2014 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID Complaints

I WAS DRIVING ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY WITH MY 4 YR OLD AND 7 YR OLD. LITERALLY AS I PULLED OFF ONTO THE OFF RAMP, MY DASH LIT UP STATING "HYBRID SYSTEM NOT CHARGED. PULL OFF AND TURN OFF ENGINE" I DID NOT EVEN HAVE TIME TO DO THIS WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PLACE. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. AFTER HOURS SPENT HAVING TO CONVINCE THE DEALERSHIP TO TOW THE VEHICLE AND PROVIDE A RIDE FOR ME AND MY CHILDREN, WE FINALLY WERE ABLE TO GET A RENTAL. KIA SAID THE HYBRID BATTERY DIED BUT IT IS ON BACK ORDER AND NOT AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES UNTIL OCTOBER (3 MONTHS FROM NOW). HMMMM SOMETHING SOUNDS FISHY TO ME. I WILL NEVER DRIVE A KIA AGAIN. THE WHOLE ORDEAL WAS TRAUMATIZING TO MY CHILDREN AND WE WERE MADE TO FEEL LIKE WE WERE THE ONES AT FAULT.

I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT WAITING MY TURN, THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, AND I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO PUT IT ON THE GAS. AS I PRESSED THE GAS MY CAR STARTED TO SHAKE, NO ACCELERATION, AND MY DASH LIT UP STATING "HYBRID SYSTEM NOT CHARGED PULL OVER AND TURN OFF ENGINE" I TURNED OFF MY CAR, TRIED TO RESTART IT AND IT STATED THAT MY HEV SYSTEM (HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEM) HAS FAILED. I LUCKILY WAS BESIDE A GAS STATION AND I THREW IT INTO NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO PUSH IT JUST INTO THE PARKING SECTION. I HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. DURING THE DRIVE MY BATTERY COMPLETELY DIED SO BY THE TIME I GOT THERE IT HAD NO POWER. CHANGED OUT THE BATTERY AND SAFETY SWITCH WHICH HAD SEEMED TO FAIL. (OF COURSE NOT UNDER WARRANTY). AFTER SPENDING $1,000 ON REPAIRS/LABOR THE CAR STILL WILL NOT TURN ON AND THE ENGINE SEEMS TO SEIZE. AFTER A LITTLE DIGGING MY VIN ISNT ELIGIBLE FOR A RECALL, THOUGH THE 2014 KIA OPTIMA IS FOR THE SAME EXACT ISSUE. HOPEFULLY KIA WILL BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHATS WRONG BECAUSE I REALLY DO LIKE THIS CAR BUT A FAILING ENGINE WONT GET ME ANYWHERE!

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET (35MPH) WHEN I WAS CUT OFF BY ANOTHER CAR MAKING A TURN IN FRONT OF ME AND WE COLLIDED. I T-BONED HIS CAR AND MY AIR BAGS DIDNT GOT OFF. MY CAR STALLED COMPLETELY AND NOTHING ABOUT THE VEHICLE SAFETY EQUIPMENT REACTED TO THE CRASH. THE SYSTEM (CLUSTER AND SCREEN) DIDNT SHOW THAT THERE HAD BEEN ANY IMPACT AND THE CAR WAS READY TO DRIVE. I REPORTED THIS TO KIA OF DOWNTOWN LA (THE DEALER) AND KIAUSA CORPORATE WHERE THEY OFFERED TO CHECK THE CAR OUT AND SEE IF THE CAR REACTED THE WAY IT WAS SUPPOSE TO. AT THE END OF THEIR INSPECTION THEY CLAIMED THAT MY CAR DID WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSE TO AND DIDNT DEPLOY THE AIRBAGS AS THE CAR DETERMINED THAT IS DIDNT NEED TO. I ASKED WHY DIDNT THE CAR SHOW ANYWHERE THAT THERE WAS IMPACT AND IF THE SENSORS EVEN DETECTED ANYTHING AS THERE WAS NO MESSAGED ANYWHERE. THEY CLAIM IT DOESNT SUPPOSE TO. A FEW WEEKS AFTER IT WAS REPAIRED I STARTED GETTING MESSAGES IN THE CLUSTER "CHECK AIR FLAP SYSTEM". TOOK IT BACK AND FOURTH TO THE DEALER WHERE I FINALLY OPENED A BBB CLAIM. IN MY CLAIM I ALSO REPORTED A DELAY REACTION WHEN ACCELERATING AND WAS TOLD THAT HYBRIDS WORK THAT WAY AND THE RESPONSE TIME IS SLOWER THAN REGULAR GAS CARS. THE PROBLEM IS WHEN TURNING AFTER A COMPLETE STOP THE CAR DOESNT MOVE FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN TAKES OFF. OCCASIONALLY, THE CAR WONT TURN OFF, AND ASKS ME TO SHIFT TO P (PARK) WHEN IT IS IN PARK. WHEN THAT HAPPENS I AM FORCED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY HAVE TO "RESET" THE CAR TO FORCE IT TO TURN OFF (NO ACTUAL SOLUTION BUT TO UNPLUG THE BATTERY AND PLUG IT BACK IN IS WHAT THEY DO) ACCORDING TO KIA I CANT PROVE THAT THE AIRBAGS DONT WORK AS I AM NOT AN EXPERT AND SAME WITH THE DRIVE TRAIN. UNFORTUNATELY THE ONLY WAY OF FINDING OUT IS IF THIS CAR IS INVOLVED IN ANOTHER ACCIDENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60MPG, ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING AS ACCELERATION INCREASED. THEN ACCELERATION WOULD NOT INCREASE AND THE CAR HOVERED AT 60MPH. AFTER A FEW MINUTES AND THE KNOCKING CONTINUING, THE CAR DECREASED TO 40 MPH. THEN THE WARNING CAME ON AND SAID "HYBRID SYSTEM NOT CHARGED PULL OVER AND TURN OFF ENGINE". THEN I PULLED OFF TURNED OFF THE CAR AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART IT. IT CONTINUED TO PRESENT WITH THE SAME WARNING. NO ENERGY FLOW THROUGH THE ENGINE. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO MY HOME. I NOTICED RECALLS FOR MY EXACT VEHICLE WITH DIFFERENT VIN #'S AND DESCRIBING THE EXACT SAME ISSUES. A FRIEND OF MINE SENT ME A COPY OF A RECALL NOTICE AFTER I DESCRIBED WHAT OCCURRED AND IT IS ALL THE SAME THINGS THEY DESCRIBE. KIA SAYS MY VIN# IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. KIA REFUSES TO FIX THE ISSUE EVEN THOUGH IT IS UNDER 60,000 MILE WARRANTY, CLAIMING THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO MAINTENANCE. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN JANUARY 2017 AND IT IS NOW ONLY APRIL 2017. A WHOLE THREE MONTHS. A CAR I JUST PURCHASED SHOULD NOT HAVE THESE ISSUES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD JOLT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000.

WHILE PARKING INTO A PARKING SPACE THAT FACES A SUPERMARKET BUILDING, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR SUDDENDLY ACCELERATES AT AN UNKOWN SPEED , WHILE I AM STEPPING HARDER ON THE BRAKE , AND THE CAR IS NOT RESPONDING CRASHING INTO A PARKING BARRIER POLE FINALLY MAKING THE CAR STOP INCHES FROM THE WALL WHERE PEOPLE GO IN AND OUT OF THE SUPERMARKET, I WAS SCREAMING THE WHOLE TIME WHILE BEING PUSHED RAPIDLY AT AN UNKOWN SPEED FEELING HELPLESS AND SCARED, THE CAR SIDE ARIBAGS DEPLOYED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE MAKING THE VEHICLE ALL FULL OF SMOKE INSIDE. THIS IS A COMPLAINT OF A CONCERNED VICTIM FOR A FAULT THAT THE KIA OPTIMA HYBRID HAS, SO IT CAN BE ADDRESSED BEFORE PEOPLE ARE HURT, OR KILLED OUT THERE NEEDLESLY.

THIS IS THE WORST DRIVING NEW CAR I'VE EVER HAD. ABOVE 60 IT REQUIRES CONSTANT ADJUSTING TO KEEP IT IN THE LANE. STEERING IS SUPER SENSITIVE, IT WILL BEGIN TO WANDER, WHEN YOU TRY TO CORRECT IT, IT WILL OVER COMPENSATE AND YOU GO TOO FAR THE OTHER WAY. TRYING TO GET IT STABILIZED IN A STRAIGHT LINE IS VERY DIFFICULT. WIND AFFECTS IT TREMENDOUSLY, A DANGER TO DRIVE IN HIGH WINDS. AND A DANGER AT SPEEDS OVER 60. *TR

ORIGINALLY THE NOISE STARTED ABOUT A WEEK AGO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY DID VERIFY MY COMPLAINT AND THEY FIXED IT THEN ON 2/14/2015 STARTED TO DO THE SAME THING THE REPAIR INVOICE STATES THEY PERFORMED BRAKE FLUID BLEEDING AND CALIBRATION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. *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

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