2011 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

TURBOCHARGER, GASKET-EXHAUST PIPE, GASKET-EXAUST MAN IF, INTERCOOLER I'M HAVING THE THE ENGINE PROBLEM WANT TO FIND OUT IF THIS CAR WAS RECALL,

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED LIT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS LISTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V363000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LAWRENCE KIA (1225 E 23RD ST, LAWRENCE, KS 66046, 785-856-8700), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 185,000.

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A LOUD CYCLICAL KNOCKING SOUND. WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE LOCAL KIA DEALER WHOSE REPORTED DIAGNOSIS WAS "CHARACTERISTIC OF ROD BEARING FAILURE" AND WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE ONLY REMEDY WAS TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. INFORMED BY LOCAL DEALER THAT KIA HAD DECLINED THE CLAIM TO HAVE IT REPLACED AND THAT THE ONLY COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO TAKE IT UP WITH KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS. AFTER MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS (INCLUDING A 2 WEEK TIME LAPSE DURING WHICH THEY WOULD TAKE OUT CALLS BUT NOT NOTIFY US OF DECISIONS MADE UNLESS WE CALLED THEM), WE WERE FINALLY INFORMED THAT EVEN THOUGH ALL OTHER 2011 KIA OPTIMAS HAD BEEN RECALLED UP TO 125,000 MILES, FOR "ROD BEARING FAILURE" AND THUS HAD THEIR ENGINES REPLACED, OUR 2011 KIA OPTIMA WAS NOT COVERED FOR ROD BEARING FAILURE BECAUSE IT WAS A HYBRID. THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST IN ANY WAY WITH REPLACING THE ENGINE EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH KIA OPTIMAS. THE LOCAL DEALER OFFERED A USED ENGINE FOR THE WHOPPING PRICE OF $5474.17 WITH NO WARRANTY OR TO REBUILD THE ENGINE WITH PARTS THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER FROM KOREA FOR A WHOPPING TOTAL OF $5710.75. THE LATTER OPTION WOULD INCLUDE A 12,000 MILE WARRANTY BUT WOULD REQUIRE A LENGTHY WAIT ON THE PARTS TO ARRIVE FROM KOREA. EVIDENTLY, KIA DOES NOT KEEP NEEDED PARTS IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES WHICH SOUNDS SKETCHY AT BEST. AFTER MUCH DELIBERATION AND AGONY, WE WILL SELL THE CAR FOR SCRAPS. WE CANNOT RISK SPENDING ALMOST $6000 ON A CAR AND COOPERATION THAT WE NOW HAVE VERY LITTLE FAITH IN. WE WILL NEVER OWN A KIA AGAIN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND BLACK SMOKE EMERGED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE AND TIRE PRESSURE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER, EXITED THE VEHICLE, AND NOTICED FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT USED A TOWEL AND A BOTTLE OF WATER TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED, BUT ARRIVED AFTER THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER (COURTESY KIA OF BRANDON, 9205 E ADAMO, TAMPA, FL 33619) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK FAILED AND THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER FOR AN EVALUATION PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS OK TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND CASE NUMBER: 12673181 WAS OPENED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

STRONG SMELL OF RAW FUEL NEAR LEFT REAR (DRIVER SIDE) OF VEHICLE WHEN AMBIENT TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE EXCEEDS 100 DEGREES. THE SMELL IS NOTICED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AFTER DRIVING. IT WAS FIRST NOTICED WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON IT AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HENDERSON KIA FOR SERVICING. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE ISSUE.

WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET. CAME TO A STOP AT A STOP LIGHT. PROCEEDED TO GO ON GREEN AND ON A MAIN BUSY ROAD MY CAR SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY AND ALL MY LIGHTS CAME ON IN MY VEHICLE. AS I PULLED OVER ONTO A SIDE STREET MY CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE AND SMELL LIKE IT WAS BURNING. MY CAR WOULD NOT START BACK UP.. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO 2 DIFFERENT SHOPS. IT IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP WAITING ON A NEW ENGINE AND WE HAVE BEEN FOR OVER 2 MONTHS NOW. GETTING VERY AGGRAVATED AS NOBODY CAN TELL ME WHEN MY CAR WILL BE DONE. THE DEALERSHIP KEEPS TELLING ME THEY CANT FIND AN ENGINE FOR IT. WHICH I FIND A LITTLE RIDICULOUS. SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL ME SOMETHING OR PAY ME BLUE BOOK VALUE FOR MY CAR AND KEEP IT. THIS IS NOT MY FAULT AS THIS A RECALL ON MY CAR THAT SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE ALL OVER WITH THEM.

TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT STARTED TURNING ON IN APRIL 2018 WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET CAUSING THE STEERING TO LOCK AND MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. HAD TO PULL OVER TURN CAR ON AND OFF. LIGHT TURNED OFF AND CAR WAS ABLE TO DRIVE NORMALLY AGAIN. LIGHT CONTINUED TO COME ON AND OFF BUT RECENTLY STARTED HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. TOOK IT TO KIA AND WAS TOLD IT WAS AN INTERNAL MALFUNCTION OF THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY (SEE PAPERWORK). IF I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED WITH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING WHILE DRIVING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT POWERED OFF THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. IN ADDITION, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,018.

THERE IS A CLICKING NOISE FIRST HEARD IN THE STEERING WHEEL TO WHERE THE STEERING BOX FLEXIBLE COUPLER IS BRAKING APART INSIDE THE STEERING BOX. IF THIS WAS NOT FIXED IT COULD BE A TOTAL FAILURE TO WHERE YOU COULD LOSE YOUR STEERING ALL TOGETHER. KIA IS AWARE OF THIS AND IS FIXING IT FOR FREE. WHY ISNT THIS LISTED ON YOU SITE AS A RECALL AS SOMEONE'S LIFE COULD BE IN JEOPARDY OVER THIS ISSUE.

WHILE DRIVING,STEERING COLUMN STARTS RATTLING. GETS WORSE GOING OVER BUMPS. HAD STEERING COLUMN REPLACED 11 MONTHS AGO. THIS WEEK 7/1/8, THE COLUMN STARTED RATTLING AGAIN. MECHANIC STATED IT MIGHT BE A COUPLING IN THE COLUMN GOING BAD AGAIN.