2011 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

View complaints related to 2011 KIA OPTIMA. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. There are more than 600 complaints submitted for the 2011 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.

  • 2011 KIA OPTIMA
    - BELLEVILLE, KS

    LIGHTS FLASH OFF AND ON WHILE DRIVING / HEAR CLICKING SOUND WHILE MY DASH BOARD FLICKERS AS WELL. THIS HAPPENS WHEN PARKED AND IN MOTION

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2011 KIA OPTIMA
    - PITTSBURGH, PA

    ENGINE FAILURE..BOUGHT IN 2013 W 14,000 MILES.CURRENTLY HAS 68,000.CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON LAST YEAR.KIA WOULD ONLY PAY FOR 1 SPARK PLUG.THEN,L PAID TO HAVE A NEW FI SYSTEM PUT IN.L WAS NEVER REIMBURSED.DEC 20,DRIVING DOWN A BUSY HIGHWAY W MY KIDS AND ENGINE SHUTS OFF WITH NO WARNING.THEN,THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH WEIRD SMELLS OF GAS AND BURNING.TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND NO ISSUE.TOOK IT BACK AGAIN ON DEC 21,BUT NO TECHS AVAILABLE.DEC 23,L WAS DRIVING MY KID TO WORK,ENGINE SHOOK,CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON FLASHED AND A BIG BOOM.CAR WAS GOING 5MPH WHILE IT WAS CLICKING.L GOT IT TOWED(AFTER KIA MOTORS HAD THE AUDACITY TO TRY TO MAKE ME PAY FOR A [email protected],BUT L REFUSED)THRU MY INSURANCE CO.AS THE CAR SAT,A BIG CLOUD OF SMOKE CAME FROM THE ENGINE,WE THOUGH THAT IT WAS CATCHING ON FIRE.CALLED KIA MOTORS....OMG,THE WORST.L JUST GOT A RENTAL TODAY AND APPROVED FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT AFTER MULTIPLE PHONE CALLS.MY BROTHER BOUGHT HIS OPTIMA BRAND NEW IN 2003 AND SAME THING HAPPENED IN 2 MONTHS.KIA CONTINUES TO NOT RESOLVE HIS DANGEROUS ISSUE AND L AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT,LET ALONE HAVE MY KIDS IN IT.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2011 KIA OPTIMA
    - RALEIGH, NC

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED AN UNKNOWN RECALL NOTIFICATION REGARDING THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUNSET KIA OF BRADENTON (4770 14TH ST W, BRADENTON, FL 34207, (941) 752-1000) WHERE THE ENGINE WAS TESTED AND PASSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAD BEEN SPUTTERING PRIOR TO THE TEST. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO LACK OF OIL, ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE RECENTLY HAD AN OIL CHANGE. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THEY DID NOT FIND METAL SHAVINGS WHILE CONDUCTING THE TEST AND THE CHECK OIL INDICATOR WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK LATER, WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE SEIZED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE SAME DEALER WHO STATED THAT A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED DUE TO THE RECALL. THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ANOTHER UNKNOWN DEALER WHERE ADDITIONAL RECALLS WERE DISCOVERED. THE UNKNOWN DEALER FOUND A DETERIORATED CLAMP THAT CAUSED THE HOSE TO BECOME LOOSE AND THE ENGINE TO JOLT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THE DETERIORATED CLAMPS ON THE INVOICE. WHEN THE CONTACT RETRIEVED THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED WHEN THEY RECEIVED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED A FUEL ODOR AND NOTICED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS GUSHING FUEL. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED THE FAILURE AND FOUND THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE INITIAL ENGINE REPLACEMENT AND THE BRAKE BOOSTER HOSE WAS NOT PROPERLY SECURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2011 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID
    - STRASBURG, VA

    THERE'S A CLUNKING IN THE STEERING . FROM WHAT I'VE FOUND ON THE FORUMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM . IT APPEARS TO BE A PLASTIC COUPLER IN THE STEERING MOTOR THAT DETERIORATES CAUSING A METAL ON METAL GRINDING. I NOTICED THIS WHILE TURNING AT AT STREET CORNERS OR CHANGING LANES ON HIGHWAY. NHTSA NUMBER: 10090941. THIS APPARENTLY HAS BEEN REPORTED BEFORE . WANTED TO MAKE SURE MY INFO WAS INCLUDED .

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2011 KIA OPTIMA
    - GRASS VALLEY, CA

    THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2011 KIA OPTIMA HAVE BEEN SLOWLY GETTING SO DULL THAT IT IS GETTING DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. I COMMUTE OVER 100 MILES A DAY AND LEAVE AT DARK AND GET HOME AT DARK. SO ALL MY DRIVING IS NEEDING MY HEADLIGHTS. I STARTED NOTICING THE PROBLEM WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE AND JUST THOUGHT MY BULBS WERE GETTING OLD. I WENT OUT AND BOUGHT NEW SYLVANIA SILVERSTAR BULBS AND I ALSO BOUGHT A SET OF SYLVANIA ULTRA. THAT DID NOT HELP. I ENDED UP EVEN TRYING TO CHANGE MY BULBS AND CONVERT OVER TO LED HEADLIGHT BULBS. I DID ALL THE WORK AND CONVERSION AND STILL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. COME TO FIND OUT IT'S NOT THE BULBS THAT ARE THE ISSUE, BUT THE ACTUAL HEADLIGHT HOUSING IS THE ISSUE. I AM NOW IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING NEW HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES WHICH IS REALLY TERRIBLE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BUY A WHOLE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY FROM FAULTY MANUFACTURING JUST SO I CAN SEE AND BE SAFE WHILE DRIVING. BUT I FEEL THAT IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVING THE WAY MY CAR IS RIGHT NOW. I FEEL KIA SHOULD BE FIXING THE ISSUE AND SUPPLYING A HIGHER QUALITY HEADLIGHT HOUSING TO FIX THIS ISSUE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2011 KIA OPTIMA
    - NEW BRITAIN, CT

    THE STEERING COUPLING IN THE STEERING WHEEL HAS GONE BAD CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO SHAKE BADLY WHEN STOPPING AND ESPECIALLY WHEN I HIT A BUMP OR POTHOLE. SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2011 KIA OPTIMA
    - ROCHESTER, NY

    2011 KIA OPTIMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT SAFETY RECALL. *LD *JS

    Source: CONSUMER LETTER
  • 2011 KIA OPTIMA
    - COLUMBUS, GA

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STARTER MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE STARTER, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE MOTOR WAS LOCKED UP. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2011 KIA OPTIMA
    - LITHONIA, GA

    THIS CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A NON-COLLISION/SPONTANEOUS FIRE. THERE WHERE NO PRIOR INDICATIONS OF CAR DEFECTS. THE CAR WAS MOVING ON A CITY ROAD WHEN IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. DEKALB COUNTY GA FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND TOOK A REPORT. THIS WAS A BRAND NEW REPLACEMENT MOTOR INSTALLED BY KIA WITH A WARRANTY. THE NEW MOTOR HAD APPROXIMATELY 5000 MILES ON IT.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2011 KIA OPTIMA
    - BUFORD, GA

    I WAS DRIVING MY CAR IN MOTION AROUND 25 MPH. I WENT TO ACCELERATE TO GET ONTO THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR JUST STALLED ON ME WITH NO WARNING. I HAD TO PULL OVER ,CUT THE CAR OFF AND LET IT SIT FOR A MIN. AFTER 5 MINS, IT STARTED TO DRIVE AGAIN BUT THERE WAS STILL LACK OF ACCELERATION

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE