2014 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

VEHICLE DRIFTS FROM SIDE TO SIDE. VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT LINE. CONSTANT CORRECTIVE STEERING REQUIRED. *TR

THE STEERING WANDERS SIDE TO SIDE. IT IS A CONSTANT BATTLE TRYING TO KEEP IT IN A STRAIGHT LINE.THERE IS NO "SWEET SPOT" YOU CONSTANTLY HAVE TO CORRECT A LITTLE LEFT THEN A LITTLE RIGHT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. ALSO AIR CONDITIONER FAILED TWICE. CAR ONLY HAD 200 MILES ON IT. AND AGAIN AT 350 MILES. *TR

WHILE TRYING TO PARK THE CAR IN THE PARKING LOT STRUCTURE, THE CAR ACCELERATED BEYOND CONTROL ON IT'S OWN AND HIT THE WALL HEAD ON. I WAS ALREADY IN MY PARKING SPOT AND ONLY FEW FEET AWAY WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WAS DEPLOYED AND BODY DAMAGE OCCURRED. EVERYTHING HAPPENED SO SUDDENLY, I AM NOT SURE ABOUT THE SPEED AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. NOTE: THIS COMPLAINT IS A DUPLICATE OF 10620789. THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS BEING PROVIDED TO INDICATE A TREND OF SIMILAR SUDDEN ACCELERATION SAFETY ISSUES WITH THE KIA HYBRID OPTIMA. THIS IS A REQUEST TO INITIATE A SAFETY INVESTIGATION AS THERE HAVE BEEN SIMILAR REPORTS WITH KIA OPTIMA HYBRID AND KIA OPTIMA. THE FOLLOWING COMPLAINTS ARE SIMILAR IN NATURE: 10608382 FOR KIA OPTIMA HYBRID 2013, 10615352 FOR KIA OPTIMA HYBRID 2012, 10552403 FOR KIA OPTIMA HYBRID 2012, 10608739 FOR KIA OPTIMA 2014 AND 10588733 FOR KIA OPTIMA 2013. *TR

AFTER PURCHASING A BRAND NEW KIA OPTIMA (51 MILES ON IT AT DELIVERY), IT BECAME VERY APPARENT THERE WERE MAJOR ISSUES WITH ITS STEERING AT SPEEDS OVER 50 MPHS. THE VEHICLE WOULD MOVE LEFT OR RIGHT WITHIN A LANE ON ITS OWN AND I WOULD HAVE TO CONSTANTLY PUT INPUT INTO THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP IT WITHIN A LANE. MY FIRST ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THE ISSUE WAS TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP DOWN THE STREET. THE DEALERSHIPS FIRST ATTEMPT WAS TO CHANGE THE STEERING COMPUTERS SETTING TO MORE OF A SPORT MODE (TOLD EX MODEL ONLY HAS 2 STEERING SETTINGS) AND I WAS OUT OF THERE IN 15 MINUTES. THE CHANGE DID NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AND RE-EXPLAINED THE STEERING ISSUES I WAS HAVING. AFTER RECEIVING A PHONE CALL FROM A SERVICE ADVISOR, I WAS TOLD THE DEALERSHIP HAD CONTACTED KIA REFERENCE THE PROBLEM AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN TO FIX THE SIDE TO SIDE DRIFTING ISSUE. THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD HAVE TO BE ORDERED AND MY BRAND NEW VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR 5 DAYS TO HAVE A MAJOR PART REPLACED. UPON A CALL FROM THE SERVICE REP. I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE WAS FIXED AND IT WAS READY FOR PICKUP. IT WAS THE NEXT DAY THAT I GOT THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY ONLY TO FIND I WOULD STILL DRIFT LEFT AND RIGHT. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND I SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE A DRIVE WITH THE MECHANIC WHO SIGNED OFF ON THE REPAIR. I DROVE WITH THE MECHANIC AND SHOWED HIM THE DRIFTING ISSUE WAS STILL THERE. HE AGREED IT SHOULD NOT BE DOING IT BUT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR A PENDING COMPUTER FIX KIA WAS WORKING ON. I ASKED WHEN THIS WOULD BE AVAILABLE AND I WAS TOLD IT COULD BE 1 MONTH OR UP TO 8 MONTHS. NOW I'M THINKING ABOUT USING THE LEMON LAW IN MY STATE TO RETURN THE VEHICLE. IT HAS LESS THAN 2,000 MILES AND I WON'T LET ANYONE IN MY FAMILY DRIVE IT BECAUSE ITS UNSAFE. *TR

WHILE TRYING TO PARK THE CAR IN THE PARKING LOT STRUCTURE, THE CAR ACCELERATED BEYOND CONTROL ON IT'S OWN AND HIT THE WALL HEAD ON. I WAS ALREADY IN MY PARKING SPOT AND ONLY FEW FEET AWAY WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WAS DEPLOYED AND BODY DAMAGE OCCURRED. EVERYTHING HAPPENED SO SUDDENLY, I AM NOT SURE ABOUT THE SPEED AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS CRASHED INTO ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BY A FIRE TRUCK. THE FRONTAL, SIDE, AND REAR AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE SPUN AROUND THREE TIMES AND CAME TO REST ON A CURB FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER REQUESTED THAT THE CONTACT SEND THEM PHOTOS AND THE POLICE REPORT. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000. UPDATED 09/05/14*LJ UPDATED 12/3/2014 *JS..UPDATED 03/01/17 *BF UPDATED 10/30/2017*CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD STEER IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS TOO HIGH AND THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS OVERLY SENSITIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105.

I RECENTLY LEASED A 2014 KIA OPTIMA LX AND WHEN DRIVING HOME ON THE HIGHWAY EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWED HAZARDS WITH THIS VEHICLE: - DRIFTING - PULLING TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT - DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING STRAIGHT COURSE AND FEELING LIKE THE CAR WAS "ALL OVER THE ROAD" - INSTABILITY WHEN DRIVING IN WINDY CONDITIONS - EXTREMELY SENSITIVE STEERING WHEEL THE CAR PULLED TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT CONSTANTLY AND WAS WORSE AT HIGHER SPEEDS. THE CAR WOULD DRIFT IN LANES AND IT WAS CONSTANT WORK TO GET IT TO GO STRAIGHT WHICH SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE. HIGH GUST WINDS MADE IT SEEM LIKE MY WAR WAS GOING TO MOVE INTO THE OTHER LANE. I CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AND AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH BY THEM, THEY SAID THEY COULD ELECTRONICALLY CHANGE THE MODE OF THE POWER STEERING. THERE SEEM TO BE 2 MODES AVAILABLE AND ONE OF THEM MAKES THE STEERING FLIMSY AND HARD TO HANDLE AND THE OTHER MAKES IT FEEL MORE STABLE LIKE A STEERING WHEEL SHOULD BE. I WOULD SUGGEST ANYONE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM TO CONTACT THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND ASK FOR THE MODE CHANGE. MOST DEALERSHIP STAFF DON'T EVEN KNOW THIS OPTION EXISTS AND SOME SERVICE DEPARTMENTS AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH IT EITHER BUT APPARENTLY IT DOES EXIST. I WOULD NOT HAVE KEPT THIS VEHICLE IF THEY COULDN'T HAVE CHANGED THE POWER STEERING MODE BECAUSE IT IS SIMPLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A MODE FEATURE ON THE DASHBOARD OR A DISPLAY FUNCTION THAT SOME OF THE OTHER KIA MODELS HAVE. THIS IS SPECIFICALLY SOMETHING THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO DO ELECTRONICALLY AND THEY CAN DO THIS ON THE LX MODEL. ONE OTHER FEATURE I JUST DISCOVERED THAT I DON'T LIKE AND THINK MAY BE AN ADDITIONAL PROBLEM IS THE RIDICULOUSLY LOW PASSENGER SEAT. THIS MAKES NO SENSE TO ME AT ALL AND I WILL BE INQUIRING WITH SERVICE ABOUT IT. *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2014 KIA OPTIMA FOR MY WIFE, I CHOOSE THIS CAR SINCE I ALREADY OWNED A 2011 OPTIMA THAT I HAVE BEEN HAPPY WITH, ALMOST 50,000 MILES. SO I FELT I KNEW WHAT I WAS GETTING WITH THE 2014 OPTIMA. I DROVE THIS CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST WEEK AND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THERE IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE WITH THE STEERING, IT IS CHALLENGING TO KEEP IT STRAIGHT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, WHEN YOU NEED TO MAKE A CORRECTION TO FOLLOW A CURVE IN THE ROAD, IT IS AS IF THE VEHICLE OVER SHOOTS AND THEN YOU NEED TO CORRECT AGAIN, CAUSING YOU TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH IN THE LANE, IT ALSO FEELS LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL IS HELD IN POSITION BY SOME ELECTROMAGNETIC FORCE, WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND IT TAKES EXTRA EFFORT TO MOVE IT FROM THIS POSITION . I AM CONCERNED SINCE I HAVE DRIVEN MY 2011 OPTIMA FOR 3 YEARS AND IT DOES NOT DISPLAY ANY OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS. KIA NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS BEFORE SOMETHING TRAGIC HAPPENS. *TR

ON OUR 2014 OPTIMA LX MODEL THE PASSENGER SEAT IS ADJUSTED TO LOW TO THE FLOOR BOARD AND MY PARTNER WHICH IS 61 YEARS OLD AND 4'10" IS STARING RIGHT AT THE DASH CANNOT SEE OVER THE TOP OF DASH AND IF AIR BAG SHOULD DEPLOY MAYBE VERY DANGEROUS NOT TO MENTION WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE OUTSIDE WORLD . *TR