2011 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND FLAMES APPEARED UNDERNEATH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS BURNT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

THE CARS HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO GET DIMMER AND DIMMER TO WHERE A DRIVER CAN BARELY SEE 10 FEET IN FRONT OF THEM. I HAVE CALLED KIA REGARDING SOLUTIONS AND ALTHOUGH THEY STATE THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THERE AREN'T ANY PERMANENT ALTERNATIVES. I HAVE TO USE MY HIGH BEAMS AT NIGHT TO DRIVE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED, WHICH WAS A SAFETY CONCERN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KOONS KIA OF WOODBRIDGE (703-494-3333, LOCATED AT 14208 JEFFERSON DAVIS HWY, WOODBRIDGE, VA 22191) AND REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V363000 (AIR BAGS). HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE RECALL DID NOT COVER THE AIR BAG INDICATOR FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 126,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

THE LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE BECAME SO DIM IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. I THOUGHT MY NIGHT VISION WAS FAILING, UNTIL A FRIEND RODE WITH ME AFTER DARK AND ASKED IF MY HEADLIGHTS WERE ON. WHEN WE COMPARED THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY VEHICLE COMPARED TO HERS, THE DIFFERENCE WAS STUNNING. I HAD ALREADY HAD THE HEADLAMPS REPLACED IN 2015, BUT THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE. I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE DIM AT LEAST A YEAR PRIOR TO THAT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP., AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE REFLECTORS BEHIND THE HEADLIGHTS HAD COLLAPSED, CAUSING THE DIMNESS. THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO FIX THIS, AT A SUBSTANTIAL COST. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FIX IT BECAUSE IT HAD BECOME DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT OTHERS WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS WAS NOT WEAR AND TEAR. THIS WAS A DEFECT AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. WHEN I HAD THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES REPLACED, I REQUESTED THE OLD ONES AND I HAVE THEM IN MY POSSESSION. ONE PHOTO SHOWS THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY CAR IN A PARKING RAMP NEXT TO ANOTHER CAR WITH ITS HEADLIGHTS ON. MY CAR IS ON THE LEFT. YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL THE LIGHTS ARE ON.

BAD PART IN STEERING COLUMN , THE PLASTIC COUPLER IS BROKEN AND IT MAKES A HORRIBLE SOUND AND WITH THAT PART BEING BAD IT COULD CAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK UP. I FIRST HEARD THIS NOISE DRIVING TO WORK ON THE FREEWAY

VEHICLE WILL NOT START. ENGINE AND IGNITION REPLACED DUE TO BEARING WEAR RECALL. TRANSMISSION REPLACED 2 WEEKS AGO FOR REBUILT ONE, AND NOW CAR WON'T START. IT'S BEEN 2 DAYS AND KIA HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. THE REASON I WANTED TO SUBMIT THIS COMPLAINT IS BECAUSE I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON TRANSMISSIONS INSTALLED IN THESE VEHICLES. KIA WANTED ME TO WAIT FROM 10 SEP TO MID DEC BECAUSE THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE ON BACK ORDER. WHICH MEANS THERE'S SO MUCH DEMAND THAT DEC IS THE EARLIEST THEY COULD RECEIVE IT. THEIR SHOP IS FULL, MOSTLY OF THESE CARS (OPTIMA). THEY EXPECTED ME TO WAIT 3 MONTHS WITHOUT A CAR IN ORDER TO GIVE THEM TIME. IT JUST BOGGLES MY MIND THAT THEY COULD DO THIS. THE CRAZIEST THING IS THAT EXPECT EVERYONE TO WAIT THIS LONG. I TALKED TO 3 DIFFERENT COSTUMERS WHO ARE ALL HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH THE SAME CARS, AND THEY WERE TOLD THE SAME THING. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN 2014 USED, ONLY ONE PREVIOUS OWNER, NEVER HAD ANY ACCIDENTS, NOW HAS 111,000+ MILES. ALWAYS DID ALL MAINTENANCE CHECKS, OIL & FILTER CHANGES, TUNE UPS, FLUIDS CHANGE AND YEARLY INSPECTIONS. ONLY USED FOR GOING TO WORK AND COMING HOME 5 DAYS A WEEK (APPROX. 54 MILES PER DAY). I DECIDED TO REPAIR TRANSMISSION AT OTHER PLACE & ENDED UP SAVING $1100. KIA WANTED TO CHARGE $2,700 FOR REBUILD TRANSMISSION & FOUND A GUY THAT CHARGED ME $1,600 FOR REBUILD ONE. KIA NEVER GAVE ME QUOTE COPY. JUST TOLD ME OVER THE PHONE. HOW CONVENIENT! GUY TOLD ME THE WAY THESE TRANSMISSIONS WERE BUILT IT'S SIMPLY BAD ENGINEERING. AND SHOWED ME THE PART OF THE TRANSMISSION THAT BROKE. WOULD UPLOAD THE DOCUMENTS , BUT I LEFT IN MY CAR! CAN STILL PROVIDE THEM THOUGH! THE SAFETY ISSUE WAS THAT THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON A BUSY HIGHWAY IN HOUSTON! THE CAR SIMPLY DIED ON THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. SO I CAN ONLY ASSUME YOU KNOW WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS WERE DIM AND PROVIDED POOR VISIBILITY WHEN DRIVING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS PROJECTED A TRIANGLE SHAPE, WHICH PREVENTED THE CONTACT FROM SEEING THE ROAD. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE SIDES OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE CLEARLY SEEN, BUT NOT THE FRONT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,988.

EVERY TIME I STOP TO PUT GAS IN MY CAR, IT TAKES ABOUT 30 MINUTES OR SO BEFORE IT STARTS AGAIN. WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR HAS A JERKING MOTION. KIA EXCHANGED THE CARBON CANISTER BUT IT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM.

MY 2011 KIA OPTIMA IS CONSUMING LARGE QUANTITIES OF OIL. I HAVE RECEIVED 10 OIL CHANGES SINCE FEBRUARY 2018 (OCT AS OF TODAY) AFTER MY CAR'S OIL LIGHT WOULD BLINK EVERY 1000 MILES WHEN DRIVING. THE DEALER SAID THEIR WAS NO VISIBLE LEAK AND PERFORMED A CONSUMPTION TEST WHICH SHOWED MY CAR WAS CONSUMING OIL AT AN ALARMING RATE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A KNOW PROBLEM WITH KIA MOTORS AND HAS YET TO ADDRESSED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED OUTWARDS WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE SUN ROOF GLASS WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED KINGDOM KIA AT (573) 426-3100 (LOCATED AT 2600 N BISHOP AVE, ROLLA, MO 65401) AND WAS INFORMED TO CONTACT HIS INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.