2004 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT CONTACTED. UPDATED 08/29/06. *JB

I HAVE A 2004 KIA OPTIMA WITH A BELT THAT SQUEAKS RATHER LOUDLY. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND WOULD COST $120.00 TO REPLACE IT IF I WANTED TO, BUT IT WAS NOT DANGEROUS. MY PROBLEM WAS THAT I HAD JUST BOUGHT THE CAR AND IT MADE THIS AWFUL SOUND. I EVEN CONTACTED KIA'S COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT, BUT NOTHING WAS EVER DONE. THIS IS MY FIRST AND LAST KIA. THIS JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN ONCE, BUT SQUEAKS ON A REGULAR BASIS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE GAS CAP WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED TO REMOVE PRESSURE IN THE FUEL TANK. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, IT WAS SLUGGISH, AND HAD VERY LITTLE POWER, AND A CLUNKING NOISE WAS HEARD. SO, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERS MECHANIC RAN A COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC TEST, WHICH REVEALED SEVERAL MISFIRE CODES. UPON REMOVING THE FUEL PUMP, MELTED WIRING WAS DISCOVERED RUNNING FROM THE FUEL PUMP TO THE GAS TANK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A KIA OPTIMA 2004, ON DECEMBER 28,2005 I NOTICE A PIERCING NOISE COMING FROM THE BACK OF MY CAR. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHO INDICATED THAT I NEEDED NEW BRAKE PADS AND THAT MY ROTORS WERE RUSTED. MY QUESTION IS HOW CAN A CAR THAT IS BRAND NEW AND ONLY DRIVEN FOR 14 MONTHS HAVE RUSTED ROTORS. ISN'T THERE SAFETY STANDARDS ON MATERIAL USED SO THAT THIS DOES NOT OCCUR IN SUCH SHORT OF A TIME. IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY WHICH RESULTED IN A BILL TOTALING $659.00. MY PURPOSE OF PURCHASING A NEW CAR WAS TO AVOID CONSTANT REPAIRS RIGHT AWAY. I FEEL THAT ALL OF THE FINE PRINT WAS NOT DISCLOSED WHEN KIA ADVERTISES A BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY FOR A CAR UP TO 100,000 MILES. I EVEN CALLED THE NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE FOR KIA AND THEY HAD NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS COULD HAVE OCCURRED IN SUCH SHORT OF A TIME. THE CAR HAS ONLY SEEN 1 WINTER. *JB

MOTOR MOUNTS AND PULLEYS DEFECTIVE. THIS WILL BE MY THIRD TIME TO THE SHOP IN LESS THAN A MONTH. THE PULLEYS AND MOUNTS ARE BOUND TO CAUSE OTHER DAMAGE. *JB

DT: THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE REPAIRED FIVE TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2005 THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT A CAUSE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE SOUND FROM THE AIRBAG HAD GIVEN THE DRIVER A HEADACHE. THE CAUSE WAS STILL UNKNOWN. *SC . *AK

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT IMPACTING A FIXED MEDIAN CURB. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP IDENTIFIED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER REMARKED THAT THE FRONT SUSPENSION APPEARED TO HAVE BOLTS MISSING. THIS WAS INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED BY THE BODY SHOP. IN THEIR DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, THEY FOUND THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM TO BALL JOINT BOLTS WERE MISSING AND THE 2 HOLES WERE ROUNDED OUT IN A WAY THAT WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE BOLTS FALLING OUT. THE BOLTS FALLING OUT CAUSED THE LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE THEREBY CAUSING THE ACCIDENT. A COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH KIA MOTORS AMERICA. THEY REQUIRED THE INSURANCE COMPANY OR MYSELF TO PROVIDE ALL OF THE EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT THEIR CAR WAS AT FAULT. AFTER SUBMITTING THE REPAIR ESTIMATE AND PICTURES FROM BOTH THE SCENE AND FROM THE REPAIR SHOP, KIA MOTORS AMERICA AND THEIR LEGAL DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THAT THEY ARE NOT AT FAULT. THE REPAIR SHOP MANAGER COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY WOULD MAKE A DETERMINATION WITHOUT EVER LOOKING AT THE CAR. ACCORDING TO JENNIFER AT KIA, THE COMPLAINT IS CLOSED AND I HAVE NO FURTHER RECOURSE OTHER THAT TO CONTACT A LAWYER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS IT WILL BE SHOWN AS A CLAIM AGAINST MY INSURANCE POLICY AND THEN CAUSE MY RATES TO INCREASE. I FEAR THAT THIS PROBLEM MAY BE PRESENT ON OTHER 2004 KIA OPTIMAS OR OTHER MODELS THAT BOTH KIA AND HYUNDAI MAKES. *JB UPDATED 01/11/06. *JB

DT: WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD AT 75 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. ALSO, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN. VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE CURVE. THEN OWNER CALLED DEALERSHIP WHO WAS SUPPOSE TO PICK UP VEHICLE UP BUT DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR ABOUT 4.5 HOURS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE, AND WAS LEFT AT THE SHOP. THE NEXT DAY OWNER CALLED TO CHECK ON THE VEHICLE, NOTHING WAS DONE . THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR. CURRENTLY, THE OWNER WAS WAITING FOR THE ALTERNATOR. OWNER'S FAMILY SUFFERED HEAT EXHAUSTION BY WAITING OUTSIDE, AND HIS SON BECAME ILL DUE TO HEAT EXHAUSTION. THE OWNER HAS NOT CONTACTED KIA. *AK

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2004 KIA OPTIMA AND PAID IN FULL. I PURCHASED FOR THE 10 YR WARRANTY AND EXTENDED WARRANTY I BOUGHT. THE A/C HAS ALWAYS OVERHEATED , CAR SEATS IN THE LOCKED POSITIONMOVING WHILE DRIVING OUT OF THEIR POSITION, LOCKS MALFUNCTIONING WHEN NO ONE IS TOUCHING THEM, TRANSMISSION JUMPING. VARIOUS OTHER PROBLEMS. THE BIG BELL ROAD KIA IN PHOENIX, LOCATED AT 2121 EAST BELL ROAD,

PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2004 KIA OPTIMA FROM THE DEALER ON 12/09/2004. THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS NOT BEEN WORKING SINCE THE FIRST DAY IT WAS DRIVEN OUT OF THE DEALER'S LOT. WHAT'S MORE, THREE WEEKS INTO OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE, IT BEGAN TO EXHIBIT INTERMITTENT, ROUGH IDLING PROBLEMS. THE PROBLEM IS NOT NOTICEABLE ON COLD STARTS, BUT AFTER IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR ABOUT 35 MINUTES OR SO AND THE ENGINE HAS WARMED UP AND REACHED A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE, IT WILL BEGIN TO MAKE ROCKING-JERKY-THRUSTING LIKE MOVEMENTS. IT CAN BE FELT, AS IF, THE CAR IS EITHER CHOKING OR TRYING TO ACCELLERATE WHILE WAITING AT A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT. AS FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL, THE MODULE WAS ORDERED ON ITS FIRST VISIT, THE MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND REORDERED ON ITS SECOND VISIT, THE MODULE WAS INSTALLED ON ITS THIRD VISIT, AND THE DEALER STATED THAT IT NEEDED A SWITCH FOR THE CRUISE TO WORK. THREE MONTHS LATER, THE CRUISE CONTROL IS STILL INOPERABLE. AS FOR THE IDLING PROBLEMS, IT COULD NOT BE VERIFIED ON ITS FIRST VISIT. IT WAS VERIFIED AND REPRODUCED ON ITS SECOND VISIT, AND THE CAR STAYED FOR 2 AND 1/2 WEEKS WITH THE DEALER TO REPLACE A MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR. PICKED UP THE CAR ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT IT STILL HAS THE SAME IDLING PROBLEMS. IT WENT BACK TO THE DEALER 5 DAYS LATER, AND THEY CLAIMED THAT THE PROBLEM "COULD NOT BE DETECTED." TWO DAYS AFTER ITS LAST VISIT ON 02/02/2005, THE DEALER DELIVERED THE CAR WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE ON THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT AND PASSENGER DOORS. THE CAR GOT IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE IT WAS IN THE DEALER'S CARE, AND THEY PROMISED IN WRITING TO FIX IT. 1 AND 1/2 MONTHS LATER, THE PROMISED WAS NOT FULFILLED, SO I PICKED UP THE CAR AND TOOK IT TO ANOTHER SHOP. MY INSURANCE PAID FOR THE COST, LESS $500 DEDUCTIBLE. WHERE THE DEALER FAILED IN 1.5 MONTHS TO FIX THE DAMAGE, ANOTHER SHOP SUCCEEDED IN JUST 6 DAYS! THE DOORS ARE FIXED, BUT THE ON-GOING PROBLEMS ON THE CAR STILL REMAIN. THREE MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP OF A SUPPOSEDLY "BRAND NEW" CAR, AND IT BEHAVES LIKE A CLUNKER.