2011 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID Complaints

OUR CAR BEGAN EXHIBITING A CLACKING NOISE WHEN DRIVING THAT WOULD WORSEN WITH ACCELERATION. WITHIN 1-2 DRIVES, IT QUICKLY PROGRESSED TO BE QUITE LOUD AND CONSTANT, SO WE TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP. WE WERE INFORMED THAT OUR ENGINE HAD THROWN A ROD AND WOULD NEED TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. WE ARE JUST OUTSIDE THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY AND BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW IN 2012 (YES, THE YEAR AFTER THE MODEL DATE, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE PRICE BREAK IN BUYING OLD STOCK), SO IT IS STILL A FAIRLY YOUNG ENGINE TO BE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. IT APPEARS OTHER NON-HYBRID KIA AND HYUNDAI MODELS FROM THE SAME YEAR ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE BEEN RECALLED, BUT NOTHING ON THE HYBRID VEHICLES, DESPITE THAT WE WERE ALSO TOLD THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM.

ENGINE MISFIRE IN CYLINDER # 1. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SMOKE, CHECK ENGINE (P0301) ILLUMINATED. IGNITION COIL WAS MELTED NOW CAR DOES NOT START. ENGINE FAILURE. THIS HAPPENED ON A SHORT TRIP TO THE STORE LIMPED THE CAR BACK HOME. KIA REFUSES TO RECALL THIS OPTIMA ENGINE BECAUSE ITS A HYBRID ALTHOUGH IT HAS FAILED AND HAS BEEN RECALLED ON MULTIPLE SAME YEAR KIA OPTIMAS DUE TO METAL DEPOSITS IN THE ENGINE FROM FACTORY.

THERE'S A CLUNKING IN THE STEERING . FROM WHAT I'VE FOUND ON THE FORUMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM . IT APPEARS TO BE A PLASTIC COUPLER IN THE STEERING MOTOR THAT DETERIORATES CAUSING A METAL ON METAL GRINDING. I NOTICED THIS WHILE TURNING AT AT STREET CORNERS OR CHANGING LANES ON HIGHWAY. NHTSA NUMBER: 10090941. THIS APPARENTLY HAS BEEN REPORTED BEFORE . WANTED TO MAKE SURE MY INFO WAS INCLUDED .

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V363000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. SMITHTOWN KIA (726 MIDDLE COUNTRY RD, ST JAMES, NY 11780, (631) 724-8008) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

THE ENGINE HAS EXPERIENCED WHAT OTHER KIA ENGINES HAVE. ENGINE OIL WAS EITHER BLOCKED OR RAPIDLY BURNT UP, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SPIN A ROD BEARING, THUS NEEDING A NEW ENGINE. LUCKILY I STOPPED DRIVING IMMEDIATELY, PREVENTING A FIRE; AS HAS HAPPENED IN OTHER KIA VEHICLES. SADLY, KIA IS REFUSING TO WARRANTY OR RECALL THE HYBRID ENGINES, EVEN THOUGH MANY ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V363000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. SMITHTOWN KIA (726 MIDDLE COUNTY RD, ST JAMES, NY) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AS THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED WITH DRIVING A VEHICLE WITH A SAFETY DEFECT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A LOUD CYCLICAL KNOCKING SOUND. WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE LOCAL KIA DEALER WHOSE REPORTED DIAGNOSIS WAS "CHARACTERISTIC OF ROD BEARING FAILURE" AND WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE ONLY REMEDY WAS TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. INFORMED BY LOCAL DEALER THAT KIA HAD DECLINED THE CLAIM TO HAVE IT REPLACED AND THAT THE ONLY COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO TAKE IT UP WITH KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS. AFTER MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS (INCLUDING A 2 WEEK TIME LAPSE DURING WHICH THEY WOULD TAKE OUT CALLS BUT NOT NOTIFY US OF DECISIONS MADE UNLESS WE CALLED THEM), WE WERE FINALLY INFORMED THAT EVEN THOUGH ALL OTHER 2011 KIA OPTIMAS HAD BEEN RECALLED UP TO 125,000 MILES, FOR "ROD BEARING FAILURE" AND THUS HAD THEIR ENGINES REPLACED, OUR 2011 KIA OPTIMA WAS NOT COVERED FOR ROD BEARING FAILURE BECAUSE IT WAS A HYBRID. THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST IN ANY WAY WITH REPLACING THE ENGINE EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH KIA OPTIMAS. THE LOCAL DEALER OFFERED A USED ENGINE FOR THE WHOPPING PRICE OF $5474.17 WITH NO WARRANTY OR TO REBUILD THE ENGINE WITH PARTS THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER FROM KOREA FOR A WHOPPING TOTAL OF $5710.75. THE LATTER OPTION WOULD INCLUDE A 12,000 MILE WARRANTY BUT WOULD REQUIRE A LENGTHY WAIT ON THE PARTS TO ARRIVE FROM KOREA. EVIDENTLY, KIA DOES NOT KEEP NEEDED PARTS IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES WHICH SOUNDS SKETCHY AT BEST. AFTER MUCH DELIBERATION AND AGONY, WE WILL SELL THE CAR FOR SCRAPS. WE CANNOT RISK SPENDING ALMOST $6000 ON A CAR AND COOPERATION THAT WE NOW HAVE VERY LITTLE FAITH IN. WE WILL NEVER OWN A KIA AGAIN.

DRIVING ON RAMP TO I10 IN CHANDLER AZ , SUDDENLY I'VE LOST POWER ON THE CAR, NO WARNING LIGHTS ON OR ANY SOUND HEARD .I COAST TO THE EMERGENCY LINE AND TRY TO START THE ENGINE AGAIN BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. AAA TOW THE CAR TO KIA DEALER AND THEY SAID THE ENGINE IS SEIZED. ONLY 64000 MILES . NO WARNING LIGHTS ON , NO ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON .

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CROWLEY KIA (223 BROAD ST, BRISTOL, CT) WHERE THE ENGINE WAS DEEMED DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 108,000.

CAR STALLED ALL OF SUDDEN WITH SHUDDER ON ROUTE 7 IN VIRGINIA AND THEN IMMEDIATELY WAS YAKEN INTO PARKING LOT FOR SAFETY REASONS. IN TRYING TO PARK CAR WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. THE CAR WAS ON FOR ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES THEN RANDOMLY STOPPED. AFTER ANOTHER TEN MINUTES CAR WOULD NOT START AND THEN RANDOMLY STARTED. CAR WAS ASAP DRIVEN WITH ENGINE SHUDDER BACK TO HOME DRIVIEWAY AND PARKED FOR SAFETY. CAR NOW AGAIN WOULD NIT SHUT DOWN AND KEPT RUNNING. ON BITH TIMES WHILE CAR REFUSED TO SHUT DOWN THE GAUGE SHOWED CEHCK ENGINE EPS LIGHT AND INDICATED THAT CAR NEEDS TK BE PUT IN PARK MODE EVEN THOUGH CAR WAS JN PARK MODE. GEARBOX WOULD NOT SHIFT AND CAR DID NOT RECOGNIZE LOWER GEAR MODES AS IT KEPT SAYING CAR IS NOT IN P. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY SAID THEY WERE CLOSED DUE TO WEEKEND. WILL NOW NEED TO TOW THE CAR AS IT WILL NOT START SINCE PREVIOUS INABILITY TO SHUTOFF PROBABLY HAS KILLED BATTERY.