2013 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH THE ODOR OF FUEL WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE BEFORE SUDDENLY SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE SCENE COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. DURING THE INCIDENT, THE OWNER SUSTAINED AN INJURED RIGHT FINGER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE HOOD. NO MEDICAL TREATMENT WAS REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AWAY AS IT WAS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THE LOCAL DEALER ALM KIA SOUTH (4310 JONESBORO RD. UNION CITY, GA) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AS WELLS THE MANUFACTURER WERE A CASE WAS OPENED. THE CONTACT STATED HE HAD RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V100000 (FUEL SYSTEM. GASOLINE), HOWEVER, WHEN HE CONTACT THE DEALER HE WAS UNABLE TO SCHEDULE A RECALL REPAIR APPOINTMENT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137,000.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE TURNPIKE THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. PRIOR TO SHUTTING OFF, THE BATTERY, OIL AND TRANSMISSION ICON APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO MERGE OVER INTO THE SIDE LANE SAFELY BECAUSE THE BREAKS ALONG WITH THE STEERING SUDDENLY BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. AFTER PLACING THE CAR INTO PARK AND REMOVING THE KEYS FROM THE IGNITION, I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART IT. IT STARTED, SO I CONTINUED HEADING HOME. APPROXIMATELY DRIVING ANOTHER 12 MILES, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE THIS TIME WAS UPON RESTARTING IT, A WEIRD KNOCKING NOISE CAME FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD, SO I SHUT THE CAR OFF. I WAITED ABOUT 5 MINUTES TO RESTART IT AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP, SO I CONTINUED HEADING HOME. TODAY, ONCE AGAIN WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR SHUT OFF. SAME KNOCKING, AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS. AFTER WAITING ABOUT 5 MINUTES, I RESTARTED IT, ONLY TO CONTINUOUSLY HEAR A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND A VIBRATION COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WHILE ACCELERATING, IT BARELY MOVED AND THE NOISES BECAME LOUDER ALONG WITH THE VIBRATION.THIS TIME THE CAR WAS INCAPABLE OF BEING DRIVEN. I HAD TO GET IT TOWED DIRECTLY TO A KIA DEALERSHIP. GOOD THING MY CAR WAS STILL COVERED WITH EASY CARE OR ELSE I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN TO GET IT TOWED. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW I AM GOING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD WHATEVER NEEDS REPAIRED. I DID RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE AND WILL ATTACH IT BELOW. *TR

THE GEARBOX YOKE PLUG DETACHES WHENEVER YOU DRIVE AND HIT A BUMP OR POTHOLE CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO MAKE A NOISE. THE NOISE WORSENS AS YOU DRIVE NO MATTER IF YOU'RE TURNING A CORNER BUT ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING OVER ANY TYPE OF ROUGH OR BUMPY ROAD CONDITION. YOU CAN HEAR THE NOISE IN THE STEERING EVEN WHEN YOU'RE STATIONARY AND ARE TURNING THE WHEEL. THERE APPARENTLY IS A RECALL ON THIS SAME COMPONENT FOR EARLIER KIA OPTIMA'S YEARS AND BEYOND, BUT NOT ON THE 2013. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER SPOUSE WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE COOLANT AND ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR AND FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE SMOKE EXTINGUISHED ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND WAS MAKING AN ABNORMAL KNOCKING NOISE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE ALSO NOTICED OIL LEAKING IN THE REAR OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT CONTACTED GUNTHER KIA (1900 S STATE RD 7, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33317 (954) 800-2125) AND INFORMED THEM OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER PARKING VEHICLE AFTER RUNNING AN ERRAND, SHE SAW FLAMES COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE FRONT HOOD FROM THE ENGINE. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THERE WAS NO POLICE REPORT FILED. THE CONTACT CALLED HER INSURANCE COMPANY WHO TOWED THE VEHICLE TO A BODY SHOP. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED THE VEHICLE AFTER CONDUCTING AN EXAMINATION. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER THREE WEEKS AFTER THE FIRE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER : 20V-100000 ( FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

I STARTED NOTICING A SOUND COMING FROM STEERING WHEEL SOUNDS LIKE A CLANK OR CLUNCK WHEN I MOVE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH MOVING OR NOT STILL MAKES SOUND WHEN I HIT BUMPS IN ROAD IT MAKES SOUND IT DOESN'T MATTER IF CAR IS ON OR OFF MOVING OR STILL IT STILL DOES IT , IT'S GOT WORSE THE NOISE IS LOUDER AND HAPPENS MORE TIMES NOW . *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE THE OIL LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD BEGAN TO SPUTTER BEFORE STALLING. A BURNING ODOR WAS ALSO PRESENT COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND HOT AIR WOULD BLOW FROM THE VENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER CLASSIC KIA (3875 EASTEX WAY, BELMONT TX) WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY AND STARTER WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE STARTER WAS NOT REPLACED. ALSO, OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE RADIATOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000.

THE OIL LIGHT HAS BEEN ON BUT THE OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED AND THEN THE CAR STARTS STALLING AND KIND OF HESITATING WHEN DRIVING.THEN STARTS HAVING TROUBLE STARTING SO GOT IT DIAGNOSED AND IT READ THAT THE CRANK SENSOR SHAFT WAS THE ISSUE. BROUGHT IT TO CLASSIC KIA AND THEY SAID THE BATTERY WAS BAD AND I NEEDED A NEW STARTER. GOT IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND PUT A NEW BATTERY IN,SO IT RUNS BUT THE LIGHT IS STILL ON AND THE CAR WILL START TO SMELL LIKE ITS OVER HEATING BUT ON THE DASH STILL READS BETWEEN HOT AND COLD(RIGHT WHERE IT SHOULD) BUT I PULL OVER AND ITS SMOKING. WHEN I POP THE HOOD ITS SMOKING BUT THE FAN IS STILL GOING SO THE ENGINE ISN'T OVER HEATED. CANT CONTINUE TO DRIVE LIKE THIS WITH TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND THE CAR STALLING AND/OR DYING IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING!!!! *TR

THE STEERING WHEEL MAKES A WEAR NOISE, LIKE PARTS ARE GETTING LOOSE WHEN I MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL THE LIGHTEST. IT SOUNDS DANGEROUS AND NOT SAFE AT ALL. IT ALSO SOUNDS WHEN DRIVING NO MATTER THE SURFACE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V100000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. KIA OF EAST SYRACUSE (6717 MANLIUS CENTER RD, EAST SYRACUSE, NY 13057, (315) 701-5898) WAS CONTACTED AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.