2011 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

CAR STALLED ALL OF SUDDEN WITH SHUDDER ON ROUTE 7 IN VIRGINIA AND THEN IMMEDIATELY WAS YAKEN INTO PARKING LOT FOR SAFETY REASONS. IN TRYING TO PARK CAR WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. THE CAR WAS ON FOR ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES THEN RANDOMLY STOPPED. AFTER ANOTHER TEN MINUTES CAR WOULD NOT START AND THEN RANDOMLY STARTED. CAR WAS ASAP DRIVEN WITH ENGINE SHUDDER BACK TO HOME DRIVIEWAY AND PARKED FOR SAFETY. CAR NOW AGAIN WOULD NIT SHUT DOWN AND KEPT RUNNING. ON BITH TIMES WHILE CAR REFUSED TO SHUT DOWN THE GAUGE SHOWED CEHCK ENGINE EPS LIGHT AND INDICATED THAT CAR NEEDS TK BE PUT IN PARK MODE EVEN THOUGH CAR WAS JN PARK MODE. GEARBOX WOULD NOT SHIFT AND CAR DID NOT RECOGNIZE LOWER GEAR MODES AS IT KEPT SAYING CAR IS NOT IN P. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY SAID THEY WERE CLOSED DUE TO WEEKEND. WILL NOW NEED TO TOW THE CAR AS IT WILL NOT START SINCE PREVIOUS INABILITY TO SHUTOFF PROBABLY HAS KILLED BATTERY.

THIS HAPPENED TWICE.THE FIRST TIME MY SON WAS DRIVING THE CAR TO AUSTIN TX ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE CAR SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 60MPH.THE WE HAD THE CAR TOED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND AFTER HE CHECKED THE MOTOR WE WERE INFORMED THE MOTOR SEIZED UP.I PURCHASED A USED MOTOR AT A JUNK YARD WITH 22,000 MILES AND THE MECHANIC INSTALLED IT. DEC.26 2017 WE SPENT CHRISTMAS IN AUSTIN TX AND WAS ON OUR WAY BACK ON I10 AROUND SEALY TX THE MOTOR SHUT OFF.I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR UP AGAIN.I FOUND A KIA DEALER IN KATY TEXAS AND DECIDED TO TAKE THE CAR THERE, IT WAS ABOUT 8 MILES AWAY HOWEVER WE DIDN'T MAKE IT.I STAYED IN THE RIGHT LANE DRIVING REALLY SLOW 55-60MPH AND THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND THEN SMOKE THE MOTOR LOCKED UP.THE CAR IS AT THE KIA DEALER BUT I AM STILL WAITING FOR AN AUTHORIZATION TO GET HE ENGINE REPLACED,

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK EARLY IN THE MORNING, TRAVELING AT ABOUT 55-60 MPH,WITHOUT WARNING A STARTLING SOUND LIKE AN EXPLOSION, ONCE I REALIZED IT WASN'T A TIRE BLOWOUT, I PULLED OVER TO FIND A HOLE IN MY ROOF. THANKFULLY I WAS ALONE AND MY CHILDREN WASN'T WITH ME AND NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE ON THE ROAD AT THAT TIME.

THE PASSENGER OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM SENSOR MAT FAILED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, AS INDICATED BY A LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE FAILURE OCCURRED DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. FAILURE OF THIS SENSOR IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN, AS IT MAY CAUSE THE AIRBAG NOT TO DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE IN OTHER KIA VEHICLES AROUND THE SAME MODEL YEAR, BUT THERE ISN'T A RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONTACT HAD TO REDUCE THE SPEED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE DURING THE FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING OVER BUMPS, THE STEERING COLUMN JERKED UNCONTROLLABLY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WERE VERY DIM AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE THE ROAD PROPERLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER (GRIFFIN MOTORS, 11031 PERRY HWY, MEADVILLE, PA 16335). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE $300 TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HIS PERSONAL MECHANIC. THREE MONTHS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGH WAY THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND AND THEN THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL AND THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE THEN THE CAR SHUT OFF. I WAS FORCED TO SWITCH LANES AND GET OFF THE NEAREST EXIT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND LOST POWER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AT TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO RESET AND WAS TOWED TO RICART KIA (4255 S HAMILTON RD #210, GROVEPORT, OH 43125 (614) 836-6503) WHERE THE DIAGNOSES WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED THE FAILURE ONLINE AND FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND HAD NOT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000.

BEGINNING IN SPRING 2017 MY 2011 KIA OPTIMA EX TURBO (I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW, ONLY OWNER) BEGAN STUTTERING WHILE IN MOTION (AS IF SOMEONE WERE PUMPING THE BRAKES). THE CAR STALLS AND DIES AT RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS AND NEEDS RESTARTED. IT ALSO STALLS AND DIES WHILE IN MOTION, MOST DISTURBING IN HIGH SPEED, HIGH TRAFFIC INTERSECTIONS AND AT 70 MPH HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I WILL BE TRAVELING ON HIGH SPEED INTERSTATES AND THE CAR JUST DIES AND I HAVE TO HOPE I HAVE ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO SAFELY GET OVER TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT USUALLY GOES ON AND OFF AT LEAST FOUR TIMES IN BETWEEN EACH SERVICE ATTEMPT. IT HAS BEEN ANALYZED AND GIVEN ATTEMPTED REPAIRS BY A KIA DEALERSHIP FOUR TIMES SINCE LATE MAY 2017 (SEE ATTACHED RECORDS), BUT THE STALLING AND STUTTERING PROBLEMS PERSIST. I PICKED UP THE CAR FROM ITS LAST SERVICE ON 10/18/17 AND THE SAME PROBLEMS BEGAN MANIFESTING AGAIN. THIS IS NOW THE FIFTH TIME. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE CAR IS (UNKNOWN) AND IT SEEMS KIA'S SERVICE HELP LINE FOR MECHANIC ASSISTANCE DOES NOT EITHER. THE MOST RECENT TIME THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE, KIA SENT OUT A NATIONAL SERVICE SPECIALIST TO INVESTIGATE THE CAR, TO NO AVAIL. 1) 5/31/17 - REPLACED MAP SENSOR (I PAID $600 AND IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM) 2) 6/30/17 - TESTED GROUNDS AND REPLACED CONNECTIONS 3) 7/25/17 - REPLACED TURBO AND INTERCOOLER SYSTEM 4) 10/12/17 - REPLACED ENGINE COMPUTER 5) UNKNOWN - STILL PROBLEMATIC - ASKING FOR REPLACEMENT VEHICLE FROM KIA THE CAR HAS 91,410 MILES AND IS STILL COVERED UNDER THE 10 YEAR/100,000 MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. THIS CAR IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT STALLS AND DIES OUT IN HIGH SPEED, HIGH TRAFFIC INTERSECTIONS AND ON FREEWAYS WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH. KIA OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX IT.

THERE IS PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND A CLICKING SOUND. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1350