2001 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

WHILE DRIVING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, MY DAUGHTER HEARD A LOUD "POP" AND THEN THE CAR CAME TO A STOP AND SHUDDERED. I GOT THERE AND DID A QUICK LOOK AND I NOTICED THE DRIVER SIDE INSIDE CV JOINT HAD FAILED AND WAS LEAKING THE GREASE OUT OF THE BOOT. WE TOWED IT HOME AND WAS ABLE TO JACK THE CAR UP AND GET A BETTER VIEW OF THE AREA AND NOTICED THE LOWER ARM OF SUSPENSION HAD PULLED FROM THE RUSTED FRAME. LOOKS LIKE THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I CAME IN TO LOOK UP PARTS NEEDED AND FOUND THE RECALL INFO #09V183000 THAT SHOWED THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WE HAVE BUT DOESN'T INCLUDE KANSAS??? I ACTUALLY BOUGHT THIS IN MISSOURI, WHICH IS INCLUDED??? I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE COVERED. PLEASE REPLY ASAP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE BENT INWARD ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE SUB-FRAME HAD CAVED IN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V183000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT). THERE WAS ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE STRUTS AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE BUT THE DEALER REFUSED TO PERFORM ANY REPAIRS OUTSIDE OF WHAT WAS STATED WOULD BE REPAIRED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 90,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 02/09/12*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER HAVING HIS VEHICLE ALIGNED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SUB FRAMED COLLAPSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SUB FRAME AND THE CONTROL ARM WERE CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V183000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BECOME HARD TO CONTROL, WHICH CAUSED THE TIRES TO WEAR PREMATURELY.THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V183000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REASON THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED WAS THAT VIRGINA WAS NOT LISTED AS A SALT BELT STATE, WHICH THE RECALL ONLY PERTAININED TO THOSE VEHICLE THAT WERE LOCATED IN SALT BELT STATES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 210,000. UPDATED 06/01/11*LJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2001 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V183000, SUSPENSION: FRONT WAS RELATED TO THE CORROSION ON THE FRONT SUB FRAME OF HIS VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO SPRAYED AN UNDER COATING ON THE BOTTOM TO COVER THE RUST, CORROSION AND REPLACED THE SUB FRAME. AFTER ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, HE FOUND THE ENTIRE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE INCLUDING THE FUEL WELL COVERED WITH RUST AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,400.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA OPTIMA. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WHEN THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY RUSTED AND CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS THEN NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V183000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000. UPDATED 05/25/11

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR CANNOT BE UNLOCKED AND IS UNUSABLE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN THAT HAS AFFECTED ALL MODELS OF KIA AUTOS BUT KIA REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *TR

MY 2001 KIA OPTIMA WITH 102,350 MILES STARTED TO PULL TO THE RIGHT ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE A WHEEL ALIGNMENT, BUT THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE SUB FRAME HAS RUSTED BADLY. THE BOLTS CONNECTING THE PASSENGER WHEEL MOUNT TO THE SUB FRAME WAS LOOSE DUE TO THE RUST IN THE SUB FRAME. MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 09V183000. I CALLED KIA AND ASKED ABOUT THE RECALL. KIA TOLD ME THAT MY CAR DID NOW QUALIFY, BECAUSE MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DATABASE. KIA SUGGESTED THAT I TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO WORK SOME KIND OF REPAIR AGREEMENT. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. A DAY LATER, THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING FOR THE OBVIOUS DEFECT, BECAUSE KIA WON'T DO ANYTHING. THE ESTIMATE TO REPAIR THE SUB FRAME WAS $1300 AND 5 BUSINESS DAYS AT THE DEALER. I'M HAVING THE CAR REPAIRED, BECAUSE IT IS MY SOLE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION. I'M ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED AT KIA AND THEIR DEALERS FOR NOT RECOGNIZING THE RECALL. IT LOOKS LIKE KIA AND THEIR DEALERS WILL ONLY ACT IF NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 09V183000 IS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE MY VIN. MY VIN: [XXX] IF YOU CAN, PLEASE ADD MY VIN TO THE RECALL. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE FRONT FRAME AND MANY COMPONENTS OF MY 2001 KIA OPTIMA HAVE COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. IT CURRENTLY HAS 50,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS SINCE I PURCHASED IT. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS PRETTY MUCH ON EVERY DAY. I WAS TOLD IT WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE GAS CAP, ALTHOUGH THAT NEVER REALLY CAME UP AS THE REASON, THERE WAS MORE THAN THAT- RESULTING IN MULTIPLE REPAIRS. THE O2 SENSOR HAS GONE TWICE, THE BRAKES HAVE CORRODED SO BADLY MY REPAIRMAN HAD TO HIT THEM OFF TO REMOVE THEM. I HAD TO REPLACE ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES SINCE THEY ALL RUSTED OUT. THE AIRBAG LIGHT GOES ON AND STAYS ON AND NOONE CAN FIGURE OUT WHY. THE SILVER TRIM ON THE BACK WINDOW HAS FALLEN OFF. THE PAINT COMES OFF IN RANDOM PLACES MAKING WEIRD SPOTS OF PRIMER SHOW. THE TRANSMISSION HAS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FROM A STOP. SPEED SENSOR WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE SAME HEADLIGHT GOES OUT ALMOST MONTHLY AND IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT IN AND FIND IN STORES. DOOR LOCKS WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK ON THEIR OWN, LOCKING ME IN OR OUT OF THE CAR. THE WINDOWS HAVE VERY WEAK MOTORS THAT BARELY ROLL UP OR DOWN. THIS IS A CAR I BOUGHT FROM A DEALERSHIP AND AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON IT. I HAVE TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF IT. I HAVE BROUGHT IT IN FOR REGULAR SERVICE AND HAVE SPENT MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH ON REPAIRS WHILE STILL MAKING CAR PAYMENTS AND KEEPING FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE. I AM VERY UPSET BECAUSE THE FRAME HAS ROTTED OUT AND I WAS TOLD TO JUNK THE VEHICLE BY BILL DODGE KIA SERVICE AND THEN AGAIN BY THE GENTLEMAN DOING MY STATE INSPECTION TODAY. KIA STATES THERE IS NO RECALL CURRENTLY ON MY VIN #. I FIND THAT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. I BELIEVE THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE REPLACED OR ALL THE PARTS THAT HAVE CORRODED SHOULD BE COMPLETELY REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE BY KIA MOTOR CO. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH HE FELT THE VEHICLE VIBRATING AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOOSE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TIE RODS, BALL JOINTS AND STABILIZER LINKS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BUT THE ONLY FAILURE THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE LIABLE FOR IS THE SUBFRAME, EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE OTHER FAULTY PARTS. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN. KIA ALSO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SUBFRAME, NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V183000, SUSPENSION FRONT; HOWEVER, THEY WOULD ONLY REPAIR THE SUBFRAME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.