2011 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE CITY STREETS I WAS PREPARING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AND THE LIGHT WAS ABOUT TO TURN RED, SO AS I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION MY CAR'S ENGINE JUST COMPLETELY STALLED ON ME AND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE WHILE MY CAR WAS SLOWLY ROLLING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHICH CREATED A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ME. THIS HAPPENED TO ME A SECOND TIME AGAIN WHILE I WAS TAKING A LEFT TURN WITH ON COMING TRAFFIC THERE WAS NO LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS POSTED ON THIS PARTICULAR ROAD AND MY CAR JUST LOST POWER WHILE I WAS STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD IN MOTION, WHICH CAUSED ANOTHER DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ME AND THE OTHER DRIVERS WHERE THEY EITHER HAD TO SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES OR QUICKLY CHANGE LANES TO AVOID HITTING MY STALLED CAR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE CONNECTING RODS FOR THE ENGINE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE WAS VERIFIED BY THE KOONS KIA OF WOODBRIDGE VIRGINIA DEALER. THE CONTACT INFORMED THE MANUFACTURER WHO HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED AND FOUND METAL SHAVINGS IN THE ENGINE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE DEALER REPAIR THE VEHICLE FREE OF CHARGE. THE MANUFACTURER OPENED CASE NUMBER: K3368562. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE ENGINE SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 197,000.

BOUGHT 2011 KIA OPTIMA USED WITH 75K MILES ON IT. DID NOT REALIZE IMMEDIATELY THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BEING REALLY DIM. I BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND CALLED THE KIA DEALER AND MENTIONED MY ISSUE AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID IT WAS PROBABLY A WIRING ISSUE OR A GROUND ISSUE AND THAT IT PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITHOUT THE HIGH BEAMS ON. WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT VISIBILITY IS GOOD WITH HIGH BEAMS ON, WHEN SWITCHING TO LOW BEAMS FOR ONCOMING CAR, YOU ARE DRIVING BLIND, HOLDING THE WHEEL STEADY AND HOPING YOU STAY ON THE ROAD UNTIL THE ONCOMING CAR PASSES AND YOU ARE ABLE TO TURN YOUR HIGH BEAMS BACK ON AGAIN. TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND HE TESTED THE ELECTRICAL, GROUND AND BULB AND THERE WERE NO ISSUES. UPON PUTTING A SCOPE INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WHERE THE BULB GOES, HE FOUND A PILE OF CHROME SHAVINGS SO THE HEADLIGHT REFLECTIVE HOUSING DETERIORATED. ONLY WAY TO REPAIR IS TO REPLACE WHOLE HEADLIGHT UNIT ASSEMBLY. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE, REALIZED THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME ISSUE ON THIS MODEL OF CAR FOR MULTIPLE YEARS NOW. OWNERS BEWARE OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND DON'T LET PEOPLE RIP YOU OFF BY CHARGING YOU TO GO DOWN THE WRONG/ELECTRICAL PATH TO FIX. POTENTIAL BUYERS BEWARE: IF YOU HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THIS FIXED AT A DEALER IT CAN COST BETWEEN $500 AND $800 AND IT MAY ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT IS AN ISSUE AGAIN. SEEMS LIKE THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL BY KIA.

THE LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS OR ALMOST USELESS AT NIGHT. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THE REFLECTIVE PAINT USED BURNS OFF AFTER A COUPLE YEARS OF USE. I HIGHLY DOUBT THAT IT MEETS THE ILLUMINATION STANDARDS OF THE NATIONAL TRAFFIC AND SAFETY ASSOCIATION. I LIKE HAVING 2 WEAK FLASH LIGHTS TAPED TO THE HOOD.

WHEN DRIVING MY KIA, AS I APPROACH A STOP AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS, THE CAR WILL LURCH FORWARD - ALMOST AS IF A CAR IS HITTING US FROM BEHIND. IT IS FORCEFUL AND HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. NOW, AFTER ONLY 5 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP, THE CAR HAS SERIOUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. IT IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE ON THE STREETS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN PRIMACY MXV4 TIRES, SIZE: P215/55R/17 93B (NA). WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY FLAT. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER LANE TO REMOVE THE TIRE. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED AND ASSISTED THE CONTACT WITH REPLACING THE TIRE ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WITH THE SPARE TIRE. DUE TO THE FAILURE OCCURRING IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE, THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE DRIVEN TO A SAFE ZONE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A FRED BEANS FORD OF MECHANICSBURG DEALER LOCATED ON 6320 CARLISLE PIKE, MECHANICSBURG, PA 17050 WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIRE EXPERIENCED A PREMATURE BLOW OUT. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE RIM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRE WAS NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE TIRE COULD BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE REPLACEMENT OF THE RIM WAS AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO INSTRUCTED THE CONTACT TO MAIL IN THE DEFECTIVE PARTS ALONG WITH PICTURES, RECEIPTS, AND OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY TAKING MY EXIT WHEN THE CAR TURNED OFF I MANAGED TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I TRIED TO START THE CAR BACK ON BUT FAIL TO DO SO. I GOT A MECHANIC TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND TOLD ME THE ENGINE SEIZED

I WAS DRIVING AND MY CAR STALLED AND WOULD NOGO WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS IT STARTED MAKING LOUD NOISES AND SMOKED CAR CUT OFF WOULD NOT CRANK SHOP SAYS ENGINE FAILURE BEARINGS AND RODS

MY KIA WAS MAKING A WHISTLING NOISE ON AND OFF FOR AWHILE THEN MY OIL LIGHT WOULD FLICKER SO I FIGURED I NEED AN OIL CHANGE. GOT MY OIL CHANGED AND THEN THE CAR STARTED MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE AND WOULD GET WORSE WITH ACCELERATION AND WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME ACCELERATING. IT WOULD JOLT AND VIBRATE AND MAKE KNOCKING AND FLAPPING NOISES. TURN ON MY ROAD TO GO HOME AND LOST POWER. MY CAR SLOWLY CAME TO A STOP I COULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL. MY ENGINE, BATTERY, OIL, AND EPS LIGHT CAME ON. I TRIED STARTING IT UP AND WOULD COME ON FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS MAKE A LOT OF NOISE AND THE ENGINE WOULD TURN OFF BUT MY RADIO AND WINDOWS STILL WORKED. MY AC WAS ON BUT NOT COOLING. ALL THE CABIN LIGHTS WORK STILL BUT MY BRAKE ARE STIFF.