2011 KIA OPTIMA Complaints
View complaints related to 2011 KIA OPTIMA. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. There are more than 600 complaints submitted for the 2011 KIA OPTIMA. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.
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2011 KIA OPTIMA- JEFFERSON, GA
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, THE ENGINE DID NOT START. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STARTER REQUIRED EXCESSIVE FORCE IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. UPDATED 09/17/15*LJ *CN
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2011 KIA OPTIMA- WILLIAMSTON, NC
WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY 55MPH OR HIGHER STEERING WHEEL HAS A LOUD KNOCK AND PULLS LEFT. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL IS UNCONTROLLABLE. WHEN IN PARK AND TURNING THE WHEEL IT MAKES THE KNOCKING NOISE ALSO. UPDATED 10/07/15*LJ UPDATED 12/11/2017*CN
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2011 KIA OPTIMA- YOUNGSTOWN, FL
MY 2011 KIA OPTIMA PANORAMIC SUNROOF EXPLODED LIKE A BOMB WENT OFF ABOVE MY HEAD WHILE I WAS TRAVELING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED ON A BEAUTIFUL CLEAR DAY. ONCE I GOT PULLED OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER I OBSERVED A BOWLING BALL SIZED HOLE BLASTED OUTWARD IN THE CENTER OF THE FRONT PANEL OF THE SUNROOF. NOTHING HIT IT. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. BOOM. LUCKILY THE SUN SHADE WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME, OTHERWISE THE SHATTERED GLASS WOULD HAVE RAINED DOWN UPON ME AT THE TIME OF THE BIG BANG, AND I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2011 KIA OPTIMA- SPRING, TX
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE MAKING A TURN, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED MOSTLY WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A MANUFACTURERS RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2011 KIA OPTIMA- CHARLESTON , VA
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE STOP LAMPS FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WOULD NOT MOVE OUT OF THE PARK POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V114000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
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2011 KIA OPTIMA- SOUTH MIAMI, FL
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND MAKING A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE A CLICKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING COUPLING RING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2011 KIA OPTIMA- ORLANDO, FL
MY HEADLIGHTS HAVE GONE COMPLETELY DIM. I CAN'T SEE MORE THAN 4 FT IN FRONT OF MY CAR SO NO LONGER DRIVE AT NIGHT. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP HERE IN ORLANDO AND THEY STATED THIS HAS HAPPENED BECAUSE THE HEAT OF THE BULB CAUSE THE PAINT IN THE UNIT TO PEEL AWAY. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS YET, BUT HAVE HAD A FEW OCCASIONS WHERE A CAR CUT ME OFF AND ANOTHER ALMOST RAN ME OFF THE ROAD BECAUSE MY LIGHT TO NOT ILLUMINATE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID SINCE I AM NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY IT WOULD COST ME $1200 TO FIX. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND SOME FORUMS WHERE OTHER DRIVERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE SAME ISSUE FOR YEARS AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. THERE IS ALSO AN ISSUE WITH THE STEERING. THERE IS A CLICKING NOISE AND RATTLING WHEN I DRIVE AND HIT A SMALL BUMP. I WAS TOLD BY THE SAME DEALERSHIP THAT IT WOULD COST $400 TO FIX THAT $3.00 PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT HOLDS THAT TOGETHER. IF IT NOT FIXED IN TIME THAT THE STEERING WOULD BE GONE COMPLETELY. I DON'T THINK CONSUMERS SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE MANUFACTURER TAKING SHORT CUTS AND USING CHEAP PRODUCTS THAT COST US TONS OF MONEY TO FIX.
Source: PORTABLE SAFETY COMPLAINT FORM -
2011 KIA OPTIMA- MELBOURNE, FL
I HAVE A 2011 KIA OPTIMA LX, 2.4 LITER ENGINE. ALWAYS KEEP UP ON THE MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES, CAR IS IN GREAT SHAPE. I WAS NOT EXPERIENCING ANY ISSUES, WARNINGS, NO CHECK ENGINE/OIL LIGHTS, NO NOISES, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. THEN LAST NIGHT MY CAR JUST SPUTTERED AND CUT OFF WHILE BEING DRIVEN. APPARENTLY WHEN THE ENGINE CUTS OFF, SO DOES THE BRAKES. THERE WAS NO WAY TO PUSH THE BRAKES, SO I HAD TO TRY TO SAFELY COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WITH NO BRAKES AND NO POWER STEERING. I FINALLY PULLED OVER, TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR AND THERE WAS SUCH A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE, AND SOME SQUEALING NOISES AS WELL. THE CAR WILL NO LONGER START EITHER. I HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT TODAY AND SAYS THE ENGINE IS "JUST GONE." NO EXPLANATIONS AT ALL. I VERIFIED THAT THE KIA OPTIMA AND THE HYUNDAI SONATA ARE THE SAME MANUFACTURER AND USE THE SAME ENGINES. I SEE THERE ARE WAY MORE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. I WILL TRY TO NOTIFY KIA AND SEE IF THEY ARE WILLING TO STEP UP AND CORRECT THIS EVEN WITH THE WARRANTY EXPIRING 7,000 MILES AGO, SINCE I AM THE SECOND OWNER. I HAVE FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME THING FOR BOTH THE 2011 OPTIMAS AND SONATAS. THIS IS SO DANGEROUS BECAUSE THERE ARE NO WARNINGS, AND THE ENGINE CUTS OFF IN TRAFFIC, WHICH ALSO CAUSES THE BRAKES AND STEERING TO GO OUT. NOT SAFE AT ALL.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2011 KIA OPTIMA- MADERA, CA
MY HUSBAND AND I WERE ON OUR WAY TO THE COAST WHEN WE PASSED ANOTHER VEHICLE AND AS SOON AS WE PASSED THE OTHER VEHICLE WE LOST ALL POWER IN THE CAR WE WERE ABLE TO GET OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON.SECOND TRY CAR DID START BUT WAS MAKING A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER IT WAS AN INTERNAL ENGINE MALFUNCTION CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY DEALER REPLACE ENGINE. *TR
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2011 KIA OPTIMA- NEW ORLEANS, LA
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED AND MAKING A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE A CLICKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE O RING FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE