2001 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

I NOTICED MY 2001 KIA OPTIMA PULLING TO THE LEFT SO I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR A WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THE TECHNICIAN STATED HE COULD NOT PERFORM THE ALIGNMENT BECAUSE THE SUBFRAME WAS RUSTED AND HAD A FIST SIZE HOLE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE SUBFRAME. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT A KIA DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THE SUBFRAME NEEDS TO BE REPLACE. HE ORDERED THE SUBFRAME, BUT A WEEK LATER SAID HE IS UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE JOB SINCE MY VIN NUMBER DOES NOT MATCH ONE OF THE VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF THE RECALL. I'M WAITING TO HERE FROM KIA CORP. TO DETERMINE IF THE VEHICLE WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CAR IS SAID TO BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE RIGHT TIRE HAS BUCKLED IN. *TR

WAS DRIVING INTO MY DRIVEWAY WHEN THE CAR PULLED SEVERELY TO THE RIGHT. UPON INSPECTION,THE SUBFRAME WAS TOTALLY RUSTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE . BELOW FRONT WHEEL.CAR IS UNDRIVEABLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT DROVE OVER A SMALL POTHOLE AND THE VEHICLE LURCHED. HE NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL APPEARED CROOKED. HE WENT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS ROTTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF APPROXIMATELY $2,500. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST UNLESS PROMPTED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST UNLESS THE DEALER CHOSE TO ASSIST. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 94,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE PERFORMING AN OIL CHANGE ON THE VEHICLE, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTING. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER TO SEE IF THEY COULD REPAIR IT UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT IT IS UNSAFE FOR RUST TO FORM ON A VEHICLE THAT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 2001. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 83,000.

FRONT SUBFRAME HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT CAUSING THE CAR TO BE UNDRIVABLE. THIS OCCURRED JUST AS THE CAR WAS PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY. OTHERWISE IT COULD HAVE BEEN A COMPLETE DISASTER. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 KIA OPTIMA WITH ONLY 62,000 MILES. CAR WAS PULLING TO RIGHT THOUGHT I NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT. WHEN CAR WENT UP ON LIFT MECHANICS WERE SURPRISED THAT CAR WAS STILL DRIVABLE AND THAT WE WERE SAFE. FRAME/SUBFRAME UNDER PASS. SEAT WAS RUSTED THROUGH, ABOUT THE SIZE OF SOFTBALL. MAKES ME SICK TO THINK THAT I HAD MY MEDICALLY INVALID DAUGHTER IN THIS CAR. WHEN DOING RESEARCH ON CAR I SEE A LOT OF RUST ISSUES IN FRAME, SUBFRAME OR ROCKER ARM AREA. THERE MUST BE SOME THING DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. SEEMS LIKE THERE IS A ONE PROBLEM (RUST IN FRAME AREA) BUT THERE ARE DIFFERENT OUTCOMES IN THE FRAME /TIRE/UNDER ENGINE AREA. STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM DEALER REGARDING REPAIR COST-- I WILL FIGHT NOT TO PAY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THERE SHOULD BE RECALLS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT ONLY RECLINED FORWARD. THE BACK RECLINER MECHANISM FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

SINCE PURCHASING MY 2001 KIA OPTIMA, I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT DIFFICULTY. I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AT THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT FROM IN CASE I NEEDED REPAIRS. I GOT MY MONEY'S WORTH. BUT THE PROBLEMS I HAD ARE COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE, LOCKS NOT WORKING, WINDOWS NOT ROLLING UP, PAINT PEELING OFF, TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONSTANTLY ON, DECREASED ACCELERATION, HEAT SURGES WHEN GAS PEDAL RELEASED AND PRESSED AND THE LIST GOES ON. IT IS NOT HARD TO FIND OTHER KIA OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE REPAIR THAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST IS THE COMPLETE TRANSMISSION IT NEEDS. THERE IS 41,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. COMMON PROBLEMS THAT ARE WIDELY KNOWN AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AT KIA MOTOR COMPANY'S EXPENSE. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 KIA OPTIMA WHICH HAS HAD A VERY BAD VIBRATION FOR A LONG TIME. TAKEN TO MULTIPLE SHOPS AND PROBLEM COULD NOT BE FOUND AT ANY OF THEM. JUST RECENTLY STEERING WHEEL OF CAR BECAME OFF CENTER AND THE MORE I DROVE IT THE WORSE IT GOT. FINALLY IT WAS TAKEN TO A SHOP TO FIND THAT THE FRONT SUBFRAME HAS BROKEN WHERE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNTS TO IT. CAR IS NOW MARKED AS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. CALLED KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE TO FIND OUT THAT THE CAR IS OUT ONLY BY TIME NOT MILEAGE OF ITS CORROSION WARRANTY. KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE OF NO HELP. CAR IS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. L/F WHEEL IS COMPLETELY LOOSE AT LOWER HALF AND R/F IS CRACKED BADLY. *TR

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE ON 10/20/08. UPON PURCHASE, PRIVATE DEALER NOTIFIED ME OF A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO THE LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP ON 10/24/08 AND RECALL SC037 WAS PERFORMED. UPON PICKUP OF VEHICLE, I WAS NOTIFIED BY KIA DEALERSHIP OF RECOMMENDATIONS LISTED ON SERVICE INVOICE. ON 11/06/08 VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MY REGULAR MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION AND SERVICE FOR ITEMS ON THE RECOMMENDATION LIST FROM KIA DEALERSHIP. UPON LIFTING THE VEHICLE UP IN THE AIR TO RESEARCH ONE OF THE KIA DEALERSHIPS RECOMMENDATIONS A SOFTBALL SIZE HOLE WAS FOUND RUSTED IN THE SUB FRAME WHERE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM IS TO BE ATTACHED. WHEN KIA DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE HOLE AND SAID THEY WOULDN'T HAVE LIFTED CAR UP. KIA MOTORS AMERICA WAS PHONED AND TOLD ABOUT SITUATION AND TREATMENT BY KIA DEALERSHIP. KIA MOTORS AMERICA TOLD ME TO TAKE VEHICLE BACK IN TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE A DIAGNOSIS ON VEHICLE AND TO CALL BACK AND I WAS GIVEN A NAME, EXTENSION NUMBER AND A CASE NUMBER. I HAD TO TOW THE VEHICLE BACK IN TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP AND THEY LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THEY NEVER SAW THE HOLE PREVIOUSLY BUT HERE'S AN ESTIMATE FOR US TO FIX IT. I CONTACTED MY MECHANIC AND ASKED WHAT HIS ESTIMATE WOULD BE TO FIX IT AND HOW MUCH THE PART WOULD BE, AND IF THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE GOTTEN FROM A SALVAGE YARD. THE LOCAL SALVAGE YARDS WERE ALREADY PHONED AND THE SAME THING WAS WRONG WITH THOSE PARTS AND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH KIA VEHICLES. I ORDERED THE PART FROM THE KIA DEALERSHIP, IT IS CALLED A CROSSMEMBER. I HAVE HAD MY MECHANIC REPLACE IT, I HAVE HAD TO GET TWO NEW TIRES, A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND HAVE ASKED KIA MOTORS AMERICA TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THIS. THEY ARE NOW SAYING THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF MY PURCHASE OF THE PART ALTHOUGH I HAVE GIVEN THEM MY INVOICE NUMBER. I STILL HAVE THE OLD PART AND THE ORIGINALS OF ALL MY INVOICES. *TR