2008 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE GEAR FROM OUT OF PARK. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

AIRBAG LIGHT REMAINS ON. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP WHICH DIAGNOSED PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR IS BAD. MUST REPLACE COMPLETE SEAT BOTTOM AND TRACK AT A COST OF ABOUT 1700.00 USD. THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS RESET, BUT I WAS INFORMED THAT IF ANYONE SITS ON THE PASSENGER SEAT THE SYSTEM WILL TRIP AGAIN AND NOT BE ACTIVE. I INVESTIGATED ONLINE AND FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, AND THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY THE KIA DEALER PARTS DEPARTMENT COUNTER PERSON . THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL AND NOT A REPAIR FOR THE CUSTOMER TO FINANCE.

RECEIVED THE VOLUNTARY RECALL NOTICE TO HAVE THE UNDERBODY COMPONENTS SPRAYED WITH WHAT MIGHT BE CALLED A RUST INHIBITOR OR PREVENTATIVE, SO I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AND TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. CAR WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP 8/24/15 FOR THE APPLICATION WHEN THE SERVICE MANAGER CAME INTO THE WAITING ROOM AND SAID THAT THE LEFT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM IS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH, SPLIT AND DEEMED THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. TOOK A LOOK AND SURE ENOUGH, RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH AND SPLIT DOWN THE BACK SIDE. GLAD KIA DECIDED TO DO THE RUST INHIBITOR RECALL OR I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM UNTIL THE ARM ACTUALLY DISINTEGRATED AND BROKE. THIS VOLUNATRY "RECALL" IS LIKE CLOSING THE BARN DOOR AFTER THE HORSES HAVE ESCAPED, AND TO CONTINUE TO BUILD A CAR WITH INFERIOR PARTS, A COATING ISN'T GOING TO HELP THE RUST PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA OPTIMA. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED EVEN WITH AN OCCUPANT SEATED IN THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V014000 (AIR BAGS), BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,233.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA OPTIMA. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE OCCUPANCY SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

MY CAR SUFFERED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SHIFT LEVER EXPLAINED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V153000, HOWEVER. MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THAT RECALL. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A DAMAGE BUSHING IN THE SHIFT CABLE. THE COST OF THE REPAIR WAS $150.00 LABOR, $8.28 BUSHING AND $50.00 FOR THE TOW.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S SPEED DECELERATED. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY OTHER DRIVERS ON THE SCENE. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE ENGINE CAUSED THE FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000.

WIFE WAS COMING BACK FROM WALKING THE DOGS IN THE PARK, AT THE PARK SHE WAS FEELING DIZZY, WHEN SHE SAT DOWN IN THE CAR SHE WAS FEELING BETTER. AS SHE WAS DRIVING HOME, SHE PASSED A SCHOOL AND SAW THE SIGN TO SLOW DOWN. AFTER THAT, SHE BLACKED OUT AND SHE WOKE UP AFTER THE ACCIDENT, IN A DITCH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET. SHE HAD HIT A FENCE THEN HEAD-ON INTO A TREE. THE WHOLE TIME ALL THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. THE AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOYING IS THE REASON FOR THIS COMPLAINT UPDATED 05-27-15 *BF.....UPDATED 06-12-15 *BF UPDATED 06/23/15*JB

FEBRUARY 2013 STARTED EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL ISSUES. EXAMPLE: REAR WINDOW BRAKE LIGHT STOPPED WORKING (HAD TO HAVE REPLACED), THEN TROUBLE WITH TURN SIGNAL LIGHT WOULD AT TIMES NOT WORK. THE AIR CONDITIONER STARTED BLOWING HOT AIR: ADDED COOLANT AND FR( JULY 2013) BUT STILL ISN'T WORKING RIGHT. THEN CD PLAYER HAD ISSUES WHERE IT WOULD NOT EJECT CD OR FAIL TO READ THE DISK AT ALL. THEN THE RADIO STOPPED WORKING TOO. JUNE 2014 CAR WOULDN'T START HAD TO REPLACE BATTERY BUT STILL WOULDN'T CHARGE. JANUARY 2015 INSTALLED NEW ALTERNATOR, STILL DIDN'T FIX THE ISSUE. HAD THE CHARGING SYSTEM INSPECTED FEBRUARY 2015. TURNED OUT TO BE A SHORT OR FAILURE DUE TO ELECTRICAL ISSUE HAS TO GET IT FIXED. FEBRUARY 2015 ELECTRICAL REPAIRS (SWITCH, PLUG, FUSE). MARCH 2015 CAR IS MAKING GRINDING NOISE WHEN PRESSING DOWN ON THE BREAK, IT IS VERY HARD TO BRING THE CAR TO A FULL STOP AND MAKES A GRINDING SOUND WHEN MAKING TURNS AS WELL. *TR

I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN SUNVISORS SAG UNTIL I OWNED THIS CAR. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED. *TR