2014 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID Complaints

DRIVING NORMALLY, HCU ERROR POPPED UP ON NAV DISPLAY AS WELL AS DRIVERS DISPLAY. TOLD TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY AND TURN OFF ENGINE. I WAS TRAVELING ON ONCE HE INTERSTATE, BY THE TIME I GOT INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST ALL POWER. TURNED ON EMERGENCY HAZARD LIGHTS AND AFTER 5 MINUTES THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND BROUGHT IT TO ROCK RIVER KIA IN ROCKDOED, IL. LATER WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED AND THE HYBRID BATTERY WAS NO LONGER HOLDING A CHARGE. ESTIMATED 14,000 REPAIR COST.

WHEN STARTING UP THE CAR YOU CAN SMELL A RUBBER BURNING SMELL COMIMG FROM THE AIR VENTS. WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING IT THE CAR ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN.

STALLED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF I-25, GOING ABOUT 70 MPH AND RUSH HOUR. I WAS ABOUT 40 MIN FROM HOME STILL ON MY EVERYDAY COMMUNTE. I AM SEEING VERY MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THIS HAS ME AND MY FAMILY IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION DAILY AND KIA WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. THERE CLEARLY NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THE SAME (OR VERY SIMILAR) ISSUE ON THE RECALL ON THE GAS VERSION OF THIS VEHICLE. WE SHOULDN'T WAIT TILL SOMEONE GETS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED FIRST.

I'VE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 10 MONTHS (PURCHASED OCT. 2017). A FEW WEEKS AFTER I BOUGHT IT I NOTICED MORE AND MORE THAT THE STEERING IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND KEEP IN A STRAIGHT LINE, ESPECIALLY ON THE FREEWAY ABOVE 55 OR 60 MPH. ( WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THE CAR STARTS TO DRIFT SLOWLY, I TRY TO RE-ADJUST THE STEERING AND WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, NOTHING HAPPENS. I TURN A LITTLE MORE AND IT OVER-REACTS MAKING ME DRIFT WAY INTO THE OTHER DIRECTION. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE ON THE FREEWAY IN THIS CAR, ESPECIALLY AROUND BIGGER VEHICLES) I TOOK IT TO 3 DIFFERENT KIA DEALERS TO TRY AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM, THE FIRST SUGGESTED THAT IT NEEDS A 'STEERING WHEEL UPDATE' SINCE IT HAS ELECTRONIC STEERING. THAT DID NOT SOLVE OR FIX THE PROBLEM. I TOOK IT TO TWO OTHER DEALERS TRYING TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX THIS UNSAFE BEHAVIOR OF THE CAR. THEY SAID THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE MY PROBLEM AND SO THEY CANT FIX ANYTHING ON IT. I TOLD THEM THAT THEY NEED TO DRIVE IT FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES OR SO, ON THE FREEWAY AND ABOVE 55/60 MPH. THEY SAID THAT THEY STILL CANT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. - - AFTER CALLING KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS MULTIPLE TIMES AND FLING A REPORT, THEY TELL ME TO TAKE IT TO A KIA DEALER. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO MULTIPLE DEALERS BUT STILL NO SOLUTION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE HYBRID-ELECTRIC VEHICLE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND 'TURN THE ENGINE OFF' DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER (MERCED KIA, 1575 W. 16TH ST., MERCED, CA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HIGH VOLTAGE SYSTEM SAFETY FUSE WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000. *TT

ENGINE SOUNDS LIKE IT IS GOING TO BLOW UP. VALVES ARE VERY LOUD AND IT LURCHES UNDER ACCELERATION.

MY KIA ALERTED ME TO A HYBRID CHARGING ISSUE BEFORE STALLING AT AN INTERSECTION AND REFUSING TO START AGAIN. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST KIA DEALER WHO DID EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC WORK. THEY DETERMINED THAT A 125 AMP FUSE HAD FAILED IN THE HYBRID SAFETY PLUG AND THE APPROPRIATE REPAIR RESPONSE WAS TO REPLACE THAT FUSE WITH A 150 AMP FUSE (PART # 375F2-4R150). I AUTHORIZED THE REPAIR AND MADE SEVERAL PHONE CALLS TO KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS REQUESTING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS IT SEEMED UNLIKELY THAT REPLACEMENT OF A FUSE WITH A LARGER FUSE WAS THE NEEDED REPAIR. I FINALLY REACHED SOMEONE AT CONSUMER AFFAIRS WHO HAD DEALT WITH A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE EXACT SAME FUSE. SHE INFORMED ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED ABOUT THIS. SHE STATED THAT THE FUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE TOO SMALL AND THAT KIA HAD DECIDED TO USE A LARGER FUSE TO PREVENT FUTURE PROBLEMS IN THE SYSTEM. I ASKED WHY I WAS REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AND SHE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THUS MY CHARGE. IF THE WRONG FUSE WAS PLACED IN THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS MANUFACTURED, IT SHOULD BE REPLACED BY RECALL OR WARRANTY. SHE WOULD NOT GIVE ME THE TSB # BUT DID STATE THAT IT IS LOCATED IN TSB-PS-515 AND I WAS WELCOME TO HAVE A KIA DEALER PRINT IT FOR ME.

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A ROAD WITH POSTED SPEED OF 50 MPH. I HAD TO BRAKE SUDDENLY, AND THE CAR STALLED IN THE FAST LANE. I IMMEDIATELY PUT FLASHERS ON BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC COMING BEHIND ME. IT TOOK ABOUT TWO MINUTES TO RESTART THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE PUSH BUTTON START AND THE POWER SEATS HAVING TO POSITION THEMSELVES. VERY SCARY SITUATION AND VERY UNEXPECTED. I'VE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WHEN SLOWING DOWN, AND THE CAR HESITATES IN THE TURN. I'VE ALMOST BEEN HIT TWICE BECAUSE OF THIS.

MY 2014 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID BLEW-UP GOING DOWN THE ROAD! THE ENGINE THREW A ROD THROUGH THE MOTOR WHICH IS THE EXACT MOTOR IN THE RECALL.. IT'S JUST THE HYBRID SO KIA SAYS IT'S NOT RECALLED EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE EXACT RECALL OF THE SAME MOTOR IN THE GAS CAR!! THIS CAR FALLS IN THE EXACT RECALL! PLEASE HELP ME! THE CAR ONLY HAS 72,000MILES ON THE CAR & SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD THIS TO OCCUR!! 3 DIFFERENT MECHANICS HAS TOLD ME IT'S THE EXACT RECALL KIA HAS PUT OUT FOR THE EXACT MOTOR!! KIA IS TELLING ME (IN PAPERWORK) THAT I HAVE TO PAY $10,700.00 FOR A NEW ENGINE WHEN THE PROBLEM IS THE EXACT RECALL IN THE CAR!! AGAIN PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS! MY NAME IS [XXX] & MY CONTACT EMAIL IS [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CHECK ENGINE, HEV, TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING, AND OIL CHANGE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER (FRED ANDERSON KIA OF RALEIGH LOCATED AT 9209 GLENWOOD AVE, RALEIGH, NC 27617; (919) 785-4500). THE DEALER RECALIBRATED THE HYBRID ELECTRIC STARTER GENERATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR OTHER TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SAME DEALER ALL EACH TIME WHERE THEY RECALIBRATED THE CHARGING SYSTEM. LATER, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, THE ENTIRE HYBRID SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SAME DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AT 800-333-4542 AND STATED THAT THERE WAS A SEALED CRACK IN THE HYBRID BATTERY WHERE THE COOLANT WAS HELD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,885.