine light was on a week before the accident occurred, after getting off of work and the car system said to check my breaks. I had someone take me home since my car was undrivable. And the next morning I was going to have it towed but everything was working properly. The engine light was gone.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2012 KIA OPTIMA- Wichita, KS
The car seized operating, shut down with zero warnings. It has been a reliable car and maintained. We towed to a mechanic who said it was engine failure. Thankfully we had just exited off highway and on a side street when it became inoperable or it would have been detrimental.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2012 KIA OPTIMA- Athens, AL
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the buttons on the steering wheel became inoperative. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the clock spring assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. A dealer was contacted and made the contact aware of an unknown recall, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2012 KIA OPTIMA- House Springs, MO
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park; however, the message to shift to park was displayed. In addition, the contact stated that there was a delay while shifting gears. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to several dealers, and the failure was not duplicated. The contact was informed by one dealer that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact researched and determined that the failure was related to the TCM failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE