2011 KIA Optima

While I was driving as usual, I heard a bang, and saw smoke from the bonnet. I stopped my car and got out of the car in hurry. And my car caught fire.

On 4/2/18 I purchased this car used with 167137 on the odometer. I was told that the motor had been replaced due to Kia\'s knowledge of issues with their motors. I was given warranty papers. On 11/26/2018 the car was involved in an non-collision/spontaneous fire and totalled.

Engine exploded will my granddaughter was attempting to merge on to 4 lane highway, engine exploded ruining ac intake, and starter. I submitted all receipts to Kia but they refused to pay.

On Sunday July 1, 2018 my Kia Optima heading eastbound on 112 to connect to miami beach my car lost complete control i was driving at my usual speed of 50mph. The wheel locked, the brakes did as well and the speed rose too 160 mph. I had zero control of the car which i have never experienced before then it dropped to 120mph and it swerved onto the left lane with the smell of fire. The keys were still in the ignition and it came to a halting stop where the car turned pitch black and the hazardous lights where not working. I immediately called 911 and they sent federal highway patrol they said it seemed electrical as they tried everything and it did not work. I had it towed paid $250 dollars. Then spoke with consumers affairs for Kia with a gentleman and argued about my liability and safety traveling with a minor. He finally agreed to have it towed to Kia Doral and said anything else is additional.

2011 Kia Optima recently went dead. While driving roughly 35 mph, the engine seized up with no warnings; no loud noises, no pops. 99K miles on the car. Had the vehicle towed to the dealership. Service Department then notified me that the engines had been recalled, but that an inspection was required before securing eligibility for the recall. So I am patiently waiting to hear back from the dealership about course of action.
I have no vehicle to commute to work. My insurance coverage does not afford rental vehicles in the events of mechanical failures. This sucks.

Engine seized without warning in the center lane of the highway at 65mph. Luckily, I was able to coast to the shoulder without incident and wait for a tow truck. Had it towed to my local independent shop. They replaced the starter (which apparently blew along with the motor) to confirm that the engine was seized and needs replaced. I towed it to the nearest Kia dealer, who placed an order for a new engine but informed me that over 200 back orders were ahead of me and there\'s no ETA for getting one. I was 7K miles over the extended 120K warranty on the small block that would cover this issue so they offered zero assistance on engine replacement or a rental car. After sitting at the dealer for one week, they informed me that Kia no longer manufactures this engine (a lie) and my only option for fixing was purchasing a 3rd party remanufactured engine at a cost of $1,000 more than the price of a new Kia engine. My car has been sitting at the dealer for a month now waiting on Kia corporate to complete their investigation and offer me something, and I get harassed by the dealer every-other-day because my dead car is still on their lot. Needless to say, I will never buy a Kia again. It\'s a matter of time before someone has an engine failure and is unable to safely pull over to the shoulder, resulting in injuries and/or fatalities.

After leaving work, I stopped to get gas in the kia optima lx, after turning the vehicle off to pump the gas. I then got in the vehicle to head home, but the vehicle would not come from out of park it was stuck in park and wouldnt unlock at all. I called kia roadside service ad the tow truck came and tried to release the unlock in front of the automatic gear shift and it then went into drive. once he put the vehicle back into park it continued to lock back again. I was not comfortable driving the vehicle and towed it to kia. I want to know if I am entitled to another new car since this is barely a week and a half old and a brand new car.
I dont want a car that is already causing me problems.

On january 4th 2021 my car stopped while i was driving. i had it towed to the auto repair in my city and they informed me my engine had a recall on it. the auto shop then informs me they don’t work on engines send it to a kia dealership ship i did that. now the kia dealership tells me there was no recall didn’t explain much say you just needed an battery and the front o2 sen-or replaced i paid the $450 the car was up and running i didn’t think nothing else would go wrong. march 19 2021 my car stops again while driving get it towed to the repair in my city they say i have a bad engine that was all the help they could give me. now may 3 2021 my car is currently down it’s not in the auto shop at the moment because the only thing the auto repair shops was saying is this would cost me $4500.in january i was informed i had a recall on my engine.

I was driving my car on a highway at traffic time when i noticed a small gas odor my brakes got really hard after that i pulled to the emergency lane and when i pull the handle to open my hood smoke and flames immediately came out, the car its trash now police took it to impound because of the fluids the car was leaking and safety issues.

2011 kia optima. consumer writes regarding engine safety recall. *ld the consumer stated there were discrepancies concerning the recall. the manufacturer advised that the consumer would be responsible for the inspection fee. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact previously received notification nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). the vehicle was taken to bert ogden mission kia (2307 e expressway 83, mission, tx 78572) where they inspected the vehicle and found no fault with the engine. the recall classification was then removed from the vehicle and the vehicle was returned to the contact. months later, the contact stated that an abnormal knocking sound was coming from the engine. there was no warning light illuminated. the contact also stated that the knocking grew louder, and the vehicle would stall upon acceleration, without warning. the contact called the same dealer and was informed that they were unable to assist him since the recall was already serviced on the vehicle. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not yet repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Tl the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact previously received notification nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). the vehicle was taken to bert ogden mission kia (2307 e expressway 83, mission, tx 78572) where they inspected the vehicle and found no fault with the engine. the recall classification was then removed from the vehicle and the vehicle was returned to the contact. months later, the contact stated that an abnormal knocking sound was coming from the engine. there was no warning light illuminated. the contact also stated that the knocking grew louder, and the vehicle would stall upon acceleration, without warning. the contact called the same dealer and was informed that they were unable to assist him since the recall was already serviced on the vehicle. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not yet repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

My kia has a long acceleration lag. it is so dangerous to operate this vehicle. when i press gas pedal vehicle doesn't accelerate randomly, sometimes accelerate but sometimes not. i don't have any warning lights show up. no codes. this problem occurs when the vehicle is warm never when cold. when warmer outside temperature the more often i feel this issue. last my visit to the kia dealer doesn't resolve this problem. they said no codes no diagnosis. in my point, this is a software or control module issue. reading a lot of forums i found that other owners have the same acceleration lag problem. also, i'm feeling that this issue is a serious concern that can cause a fatal accident.

I constantly have to replace headlight bulbs,brake light bulbs and fog light bulbs like 2 to 3 times a year and my lights on dim is too dark and not aligned correctly,for the headlights one side shine up and the other shine down on several occasions i had to replace the whole headlight fixture because the bulb got so hot it melted into the fixture around it

Driving down the road my car kind of sputtered and shut off...no previous problems until this...replaced the battery and starter to no avail

The engine seized. ive been waiting for this recall. kia has had tis vehicle for a month and i can't seem to get the approval for the current recall. it was in motion driving at 30 miles per hour smoke came from the engine and never turned on again.it was 300 downtown salt lake city. a city street. we had the vehicle towed home. the dealership seized the engine and quoted us 6500.00 to fix the entire car. replace the engine.

Headlights are very dim. reflector on the low beams are peeling and not reflecting the light to the street. very serious safety concern. cant see 6' in front of the car thus rendering the vehicle useless during night hours. kia wont acknowledge or go to a recall. dealer says nothing is wrong.

Code showing is p1326 - ksds - rod bearing wear. engine light is flashing and vehicle has went into limp mode/loss of power.

I did a oil change on the car after that the oil just kept leaking. i had to put 2 to 3 quarts of oil in every week. then on my way home from taking my daughter to her appointment the car shut down on me on the highway with a semi behind me which almost hit me. i don't dive it anymore i got another car because of it.

When i go to fill up with fuel it won't allow me to pump but very little fuel before it spills out. i have to put very little in at a time before the pump clicks off. i haven't been able to completely fill up my tank since may without it taking 45 mins or so and it spilling out. i was parked at the gas station when this happened, with the car off.

The optima is not even 5 years old - the steering wheel began making an odd noise when stationary when turned slightly left or right. then, traveling on normal city streets, a loud noise could be heard coming from the steering column, even over slight cracks or bumps, and at low speeds. but now, the car's steering column is very loud and shakes violently at highway speeds - starting at 50mph. it is so loud i cannot hear the radio at all. i can no longer go on any trips with the car.

Driving down road 55 mph engine shut off had towed to dealer. engine seized from faulty connecting rod replacement engine 2 month back order. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving 65 mph, all the instrument panel warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle lost power and the steering failed. the motor seized up. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed that the motor seized up. the manufacturer was notified and stated that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the manufacturer stated that the parts would be free of charge, but the contact would have to pay for the labor. the failure mileage was 133,000.

There's a ticking in my motor when first starting up n last about 5-10 mins afterwards and also a clanking and popping sounds in steering even worse when hitting a hole or going across intersections or railroad crossings steering slips some going down the road at various speeds

At approximately 118,000 miles, the connecting rod and engine failure happened while travelling approximately 35 mph on rhode island state route 114 in east providence, ri. the engine seized completely and i was able to coast the car to the side of the road where i then required a tow truck. thankfully it was 1am and no cars on the road. nobody was hurt. bald hill kia in warwick, ri now has my car, but no eta on when it will be ready. they tell me that there are two other optimas waiting for engines ahead of mine. this is 100% unacceptable. i spent $26,000 on this car in good faith and kia will not honor the warranty they extended on the engine in a timely fashion. while they have offered a loaner car for now, they will not provide in writing that the loaner will be of no cost to me. i am now stuck with the option of hope and wait that kia does the right thing, or take matters in to my own hands by contacting nhtsa and considering the purchase of a new vehicle.

Car was being driven on city street when smoke appeared out of the hood of the car. car was driven to a safe spot in a residential neighborhood to assess the problem.flashlight showed a large hole at the bottom of the engine. car was towed to kia dealership and inspected. all oil change receipts were submitted as per dealership request. dealership submitted claim to kia headquarters to see if engine would be covered, i. e.,replaced. next day engine replacement was approved at no cost to me. it has now been over a month, there are other kia cars at this dealership with the same problem and still no replacement engine. i spoke to kia customer service in so. california and was given a case number and the message that the engine is on back-order. no eta can be provided and apparently there is a backlog of cars with this catastrophic engine failure with no end in sight. any assistance from your office would be greatly appreciated.

There is a defective part in the motor which causes the motor to fail and seize at any speed causing the driver to lose power steering and brakes. my wife was traveling home from work on the highway when without warning all lights came on the dash and my wife had trouble just getting to the side of the road and getting the vehicle to stop. there is a recall on the exact same motor which is in the hyundai sonata.

Our 2011 kia optima steering wheel started malfunctioning at about 78000 miles. moves freely when it shouldn't, slightest bump and steering wheel jumps up an down and makes a loud clicking noise and effects safe steering. can't find a recall, though i find this problem in numerous web searches. they gonna wait til people are killed or injured ( if not already) until they take repair action? ! i understand it's a $4 part with average around $600.00 labor to repair.who has that kind of money to fix their manufacturing problem? help please this noticed under normal conditions driving to work on normal main street. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving approximately 25 mph, the engine warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to a ford dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 61,000.

Started car after work and it suddenly started knocking. tried to "baby" the car home, made it 3 blocks away from work and the motor blew up. the result of a piston slapping a spark plug and punching a hole in the block. should fall under the warranty of these cars having "weak connecting rods" but should be a recall instead.

Vehicle was accelerating at 60 mph on the highway when the engine shut off, no power. the vehicle had enough momentum to drift across the slow lane to the shoulder. car did restart. a child was in the vehicle and thankfully they were not rear-ended. this incident happened a second time while accelerating and prompted with clicking noises under the dash. the vehicle was brought to our local mechanic who stated that the engine failure at 120,400 miles.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was coasted off the road and was unable to restart. the vehicle and the motor locked up with the presence of smoke from the starter when the contact made several attempts to restart the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then towed to the dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 131,000.

My wife told me she couldn't see going to work in the early morning. i took her car out in the evening to find you could only see a few feet in front of the car. i am an electrician and ran a couple of tests only to find everything checked out. i read in a kia car forum about the reflective paint melting inside the low beam cup. i ordered an aftermarket replacement and things worked great. i took apart the original and sending a photo of the melted paint. here is a website with others having the same issues. http://www.carcomplaints.com/kia/optima/2011/lights/exterior_lighting.shtml

On september 25, 2016, i was driving my 2011 kia optima to church with my 2 children. after coming up on a red light i stopped and then proceeded to go when the light turned green. i was able to get through the light and accelerate up a slight hill at about 35-40mph. after going over hill, i was not able to press the gas to keep going and my brakes ended up locking up so i had to get in far lane in order for the car to coast into a store parking lot. all the lights on the car came on and car literally just cut off. thankfully it was not a lot of cars on the road to cause an accident. i contacted a tow company the next day to have it towed to a mechanic and said the car still wanted to turn over but something was blocking it from starting so i had it towed to a 2nd mechanic for diagnostics and it appears that the connecting rod is the issue. i've maintained the car with the same mechanic for the past 3 years and i have a little of 140k miles. i've talked with the dealership and said i could have the car towed there and they would perform a diagnostic test for about $99 an hour and if the engine was the issue it would not be covered because of the warranty is only for 120k miles and that i must have all my paperwork for maintenance from the mechanic i used.

The engine totally locked up....while driving, in motion, on a very busy interstate type highway! very dangerous! many kia owners appear to be having this problem also. the engine is frozen solid and will not turn over per reputable repair shop. these engines also are not readily available to buy for replacement and kia has discontinued making them available. this indicates loudly there is a problem.

2 issues with 2011 kia optima @ 101,987 miles. quick burning of oil (causing oil to burn up and having car owner deal with topping off oil levels) and gradual "ticking" sound from engine that results in engine shutdown as car is in motion prob #1: my kia burning thru oil at high temp-i performed each and every oil change paying over $70 for top quality oil. issue with oil gradually became worse. i had to buy my oil in between changes to keep adding oil to engine, made mistake in blaming oil change companies, wasted time and money in having oil changed sooner then 3,000 miles. oil can henry stated that they believed kia engine ran on high temp which was burning oil 2x faster then any car. problem #2: "ticking" sound from engine, that gradually for louder, finally caused engine to shut down (characteristics are deceiving car owner assumes battery issues/ kia mechanics blame bad battery) this is not the case! i have aaa witness my car issues, and car still had issues after new battery was installed, which kia mechanics still blamed battery. car shutdown is not battery since all inside lights, radio etc still function and when car died during driving it still allowed me to "coast" home at 3 mph. the day my car died, there was already a new battery in car. i came out to leave for doc appointment, car lights came on/radio on but engine barely start, if it did start car engine died, it was as if engine barely started and couldn't maintain itself. i missed a urgent appointment(iam disabled). called aaa, they confirmed battery at 100%. we tried everything possible, aaa guys said horrible noise from engine, after 20 tries i was barely able to revive it enough to test drive. drove around my block down the street and after 10 min car died, but not completely. although i couldn't accelerate, car "drifted" at 2-3 mph. i turned on er lights, coasted home in 1 hour. *tr

On sept 24 2016 around 10 pm, driving home engine locks up, car turns off and i was unable to steer the car. luckily i was heading around a wide turn and was able to slow the car down as it drifted off the road onto the edge of the road. kia dealer diagnosed the engine failure with a hole in the block. kia consumer support today sept 29, 2016 said they will not replace the engine. this problem seems to be pretty wide spread with many kia models as well as hyundai models. there also seems to be a class action starting against kia for not follow suite with hyundai when hyundai make owners aware. same engine from same plant. going to keep calling kia support until i get some help. i have not received any notice from kia about a recall or service notice as other have made note of receiving.

I purchased this car for my fiance in april 2016.in july 2016 we noticed a clicking noise in the steering wheel. this noise is unbearable. theread is a lot of loose play in the stearing wheel and the car swerves from side to side as if you need an alignment. i took it to different mechanics but they really didn't know what it was.kia said it wasn't a problem.yea it gots to be a problem if it's making a loud noise like that.this is a problem and i hope it doesn't cause anyone to get killed.they vehicle makes the noise when turning and it's so bad now it does it when you hit bumps in the road.

I purchased my vehicle in february 2016, out of the blue on may 22, 2016 i heard a slight knocking noise coming from the engine area. i immediately scheduled an appointment for the very next morning. while driving on the i-15 south at around 7:00am i was traveling at around 55 mph due to traffic when the engine made a loud noise then completely shut off on me. luckily i was able to crank the wheel and pull the vehicle to the off ramp nearby without hurting anyone. i had my vehicle towed to a nearby shop and after a 24hr evaluation it was found that there were metal shavings inside the oil compartment and because of these shavings it caused complete engine failure. now my vehicle has been undriveable since may because it will cost me $4,200 to repair.

Same complaints as the others, 85,000 miles and the engine locked up while driving home. no check engine/low oil light. had to have it towed to the shop, only to find out that my only option is to replace the motor. the shop's report was that the oil was low and dark, could not crank engine manually by hand, engine has internal damage and has to be replaced.. $4100 if i choose to proceed. we bought it used, and are sol.

Clock spring problem. the airbag warning light is on. took the car to the kia dealership and was told if it was a sorento it would be covered, but since it is an optima it is not covered and would cost $390.00 to replace the clock spring, as this is the diagnosed problem. research online reveals a recall in 2012 of previous model year optimas for the clock spring. the dealership says if the repair is not done possible injury or death could occur.

First i would like to say that up until now i loved my kia!!!! unfortunately beginning just before the car had 100,000 miles on it, the car began to burn oil. it is burning approximately 1 quart every 1000 miles. i took the car in to the dealer for the latest engine recall and while there i communicated with the dealership that the car has been burning oil at the rate of a quart every 1000 miles. the dealership changed my oil when checking it for the engine recall, afterwards they directed me to bring it back in at 1000 miles. the car is currently at the dealership now for this check. the car is at 900 miles and a quart low. i hope kia will do the right thing and fix this. i have read other peoples experiences with the engine failure and one of the common symptoms seems to be the car suddenly beginning to burn oil. i do not want to be on the interstate and suddenly have engine failure in and not be able to get my car out of the line of traffic.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). while driving, the contact heard a knocking noise under the hood. the vehicle was taken to galeana chrysler jeep kia (180 greystone blvd, columbia, sc 29210, (803) 779-7300) where it was diagnosed that the rod bearing needed to be replaced, but the parts were not unavailable for the recall repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact called the manufacturer and was informed by the service manager to call back during business hours. the failure mileage was 66,606.

Was waiting for red light and car just stopped running it started but sounded terrible. parked for awhile and has been fine since.

This is not a complaint. i simply want to inform you the recall notice you sent me regarding the metal debris in my engine was fixed october 2015.

01/19/2017 kia optima sx 2011, engine knocking, loss of power. towed to orlando kia west (okw). 03/03/2017, okw completed rebuild of 2.0t theta ii engine with $4000.00 short block assembly provided by kia motors america. diagnosis was, defective connecting rod #3 bearing. 05/26/2017, engine lost power/function. okw diagnosed as cylinder #3 misfire. 06/01/2017, replaced #3 fuel injector, $600.00. okw stated engine still not operating as designed. diagnosed turbocharger seal failure. replaced turbocharger $2810.00. engine still not operating as designed. okw diagnosed cylinder #3 not holding compression. reason unknown. 06/12/2017, okw offered rental, but only if i paid in advance $2810.00 open ticket for turbocharger. i refused. kia motors america persuaded okw otherwise. 06/26/2017, currently in rental car waiting for information. nhtsa recall 17v224

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). the parts to do the repair were unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the barnes crossing kia dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy due to parts being on backorder. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving approximately 72 mph, the vehicle stalled and began to skid off the road. all the instrument panel warning indicators were illuminated. there were no injuries. the contact also noticed smoke under the hood. when the contact lifted the hood, he found that the smoke was coming from the starter. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. the contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. the vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part needed for the repair was not available. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the part was on backorder. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000. parts distribution disconnect.

We were driving on a slightly curvy and hilly road where the speed limit was around 45 and the car lost all rpm and the oil pressure light and check engine light started flickering, there was a notable engine knocking heard during this time. we pulled over at that time.

2011 kia optima recently went dead. while driving roughly 35 mph, the engine seized up with no warnings; no loud noises, no pops. 99k miles on the car at the time of engine failure. had the vehicle towed to the dealership. service department then notified me that the engines had been recalled, april 2017. first, the dealership would conduct an inspection, required before securing eligibility for the recall. so i am patiently waiting to hear back from the dealership. i have no vehicle to commute to work. my insurance coverage does not afford rental vehicles in the events of mechanical failures.

The low beam head lights or almost useless at night. from what i have read the reflective paint used burns off after a couple years of use. i highly doubt that it meets the illumination standards of the national traffic and safety association. i like having 2 weak flash lights taped to the hood.

Engine failed suddenly while operating at highway speed

While i was driving on the city streets i was preparing to make a left turn and the light was about to turn red, so as i was in the middle of the intersection my car's engine just completely stalled on me and i could not accelerate while my car was slowly rolling through the intersection with oncoming traffic which created a dangerous situation for me. this happened to me a second time again while i was taking a left turn with on coming traffic there was no lights or stop signs posted on this particular road and my car just lost power while i was still in the middle of the road in motion, which caused another dangerous situation for me and the other drivers where they either had to slam on their brakes or quickly change lanes to avoid hitting my stalled car

"a south korean whistleblower reported concerns last year to the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa), which will probe the timeliness of three recalls carried out in the united states and whether they covered enough vehicles." my 2008 kia optima (174000 miles) was recently diagnosed with similar issues by a kia dealer (the engine bearings failed according to the tech., with metal in the oil filter) the sound it makes is also heard, though less obvious when dry starting my 2011 kia forte. please look into including both of these cars in the recall. it seems that there is a design flaw., ps: i regularly change the oil 3-4000 miles on both cars,. refer to article: https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/abb24d07-a29f-3a32-a689-dfb220b11f54/ss_feds-open-investigation-into.html

I was driving and my car stalled and would nogo when i pressed the gas it started making loud noises and smoked car cut off would not crank shop says engine failure bearings and rods

My kia was making a whistling noise on and off for awhile then my oil light would flicker so i figured i need an oil change. got my oil changed and then the car started make a knocking noise and would get worse with acceleration and would have a hard time accelerating. it would jolt and vibrate and make knocking and flapping noises. turn on my road to go home and lost power. my car slowly came to a stop i could not accelerate at all. my engine, battery, oil, and eps light came on. i tried starting it up and would come on for about 5 seconds make a lot of noise and the engine would turn off but my radio and windows still worked. my ac was on but not cooling. all the cabin lights work still but my brake are stiff.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving approximately 60 mph, the engine seized. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 197,000.

Bought 2011 kia optima used with 75k miles on it. did not realize immediately that there was an issue with the passenger side headlight being really dim. i bought the extended warranty and called the kia dealer and mentioned my issue and the service advisor said it was probably a wiring issue or a ground issue and that it probably would not be covered by the warranty. the car is not safe to drive at night without the high beams on. when driving at night visibility is good with high beams on, when switching to low beams for oncoming car, you are driving blind, holding the wheel steady and hoping you stay on the road until the oncoming car passes and you are able to turn your high beams back on again. took the car to a mechanic and he tested the electrical, ground and bulb and there were no issues. upon putting a scope inside the headlight assembly where the bulb goes, he found a pile of chrome shavings so the headlight reflective housing deteriorated. only way to repair is to replace whole headlight unit assembly. after searching online, realized there are many complaints for this same issue on this model of car for multiple years now. owners beware of this safety issue and don't let people rip you off by charging you to go down the wrong/electrical path to fix. potential buyers beware: if you have to pay to have this fixed at a dealer it can cost between $500 and $800 and it may only be a matter of time before it is an issue again. seems like this should be a safety recall by kia.

I was driving on the freeway taking my exit when the car turned off i managed to put it in neutral and pulled to the side of the road i tried to start the car back on but fail to do so. i got a mechanic to take a look at it and told me the engine seized

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the contact heard a knocking noise under the hood of the vehicle. the failure recurred. the check engine warning indicator illuminated. the contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the connecting rods for the engine failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure was verified by the koons kia of woodbridge virginia dealer. the contact informed the manufacturer who had the vehicle inspected and found metal shavings in the engine and stated that the vehicle needed to be repaired. the manufacturer was unable to make the dealer repair the vehicle free of charge. the manufacturer opened case number: k3368562. the approximate failure mileage was 88,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving 15 mph, the contact heard an abnormal sound under the hood. the contact continued driving and the engine stalled. the contact was able to restart the vehicle. the contact also noticed a knocking sound under the hood. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rod bearings at the bottom of the motor failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue and stated that there was an upcoming recall, and that the recall notices would be sent in may. the approximate failure mileage was 118,000.

Apparently my headlights have become completely useless. i bought this car used a year ago and was assure that it was just cloudy headlight covers and they would "buff" the lights before i took it home. several trips later i was told that there was nothing they could do. the lights are so dim i've been pulled over twice and told that my lights needed to be repaired. luckily both times i was able to provide proof that the lights have been worked on and was not ticketed. i have changed to two different brighter bulbs and still its useless. i can only drive my car at night with the high beams on. what a waste.

My car recently started making an odd clicking noise in the steering. it gets increasingly louder and vibrates to the point that you can hear anything over the noise. i was told it might be an alignment issue but the mechanics insist it definitely is not alignment related.

Back up camera intermittently not showing picture when in reverse. this happens about half of the time and has been reported on the kia forms for many years. it appears that the camera is the issue and needs to be replaced. this should be covered under warranty since it is a safety issue.

2011 kia optima. engine seized while driving on the highway. almost crashed. swerved off the road, it made a funny noise under the car and then i had no control and the engine died. i just had the oil changed and the mechanic said the oil was black. it sucked up all the oil causing this to happen. very dangerous. never received a recall or letter anout this. two weeks in the ahop and still no engine.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while parking the vehicle, it stalled and smoke was seen under the hood. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was pushed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine seized and needed replacement. the vehicle was not repaired due to a possible future recall. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 100,255.

While driving about 30 mph on country road, vehicle just stalled and would not restart. no warning lights or anything. had it towed to mechanic garage and he found the engine was seized. all recommended maintenance had been kept up on the vehicle and it had been running without any issues.

Takata recall as soon as i turn the key the airbag light shows up, steady. it is on all the time, whether i am stationary or in motion. i have no idea if the airbags even work. there are also issues with the electrical system as the door often unlocks on its own, alarm goes off on it's own, lights flash inside every time i make a turn, left or right and the radio spazzes out

Both low beam lights have melted the reflectors. took into dealer and they have no clue what happened. it seems a lot of other people have this same issue. the lights are so dim, are melted into other positions and don't even shine on the road. it's very dangerous, and the eater wants me to pay for 2 new lights systems for the car

Vehicle stalls while driving or shuts down while sitting at red light.

I have was driving on the highway a d my engine just turned off and all the engine light turned on on the dashboard. i was told by dealer my engine gave out and it is covered based on the recent recall

Loud clunk noise when turning steering wheel left or right

Vehicle sized on the hyw while approximately 65mph. it was towed to kia, who stated they would replace the engine with a new one. however they replaced it with a manufacturer or modified engine. my car now vibrates and has inconsistent fule injection. i have reported to this to the service manager and to kia corporation. i have yet to hear back from either about correcting the issue.

"engine seizing recall" kia recall number is sc147. i was driving down the interstate about 70 mph heading to jacksonville florida from valdosta georgia and the car begin to decrease in speed then as it decreased speed i pulled over and good thing i did because the wheel locked. i tried to start the car but nothing would happen. i was in the car left lane when the car begin to decrease in speed and as i tried to pull over there were cars passing and i was almost hit not only from behind but on the side because the car could not be driven fast enough to pull off the road.

Engine seized up on me without warning while driving, engine light etc, on i-10 november 2016, contacted kia case # k3330321 had me tow the vehicle to them for warranty extension work for the engine connecting rod. they then told me it was out of warranty and would not repair vehicle. i canceled plates and it is still sitting in my yard unrepaired. even had the case escalated higher up with kia with no results. only incurred more cost, they estimated me $7000 to replace the engine.

I was on interstate 65 i was going about 55mph and began to accelerate when the vehicles engine stalled. there were cars coming from behind i quickly got over into the emergency lane and came to a stop. there were no warning lights that came on prior to this occurring. i never heard any type of knocking from the engine either. it was a terrifying moment having the car stop for some unknown reason. 4 days later there as was an announcement of a recall from kia regarding the connector rod. i have been told the motor is locked up but no one has told me why. kia corporation has been slow to respond. they have said that its not an official recall until the end of may. they have provided me with a case number but the case specialist has yet to call me back.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the vehicle was excluded from nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). the contact stated that an abnormal noise was heard from the engine area. the vehicle was taken to a dealer and an independent mechanic for inspection and diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the vehicle was traded in due to the failure and the contact no longer owned the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no solution. the failure mileage was not available.

Driving on freeway near north bend wa. state with wife and 2 grandkids in car when panaramic sunroof exploded. large blast from nowhere and nobody in front of me. it shocked us and almost made us wreck. kia of america was horible to work with and took no responsability for their defect.

The engine knocking and check engine light on and stability light for speed control. took car several times to dealer and they finally told me about the engine need work done to it because they have done all they can do to solve the problem. i paid for them to replace oil control selenoid and the code poo11 still comes up. the car cuts off in traffic.

Low beams are very dim due to internal head light cup chrome worn out , can't see more than 3 feet ahead at night , unless i use hi beams .

While traveling in a 65mph zone the vehicle stalled with out indication or dash lights. vehicle lost steering and control, putting myself and others at risk of danger. stopped the vehicle. while trying to start the vehicle, turned the key and all dash lights were present but the vehicle would not start, click or turn over. issue resulted as an engine failure.

The low beam headlights are very dim even with new bulb replacements. found that the reflective material inside the headlights melted. not safe to drive at night need to use the high beams all the time.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving at an unknown speed in the rain, the flood lights did not turn on without warning. the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall. the failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

My low beam headlights are extremely dim to the point we have questioned if they were even on at times. have replace the bulbs with the same issue. there is some light to the left and to the right but nothing straight ahead indicating the reflectors are no longer intact.

It's loud knocking noises inside the engine.

Car caught fire from the engine bay while driving on highway and has been entirely burned out in 5 minutes.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving at unknown speeds, the brake warning indicator was continuously illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the local dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified and did not assist. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 84,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving various high speeds, the brakes malfunctioned. the contact stated that the vehicle would not stop completely when the brake pedal was depressed and the front end of the vehicle shook upon attempting to stop. the contact was able to eventually stop the vehicle. the dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was approximately 46,000. updated 09/06/17 *bf *cn

Bought 2011 kia optima new. wife driven to work during daylight hours. recently drove it at night and noticed dim low beams as well. took car to dealer for crankshaft recall and had them look at headlight low beams. surprise, we need 2 new headlight assemblies plus installation.. about $1000+. reflective material melted/deteriorated. dealer claims ignorance and tries to say we hit a bump causing issue . deny, deny, deny. i won't wait for any recall or restitution, i'm gonna trade the problem down the road. buyer beware !!! btw , we have replaced interior lighting switch at $300+ and also a/c compressor at $1700. the car has 68,000 mi on it and has cost us $2000 out of pocket in what i consider premature failures. not to mention the headlight cost. not happy with kia ,,!!!!

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact coasted into a neighborhood parking lot and had the vehicle towed home. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). the dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. the approximate failure mileage was 175,000.

I had drove this car for a year with no minor or major problems what so ever just regularly performed maintence and up keep. never once seeing a engine or oil light. however in march of 2016 with no warning or anything my car started making this horrible “knocking noise” which was minimal at first and grew louder as i accelerated. and the engine light came on after that and has never gone off. this immediately raised concerns for me but did not no the cause, i pulled over to a mechanic shop and after just 30 seconds of hearing my car start then die with the horrible knocking noise. i was told i would more than likely need a whole new engine. his exact words to me are “sounds like you got a rod knock”. and he checked my oil to see if any was in the engine which it was and asked me about vehicle history. from my understanding and the 3 separate mechanics i have spoke with says there would be no reason for a 2011 that has 90k miles to have an internal engine problem. at the time i immediately called kia and they say it won't be covered which puts me at a lost for words and having me try to prepare to buy a engine which cost will equal into the $5,000 price range. this was not a realistic option for me and forced me to seek other options. and come to find out hyundai shares the same engine in my 2011 kia optima and they recalled theirs. but kia is calling this a mechanism defect now, and still fighting claims. it just baffles me if hyundai is the parent comapny of kia and they re called the engine, why is kia fighting everyone so hard on these claims... i just don't believe all us optima owners in america don't t know how to get oil changes, and thats what kia wants us to believe.

Friday sept 9th i had my oil changed at walmart in jackson ohio, which is approximately 12 miles from my home, after the oil change i drove home and parked the car for the evening, i'm retired so i don't drive very much everyday, so saturday i went to leave to go to the store which is about a half mile away and when i got in my car leaving the store the car started and sounded like metal banging around, i instantly thought that walmart left my oil cap off or something so i turned the car off and checked, cap was on and the oil was good and to the full line, i started the car and drive it home and the noise got tremendously worse, the speed limit is 25 between home and the store and the car wouldn't go past 15 mph, it's sitting now and if i try to start it, it will start but the noise is unbelievable, not drivable, i've looked up this car and more then 200 of the same complainants are on the vehicle for the same exact thing and everyone says they have to replace the motor to a tune of between 5,000-7,000 dollars, what can be done about this? why isn't kia fixing these engines? i bought the car used and still owe at least two years on the car! i heard the hyndai has the same exact motor and they have a recall for the motor doing this??? car has 103,900 miles and i've always kept maintenance up and regular oil changes! too many of these kia optima shave had bad motors and the public is suff ring and getting put into unsafe situations because of it, will someone have to die because of this to get kia to finally fix it????

The engne locked up at 87k! i had no oil in it

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving various speeds, the steering wheel moved independently. the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the steering wheel. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 112,000. updated 10/18/16*lj

I was told by the kia dealership that my 2011 kia optima needs a new engine. i was driving down the highway in middle lane. i tried to accelerate my car and my engine was making a rattling noise and the oil light started flickering all the lights on the dash came on and the car stalled. i had to call a tow company to tow my car to kia. the next day kia said i needed a new engine and i must prove that i kept maintenance on my car by providing them with all my oil change receipts. i have no car now and i need to get to work and get my kids to school.

On september 7, 2016, i was driving down the highway at 70 mph in my 2011 kia optima when all of a sudden the engine shut off and all of the lights on the dashboard came on. i could hear the engine rev slightly when i stepped on the gas, but the car would not accelerate. the engine just shut off. it was 7:30am when this occurred so luckily there were not many cars on the road yet. i was able to get the car over, however, because the engine was off, the breaks would not work well. i was finally able to get the car to stop by continuing to hit the breaks and applying the emergency break as well. kia recommends oil changes every 7,500 miles, however, i usually have mine done every 5,000. i had zero warning signs that something was wrong with my car. the last oil change was performed on august 31, 2016, and the mechanic that performed the change said everything looked fine. there was zero smoke coming from the engine or exhaust and no "knocking" sound in the engine. i had the car towed directly to the dealer. once there, we tested the battery and it seemed a little low. mind you this is a new battery purchased from costco about 2 months ago. we tried jumping the car and after trying to start the car a 3rd time, the engine started shooting out black smoke and had a foul smell to it. several hours later, i received a call from the dealer authorizing $280 to open the top of the engine so they could take pictures and send it to kia. . i searched on the internet and found several other 2011 kia owners experiencing a similar issue and was just told by a friend the same thing happened to her 2011 optima as well. looks like hyundai had the same issue and it is the same engine as the kia and had a recall. my car had 101,500 miles (mostly highway miles) and the only issue i ever had was to replace a clockspring in the steering column about 6-months ago.

2011 kia optima. serviced as required. approx 120,000 miles. engine started making knocking noises and seized. took to mechanic and was told metal shavings were in the motor and need new motor. after investigating on line, it appears this is a common issue with the motors. also, kia motors were built in the same plant as hundai and those motors as well had the same issue and were recalled! why has kia not recalled these motors knowing there is an issue? our mechanic was able to get a motor for a dodge at his shop with no issue, but when he called to get a motor for the kia optima - none to be found! called kia directly and they said they had none either, all on back order....why??? this is very out of the ordinary, and i wish that something would be done to get kia to recall these motors and make it right with the buyers. why has this not been investigated my nhtsa? my daughter was driving this car when it seized in traffic on a busy street in the city, and after reading others they seem to have the same issue! giant safety issue!!!!!!! several class action suits against kia, guess it is time to join in on that!

This 2011 kia headlight bulb was replaced, however the light quit working. was informed that lightbulb melted and entire headlight needed to be replaced. also have to drive with high beams at night for better lighting

My son was driving our 2011 kia optima home one evening and the engine just stopped without warning. no warning lights whatsoever. we took the vehicle to the kia dealer and they told us that the engine was seized up. they said it was caused by sludge in the oil. the price to replace it would be 6,612.00$ i contacted kia corp. and was told they would not pay for it because of the oil. the engines have a defect that they are aware of but refuse to acknowledge it. something needs to be done about this. they have quite a poor history with these engines. i have taken my vehicle to my personal certified mechanic. he told me the engine was seized but there was not an unusual amount of sludge in the engine. they are going to put another engine in the vehicle with less miles for about 1,200.00$ less. not only kia wouldn't help me out but they were going to charge an above average cost. the average cost to replace the engine is 4900.00$ something needs to be done to help all who are dealing with this problem. please advise

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while exiting the highway at an unknown speed, an abnormal sound emitted from the engine without warning. the contact mentioned that the sound became louder while accelerating. the vehicle was shut off, but failed to restart. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the engine assembly may need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 59,000. ...updated 10/11/16 *bf

Steering column has gone out and i haven't had the vehicle a good five months yet!

Engine is blown, the engine block has snapped off and pieces are banging around in my engine

I was driving along on the main highway and it started making a loud noise then the car just died and when it did it made a loud pop and wouldn't start.

My tires have had issues with extremely quick ware on the outside tread since about a year after purchase of the vehicle brand new in 2011. i have been told multiple times that it was just time to change the tires or have them rotates/balanced. the dealership wanted me to pay for an alignment and i took it somewhere else for a 2nd opinion - got an alignment done (which helped for about a month) took it back to the dealership, had it reset to factory settings - and the problem continues.. i have gone through so many tires... in addition, i now recently have an issue with a very loud clanking noise in the steering column, very intense steering wheel vibration in addition to a click noise when i turn hard right or left, it almost feels like the steering wheel is loose somewhere.

I bought a 2011 kia optima from a dealer an it has a clean car fax .it has under 70 ,000 miles .how is this possible i drove it once on a 4 lane hwy an the steering acts as if it getting stuck there is a jerk in it .now i am horrified of this vehicle 12,789 $later less than 1 wk old.what do i do now ? plan my funeral over a ? clean car fax plz tell call me

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the engine emitted a loud noise while driving 50 mph. within moments, all the instrumental panel indicators illuminated and the engine stalled. the contact was able to coast onto the road shoulder. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine rod failed. the manufacturer advised that the warranty for the engine rod replacement had expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 121,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact heard a knocking noise and the engine lost power. the vehicle was unable to restart. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the connecting rod needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 138,000.

I have a check engine light on the car. the found out that is related to engine timing issue. which is strange that a car with only 60k miles would have engine related issues. i have also had several issues with check engine lights this past year. i have also heard that the engine in my car was used in other hyundai models and may have been recalled. please investigate issue and respond back

While sitting still or moving, the power steering develops hard catches that temporarily lock the steering wheel. this problem intensifies on rough surfaces, as well as the entire steering assembly will shake. these problems worsen as these issues progress with time. the only fix for this issue is to replace the entire power steering assembly $$$. *tr

Engine seized without warning in the center lane of the highway at 65mph. luckily, i was able to coast to the shoulder without incident and wait for a tow truck. had it towed to the repair shop, who confirmed that the engine was seized and needs replaced. kia knows about these engines having a problem yet continues to leave them out there. it's a matter of time before someone is injured or killed when their engine seizes at highway speeds and they are unable to safely get to the shoulder.

Car started to knock shut off called tow truck.checked code said knock sensor replaced still knocks changed oil again after two months and found pieces of medal in oil that looks like bass and metal i was driving the car on road rt.322 in no

I had purchased this car on thursday january 14, 2021the car started jerking and turn it off and one turned back on i took it back to the dealership and they told told me it’s not their problem in a very rude way. so i asked them can i have the owners number and they told me that they can’t give it to me and if i keep asking they’re going to call the police on me. so i took the car to kia to see what they can do for the car about the recall and they told me they if the part is covered but i looked online and it is on recall.

I was driving forward, in motion, my kia optima 2011 on a highway when i began to notice a loud ticking noise coming from the engine. i immediately became concerned, slowed down, and stuck to the right lane. then, 15 minutes after first hearing this loud noise, i could not accelerate anymore as the noise became louder. then i heard a small crash/explosion, smoke came out from the hood, it began to smell terrible and i was truly scared for my life in trying to stop the car on the curb, unable to see where i was driving because of the smoke and unable to control the car. thank god i was able to stop on the side of the road, and had to have the car towed by geico. my car has only 88k miles and i have had it since 2014–this is utterly acceptable to have an engine blow out so suddenly, at so little mileage, and put my life in danger. thank you very much for your consideration in investigating this.

Low beam headlights illuminate so little, only lighting approximately 10 feet in front of the car. this has become extremely dangerous and a major safety issue.

Tl the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated while her son was driving 60 mph, several unknown warning lights illuminated and the vehicle began to accelerate independently. the driver pulled over and parked on the side of the roadway. the vehicle was not drivable. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be repaired. a dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was not informed of failure. upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the vin was not included. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

I was driving down the road and all of a sudden it stalled on me. it won't turn over or anything. it still has almost 1500 miles on until the next oil change and the oil plug is on and tight. when i checked the oil it was not reading anything on the dip stick. the has not been any oil leaking on the ground. i was driving on a major street in my town going straight

Lo quÉ pasa esq el carro tira gasolina y lo emos arreglado 4 veses y tira toda la gasolina ya isimos un reclamo y nos nos quieren dar ninguna compensaciÓn lo que ase es que se le tira la gasolina y tengo miedo que se yegue a quemar porque cada vez que le a pasado solo empieza a tirar gasolina no importa si estÁ parado a conduciendo la Última vez quÉ pasÓ lo estÁbamos conduciendo y me percatÉ y me regrese y lo tengo en mi casa y ya no lo eh vuelto a mover porque tengo miedo que se queme estoy enviando una foto de la manguera un video de que es lo q le pasa tengo un video de pero no lo pude enviar .

While operating at 65+ miles per hour on the interstate my kia optima hybrid had a catastrophic engine failure causing my car to have total loss of power. i had to safely pull over to the side of the road due to this. this engine failure occurred at approximately 97300 miles, which would still be under the original warranty, had i been the original owner. a local mechanic told me the engine was seized. after doing research about these specific types of cars i learned that the regular, non-hybrid, kia optima had recalls for engine failures so i called kia corporate to see if i had coverage. kia corporate initially told me that my car would possibly be covered if a specific part failed (rod bearings). if this was true then i would have gone through a claims process to get warranty coverage for my car. because of this i decided to have my car towed to a kia dealership. after a few days at a dealership i was again informed that my engine had seized (without determining why/ what part failed), but the story changed. kia then told me that there was zero chance that my car would be covered even if the specific part had failed ( which we didn't know). i called corporate again upon hearing this news and spoke to someone who looked at the transcript/summary for my initial call and told me that what i was initially told didn't happen. they told me that i was lying to them and that what i was told in my first conversation with corporate didn't happen. kia quoted me a new engine for 10000+ dollars (thousands more than the car is worth) and billed nearly 200 dollars for a diagnostic that likely took mere minutes. ultimately i decided to have another mechanic put in a refurbished engine for about half the price. i believe that the deception that kia put me through was wrong and that it is completely unacceptable for a well-cared for car to suddenly die without warning.

The electric power steering pump has a short going to the motor, which is a fire hazard. also, you must move the wheel nonstop or it will lock up which could cause you to wreck and die. very dangerous. at this point there is absolutely no power steering making it very hard to drive and steer.

While driving on a highway on ramp the front half of the panoramic sunroof exploded. the sunroof and interior screen were both closed at the time. the remaining glass was pushed upward. *tr

2011 kia optima driving home on expressway engine started knocking and seized up, pretty much froze the steering and had to fight to get to shoulder. kia has a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty. a letter was sent in mail claiming issues with bearings crankshaft pistons on the 2.0 turbo and 2.4 gdi motors , so kia bumped up warranty to 10 years 120,000. i have 120,722 kia says they wont warranty even though i am this close. also kia and hyundai are sister companies and hyundai put the same in engines in there sonata a recalled 400,000 plus engines and kia has not recalled one. if there is an issue and there claiming there is one by extending warranty shouldn't it be fixed under a certain amount of time. i've read that engines tend to stall at around 100,000 to 120,00 miles. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving approximately 35 mph, the contact heard a squeaky noise. the vehicle began to decelrate and all the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 167,000.

(dimmed headlight) i have owned my 2011 optima since 2013 and summer of 2016 notice my headlights were really dimmed to the point where you cant see past 10-20 feet in front of you. replaced 2 headlight bulbs w/ sylvania silverstar bulbs and headlights are still very dimmed. looks like they reflectors inside the beams are burnt/melted causing the lights to look dim. i would definitely consider this a safety hazard since i cant really see anything on the road. it would be nice if kia launched a warranty enhancement for headlight problem since i would consider this a design/engineering flaw since it was factory bulbs were originally in the headlight assemblies. unsafe headlight visibility.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving approximately 45 mph, the engine stalled without warning. the vehicle did not restart. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine failed due to the oil consumption and that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000. the vin was not available.

18v363 17220 it has made a loud clanking/knocking noise. it stalled then completly died once i got off the main highway and wouldnt crank again. it uses an awful lot of oil. upon first oil change it had shards of metal in it. the place i got the vehicle from says they put new motor in it among other things but i havent seen in change in things other than it doesnt smoke under the hood while idling.

The passenger airbag lights will flash, my lights won’t turn off when on auto, my radio is turning on and off by itself and is doing some weird things

Tl* the contact owned a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving in the neighborhood, the vehicle would not accelerate. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer (glassman kia 28000 telegraph rd, southfield, mi 48034 (888) 451-0949) and they said the vehicle was stuck in limp mode. the dealer said that they reprogrammed engine with a code for a recall repair. the failure recurred again while the contact was driving at 40 mph the vehicle sputtered. the contact tried to pull off the road and the vehicle spun around and crashed into the curve and into a telephone pole. there were no injuries and no police report was filed. the contact left the crash scene and the vehicle was towed to a salvage yard. the manufacturer was called and gave the contact a claim number but said there was nothing they could do. the dealer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 118,000.*dt *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the rear brake light failed to illuminate properly with the brake pedal depressed. the traction control warning light was illuminated. the contact stated that when the vehicle was turned on, the transmission shifter became difficult to move without depressing the brake pedal. an appointment was scheduled at the dealer bob bell kia of baltimore (7900 eastern ave, baltimore, md 21224) to be diagnosed. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 13v114000 (service brakes, hydraulic, exterior lighting) as a possible solution to the failure however, the vin was not included. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

I was driving on the highway travelling straight in traffic at about 50 mph when my car stalled. i was able to restart it, then it stalled again. then i restarted it one more time. then it made a grinding clunking sound like something snapped and was getting whipped around by the moving parts. then it had no throttle response and i was forced to pull over into the breakdown lane as the car no longer was running.

My car just died while i was driving. i had a aaa technician come out for a tow. he inspected my engine and found out there was a low amount of oil and metal shavings. after being towed to a auto shop they determined my engine frozed and informed me i need to purchase a new engine. they also found metal shavings

While driving on a highway in oregon, my car stalled and made weird sounds out of nowhere. on a broad curve, my car slowed down quickly and luckily there weren't any cars behind me. there was no warning that the engine was going to fail. i tried to pull over safely to the narrow shoulder and let the car cool down for a little bit. i tried starting it again and the engine sounded like rocks in a blender. i have taken great care of my hybrid and has no history of other issues and it only has 89,000 miles on it. the mechanic said the engine needs to be replaced and that it is a common problem with the 2.4 l theta ii engine from my car's year.

My car loses power when i use the horn. it happens while parked with the engine on and in traffic. initially, i thought it was faulty electrical problem because there were 3 active recalls needing to be fixed. i recently took my vehicle to a certified kia service center to get the recalls taken care of and additonally, had the a/c compressor, struts, and a belt replaced. i also described the issue of engine power loss when i use the horn with service tech and attempted to demonstrate. however, my car didn't duplicate the issue. i'm not sure if the techs tested it thoroughly during the days it was being serviced. the final detailed bill states that the car wouldn't duplicate the issue. i'm currently satisfied with the fixed recalls, a/c, belt, and other minor repairs. i'm highly concerned and frustrated that i'm still experiencing engine, acceleration, rpm, and a/c failure whenever i need to use my horn. a couple of days ago while in traffic, i had to blow the horn because a distracted driver nearly side swiped me. as a result, my car loss power. i couldn't accelerate and the transmission wouldn't shift. i ended up doing around 30mph until i made it to a safe destination. i called for help, but after i turned the car off and back on, it was as if it never happened. i'm furious about it because the distracted driver proceeded to tailgate and intimidate me out of anger. lastly, it was not professional or caring to be laughed at when i voiced this problem at the service center. i need help and answers before something more terrible happens. the number of engine and electrical complaints are startling. i'm hoping that my issue will be taken seriously and looked into. i'm not comfortable driving my car.

The low beam headlights on this vehicle are extremely dim. it is dangerous to drive at night. the only safe way to drive is with the high beams which endangers other drivers on the road. there are thousands of other kia optima drivers with the same problem but kia won't acknowledge or fix the issue.

The airbag indicator on my dashboard remains constantly illuminated. it has been this way since april 2018 when the front end (just right of center) was impacted. have been to kia performance center in moosic pa and was told there is nothing that they can do regarding this matter. also, my vehicle was repaired at ertley motorworld and they too stated that nothing can be done about this.

Front of sunroof glass panel shattered vehicle was stationary in a parking lot.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving at 20 mph, the contact attempted to make a right turn and the vehicle shut-off without warning. due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where he was informed that engine had seized. the contact then had the vehicle towed to jts kia of rock hill (840 n anderson rd, rock hill, sc 29730) where the vehicle remained in their possession. the vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. the vehicle had yet to be repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 160,000. the vin was not available.

The theta 2.4gdi engine was replaced in my 2011 kia optima may 2019, after a total engine seizure that left me stranded at an intersection in albuquerque nm. it has started to experience the same pattern of malfunctioning in the last 10 months, sporadically, first while driving and another time while attempting to start my vehicle. however, pronounced malfunctioning. i am dumbfounded that kia states they cannot duplicate the problem as i have provided videos of the noises for their review!! they themselves write in articles that they prefer to repair before total engine seizure. however, i took my vehicle back to pitre kia, where the engine was originally replaced and now they say the engine warranty was 12 months, even though their literature states differently. when you attempt to follow that advise, they completely switch to total rudeness and go as far as laughing at you for your concern over the vehicle that you paid for and which ultimately pays their salary!! i just want to have faith in my vehicle that it will not leave me stranded. i am restricted, at this time, from going out of town. i do not trust my vehicle to take me anywhere, much less make the necessary trips to santa fe (56 miles away) due to the fear of getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, i am a 64 years old disabled female and thought i had purchased a reliable vehicle only to find out that is the farthest from the truth. now their customer service representatives and supervisors are in total denial of their faulty equipment and then proceed to be rude! they can lie all they want, but they do know of the lawsuits over their faulty engines!! they are just being told by the greedy corporate heads not to comply with repairs.

Engine knocking won’t go over 20 mph, there is a recall on engines on the 2011 kia optima and this car only has 75k miles and is regularly serviced.

I reported my kia with an engine failure problem a few weeks ago. got a call from kia today and they refuse to cover because even though the recall by nhtsa is for 2 and 2.4 l optima , kia is claiming it is for a specific type of engine. i should pay 6200 and submit for possible reimbursement. mine is an mpi and it is excluded. how can you exclude my engine? why would my engine fail for no viable reason and the dealership claims to have never seen that happen? my car has always been serviced at the dealership. i am asking for a thorough investigation and not a phone investigation. . my car is a 2.4l i4 mpi hybrid electric dohc. an engine fails for a reason. kia has had debris issues with engines and if mine is the first then so be it. please have someone look at the car to ascertain this was not a lemon engine from the get go. this brush off by kia is unacceptable. *js

The low beams on this vehicle are dangerous. we purchased it for our daughter and now are scared to let her drive it at night. the high beams seem to be fine but when the low beams are on you can not see anything. very dangerous

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine), however, the part needed for the repair was not available. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. a dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact pulled to the shoulder and attempted to restart the vehicle. the vehicle failed to restart. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. vin tool confirms parts not available. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Car check engine light came on while driving, car started making loud noise and smoke starts coming out of the engine. parked car and had car towed to dealer. dealer states engine internal failure and engine needs to be replaced. this is a car thats only serviced at dealership. last 360 point inspection was november 2019. last delearship visit may 2020. recall states 2-liter and 2.4 liter four cylinder engines. kia states itsfor gdi not mpi. your report did not specify. please assist. thank you.

The kia optima 2011 motor no longer works and smoke keeps coming out when it's on and turned off after driving from the exhaust on the drivers side. the accelerator pedal gets stuck and doesn't seem to want to make the change in transmission. i took the car to two different mechanics and both of them come out with the same diagnose. was told that the car is a recalled car because it is to soon for the motor to be shutting down since it only has 81,000 miles and it's not an old car. the suspension is also not in properly.

The steering wheel is stiffing . i looked it up to see if other people have been having this problem and they have.

So one of the kia dealers in the state of maine replaced the motor in our 2011 optima, ever since then our air conditioning system has not been working. i've had it tested and recharged. still no acc. i have diagnosed no power to the ac pump. also the headlights have new bulbs in low beam and are dim..??

2011 kia optima was purchased in 2014 with low headlight beams output, has since detoriated to almost non existent. have replaced headlight bulbs several times trying to improve light quality and has not resolved this issue in any way. had planned on keeping this car forever as i have replaced the engine once already but i'm at a loss, u simply can not safely drive this vehicle at night! so upon research i found this is a very big and common problem for kia owners. clearly it is a safety issue, but there has been no servicing or recalls offered to correct this for us drivers. with the suggested resolution for this problem being a new housing/assembly at $1,000 or more that is completely not a feasible resolution to be achieved financially by way of the average driver as those repairs are way to costly, kia should have already jumped in and offered some safety recalls! also worth noting, i have changed the headlights many times just do to them burning out, not sure if that is because of whatever underlying problem there is for these lights initially or maybe because of aftermarket lights, etc. please please address this issue soon!! my regards, *complaint form asks is there was a crash with only yes or no options to answer as. there needs to be an added field with "there is going to be"!

Steering wheel has a clicking noise and a play. also engine light comes on and off. *tr

The motor seized up while driving. no lights came on. checked oil that had metal shavings in the oil. we have been doing regular oil changes on the vehicle. it will no longer run. *tr

Car starts smoking and making noise while driving a day before scheduled appointment. car towed to dealer 6/23/2020- rods in engine went bad, engine needs to be replaced. 360 point inspection november 2019. this car was bought used and has been serviced at the dealership since purchase. it is frustrating the dealership in may 2020 did not detect a problem and i am now at this point. the check engine light comes on continuously and we have been to the dealership at least 4 times in the past year for this check engine light issue. what’s the point of using a dealership to service your car?

Kia optima 2011 took a turn for the worst on july 2 2018, my kia optima caused me to plummet into traffic after my brake didn't perform l. that's car had been taken to kia for all service need and car still perform poorly. have to restart my car multiple time just for it to act right. car stops one me in the middle of the street one day. i have a 3 old and that day she could have been with me. i lost my license and my money i invested for a safe car for me and my child. *tr

The low beams on this car are almost non existent. i have to drive with my high beams on to see anything in front of the car. it's so bad that when a car is behind me there is the shadow of my car from the headlights behind me. i brought to the gary rome kia in january who told me it wasn't covered under the lifetime headlight warranty because the foil in headlight housing is intact. it is a major hazard and i don't know what to do. i have had this problem since i bought the car but is getting progressively worse. car has 109k on it.*dt*ln *tr the consumer submitted a photo of the vehicle with the dim lights. the consumer stated minimizes driving at night or if driving she would have to use the high beams in order to see at night. *tr

The fuel injector required replacement. the car sputtered and came to a complete stop without warning. it sputtered while driving on the highway; it came to a complete stop at the moment that i moved onto the exit ramp. the dealership performed a full diagnostic and reported that the fuel injector required replacement. while repairing the injector, the mechanic reported that the catalytic converter was damaged due to the injector leaking and clogging the converter. no codes alerted myself, or the mechanic to these issues. the mechanic reported that neither issue was covered under the engine recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated after making a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle started to jerk. the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where they diagnosed the vehicle with complete engine failure. the contact spoke with stokes kia (202 s goose creek blvd, goose creek, sc 29445) where she was informed that the vehicle was included in the nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the remedy was a four step process. she was informed that a diagnostic test needed to be performed on vehicle to determine whether she would be eligible for an engine replacement under the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

Driving at night has been near impossible. i have gone to two different dealerships with no results. there was a recall, but the dealership said my car did not show signs for the recall. *tr

I was on a curvy back road doing about 45mph applying the breaks not to stop but only to break my speed down some in order to go around the curve. while doing so my steering wheel locks up, it feel as if my tires are sliding & it feels like my breaks could be locked up as well. the next day i was getting off of the interstate on a ramp and again applied my brakes to break my speed down and the exact same thing happen. my wheel locked up, felt as if my brakes were locked up as well & my tires may have slid. i’m not noticing of my car is shutting off because when it is happening i’m too focused on the road & not losing control. but i am noticing that my radio is booting up. which it only does this when i start up my engine.

Dim headlamps due to deteriorating reflective coating on low beam housing. *tr

My car have lot of problems in side

Was driving to work. drove through the front gate entrance to my station when an awful metallic knocking noise could be heard in the engine compartment. had to have the vehicle towed all the way home that day. 80+ miles. turns out i need a new engine. took it to a kia dealer who diagnosed the problem being a failure to a crank bearing.

Car driving at highway speed. sudden loss of power. no crank, no start. mechanic says the engine has seized.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the engine seized the vehicle never started again, not diagnosed yet consequence vehicle must be towed at owners expense the contact stated that while attempting to park in a parking lot , traveling approximately 5 mph, the vehicle engine seized. no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was towed to the residence. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnosis. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed and was advised to tow the vehicle to the nearest authorized dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 174,000.

Transmission is sometime shifting abruptly, & also slow to up shift gears.

Problem with kia door sensor light staying on when all doors are shut tight. i’ve gotten (3) three jumps and purchased a new battery because this sensor is draining my battery. when the sensor is on it won’t allow me to secure the car. if i use the clicker it won’t lock because the sensor light is on. i never know when i go to the car if it will actually start or not. i'm trying to get the dealership to unplug the sensor. had to call tow truck on: jan 1, jan 17 and jan 19

The low beam headlights have continuously become dimmer over time. after replacing the bulbs a second time, i determined that it was clearly not a bulb issue. there was absolutely no light directly in front of the car, only to the sides. the high beams are fine. after reading on line thousands of complaints, i took my car to a dealer. bulldog kia in athens, ga told me that there was in fact a service issue (she would not say recall), but because nothing in my headlight assembly was "broken or cracked" they couldn't replace it. and since i didn't buy the bulb from kia, that was the problem. i purchased the exact bulb recommended for this year, make and model. kia was going to charge me $1,000 to replace the headlight assemblies. the new assemblies would be exactly the same as the ones that are currently bad. nothing has been changed! if you look at any kia optima on the road that is more than 3 or 4 years old, you will see the same dark area in front of the car, with a lot of light shooting out to the sides. since this is my daughters car for college, i purchased new headlight assemblies on line for $285 and replaced them myself and used led bulbs to prevent the "burning" of the chrome plating inside the assembly that apparently cause the others to go bad. this is a tremendous safety hazard. anyone who replaces the bulb thinks that they are fixing the problem, and therefore are driving in inadequate lighting. please, please do something to force kia to recall and replace these headlight assemblies before needless accidents happen causing injury or death. my daughter was overwhelmed by the additional vision that she now has with her new led lights. she only told me because she had friends that didn't feel safe riding in her car at night. so she brought it to my attention. i am appalled that kia is avoiding this major issue. please take action asap. thank you.

Will produce photo from body shop when called.

Hi my car has lot of safety issues.. i took many times to kia dealer in jersey city my car door gets unlocked while it’s in driving mode which makes me feel unsafe i told so many times to the dealers to fix it they do some temporary things in my car and they live me but again after some days that problem is arising again... i am fed up with this situation as i am the second owner of the car...

Was driving down and suddenly the car starts to slow down and eventually cuts off. found out the engine locked even though i get the recommended maintenance.

Driving in heavier than normal traffic about 45 mph. stopped at a traffic light and engine cut off. was able to restart, but was only able to drive less than half a mile before the engine cut off again. i completely lost power, but was able to coast into a parking lot. i waited approximately 10 minutes, attempted to restart the car (successfully!) and drove around the parking lot before traveling the remaining 20 minutes home. called aaa and had the car towed upon arriving home. the mechanic was not able to replicate the issue and nothing was corrected. battery and alternator were in perfect condition. car has occasionally been hesitating while starting or while idling at traffic lights since that event.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while her father was driving at 70 mph, the vehicle shut off completely without warning. the contact's father stated that the vehicle had made abnormal noises prior to the failure. the contact was able to pull off to side of the road and had to have the vehicle towed to their home due to vehicle not restarting. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and requested that the contact pay for a tow to a local dealer to have the vehicle inspected; the contact refused. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 145,362.

Headlights are too dim. using low beam lights at night does not illuminate the road at all. have replaced the headlight bulbs 3 times and it does not fix the problem.

I have a theta ii turbocharged engine 6 speed manual and i was driving down the street taking my son to work. all of a sudden my car started making a loud knocking noise and wouldn't go past 2nd gear. we called a tow truck had it sent to mechanic they did a diagnostic test and 2 p codes came back from crankshaft and controls and seized engine. so i had it towed into weston kia dealership. plus i had just bought this car in april. the dealership ship called me saying they were going to replace my engine and wiring and computer and sensor chip. also my passenger air bag light has been blinking off 3 days after i bought it and still is. my emergency brake doesn't work and rolled while it was pulled up in neutral and hit my daughter as she was running around the front of the car to the passenger side right in her knee cap. i got my car back from weston and it didn't feel right. someone put 380miles on my car it had a 1/2tank of gas and my clutch and clutch pedal and gear shift was way shorter and 1/4 inch off in shifter box. i was on the freeway driving 60 mph with my kids and we were leaving my parents house from xmas. all of a sudden i almost list control of the car my clutch pedal fell to the floor. i got us to safety almost avoiding a huge wreck and had it towed to my house. called dealership and told them and had noticed on invoice their technicians had tightened up by bolts and flywheel. well i go outside and theirs fluid all over the pavement under the car but none on inside. they paid for a tow truck and by the way since replacing the new engine i went from 34 miles to the gallon to 20 and passenger air bag still illuminated off. my defrost isnt working now and my engine light blinked 3xs. they want me to pay 1500 for new clutch.their tech adjusted my flywheel bolts and clutch cable. 65.00 emergency brake and 125.00 for test. it already had one. fuel leak?

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. when the contact turned the steering wheel, it would not turn smoothly and there was a delay in the vehicle responding when making turns. the dealer and manufacturer were not notified. the contact paid to have the front end replaced and believed that the rack and pinion, tie rod, and struts were the cause of the failure. when the contact retrieved the vehicle from the independent mechanic, the failure recurred. the contact researched online and discovered how to resolve the failure with a $2.00 part for the steering plastic coupler; however, the cost to repair the vehicle was over $1,000. the failure mileage was 85,000. the vin was unknown.

I was driving down the road, no warning lights came on. oil pressure gauge was normal and the car just stopped. made no noises, just stopped. technician pulled oil pan and stated that hunks of metal fell out around the bearings.

Recently when i hit about 103,000 miles my 2011 kia optima 2.0 turbo transmission has been acting strange. when driving for a little while and coming to a complete stop as i’m pulling off accelerating the car jerks make and won’t accelerate past 40 mph. after doing acouple research i was told it’s the transmission temperature sensor. i. believe this is a serious problem due to the fact as your pulling off after the complete stop it jerks so hard you jerk so hard with the car. also if anybody is behind you and it does that sudden jurk it can cause an accident because the driver behind you isn’t aware because it’s not like your hitting the breaks. i also searched online that this model and year car has two open recalls for engine and transmission problems (unknown).

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while the contact's vehicle was stationary, another vehicle reversed into the front of her vehicle. the air bags did not deploy. the air bag and traction warning indicators were illuminated. the contact sustained a concussion, neck injury, and convergence insufficiency to the left eye. medical attention was received. a police report was filed. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 18v363000 (air bags). the vehicle was taken to kia of bedford (located at 18180 rockside rd, bedford, oh 44146, (440) 735-4000) where they replaced the bumper and stated that an alignment was needed. the vehicle was repaired for crash parts, but not for the recall. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 150,000.

As i was driving down the road on my way home my car lost power so i had to pull over to the side of the road after a car almost hit me from not being able to accelerate in the middle of the road. i then turned my car off and it would not turn back on.

My college student daughter drives the vehicle and is unable to see sufficiently at night while driving. the lights are too dim to safely see at night. the car was taken to the local kia dealership and we were told it would be $1,000 to repair the wiring problem that is well known to the dealership. we were unable to afford to make the repair and the dealership told her to drive with her bright lights on while driving at night which could cause other drivers issues.

The low beam headlights are so dim they're barely visible at night. the reflective coating inside the light housing flakes from getting hot. this should be recalled

Engine seized up when driving down the road with no warning. i heard knocking, would not accelerate and oil light was flashing periodically days before but never stayed on solid. no prior mechanical issues and all servicing kept up to date.

My kia 2011 interior dome light goes on & off while driving. it's dangerous at night because the light goes on & off while driving

Low beam head lighting is very very poor.

Headlights are so dim you can barely see using low beam lights and high beams are barely brighter than regular beams on other cars. have replaced the headlight bulbs 4 times and it has never changed the problem. engine seized up with no warning or mechanical signs when driving down the road.

Steering wheel makes clicking sound when it is turned, additionally, the part behind the steering wheel rattles a lot, almost as if its lose. the clicking happens when i attempt to turn right or left and the rattling happens when the car is in motion.

I was on i 95 yesterday in the evening heading home and all of sudden my car went to shaking in the engine light was blinking on and off i pulled over to the side of the road to stop the car as i pulled over on the side of the road i sat in the car while the car was still running part in the car cut off by itself end it all the sudden started making a knocking sound once i turn the car back on.

The battery indicator light came on then while driving down the road, the battery discharge kept popping up on the display then went out. about 10 minutes further, i lost power steering. i managed to get to base even though i ran a red light and stop sign because the car started spurttering and feeling like it was getting ready to stall. once i managed to get to a parking lot, my headlights went out but i still had dash lights. all the error lights came across my dashboard. i took the battery to advance, they said it was low. they charged it and said it needed replaced. the battery indicator was still lit so i took it and they checked the alternator and said it was dead. i took it and had it rebuilt. everything seemed to work ok.

Last month, i took my car in for a check engine light. the repair shop told me that there was no oil in my engine and it was bone dry. this was the reason for my check engine light. they said they do know why but it was possible that the last time i received an oil change they put in the wrong oil. they assured me and i made sure they put in the correct oil and the check engine light turned off. a month later i was on the highway and the engine jerked and it went down to 40. the car did not want to accelerate and was struggling. i checked it in there was no oil in the engine again. being that i had no oil stains on my driveway i was convinced that it was not leaking and the oil was burning out.

I have continued to replace my headlight and taillight over a 5 month period. i was stopped the other day because my brake light and tail light weren't working. i replaced the lights and the brake light wasnt effectively working but the turn signal was working. now today the brake light and turn signal are working but my light that makes the car visible at night isn't and my yellow lights on the headlights only work when i press the brake.

My trunk lid opens my it's self. i find it open in the morning & sometimes during the day.

At approximately 97,000 miles, my car began to burn an excessive amount of engine oil. being that my car had a warranty up to 100k miles, i immediately reported the issue to kia. they continuously reported that they would need to evaluate the oil consumption at 1,000 mile increments. i reported my concerns in regards to the process possibly extending beyond the 100k mile limits of my warranty. i was informed that the engine recall would be an option if i exceeded 100k miles. upon exceeding 100k miles, kia reported that the oil consumption was the product of "cheap oil" and kia would not be responsible for the excessive oil burn. after verifying that my most recent oil changes were performed by kia, i was told that excessive oil consumption was no longer a provision of the recall.

Low beam lights are very dull while driving at night (lens covers are still clear). kia sent an extended warranty about the lights and the dealer replaced a wiring harness for the lights, the letter also stated they will check the headlight assembly and replace if this is the problem. kia will not do this replacement for the headlight assembly. the wiring harness for the lights did not solve the problem of very dull low beam lights while driving at night and kia will not honor what's in their warranty letter.

My son was driving his 2011 kia optima when a spark and pop noise came from his steering wheel. all the functions of the secondary functions of the steering wheel, including the horn, air-bag, cruise control, etc. quit working. i took the vehicle to kia and they immediately diagnosed the issue as a clock spring without looking at it, which makes be believe this is a common problem. if my 16 year old son had been in an accident, he would have not had a frontal airbag. and without a horn, he would not have been able to warn another vehicle appropriately. this is a major safety issue and kia has done nothing to rectify the problem.

Engine died while driving on public street and would not restart and within minutes fire in engine compartment. destroyed front of car and damaged interior

Oil is disappearing no leaks!! when driving the car gets a vibration then you better check the oil . everytime at least once a week we are adding at lleadt 3 or 4 quarts of oil. seems to be several complaints on here same problem with kia. this car is no longer safe for us to drive have an appt next week hope we get results

Driving on interstate, out of nowhere engine light started flashing and engine seized, car lost all momentum, had no "get up and go" pushing on the gas pedal did nothing, going up hill was almost impossible. took car to local auto shop, they could hear some noise but weren't sure what. per invoice 7/26/19: checked codes: p0011 a camshaft position timing over advanced, p00114 b camshaft position timing over advanced; p1326 engine damage alert for driver. engine was noisey and ran very rough, oil level was low and black (we saw nowhere that it was leaking oil, no spots anywhere). changed oil and add lucas engine stabilizer, engine quieted and runs much smoother. clear codes, test drive, watch scan data. no codes, possible early stages of engine damage if codes return inspect timing chain and control devices. took car home over the weekend drove less than 50 miles, sunday 7/28/19 again, engine light came on and car had no "get up and go" and a very loud clanking noise could be heard. took car to shop asap. per invoice 7/31/19: check cel light and loss of power, check fluids, engine has internal noise/damage; computer datascan, check codes, diag, p1326; engine damage alert for driver, recommend further diag eval, inspect lower end and timing chain. auto shop contacted local kia dealership, was told they warrant engines with these conditions. they have a number of vehicles waiting to be repaired already, suggested calling a dealer out of town for repairs.

I was entering a highway, accelerating to get up to the speed of the traffic on the highway. i noticed the car wasn't accelerating like normal and a short distance after entering the highway, my engine failed. the battery and oil pressure lights came on and then the check engine light. i pulled over to the shoulder and tried starting my car. it would start, but would die again every time i got to about 20 mph. i got it into a garage, where they looked at it the next day and couldn't find anything wrong with it. i continued to drive it but the next day, the oil pressure light flickered a couple of times as i was driving. i checked the oil level and it was nearly empty. i looked to see how many miles it had been since my last oil change and it was about 1,500 miles. in all the times i've had my oil changed, no one has ever told me the oil was low. there were no oil drips on my garage floor. it seems to be burning the oil in the engine. when i added 3 quarts of oil, steam was coming out of the opening even though i only drove approximately 1 mile.

I had a front end accident on 1 oct 2018. my airbags did not deploy. i received recall notice on 18 oct 2018. i have contacted kia concerning this matter several times, they will not respond to me.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the vehicle would not exceed 40 mph and an abnormal noise was heard. in addition, the check engine warning indicator illuminated. in addition, the contact stated that there was an oil leak because she was constantly adding oil in the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to nalley kia (7849 mall pkwy, lithonia, ga 30038, (678) 374-3820) to be diagnosed, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. the dealer stated that the oil filter, engine air filter, ac refresher, and transmission needed to be serviced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had low compression and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the vin. the failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

My electronic stability control light came on after pressing the brake on a wet street while my vehicle was in motion. the next day i went to get a oil change and noticed that my tail lights did not work when i pressed the brakes. my tail lights work but the tail lights did not. i changed the bulbs and the problem still persisted. i also changed the brake light pedal switch but that did not fix the problem. my turn signal lights fail to work all the time.

While parked in various locations (on street, at gas pump, in parking lots), and on about 8-10 occasions, i was unable to get the car to start after depressing the brake and start button on my car. all the lights lit up on the instrument panel and the radio went on as well - the rest of the car electrical system worked fine. the brake pedal became very stiff and was hard to depress. i put my key fob into the bypass in the trunk and it still would not start. the only way to get the car to start was to depress the stiff brake pedal, then shift from p to d and back again. then the brake pedal seemed to loosen up and i was able to start the car successfully. i had researched the remedy through you tube. the first time it happened was october 2, 2018 and it has happened about 8-10 times since then. i have a video of the problem, but not of the solution that i found online, therefore i am unable to attach any documentation. i noticed that the replacement of the brake switch was "voluntary" nhtsa # 13v-114, but feel that this should be a mandatory fix instead since it has happened so often to me. just last week when it happened again, i remembered what to do quickly as i was stuck in a long line at the gas station just last week, with cars honking at me to move when i could not. it happened to me the last time just yesterday 10/8/2019 inside my garage. please look into making this a mandatory recall. i will be contacting my local dealer this week as well. thank you.

I have a 2011 kia optima with 53,000 miles. i have recently noticed a noise in the steering column. it has been reported by others to be defect from a cheap plastic part . i am reading that this problem could result in a loss of life. you can hear the popping sound when turning corners, left and right.

My 2011 kia optima ex started making a loud rattling sound in the steering column area. any little bump or dip made it worse and much louder. this problem is only getting worse and the steering feels very unsafe. i noticed this when i was driving on the freeway.

I have 2011 kia optima sx with hid headlights and they have been dim for a long time. they became noticeably dim in 2015 and have ever since been dim and have had a noticeable change in the light pattern. this is not caused by foggy or yellowing plastic as the headlights have been protected by a clear plastic protective "sticker bra" ever since the care was purchased new in july 2011. the headlights are experience the same issue as other owners of the car, deterioration of the internal reflector for the hid headlight. as a result the light pattern becomes altered or dim. it is dangerous to drive at night with this car. the headlight have been replaced with no improvement in the lighting output or pattern. this is similar consistent with many owners of the same models. kia has issued a warranty extension but the dealer needs to provide a video that shows flaking of the reflector between the space where the bulb is and the clear lens cap. this is not the reflector behind the bulb that would affect the light pattern. dealers do not look at the light pattern as it is not part of the diagnostic steps. they only look for flaking of the reflector between the space where the bulb is and the clear lens cap which would seem to be more cosmetic then functional.

Tl* the contact owned a 2011 kia optima. while driving 60 mph, the contact noticed an off duty police officer who flagged the vehicle down and informed him to pull over because flames were present underneath the vehicle. the contact pulled the vehicle over to the shoulder of the road and exited the vehicle as it became engulfed in flames. the fire department was contacted and extinguished the flames. a police report was filed and there were no injuries. the vehicle was towed by an independent mechanic to the contact's residence. the cause of the failure was not determined. the insurance company deemed the vehicle destroyed. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified and did not assist. the failure mileage was approximately 152,442.

Metal shavings in oil and engine is knocking

Driving to work and my car was making a knocking sound. it started to sputter and i was trying to pull over and it just shut off.

2011 kia optima favors a pull to the left which grows stronger as the speed increases. the persistence in regards to the issue is subtly decreased with a wheel alignment, but quickly returns- resulting in over 7 alignments in 5 years with only 70k miles. 3 separate kia dealerships have inspected the issue with only a control arm replacement but no satisfactory resolution. this issue is dangerous and requires constant pressure on the wheel to favor the right pull to correct the front left pull. a very good example is when increasing in speed, the car will heavily favor a inside pull to the left which is worrying. i’d like a regional kia rm to have a go at the situation.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the low beam headlights illuminated too low at night. the contact replaced the bulbs; however, the failure recurred. the contact read that the housing for the low beam headlights were burning out due to the receptive strip melting when the front beams were being used. the contact took the vehicle to hagerstown kia (located at 10307 auto place, hagerstown, md 21740, 866-404-6114) where it was currently being diagnosed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 114,000.

Right low beam needed constant changing (1 every 4-6 months). within the last 6 months, i had changed the bulb, 2 weeks later, the low beam light was not working again. noticed a white film on inside of light assembly. upon investigation, i discovered the wiring caught fire and melted the connector for the light bulb. i purchased a new assembly, only to have the exact same thing happen. this is a huge safety concern. firstly, the low beam lighting is absolutely horrible in this car to begin with, now i’m running off of one light. after looking into complaints online, i see this problem is prevalent across the board with this car. kia is a multi million dollar company, you need to stand behind your product and have the mindset of putting your customers safety as a priority. i work as a firefighter/emt and i’d hate to arrive on scene of someone that was killed due to kia’s faulty unsafe product. especially of one that could be prevented by fixing these problems that you know is a manufacturer defect. shame on you kia for putting people at risk.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving, a knocking noise occurred coming from the engine compartment. the contact coasted the vehicle over to the side of the road and noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

While on my way to pick up my daughter from school at around between 1 and 2 oclock pm i was stopped at a 4 way stop at ga hwy 225 in springplace , as i proceeded through the 4 way while in motion i hear and feel a sudden jolt to my vehicle and i skid to a stop thank god it had just went through the stop sign and did not gain any speed. i exited the vehicle and glanced underneath thinking that i had hit something, instead i noticed that my motor and transmission where no longer connected to my vehicle on the driver side but they where laying almost on the ground. i had to call a tow truck to have my car towed home and make arrangements for my daughter. my vehicle was one on the list that had a recall on the motor the replacement motor was installed around march of 2017. it has not showed any signs of trouble until this.

The car had been driven for 200 miles and would not start so a new battery was purchased. while driving the vehicle on the highway it stalled, lost power and had to be pulled over. when stopping for gas the car only started after it was jumped. the vehicle has stalled multiple times while driving which is dangerous and could cause a major accident. the battery is brand new, the alternator was test and is in good condition. when the car stalls the lost of power steering makes it difficult to pull the vehicle out of the line of travel. this vehicle is being driven by a young adult that could be in danger if this continues to happen

2011 kia optima. consumer writes in regards to melted wiring harness that's is connected to starter. *ld the consumer stated the after purchasing the vehicle in february, by july the motor needed to be replaced. the vehicle died while being driven. within 2-3 of the motor being repaired, the started failed. the starter was repaired, but the failure recurred. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving on the highway, the engine power reduced and the vehicle shut off. the vehicle was unable to restart. the vehicle was taken to koons volvo cars owings mills (9610 reisterstown rd, owings mills, md 21117) to be repaired per a manufacturer recall for the engine, but the remedy failed. the vehicle was not able to be safely driven. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was not available.

"takata recall" i have a 2011 kia optima. we recently had an issue with the front light (low beam) on the left driver’s side. the bulb was replaced, as we thought it was a bulb issue. however, when the bulb didn't work we took the vehicle to kia. kia stated there was possibly something wrong with the wiring and they would have to replace the whole light assembly. i've heard of bulbs going out, but never the whole assembly, in which the whole front bumper would have to be removed. i’ve owned many other cars and have never had an issue with the light assembly. i believe this issue should be recalled by kia as it presents a safety issue for drivers.

2011 kia optima headlights became extremely dim creating visibility and safety concerns during night travel. i changed the lid bulbs hoping to rectify the problem but same issue still remained. high beams work as they should and fog lights puts out more illumination than low beam. took the vehicle to local kia dealership (fred anderson kia raleigh nc) for diagnostic. diagnostic revealed that the headlight assemblies had to be replaced. price to replace assembly is unacceptable for what appears to be a ongoing problem with same year and model vehicle.

The problem started with the vehicle solely being stationary. the steering wheel just had more give before it would engage the tires. it’s consistently gotten worse to where now, while driving, hitting a bump on any kind of road causes the steering wheel to make a very loud rattling noise. the noise has gotten louder and louder. it seems to be less extreme if you hit a bump while turning. my vehicle has less than 60k miles on it.

While driving my car for about 5 mins going about 40 miles i heard a loud noise and it wouldn’t stop. turned car around drove back home and come to find out i had total engine failure. there was no signs nothing to indicate something was wrong. about 3 years ago my turbo went out too. my husband does our oil changes so when i took it to kia dealership they wanted to see receipts which we do t have so my turbo replacement was not covered. spent about $4000 to replace. i’m so done with this car! i just finished paying for it last year 2018 and now this.

Leaking oil , struts making noise.

I have had to change lower control arm inner and outer tie rod and cv axle 2 time because parts are cheap and slightest amount of force such as hitting a curb causes massive suspension damage. both times car was running unber 20 miles an hour and hit a curb and it destroyed suspension. second time tie rod broke while driving down the road and lost control and ended up hitting guard rail and same thing destroyed suspension.

As i was entering an intersection and beginning a left turn my car with no warning began to buck and surge with no motor power and an oncoming car at my passager side door. we were fortunate that the oncoming driver was very alert to my car no being able to move and missed my car. we were able to limp the car under very reduced power and still, no warning lights came on. as we pulled into the closest parking lot and stop i put the car in to park and it completely died. the car was towed to the kia dealership twice due to kia giving bad information.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact received an unknown recall letter from the manufacturer regarding the headlight assembly. the contact took the vehicle to kia of new bern (1715a us-70, new bern, nc 28560, (252) 638-6161) and they stated that the recall would not be honored because the vehicle was not under warranty. the manufacturer stated that they were not trained on this issue and the recall would not be valid. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Sometime toward the end of 2017, i noticed that my dome light no longer illuminated when the doors were opened. i can still use the interior lights manually, though this usually leads to forgetting and leaving them on. i live in wa, it is often dark around 4 pm and grey throughout the day. i feel this is a huge safety issue, as i cannot see who is in my car before entering when in a parking lot. also, my 5-year-old has a hard time buckling her own car seat belt since she cannot see the buckle. this is an inconvenience and with crime rates rising, it makes me feel uncomfortable going out alone, knowing that nobody can see what is going on while i am buckling her in. the chances of being mugged or worse go up, my safety is worth the $400, however, i should not have to pay to have a malfunction in the vehicle fixed. the reason i feel this should be a recall is because of the 3 kia's we own, 2 of them have this same issue of the interior lights only working manually and not activated with opening the door. my wife's 2014 kia sorento dome light stopped working when the doors were opened around december of 2018. both of us have over 60,000 miles on our vehicle at the time of the malfunction. i was quoted over $400 to have this repaired. when looking at forums, it looks as though it is a connection that wiggles loose. i am sure that if 2 of our kia's have this issue, it is highly likely many more kia owners have the same issue. kia should be responsible to fix this safety issue.

The wiring in the headlamp assembly is faulty.this is a known issue across dealers and aftermarket shops. headlights appear very dim and give out low or no light. it's not the bulbs. the whole headlamp needs to be recalled for wiring issues.

Having problems with electrical system/shortage in 2011 kia optima. while in motion, driver side door unlocks, interior lights comes on and off and door/doors open light comes on.

The vehicle was moving and started to shake and check engine started flicker and heard rattling. the car then started to slow down and jerking. i've read about several recalls invovling 2011-2015 kia's having engine recalls but my vin has not had a recall for my car, which i am very upset because my impression of kia is reliable up to this point. i have kept up with all my maintenance such as regular oil changes and performing diagnostic test to ensure my vehicle is running smoothly and safely. i hope you guys can resolve this issue and make a recall for my engine faulty, which is estimated at 6k to fix.

Bought the car january of 2018.28 days of having the vehicle and i got a flat tire and come to find out my strut was never properly installed and thats what popped my tire.dan obrien tried to deny having a warranty to fix the car saying it was my fault.it was covered under warranty. i had to buy the new tire. when the recall for the engine came out,i took my car right in. they passed it. in september while driving home from my daughters 2 month appointment the car just lost all power and my engine light came on & car would not start daughter was present.engine had locked up they replaced the long block under the sc147 recall 11/30/18 recall sc165, ecu upgrade. on 2/11/19 i had the inspection for recall sc172 car passed.3/21/19 no warning engine light came on & stayed.p1326 engine code car went into limp home mode,daughter was present. engine light flashed,got towed.3/26/19 kia told me it was due to the previous recall,it was my knock sensor. they replaced under warranty.5/22/19 front right side wheel bearing went bad,kia wouldnt cover,same side strut issue occured on.6/6/19 i went to accelerate on bypass and lost all engine control,i was able to coast. no warning lights came on.put in park, oil light,battery & eps came on & off. turned car off & on.car would drive but with hesitation and little power.6/8/19 i went to accelerate on bypass and car lost power. 6+ cars behind me ,my car blocked the road.restarted car,went to take off and the car began to vibrate jolt and i couldnt get out of the way,i had to go into the other lane because i was blocked.steering wheel locked up, brakes lost power & i almost hit the guard rail.daughter was present. 6/10/19 kia told me it was my throttle body sensor not covered. bought car with over 79k,now around 101k.im scared for my daughters life & mine it will catch on fire at anytime with all the symptoms.

The coolant sensor in my car is reading that my coolant is -38 degrees. my transmission also shifts extremely hard to where you are jerked either forward or backwards. this happens when shifting to and from park and while driving.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving approximately 40 mph, the engine seized and all the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was towed to sussman kia (1940 jenkintown rd, jenkintown, pa 19046) where it was diagnosed that the failure occurred due to lack of maintenance (oil changes). the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the dealer informed the contact that the engine was alright in january of 2018. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 83,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving approximately 25 mph, clicking and knocking noises were heard from the steering wheel area without warning. the contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to kia of bedford (440-735-4000, located at 18180 rockside rd, bedford, oh 44146) where it was repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 18v363000 (air bags) and an unknown recall. the dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the clicking and knocking noises. the failures were not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was not provided.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the contact indicated that smoke was present coming from the engine compartment and the engine could not be restarted. the vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not yet repaired. the manufacturer and local dealer (unknown) were notified of the failure. the contact mentioned that the vehicle was tested prior to the failure under an unknown recall for the engine seizing but she was informed by the mechanic that her vehicle did not have the risk of a failure. the failure mileage was 100,000. *bf *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving 80 mph, the oil light illuminated and the contact heard a load clunking noise. the engine seized and the contact was able to pull the vehicle over to the side of the highway. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign numbers: 18v363000 (air bags) and 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). the contact was the original owner and did not receive either recall letter from the manufacturer. the dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 109,000.

Car stalled while driving on a busy highway, lights on dash came on, we coasted of the road. no warning, no engine light no oil light, nothing. had to have car towed home. engine seized up.

The low beams on my car are dangerously dim. i've replaced the light bulbs with factory recommended to no avail. i can so no more than 5 feet in front of me while driving - i have to limit my night time driving, which is tough when driving home from work on a daily basis. please take notice and issue a recall as i know i am not the only one experiencing this issue

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving 50 mph, the low beam headlights failed to project enough light, which made driving difficult. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the high and low beam headlights were changed, but the failure recurred. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 78,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 2011 kia optima. while driving 30 mph, another vehicle struck the front of the contact's vehicle. the driver's seat belt did not restrain the contact. it was unknown if the air bags deployed. a police report was filed and the vehicle was towed to a tow yard. the contact and his passengers sustained head and neck injuries, which required medical attention. the vehicle was declared a total loss by the insurance company. the vehicle was not diagnosed. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 90,000. the vin was not available.

I was driving on the street at 40mph when i saw light smoke coming from under the hood i pulled over to get my two kids and myself out of the car shortly after we got out of the car flames started coming from under the hood i then called 911 for the fire department to come put the flames out when they finally did the whole car was burnt to a crisp

Headlights have not worked since the last recall for engine replacement, done in august 2017. high beams are insufficient, and the normal beams are very dangerous -- doesn't appear that headlights are on at all.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact received an unknown recall notification regarding the engine. the vehicle was taken to sunset kia of bradenton (4770 14th st w, bradenton, fl 34207, (941) 752-1000) where the engine was tested and passed. the contact stated that the engine had been sputtering prior to the test. the dealer stated that the failure was due to lack of oil, although the vehicle recently had an oil change. the dealer also stated that they did not find metal shavings while conducting the test and the check oil indicator was not illuminated. approximately one week later, while driving, the engine seized in the middle of the road. the vehicle was towed back to the same dealer who stated that a new engine was needed due to the recall. the check engine indicator illuminated and the vehicle was towed to another unknown dealer where additional recalls were discovered. the unknown dealer found a deteriorated clamp that caused the hose to become loose and the engine to jolt. the vehicle was repaired, but there was no mention of the deteriorated clamps on the invoice. when the contact retrieved the vehicle, the air bag indicator illuminated. the dealer stated that the indicator was illuminated when they received the vehicle. the contact also noticed a fuel odor and noticed that the fuel pump was gushing fuel. the contact researched the failure and found that it was caused by the initial engine replacement and the brake booster hose was not properly secured. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 86,000.

While driving my car it started to act sluggish so i pulled over and minutes after getting out of the car it started on fire. the fire department was called the fire was extinguished, but not before the car was a total loss

Lights flash off and on while driving / hear clicking sound while my dash board flickers as well. this happens when parked and in motion

Engine failure..bought in 2013 w 14,000 miles.currently has 68,000.check engine light came on last year.kia would only pay for 1 spark plug.then,l paid to have a new fi system put in.l was never reimbursed.dec 20,driving down a busy highway w my kids and engine shuts off with no warning.then,the check engine light came on along with weird smells of gas and burning.took it to the dealer and no issue.took it back again on dec 21,but no techs available.dec 23,l was driving my kid to work,engine shook,check engine light came on flashed and a big boom.car was going 5mph while it was clicking.l got it towed(after kia motors had the audacity to try to make me pay for a [email protected],but l refused)thru my insurance co.as the car sat,a big cloud of smoke came from the engine,we though that it was catching on fire.called kia motors....omg,the worst.l just got a rental today and approved for engine replacement after multiple phone calls.my brother bought his optima brand new in 2003 and same thing happened in 2 months.kia continues to not resolve his dangerous issue and l am afraid to drive it,let alone have my kids in it.

Head lights flash on and off for no reason when first started it up last for about 10 minutes

The amount of light reflected to the road from the headlights is very low and creates visibility issues at night and in the rain. this is due to the reflective coating used in the headlights being of poor quality and burning away.

The steering coupling in the steering wheel has gone bad causing the steering wheel to shake badly when stopping and especially when i hit a bump or pothole. seems to be getting worse.

The low beam headlights on my 2011 kia optima have been slowly getting so dull that it is getting dangerous to drive at night. i commute over 100 miles a day and leave at dark and get home at dark. so all my driving is needing my headlights. i started noticing the problem with not being able to see and just thought my bulbs were getting old. i went out and bought new sylvania silverstar bulbs and i also bought a set of sylvania ultra. that did not help. i ended up even trying to change my bulbs and convert over to led headlight bulbs. i did all the work and conversion and still had the same problem. come to find out it's not the bulbs that are the issue, but the actual headlight housing is the issue. i am now in the process of getting new headlight assemblies which is really terrible. i should not have to buy a whole headlight assembly from faulty manufacturing just so i can see and be safe while driving. but i feel that it is very dangerous to be driving the way my car is right now. i feel kia should be fixing the issue and supplying a higher quality headlight housing to fix this issue.

Every time i stop to put gas in my car, it takes about 30 minutes or so before it starts again. while driving, the car has a jerking motion. kia exchanged the carbon canister but it didn't fix the problem.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving 45 mph, the sun roof exploded outwards without warning. there were no injuries. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the sun roof glass was replaced. the contact called kingdom kia at (573) 426-3100 (located at 2600 n bishop ave, rolla, mo 65401) and was informed to contact his insurance company. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the cause of the failure was not determined. the approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

My 2011 kia optima is consuming large quantities of oil. i have received 10 oil changes since february 2018 (oct as of today) after my car's oil light would blink every 1000 miles when driving. the dealer said their was no visible leak and performed a consumption test which showed my car was consuming oil at an alarming rate. this issue has been identified as a know problem with kia motors and has yet to addressed.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while making a left turn, the contact's vehicle crashed into the driver's side of an oncoming vehicle. the air bags did not deploy. the front bumper was severely damaged and had to be replaced. there were no injuries and a police report was filed. the vehicle was able to be driven to the contact's residence. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 18v363000 (air bags). the dealer (evergreen kia, 9205 s western ave, chicago, il 60643, (800) 556-5223) was notified. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 50,000. *tt updated 11/19/18*jb

Car stalled out while in motion. car began leaking oil and would not restart.

My husband was driving a 2011 kia optima when the car veered off the road and burst into flames. my husband was killed upon impact with a tree.

Bad part in steering column , the plastic coupler is broken after 39400 miles . this happen on many kia 's and there are no recalls yet?

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the headlights failed to work withoug warning. the contact changed the bulbs, but the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to dick hannah kia (3400 ne auto mall dr, vancouver, wa 98662, 360-342-9104) where it was diagnosed that the ballast in the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. the failure was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Over the past 7 years i’ve replaced both headlights-low beam on an average of twice a year. low beams are so low in lighting and i’m concerned if they are on when driving in the dark. recently i changed the passenger side low beam light, 2 weeks later it went out again. however prior to changing the bulb the first time, i noticed the lens cover was so hazy on the inside, like whiteish chalky looking. i took bulb #2 out but noticed it wasn’t burnt out. however the wires and the housing for the bulb prongs were melted. fortunately it only melted the prong connection point and wires and didn’t spark a fire. but now i’m left replacing the wiring and lens cover assembly. i do understand that my car is 7 years old, however the low beam lights on this car have been nothing but an issue from day one at zero miles. there have been multiple recalls and numerous issues with this car. lesson learned....will never buy another kia

I received a recall notice on my airbags on 8/15/2018 on 8/16 i was rear ended by a big work truck and pushed into another vehicle. 5 cars involved. my vehicle is totaled the airbags did not deploy

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). while driving 45 mph, the vehicle stalled. in addition, various warning indicators and gauges illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was not able to restart. the contact was able to coast the vehicle to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to kia of union city (4084 jonesboro rd, union city, ga 30291, (770) 964-4900), but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. the failure mileage was approximately 97,000. *tt contact states on aug 22 2018 the engine was replaced. *tt

Without any warning lamps or extraneous sounds or engine noise, traveling approximately 40mph, the engine seized up and stopped. immediately the engine, oil and battery lamps illuminated, and i was able to coast into a safe parking lot away from traffic. i attempted to restart the engine to no avail. aaa was called and told to tow the vehicle to a local shop. their diagnosis concurred with mine...the engine had seized and was not repairable except to replace the engine.

I was driving in highway in july 2017. the steering wheel was drifting and slippery. it was about 84,000 miles in it. so, i brought my car in kia dealer. they showed me worn out steering coupling. i asked them to change steering coupling only but they changed whole steering wheel column and charged me $1,402. however, i found that kia extended warranty for 10 years/unlimited mileage in 2016. i am not sure why they charged me for steering issue. i complained kia motors america and sent all information that i have including the bills. they did not respond any letter yet. i like to have my money back. another issue that i found in may 2018 was fast engine oil burn out. i was driving to work in highway and engine oil warning sign was blinking. so, i immediately pulled over and checked engine oil level. it was almost gone and so dark. the dealer just changed engine oil a few months ago and less than 3,000 miles driven after that. i filled up 3 quarts of blended engine oil and checked every other day. about two weeks later, it looks the level of engine oil was way lower (about 1 and half quarts were gone). i called the dealer that they said it was only engine oil burning issue not engine failure. they said it would not cover by recalls. i checked lots of complaining about engine failure issue from the internet. based on that in many cases the engine oil burn out issue happened before engine failure. i strongly think that kia should install new engine under warranty or recalls because i really concern about me and family's safety.

Headlights are usless. they are so dim you can't drive the car at night at all. this is going to cause a accident.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving various speeds, the contact heard a knocking noise coming from the engine. in addiiton, the check engine, tire pressure, oil, and air bag warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to phil smith kia (4250 n federal hwy, lighthouse point, fl 33062, (954) 545-7200) where a gds test was done, but the engine was not repaired. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). the manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not assist. the approximate failure mileage was 120,454.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving 55 mph, a loud noise was heard coming from the engine and the engine seized. there were no warning indicators illuminated during the failure. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure could not be diagnosed. the dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling) as a possible cause of the failure. the failure mileage was 104,000. *tt

My 2011 kia optima headlights are super dim. i can barely see what is in front of me and the bulbs constantly go out. i have had to replace 4 bulbs (2 on each side) within a 2 year time period. i have to drive with my bright lights on when its dark because you can barely see if you dont.

My kia optima 2011 has been having major engine problems but the dealers are giving me the run around they keep on making things up they said they drain oil to check for metal particles in the oil.n they said they did the sc147 recall i went to go pick up my car. i checked the motor oil it was dark n dirty meaning they never drained the oil afer they told me that my car had past the test .they said they can hear the knocking noise but n order for them to assist me further i would have to authorise for them to tear down the engine.ibut i would have to pay out of my pocket if its not the engine something regarding the recall engine failer problem.

Saturday, may 5, 2018, we were driving east on i-85 in greensboro, nc when we heard what sounded like a gunshot, and then glass was raining down on us when the sunroof exploded. the sunroof had been open the entire day. it was overcast and mid 80's with low humidity. we had the sunroof tilted open and the sunshade pulled back.

There is an active recall on my kia optima 2011 and i never receieved anything in the mail to service it. the engine shakes a lot when the car is idle. who do i contact with information about this recall?

Takata recall- while traveling to work going 40mph i attempted to slow down my car approaching a red light on burlington ave/ mo-9. as i pressed the brake pedal, the brakes made a thumping noise but did not slow or stop the car. i lifted my foot and pressed down on the brake pedal again, and as before the brakes made a thumping noise but did not slow or brake my vehicle. there were cars stopped at the red light that i was approaching thus i turned my wheel to the right avoiding hitting the cars at the red light, jumped the median, and crashed into another vehicle. both vehicles have been totaled out.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. in 2017, the vehicle was repaired per an unknown recall regarding metal debris that was left in the engine, which constricted oil flow to the vital parts of the engine. while driving, the oil light illuminated and there was a pinging and knocking sound coming from the engine. the contact had the vehicle's oil changed, but the noise continued and the vehicle stalled. the contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. the dealer and the manufacturer had not been contacted. the failure mileage was 130,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 2011 kia optima. while driving 25 mph, the contact smelled a burning electrical odor. seconds later, black smoke appeared and flames rose from the hood. there was no warning indicator illuminated. the contact was able to coast the vehicle to the side of the road and exited the vehicle without injury. the vehicle then burst into flames. the fire department extinguished the fire. a police report was filed. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to a tow lot. the cause of the failure was not determined. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not assist. the approximate failure mileage was 86,300.

The engine started consuming large amount of oil 10 months ago when it was about 170,000 miles in it. that is, the oil goes below the low mark when the car is driven about 800 miles after the oil change, and keeps going down to the empty level when the car is driven about 1,200 miles. i also hear of rattling-like sound when accelerating. i have to check and add oil every 500 miles. i was recently told that this issue may lead to the fire on the engine and noticed that kia recalled regarding this similar issue for many other cars. i didn't see any signs of leaking when i checked several times the floor in a spot where i parked. i'm not sure if this was related, but the engine died, about 4- months before i noticed that the engine started consuming oil, when i drove up hill. the car was towed in to a kia dealership in that area, and what a technician said is that there was a problem with fuel line or pump. they charged $700 for this job.

I am driving through an intersection and just as i get through, while still in motion, all the lights on the dashboard flashed or turned on. i lost complete control of the gas pedal, lost power steering, and i was forced to pull off into a parking lot where i couldn’t get to a parking spot and was left stuck at the entrance of the establishment. i put my car in neutral and pushed it away from the entrance after trying to turn it off and start it back up several times. i was forced to call a tow truck to get towed to my repair shop and the diagnosis was that the engine blew a bearing and will need an engine replacement.

I have a beautiful kia optima 2011. i been have a few problems with my car. the steering wheel and all jack up. the problem is the parts they putting in the car are cheap parts yes yu get what yu buy. but kia have been doing a good job replacing parts because they know how cheap they are. no one should be riding around the city and the car making loud noises when you hit i hole in road or even a man hole its sound crazy. its louder then my radio. my radio stay on max so i took my kia to kia west in cleveland ohio. the mechanic call back this morning 03 12 2019 stated that the steering rack/ assembly need to be replaced. i understood why it needed replace. not because i weared it out . the steering couplers was start of this problem. with a quality parts these problems wouldnt come up. the repair bill was 1035 with out labor cost. kia have to do right thing by the people. the whole steering wheel need to be put under recall. or someone going be killed by this issue. we all know no one want be responsible for a death

While driving on interstate at 3:30 am, oil light flickered occasionally, vehicle started slowing down, and engine eventually stalled, and would not restart. had aaa tow it to a trusted repair shop near my home, and they determined that the engine had siezed. had vehicle towed back home, pending decision on what to do next. the vehicle had been previously inspected by a kia dealer under the sc147 engine recall on 9/22/2017 (16+ months earlier) at odometer 89,547 miles and evidently passed the inspection procedure per kia's tsb. i believe debris from the engine manufacturing process blocked oil lubrication passageways not only to the engine bearings, but also to the oil pressure sensor. i do not believe the inspection procedure developed by kia to determine whether the engine is ok or needs to be replaced is 100% effective.

My headlights are so dim that ****safe driving at night is impossible*** for me and other cars on the road because it's too dark to see! i've had new light bulbs installed, only to no avail. this problem started around 80k miles. i spoke to kia's regional rep only to find that he has a pompous attitude and no regard for consumer safety. he told me that despite safety concerns, it all comes down to the warranty which expired at 40k miles and kia "can't" do anything about it. of course they can, but he assured me they wont. i advised him that according to the thousands of complaints on the internet, this defect typically occurs at 75k+ miles, meaning that their warranty would never cover it anyhow. it's a catch 22 and kia apparently knows this, according to the rep. his supervisor, julie miller, is supposed to contact me within 48 hours. i hope she has more compassion for human life than her employee. this is my 3rd kia vehicle, and hopefully not my last, since their vehicles and service have been great up until now. kia, recall this defect before people die.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while the contact's grandson was driving 40-45 mph, the vehicle jerked and smoke emerged from the hood. the vehicle spontaneously caught fire and the check engine indicator illuminated. there were no injuries. the fire department extinguished the fire. a police report was filed under case number: 19-036086. the vehicle was towed to an independent tow facility. the contact called west palm beach kia (735 south military trail, west palm beach, fl 33415, (561) 433-1511) and was referred to the insurance company. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 115,000.

Takata recall i was driving about 65mph on i-95 south back home to fl from visiting my family in sc when i started to smell gasoline fumes in my moving vehicle. i woke my girlfriend up and asked if she smelt it as well. she stated “yeah, i can smell gas a little bit.” then i rolled the window down and the smell became extremely strong. i started to feel light headed and took the immediate exit (exit 33). i pulled into an exxon station and parked my vehicle. i opened the hood of my 2011 kia optima ex and noticed gas spraying all over the engine bay from the bottom of the high-pressure fuel line where the bolt connects. i immediately shut my car off. i filled my gas tank to full before leaving my brothers apartment and my fuel was now at half a tank. i drove 57.5 miles, so i should have only used about 2.3 gallons of gas not approximately 9.25 gallons. therefore, this means i lost approximately 6.95 gallons in the hot engine bay. i am extremely lucky that my vehicle did not catch on fire because it’s likely that my girlfriend and myself would not be alive. i was forced to replace this part on my own due to it being before the high pressure fuel line recall (18v907). i took my vehicle into kia once the 18v907 recall came out and they didn't even replace the (fuel line) work i did. they said it passed the "test." i know i did not perform the repair by the proper procedure and i'm shocked that they are okay with that and stating the recall as completed. i feel like i am at a very high risk of another fuel leak and terrified when i drive my car now. especially with all of the kia fires that have been occurring.

Tl* the contact owned a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, a deer crossed in front of the vehicle. the air bags failed to deploy. the driver sustained neck and back injuries that required medical attention. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and repaired. the repairs were unknown. the dealer (blackwell chrysler dodge jeep ram fiat kia 4874 riverside dr, danville, va 24541(434) 792-8853) was contacted. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown. *tt

In march of 2017, kia issued a recall for there engines in the optima for the year i own. we still have not yet received any information from kia about bringing our kia optima in for this recall. our vin shows that our car is part of this recall. a year later we still haven't heard from kia. our car is now starting to stall when we sit at red lights. we would like for kia to finally reach out to us to remedy this matter.

Motor oil keeps disappearing; i change the oil on schedule and 2-3 weeks after it is dry. i'm afraid of engine failure or lock up due to this. raising the hood does not show any oil splatter. electrical problems; lnterior lights keep going out or go completely dim.

Horrible & dangerous low beam lighting on the 2011 kia optima i own. it has been this way for about a year, and i have changed bulbs, taken to different service stations, etc. the google reviews are horrifying, saying people are being charged $900+ dollars for fixing the deterioration of the paint surrounding the light. i pray that's not the case. you simply can not see while driving at night, and even the high beams are much much much more faded than "working & normal" lights. it"s awful and kia needs to fix this for consumers! before someone gets hurt!!!

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the headlights did not work, which caused the driver to use the high beams at night. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the contact called fuccillo kia of wesley chapel at 813-395-0347 (28555 fl-54, wesley chapel, fl 33545) and was informed that there was no recall. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

Low beam headlights are very dim, to the point of being virtually useless. fog lights provide more lighting. replaced bulbs to no avail. high beams work great. possible that the reflective coating inside hid housing has burned off.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while stationary and driving various speeds, the steering wheel made a loud clunking noise when making left and right turns. snail kia in greensburg, pa 156601 was made aware of the failure and scheduled the contact for a service appointment. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall or service bulletin for the failure. the failure mileage was 99,000.

The airbag light is on now and i'm wondering if thats a problem, i don't want to be driving down the road and it deploys.

2011 kia optima. consumer writes in regards to airbag control unit safety recall. *ld *js

This car was involved in a non-collision/spontaneous fire. there where no prior indications of car defects. the car was moving on a city road when it caught on fire. dekalb county ga fire department was called and took a report. this was a brand new replacement motor installed by kia with a warranty. the new motor had approximately 5000 miles on it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the starter malfunctioned and the vehicle could not be started. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and repaired. the failure recurred and the vehicle was taken to another mechanic who replaced the starter, but the vehicle failed to start. the mechanic discovered that the motor was locked up. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). the dealer and manufacturer were not notified. the failure mileage was unknown.

I was driving my car in motion around 25 mph. i went to accelerate to get onto the freeway and the car just stalled on me with no warning. i had to pull over ,cut the car off and let it sit for a min. after 5 mins, it started to drive again but there was still lack of acceleration

The cars headlights continue to get dimmer and dimmer to where a driver can barely see 10 feet in front of them. i have called kia regarding solutions and although they state this is a known issue there aren't any permanent alternatives. i have to use my high beams at night to drive.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the air bag indicator remained illuminated, which was a safety concern. the vehicle was taken to koons kia of woodbridge (703-494-3333, located at 14208 jefferson davis hwy, woodbridge, va 22191) and repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 18v363000 (air bags). however, the dealer stated that the recall did not cover the air bag indicator failure. the manufacturer also stated that the failure was not covered by the recall. the failure was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 126,000. parts distribution disconnect.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving 40 mph, the vehicle stalled. the contact opened the hood and flames appeared underneath the intake manifold. the local fire department extinguished the fire. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the wiring harness was burnt. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 89,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving various speeds, the headlights were dim and provided poor visibility when driving. the contact stated that the headlights projected a triangle shape, which prevented the contact from seeing the road. the contact mentioned that the sides of the vehicle could be clearly seen, but not the front. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 133,988.

The lights on the vehicle became so dim it was dangerous to drive at night. i thought my night vision was failing, until a friend rode with me after dark and asked if my headlights were on. when we compared the headlights on my vehicle compared to hers, the difference was stunning. i had already had the headlamps replaced in 2015, but there was no difference. i would estimate that the headlights were dim at least a year prior to that. i took the vehicle to another dealership., and they determined that the reflectors behind the headlights had collapsed, causing the dimness. the entire headlight assembly had to be replaced in order to fix this, at a substantial cost. i had no choice but to fix it because it had become dangerous to drive at night. upon doing some research, i discovered that others with this year and model had the same problem. this was not wear and tear. this was a defect and should have been recalled. when i had the headlight assemblies replaced, i requested the old ones and i have them in my possession. one photo shows the headlights on my car in a parking ramp next to another car with its headlights on. my car is on the left. you can’t even tell the lights are on.

Vehicle will not start. engine and ignition replaced due to bearing wear recall. transmission replaced 2 weeks ago for rebuilt one, and now car won't start. it's been 2 days and kia has not been able to tell me what is wrong with it. the reason i wanted to submit this complaint is because i believe there should be a recall on transmissions installed in these vehicles. kia wanted me to wait from 10 sep to mid dec because these transmissions are on back order. which means there's so much demand that dec is the earliest they could receive it. their shop is full, mostly of these cars (optima). they expected me to wait 3 months without a car in order to give them time. it just boggles my mind that they could do this. the craziest thing is that expect everyone to wait this long. i talked to 3 different costumers who are all having the same exact problem with the same cars, and they were told the same thing. i purchased this vehicle in 2014 used, only one previous owner, never had any accidents, now has 111,000+ miles. always did all maintenance checks, oil & filter changes, tune ups, fluids change and yearly inspections. only used for going to work and coming home 5 days a week (approx. 54 miles per day). i decided to repair transmission at other place & ended up saving $1100. kia wanted to charge $2,700 for rebuild transmission & found a guy that charged me $1,600 for rebuild one. kia never gave me quote copy. just told me over the phone. how convenient! guy told me the way these transmissions were built it's simply bad engineering. and showed me the part of the transmission that broke. would upload the documents , but i left in my car! can still provide them though! the safety issue was that the transmission went out while driving at 65 mph on a busy highway in houston! the car simply died on the middle of the highway. so i can only assume you know what that feels like!

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle stalled and black smoke emerged from the engine compartment. in addition, the check engine and tire pressure warning indicators illuminated. the contact pulled over, exited the vehicle, and noticed flames under the hood. the contact used a towel and a bottle of water to extinguish the fire. the fire department was called, but arrived after the fire was extinguished. the vehicle was towed to the dealer (courtesy kia of brandon, 9205 e adamo, tampa, fl 33619) where it was diagnosed that the engine block failed and the engine needed replacement. the contact also mentioned that the vehicle was at the dealer for an evaluation per nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). the dealer stated that it was ok to drive the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and case number: 12673181 was opened. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

My car is not speeding up.engine problem and the engine is heating up turbocharger, gasket-exhaust pipe, gasket-exaust manif, intercooler

Turbocharger, gasket-exhaust pipe, gasket-exaust man if, intercooler i'm having the the engine problem want to find out if this car was recall,

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving various speeds, the air bag warning indicator illuminated and remained lit. the contact stated that the vehicle exhibited the same symptoms as listed in nhtsa campaign number: 18v363000 (air bags). the vehicle was taken to lawrence kia (1225 e 23rd st, lawrence, ks 66046, 785-856-8700), but was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and was unable to assist. the failure mileage was approximately 185,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. the contact was able to coast the vehicle to the side of the road. the contact powered off the engine and the vehicle failed to restart. in addition, on several occasions, the vehicle failed to start when the ignition switch was started. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). the manufacturer was not contacted. the approximate failure mileage was 106,018.

Traction control light started turning on in april 2018 while driving on a city street causing the steering to lock and making it difficult to drive. had to pull over turn car on and off. light turned off and car was able to drive normally again. light continued to come on and off but recently started happening more frequently. took it to kia and was told it was an internal malfunction of the steering column assembly (see paperwork). if i was driving on the freeway who knows what could have happened with the steering wheel locking while driving.

Strong smell of raw fuel near left rear (driver side) of vehicle when ambient temperature outside exceeds 100 degrees. the smell is noticed when the vehicle is parked after driving. it was first noticed when the vehicle had about 50,000 miles on it and the vehicle was taken to henderson kia for servicing. they said they could not reproduce the issue.

Was driving on a city street. came to a stop at a stop light. proceeded to go on green and on a main busy road my car shut down completely and all my lights came on in my vehicle. as i pulled over onto a side street my car began to smoke and smell like it was burning. my car would not start back up.. had to have it towed to 2 different shops. it is currently at the dealership waiting on a new engine and we have been for over 2 months now. getting very aggravated as nobody can tell me when my car will be done. the dealership keeps telling me they cant find an engine for it. which i find a little ridiculous. somebody needs to tell me something or pay me blue book value for my car and keep it. this is not my fault as this a recall on my car that seems to be an issue all over with them.

While driving,steering column starts rattling. gets worse going over bumps. had steering column replaced 11 months ago. this week 7/1/8, the column started rattling again. mechanic stated it might be a coupling in the column going bad again.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving 50 mph, the engine stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer (doral kia, 10155 nw 12th st, doral, fl 33172, (305) 520-5592)and was awaiting diagnostic testing and repairs. the manufacturer was notified and informed the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. the failure mileage was 91,500.

There is a clicking noise first heard in the steering wheel to where the steering box flexible coupler is braking apart inside the steering box. if this was not fixed it could be a total failure to where you could lose your steering all together. kia is aware of this and is fixing it for free. why isnt this listed on you site as a recall as someone's life could be in jeopardy over this issue.

Their are numerous complaints i have read on this site about knocking and banging noises in the steering column. i now have this in my kia optima 2011 with 48k miles. why is their no recall? it seem to me its a big safety issue so off the the dealer i go to empty out my wallet.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the low beam headlights produced very little lighting. the contact called jeff wyler fairfield cadillac kia nissan at 513-682-2500 (located at 5815 dixie hwy, fairfield, oh 45014) and was informed that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted and stated that there was no recall for the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

I was driving my 2011 kia optima down a highway when the vehicle's engine suddenly shut off. the vehicle was in motion when this happened. i pulled off the side of the highway and tried to restart my car. the engine was knocking loudly. i called a tow truck and had it towed to my place of employment.

The vehicle headlights are too dim to see at night. online reports mention the chrome reflector inside the headlights fails prematurely. this has occurred with the headlights, but not the high beams. you can see the reflectors are white plastic with no more chrome coating. we rarely used the high beams since we live and work in the city, and the high beam reflectors still have a chrome reflective coating. the light bulbs are very hot and most likely burned off the chrome reflective coating. we have to drive with the high beam lights to see at night, and we are in the process of replacing the entire headlight assemblies so the low beam headlights can be used to drive safely again.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving approximately 45 mph, the engine seized and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. upon attempting to restart the vehicle, an abnormal clicking sound was heard and it failed to restart. the vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was unknown.

Vehicle engine just shuts down

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact heard an abnormal knocking noise and the air bag warning indicator illuminated, which was a safety concern. the contact called cerame kia (11655 new halls ferry rd, saint louis, mo 63033) and was informed that the engine needed to be repaired. the vehicle was repaired, but the parts were not available for the air bag warning indicator. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 103,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal noise from the engine compartment. upon inspection, the contact noticed that the vehicle had no engine oil. the engine oil indicator illuminated. prior to the failure, the vehicle was taken to kia of south austin (5306 s ih 35 frontage rd, austin, tx) where it passed an initial engine inspection per nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the oil consumption failure was confirmed and oil was added to the vehicle. the dealer informed the contact that further evaluations would have to be performed, which required them to continue to operate the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to follow the dealer's testing procedures. the failure mileage was approximately 93,000. the vin was not provided.

Low beam hid headlamp illumination has gotten progressively worse over the last year, to the point at which driving at night with the low beams on is a hazard and the fog lamps are not only required to be on but also provide nearly all of the forward illumination. dealer has inspected the electrical components, replaced the auto leveling module and hid bulbs and cleaned the reflectors within the headlamp assemblies. i have seen complaints online that the reflective material within the headlamp assemblies may fail making the low beams ineffective as the light is not projected down the road. i am not sure if this is the case, but suspect that it may be.

While driving to work early in the morning, traveling at about 55-60 mph,without warning a startling sound like an explosion, once i realized it wasn’t a tire blowout, i pulled over to find a hole in my roof. thankfully i was alone and my children wasn’t with me and no other vehicles were on the road at that time.

The passenger occupant classification system sensor mat failed while the vehicle was in motion, as indicated by a light illuminated on the dashboard. the failure occurred during normal operation of the vehicle. failure of this sensor is a significant safety concern, as it may cause the airbag not to deploy in the event of an accident. this is a known issue in other kia vehicles around the same model year, but there isn't a recall or service bulletin for this particular vehicle.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving 50 mph, the steering wheel shook uncontrollably. the contact had to reduce the speed to maintain control of the vehicle. the vehicle made an abnormal noise during the failure. while driving over bumps, the steering column jerked uncontrollably. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 78,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the low beam headlights were very dim and it was difficult to see the road properly. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer (griffin motors, 11031 perry hwy, meadville, pa 16335). the contact stated that the dealer wanted to charge $300 to replace the headlights. the contact took the vehicle to his personal mechanic. three months later, the failure recurred. the manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. the failure mileage was unknown.

My car cut off in the middle of the street causing a accident

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving 35 mph, the engine stalled and lost power. the contact stated that all the warning indicators illuminated at time of the failure. the vehicle was not able to reset and was towed to ricart kia (4255 s hamilton rd #210, groveport, oh 43125 (614) 836-6503) where the diagnoses was unknown. the contact stated that the engine needed to be replaced because there was a recall on the vehicle. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the contact researched the failure online and found nhtsa campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling) and had not received a recall notice from the manufacturer. the approximate failure mileage was 87,000.

Steering wheel makes a clicking sound when in park or when a bump is hit

Beginning in spring 2017 my 2011 kia optima ex turbo (i bought it brand new, only owner) began stuttering while in motion (as if someone were pumping the brakes). the car stalls and dies at red lights and stop signs and needs restarted. it also stalls and dies while in motion, most disturbing in high speed, high traffic intersections and at 70 mph highway speeds. i will be traveling on high speed interstates and the car just dies and i have to hope i have enough momentum to safely get over to the breakdown lane without causing an accident. the check engine light usually goes on and off at least four times in between each service attempt. it has been analyzed and given attempted repairs by a kia dealership four times since late may 2017 (see attached records), but the stalling and stuttering problems persist. i picked up the car from its last service on 10/18/17 and the same problems began manifesting again. this is now the fifth time. i have no idea what the problem with the car is (unknown) and it seems kia's service help line for mechanic assistance does not either. the most recent time the car was at the dealership for service, kia sent out a national service specialist to investigate the car, to no avail. 1) 5/31/17 - replaced map sensor (i paid $600 and it did not fix the problem) 2) 6/30/17 - tested grounds and replaced connections 3) 7/25/17 - replaced turbo and intercooler system 4) 10/12/17 - replaced engine computer 5) unknown - still problematic - asking for replacement vehicle from kia the car has 91,410 miles and is still covered under the 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty. this car is a major safety hazard, especially when it stalls and dies out in high speed, high traffic intersections and on freeways while traveling 70 mph. kia obviously does not know how to fix it.

Started hearing my engine knocking the night before. knocking still evident, followed shortly by 2 engine stalls on the highway! vehicle had to sit abandoned overnight until a tow could be arranged, which resulted in cancelling an out-of-state move!

Engine light on. knocking noise coming from engine. car won't start on several occasions. engine "rattles" at acceleration and stalled today while i was driving going about 60 mph.

There is play in the steering wheel and a clicking sound. the dealership claims the steering column needs to be replaced at a cost of $1350

Using owners manual procedure for starting the engine. vehicle is parked, transmission lever in park position. foot depressing brake pedal, push button for starting engine on dashboard is depressed = no engine crank & no start ! instrument cluster display fully illuminates & "immobilizer" icon 'light' is displayed on preventing engine starting. key fob is placed on the dash during above starting sequence...placing the key fob in the glove-box override "by-pass" port also will not start the vehicle. this is a very "intermittent" problem & has occurred 5 times in recent 2 weeks stranding us at shopping malls & gas stations. the optima has been to the kia dealership 3 times & service manager claims they are unable to find the problem or have the defect happen in their presence. i see many owners have posted videos on youtube.com with exactly the same problem as we are experiencing. this is very frustrating & unacceptable...especially with winter conditions arriving in 2 months ! please investigate asap !

Vehicle in motion on florida i-10e doing about 70 mph. car started making a ticking sound and gas peddle started pulsating. tried to make it to nearest exit 112 but noise kept getting louder and louder and then there was a loud bang. white smoke appeared, engine and oil lights came on, and car completely shut down. was able to move to side of road and called for tow.

The steering wheel when you turn to either side has a lot of play before responding to turn the wheels and has a loud clanking sound like it's either engaging or slipping, and it gets worse each time i drive it, after talking with a few different mechanics and looking up similar issues the kids optima has a plastic steering gear inside of the steering power box that is wearing out and gets worse and worse of course until you have no steering, i've found way too many people with the same issues and the his can not be ignored, a major accident waiting to happen when driving this car!!! i have went ahead and bought new tires, new brakes new front rotors new float pins for the calipers and the car aligned all four tires and nothing helps like i said it's the plastic gear in the steering power box, it has videos on line of this and why hasn't this been fixed??

Turbo oil supply line leeks

I was driving at 55 mph when the engine turned off. all electrical was working. i pulled over to the side of the road, and tried to restart. nothing. no smoke, no clicking. electrical system was fine. i had the optima towed to the closest mechanic, when tried to turn the crank and found that the engine had seized. oil was full, no over heating warning. i still owe on this car.

2011 kia optima. consumer writes in regards to engine replacement recall notice and seeks reimbursement information. *ld the consumer stated the engine failed and was replaced under warranty. the consumer received the recall notice 17-v224 and requested to be advised if this repair was already completed. updated 09/11/2017*js

My passenger front door keeps going out of alignment. i have had it re-aligned many times. my body shop has informed me that the hinges need to be replaced. this is a safety issue , if the door is not aligned it may open at anytime. i have informed kia , they have refused to assist me with this issue. please assist me with this issue.

Well my 2011 kia optima ex stalled in traffic and was able to push it into a parking lot to be towed, come to find out my engine went out on me. i started to hear a knocking noise that came out of nowhere and then my car died and check engine light came on. come to find out that i have a recall on my vehicle for this problem. i am very uspet to find out this has been going on for a year or so and have never ever been notified of it via mail or anything! i could of killed someone let alone myself or my family! i had to do repairs o n8/19/17 because my car out of nowhere started making a knocking noise and battery died. i had to get a new battery and then have my car checked out which all costed $350 and still died on me and my airbag light is on now then... only to find out my engine was bad. i'm looking into legal action.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact took the vehicle to airport kia naples (3325 westview dr, naples, fl 34104) for routine maintenance and a recall repair for the engine. the contact stated that the dealer informed her that the engine was operable and did not need to be replaced. while leaving the dealer, the contact heard a knocking noise. the contact called airport kia naples at (239) 732-8910 and was instructed to bring the vehicle back. while driving back to the dealer, the engine stalled and lost power. the vehicle was towed back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. the contact stated that the vehicle was ready for pick up after four days. while leaving the dealer, the contact noticed that the air conditioner started to blow heat, smoke appeared from the rear of the vehicle out of the exhaust, and the knocking noise recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the intake manifold was replaced, which caused the smoke. the dealer repaired the air conditioner as a courtesy. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the manufacturer was notified, opened an investigation, and provided case number: 12451212. the failure mileage was 101,958.

Problems starting a few years ago. heard knocking, brought it in for recall, and it wasn't doing it anymore. had problem with emissions. recall was done and i was told that the problem led to engine problems. now engine is burning through oil, and local trusted mechanic says it is going to need a new engine by winter. in research have seen others are having similar problems.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving 50 mph, the vehicle stalled and the check engine indicator illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who changed the oil. the vehicle was towed to hart kia (located at 1361 e main st salem, va 24163 540-389-2364) where it was unable to be diagnosed due to no failure codes. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened case number: 12413664. no further assistance was offered. the failure mileage was 60,000.

2011 kia optima. consumer writes in regards to vehicle projector headlights visibility issues at night. consumer uses high beam lights at night. *smd the vehicle identification number, the consumer provided is invalid. *jb

My 2011 kia optima has gone through 2 engines without any indication of a problem. both time i was driving and the car stopped. i change my oil every 5000 miles. no lights came on before the engine failed, that lead me to believe there was a problem. i will be submitting a complaint to the kia organization shortly.

My steering started making a clunking noise at 62,000 miles it was intermittent at that time while driving the car. i now have 83,000 miles and it is a constant clunking sound whenever the wheel is turned to any position when driving the care and also stationary and while the care is in park. it also clunks when i am driving on uneven surfaces.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving approximately 65 mph, the engine stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was unknown. the approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

March 2016 while traveling on highway at 65 mph and passing a slow moving vehicle car lost power, became difficult to steer and unresponsive. we were lucky that we were right by rest area and coasted safely. inspected the vehicle while and noticed a smell reminding an electrical short/fire. car was towed to kia dealer and diagnosed to be engine failure. the engine was inspected and per dealer it was pristine, kia decided to cover under warranty @ approx 98k miles. dealer stated that per kia it was due possibly to non oem oil filter (nice). when we got the car back it did not want to start occasionally, where it hesitated especially as temperatures increased. noticed dealer, dealer took it in verified battery and starter were to spec. in june on a hot day car almost did not start, set an appointment with dealer for later in the week. next day car did not start, was towed to dealer and diagnosed to week starter. starter was replaced and car started on for one day, the second day temperatures increased and car was dead with similar electrical meltdown, also noticed fog lights were not working after bulb replacement. dealer diagnosed with kia to bad engine again due to tolerances causing friction and more heat. spoke to kia and started a case but they just want to replace the engine again and not discuss potential issues with electrical harness compromise and ongoing issue with engine failing for no reason. this car is scarry and hope it does not start on fire when the third engine fails.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while reversing the vehicle, it independently accelerated in reverse and crashed into a parked vehicle. the vehicle then accelerated forward and crashed into a house. the air bags failed to deploy. a police report was filed and there were no injuries. the vehicle was towed and was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Clicking in the steering wheel with vibration. the only time it doesn't click is when going completely straight. it occurs the whole time i'm driving.

In march 2016, our kia optima seized on the onramp to the i-10 speed going at 45 mph without any warning. when it stalled the car in back of us nearly hit us. there was no warning the engine was failing as in signs or warning light. after getting towed to the mechanic, the inspection found that only 1 cup of oil was found in the engine. the engine had no signs of engine problems or oil leak. maint. per owner's manual was done since i bought the car brand new in 2011. we were very lucky no one was hurt seriously and was grateful that we were able to move to the shoulder with no power. kia did not assist in anyway as goodwill due to fact we were just outside of the warranty. please investigate this safety issue with kia engines.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving at 15 mph, the engine stalled without warning. the vehicle was diagnosed that the engine seized and needed to be replaced. it was unknown if the vehicle was taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. the vehicle was not repaired due to the parts not being available. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 92,479.

Vehicle shot down while driving and accelerating pedal didn't respond. we had restart vehicle some day 3 or 4 times and after that was working for the week or two with no problem .when the same problem occurred we took the vehicle to kia and told them that engine has a problem because while driving shot down. it was still under warranty. kia failed to fix the problem and said that is nothing wrong with the engine.kia said that vehicle is fine with no problem . after warranty expired engine blow out and kia replaced the engine. they asked $ 5900for replace the engine. we refused to pay so much money because we feel that was the same problem before the warranty . they offered us the engine for free and we paid $ 1875 for labor. we made a claim through kia headquarter before the warranty expired. nothing helps.we have to pay because kia engines are not good and it has to be a recall the long time ago. when engine finally blows out it was the same scenario as always before ...restart engine , engine shot down while driving, restart again, driving, restart until we heard loud knock noise

The steering making knocking sound while still and driving and while braking the steering starts shaking and makes the knocking sound. most people said its a plastic coupling that gets replaced for $400 and i can't keep paying that much money each time it gets messed up this is the second time i've gotten fix three months the noise came back

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving 55 mph, the steering column became difficult to turn when changing lanes. in addition, a loud knocking noise disrupted the contact's steering capability. it was diagnosed that the steering column coupler in the steering linkage malfunctioned. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was 119,000.

I was driving my 2011 kia optima home from my college graduation. without any warning the car stalled as i was driving down my driveway and it would not restart. no warning lights came on, the oil was fine, nothing to indicate any problems. the car was towed to a kia dealership where they said the engine had seized. the car had 76,000 miles on it and was always brought in for its regular scheduled maintenance. the only option was to pay out of pocket for a new motor, the dealership would offer no assistance because it was no longer under warranty. i have never had previous issues with the vehicle and have a hard time believing that it is considered "normal" for an engine to seize at 76,000 miles. i was very fortunate to have this incident occur in my driveway because it could have potentially been very dangerous to myself and other drivers if it had happened on a roadway. still in contact with kia customer service but have not made it very far at this point. very disappointed with the 2011 optima, i expected it to last me more then a year and a half, and the kia customer service.

Light tapping sound was heard for approximately 3 days. on the fourth day, when accelerating to merge onto a highway, the car shut off completely and smoke came from engine compartment. car was towed to mechanic and diagnosed with seized engine. complete replacement of engine was only recourse. the car was regularly serviced with oil changes and no warning lights were lit.

Car was running and sat at a red light. went to go... my rpms shot down to 0, battery and oil light came on and car died in the middle of the street. everything in the car worked. lights, windows, wipers..... the car still wouldnt turn. think its the alternator. i think you should recall them and get them fixed. theres alot of complaints about faulty alternators on these optimas.

A flexible coupling had to be replaced in the steering wheel. the cost of the part was $1.35. the labor to replace the coupling was $250.00. i paid a total of $287.17 to replace a part that cost $1.35. the steering was loose causing the issue to be imperative to replace.

Unable to drive straight. pulls to left and right. i'm driving all over the lane. wears me out just trying to drive it. and all this clicking noise going on...why doesn't kia fix these problems? why is it such a mystery?? why isn't this a recall? an automobile that won't drive straight? are you kidding me?

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving over 55 mph, the engine would begin to rumble. after inspecting the vehicle it was discovered that no oil was present. the contact indicated that the low oil sensor warning light had not illuminated to alert of the issue. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 78,000. updated 09/08/16*lj *tr

On march 23, 2016 while driving on 422w in pa during rush hour traffic my car without any warning stalled and died. i was able to pull over to the side of the road and contact aaa to come tow my vehicle as it would not restart. upon taking to my local service mechanic for inspection nothing was outwardly wrong except vehicle engine would not turn over. mechanice determined through a thorough investigation that the engine has seized and a new one would need to be installed. the vehicle has 108k miles on it and has all regular maintance at the scheduled time. i see that these exact same engines have been recalled for the hyundai sonata and that there are a multitude of complaints regarding the same engine yet nothing is being done to investigate this issue. kia needs to recall this engine and hopefully save another family from having to deal with the stress of this situation. i am just thankful no one has had a tragic accident from this occurence. i also find it amazing that when calling kia to get a remanufactured engine that we were told that all of these engines have been sent out immediately to cover the hyundai recall.....

On april 10, 2016 while driving on 270w in stl during rush hour traffic my car without any warning stalled and died. i was able to pull over to the side of the road and contact aaa to come tow my vehicle as it would restart but then die again within 1 minute. upon taking to my local dealership the mechanice determined through a thorough investigation that the high pressure fuel pump went out and a new one would need to be installed. the total cost to fix this issue was $964 which i felt was robbery. my vehicle has 76k miles on it and has all regular maintance at the scheduled time. i see that these exact same engines have been recalled for the hyundai sonata and that there are a multitude of complaints regarding the same engine but yet nothing is being done to investigate this issue. kia needs to recall this engine and fuel pump asap so others will not have to deal with the stress of this situation. i am just thankful i did not have a tragic accident from this occurence

Hearing a knocking noise in the steering wheel while sitting still or moving when the steering wheel is moved from side to side, alot of freeplay in the steering wheel. when you hit a bump there is a loud clanking noise from the steering column and the noise is progressing. this has been on going but it is now getting worse. i've always taken my car to kia for my oil changes and have inquired about the noise and they have assured me there was nothing worng, when i took it to get my oil change on saturday 4/2 they said the warranty expired at 100,000 miles and i told them i mentioned it to them when my car had less then 100,000 and he then said it doesn't cover the steering wheel.

While sitting with the car running the steering wheel has play and makes a knocking sound while moving the when back and forth.

Shortly after test driving and buying a used 2011 kia optima lx, we began experiencing an intermittent engine hesitation problem when accelerating at low speeds. it may not occur for many miles of slow-and-go traffic but, when it happens, it is shocking because the engine feels like it is going to completely die for up to 3 or 4 seconds. this can be very dangerous while turning onto a busy highway or crossing a high speed intersection.i this hesitation problem will occur at random regardless of whether the engine or the weather is cold or warm. we left this car at a kia dealer for several days but they were unable to determine the cause of the engine hesitation problem. the engine has hesitated several times in the past month.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while making a left or right turn at approximately 35 mph or when the vehicle was idling, an abnormal sound emitted from the steering wheel without warning. in addition, the failure occurred after rolling over a bump in the road. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering coupler assembly needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 90,700. the vin was unavailable.

When putting the car in gear, it would jerk really hard like i had hit something. at first it only did it once or twice within a month so it was hard to duplicate. recently it started getting consistent. it would jerk hard when putting it in gear or park. also going down the road it shifted really had like something was slipping. it didn't matter if it was in the morning or afternoon. twice this week, it did it each time i went somewhere. the shifts were sometimes shorter and more often. it felt like it was maybe slipping or needed fluid. i took it in and determined it was the transmission temperature sensor. they replaced trany temp sensor, code p0711. there was no code on the dash, they had to check it in the transmission. it worked.

While taking the car in to the service department for a transmission problem, they did a 360 check and noticed the steering column had play in it and made a clicking noise about a quarter turn each direction. it is a plastic gear piece that is smaller than a quarter, picture will be attached. they said if i didn't get it fixed it would get eventually worse by wearing out the tires or alignment so i had it replaced. they had to take apart the steering wheel to replace it. it was 20 for the piece but with labor my bill was 181.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to slow down. the contact stated that the brake pedal had to be depressed with extreme pressure for the vehicle to stop. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was operating normally. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 40,000.

2011 kia optima battery died the main fuse indicator wasn’t working. on wednesday february 17, 2016 at about approximately 5am on rt97, i was approximately 20 miles from home on my way to work when the car stalled out. i was able to pull to the side of the road; i waited for 2 minutes i then pushed the start button on the dash board the car then started. i then put it in gear and started down the road again i went a quarter of a mile the optima stalled out again. after waiting 2 minutes again i was able to get my car started again i decided to turn the optima around to head back to my home. i was able to get the car home without it stalling. i then changed the battery of the kia optima with a new federated battery the mileage on the odometer was 144,540.0

On february 26, 2016 i was driving to work in my 2011 kia optima at approximately 5:45am on md rt. 695 south i was in the left lane going 55 mph driving with the flow of traffic. the optima was driving normally there were no sounds coming from the engine, when suddenly without warning the car shook violently i lost all power at the same time all the lights on the dash came on. i pressed on gas pedal there was no response from the optima i had no power. i quickly put on my right turn signal to get over the four lanes; i was trying to get to the safety of the shoulder of the road. it was amazing that with all the traffic i was not hit by another car because i didn’t have any power to the wheels i was just coasting the optima was starting to slow down without the engine to power it. i ended up on exit 17 which is security blvd. ramp. i opened the hood of the optima i saw oil all over the engine and oil down around the engine compartment. i called aaa to get my optima towed to the auto shop i go to in new oxford pa. that was about 45 miles way from where the optima’s engine died. the mechanic looked at the engine; he stated that a rod from the engine had gone through the engine block. the mechanic also stated that there metal pieces and oil on the outside of the engine and around the engine compartment. after the mechanic stated he couldn’t find an engine for my 2011 kia optima i had it towed to the kia dealership in gettysburg, pa. the kia dealership stated that they would inspect the engine. they charged me $89.00 for an hour labor to look at my 2011 kia optima. i was told that either the main barring to the connecting rod malfunctioned or the pin that connects to the piston could have just broken. at this present time i still don’t know why this engine’s major parts came apart and caused me to lose all power and put my life and the lives of others at risk.

Hearing a knocking noise in the steering wheel while sitting still or moving when the steering wheel is moved from side to side, alot of freeplay in the steering wheel. when you hit a bump there is a loud clanking noise from the steering column. i was told by my friend who has a 2012 optima that he has the same problem and he was told by the dealership that it was a plastic gear in the steering column and would cost roughly $300 to fix. upon research with this issue i have come across several owners that seem to have the same problem which kia knows about. i feel that kia should correct this problem at their expense before this issue kills someone.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving approximately 25 mph, the contact heard a knocking sound emerging from the engine compartment. the vehicle was driven home and the contact immediately checked the oil. she noticed that the oil was very dark and had a burnt smell. the vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had to be rebuilt or replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 71,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving approximately 60 mph, an abnormal sound emitted from under the hood of the vehicle and the check engine oil warning light flickered. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the connecting rod failed and the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 92,000.

My kia optima (2011) had started a ticking engine noise at around 90k mark and now it's escalated to a lower end was told by service departmenta t about 92k it was normal noise of camshaft and i only noticed it under loads and higher elevation on overpasses. i have been using mobil1,fully synthetic motor oils and a k&n oil filters. this last week i have noticed that it was getting louder.and from the engine compartment. i asked the hyundai dealership that my wife's 2015 hyundai santa fe sport was gettingi ts oil changed@ and yes with mobil1, and they told me about a recall on the motor plant in alabama that supplies the engines of both for those years models had an metallic fragments left un engine at manufacturer of engine and has issued a recall. so i called kia consumer products department and they apparently have hidden behind the relocation to the georgia plant and said that my car is korean duh so that means that the engine is korean. when i called dealership and machine shops both have same parts just a different part # so it will avoid a recall but that is splitting up the division of brands not the place where my kia engine was made in alabama and so was the sonatas. just different numbers. corporate governance needs to step in and take out the blatant disregard for the law and order of faithful owner's of the kia and hyundai vehicles. i have not heard from kia and im in need of the nhsta to get involved. and do an investigation into the hyundai and kia motor plants recall for you and me the consumer products safety commission next step i guess.

The low beam headlights look like flashlights with weak batteries, you can only see about 6 feet in front of car. the lens on the headlights are clear like new ones, but the heat from the bulbs destroy the reflective material inside the headlight. the only way to drive at night is with the bright lights on. the only fix is to replace both headlights. when you google this problem many people have the same complaint.

My 2011 optima had 106,214 miles and was almost due for another 3000 mile oil change (which was done regularly) and without any warning lights, sounds, smells etc. it stalled out while driving i was able to pull in a parking lot. i tried to start it and it would not start. i called the kia dealer that was not even a mile away and they said they were closed and could not look at it. so i had it towed to another garage, they looked at it and said the engine was "shot" it did not have oil in the top (?) they also said that the only replacement engine they could find would be close to $3000.00 and was out of state, so i would have to pay shipping as well as labor. i since have had it towed to my home and have looked online for engines and have found hundreds of complaints about this happening to others with the same year and model of car. i also found that the same exact engine was put in the 2011 hyundai sonata, and that it was recalled by hyundai. kia knows of this problem and has had many complaints that are almost exact with vehicles with even lower mileage and still refuses to recall the engine.

If there is light wheel spin upon takeoff (especially turning and accelerating, such as pulling out of a parking lot onto a road) it causes car to lose power for a few seconds. when this happens accelerator can be depressed all the way to floor and vehicle does not have power and will not accelerate. car also activates anti-lock brakes when lightly pressing the brake pedal while driving over a small bump at speeds greater than 25 mph. these symptoms occur with stability control engaged (default setting when car is turned on) stability control / traction control is overly sensitive, and can cause an accident.

Travelling at approximately 30 mph (had just turned onto road)when engine seemed to accelerate on its own. pressed brake pedal (hard) and did not slow car at all. continued to press brake and also pumped but nothing slowed vehicle. although saw truck well ahead of me stopped, i could do nothing to stop or even slow down. i wrecked into back of truck stopped ahead of me waiting to turn. approx 8000.00 damage to my car mostly due to truck having a sizable trailer hitch on back that busted through a lot of front end plastic, cooling system, etc and buckled hood. no injuries but if would have happened at higher speed it would have been tragic. officer upon arrival also noticed thatbrakes seemed to fail and noted it on his police report. i have since found internet sources indicating that some 2011 kias had in fact has a tsnb issued for unintentional acceleration problems. i never received such a bulletin and have had numerous services performed at kia dealership. also, have had brakes checked multiple times at dealer and delaer inspection never indicated any problems. i hav ealso found documentation online that says if you have an unintentional accelleration, pressing the brake hard is the first step to do, but once you let off the brake, you totally lose brake pressure. who possible would know that ? this accident is totally the result of a system failure of the vehicle and i am asking for assistance in persuing my damages as a result of this failure.

My family was on hwy 75 returning from thanksgiving vacay when we discovered that the airbag light was on. after placing a call to kia, i discovered that apparently airbags aren't covered by the 130,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. now the ignition has an issue. often times, i have to hit my key in the ignition in order to be able to turn the key. i am wondering if the ignition issue and the airbag issue are relateable and need to see if covered by warranty. there are 90,000 miles on this car and i have had it for less than a year. we purchased it used from drivetime. thanks

The steering wheel is very loose and thumps when i move it back and forth. i also hear a thumb under the car on the passenger side when i back up and when i come to a stop.

Hard to steer, along with a noise inside the car that sounded like a loose piece in the steering column. car has 64,000 miles on it. dealer said part is a steering column coupler and not covered by warranty. cost was $332.00.

My motor blew at 102k miles with no warning. there were no signs of losing power, no knocking, the oil was full.... the car stalled as i was driving down the road without warning and wouldn't restart. this occurred on october 29, 2015. i had to walk home at ten o'clock at night and have the car towed home the next day. we then had the car taken to a certified mechanic. he managed to start the car which immediately started knocking. i called back later and found out that the car had thrown a main bearing and that the motor needed to be replaced. i then purchased another motor with 48,000 miles on it for $2,000 and had it shipped from pennsylvania. the motor was installed and ran fine. less than two month's later (on december 25th to be exact, the car stalled while i was driving down the highway (almost causing an accident). i managed to get the car to the side of the road. when i restarted the car, it immediately began knocking. i can assume that the exact same problem has occurred with the second motor. the company who sold the second motor is currently looking for another to replace the one i purchased but i have to eat the labor costs incurred which amounted to over $1,000 alone. hyundai has a recall on this exact motor because of the main bearing but hyundai (who owns kia) will not take responsibility for this junk motor even though they are replacing hyundai's with the same motor. and kia will not take responsibility for the bad motor either because they said that it's "not a hyundai" and it's 2,000 miles out of warranty. i strongly feel i should be entitled to a reimbursement. every indication is that the 2.4l gdi motor is a bad motor. i still owe $7,000 to kia finance for this car while it has drained my finances and continues to drain my finances. thank you. *tr

Was driving down the interstate and the car died after pulling off to the shoulder tried to start the car and all it would do was click. towed the car home thinking it was an alternator or something simple. next morning looked at then changed the battery and tried to get it started in slightly turned over but not enough to start called the dealer to drop it off and they said car was seized out of warranty and needs the engine replaced. after searching on the internet and looking at complaints found that my engine was built at the same plant as the hyundai sonata same engine, which is recalled for this same exact problem . i am wondering why kia acted like the cant believe this would happen when these cars should be recalled also . what can be done here ? i will not let this go it is wrong kia's should be looked into and recalled

Whinning in the front end, brakes are grabbing and and thumping in the front end when you hit a bump. brakes grab and sometimes goes to the floor. and pulls to the left.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel started violently shaking without warning. in addition, the contact stated that there was an abnormal noise emitting from the steering wheel. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 68,000.

While driving on interstate car just quit running. had to pull to shoulder and use emergency brake to stop. car towed, first repair shop said it was an electrical fire. then towed to kia dealer who wouldn't really commit on cause. blamed sludge on motor. have service records. regular maintenance and oil changes.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving 10 mph and proceeding to stop, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to stop. the vehicle began to surge forward without warning. the contact's vehicle rear ended another vehicle. a police report was filed. injuries where sustained, but medical attention was not required. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. prior to the crash, the vehicle was diagnosed three other times and it was determined that nothing was wrong with the vehicle. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

While driving 70 mph on the highway my 2011 kia optima engine shut down and would not accelerate and the brakes would not function. luckily, i safely made it to the far shoulder of the highway only to find that my car was smoking and smelled like something was burning. had to get the car towed to the dealership and they informed the engine needs to be replaced and the starter is also fried. i have seen four complaints so far of 2011 kia optima's with the same issue and am sure i will find more. that seems like too much of a coincidence that it happens so frequently with these models and there isn't any sort of recall. no breaks at 70 mph is pretty dangerous. i have contacted my attorney and hope this manufacturer will do the right thing.

Low beams are not illuminating.. the refelective paint inside has burned off and i cannot drive at night with out my high beams due to the fact that i can't see more than 2 feet in front of my car. the steering on my car started this clicking noise when turning and the steering wheel rattles when i go over the smallest bump on the road. it is also wearing out my tires and causing my car to pull slightly to the left or right.

Can barley see 2 feet ahead of the vehicle after dark. headlights are very dim. vehicle has about 62000 miles.

Suddenly at 89,000 miles the steering column shaft caused a severe vibrations in the steering wheel at a speed of 50 miles per hour. there was a great deal of play and a clicking sound in the steering wheel while standing or moving. the car is a 2011 car purchased in the month of december of 2011 so it has only been on the road for

Left a stop light and car hesitated so i gave it a little more gas. then there was loud metal to metal noise from engine and an explosion with white smoke. able to get into a parking lot and opened the hood to a small fire. found that there was a hole in back of engine and cracked the front. in the oil pan was the attachment arm from the crank in many pieces. there is a recall with hyundai but kia says it is not related to this engine when there is an article stating the engine did get placed in the kia optima. i had just under 100k miles and an oil change just 2 weeks prior due to low oil pressure. this was done at a kia dealer and they said there is nothing wrong but changed the oil at $70 dollars and sent me on my way. where do i go from here? see picture of parts attached.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated and the vehicle got abnormally hot. in addition, the vehicle unlocked independently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 85,000.

I was driving at 40 mph when suddenly the engine shut off. i lost all brakes and steering and luckily was able to coast to a nearby safe place. when i attempted to restart, the engine would not turn over. i brought it to a nearby mechanic and after a thorough inspection starting at the starter, they determined the engine was seized i have done regular scheduled oil changes the life of the optima. the engine only had 130,000 miles and the oil explanation was possible bad bearings from factory in the on the crankshaft. this is ridiculous and when i called kia they gave me the run around with no explanation. its over $4000 to replace with another used motor with no gaurantees that the used install will be any better. kia really needs to back this with a recall. i refuse to pay for factory defective components out of pocket. nor will i continue making payments on a junk car. not only is this costing me hardship but now possibly my credit score!!

Steering wheel has a clicking sound when turning. bought it into a collision center, the technician said that it was a service recall on optima. he knew that sound before i described it to him. brake light bulb blows as soon as you put them in. the tech said there was a problem with the electrical system.

The steering wheel makes clunking noise that you feel in steering wheel, left to right play. the vehicle's steering column also rattles loudly over bumps in the road. it is worse in reverse.

While driving on streets or highways at speeds from 10 mph and up, a constant rattle is heard inside the steering column. a loud clunk/rattle is heard if driving over a bump. when turning the steering wheel while parked, there is a thud and a thud is also felt. when taken to dealership, they informed me the steering coupling ring needed to be replaced. the mileage on car when brought to dealer was 63,000(61,000) when apt was initially made. they told me it was a 2 dollar part but would cost 350 to replace it. the warranty for steering wheel parts expired at 60,000 miles. part was not replaced at that time.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving at approximately 40 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. the driver shut off the vehicle and it failed to restart. the vehicle was towed to a dealer who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 71,106.

Steering column feels loose especially when going over bumps in the road or railroad tracks. going to take it in to be looked at today. it has been doing this for a few months and getting worse when i last drove it on 9/23/15.

Driving down express when engine started to loose oil. pulled over on shoulder, notice a clicking noise and smelled burning oil. dealer found hole in side of engine block. stated needs new engine and quoted and estimated price of $5,875.64 for a used engine with 46,000 miles installed. had car repaired at another place for $5477.06 with 41,000 miles. this shop said the engine had a rod knock then locked up. needs the engine replaced. this is the same 2.4 liter engine that is being recalled for the hyundai sonatas.

While backing up from a parking space, heard and felt a low thud on the steering wheel as i turned the wheel to the left and also to the right. while driving speeds about 20-30 mph it appears fine. it is most noticeable at low speeds >10mph and going over bumps of any kind while turning either left or right. it is definitely on the upper steering column close to steering. making appointment to have kia dealership to look into this.

The steering has 1-2 inches of play in the steering wheel.

The contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel makes clunking noise, left to right play. the vehicle's steering column also rattles loudly over bumps in the road. vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer stated that the steering coupling ring needed to be replaced, $350 repair.

While sitting with the car running the steering wheel has play and makes a knocking sound while moving the when back and forth. took the vehicle to my local garage and they thought the problem was in the telescoping linkage from the rack and pion steering but the linkage was fine and tight like its supposed to be. the tech stated it has to be in the steering column. if you drive over a bump you can hear the rattling in the steering wheel.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. when the ignition was turned to the on position, the engine did not start. the contact stated that the starter required excessive force in order for the vehicle to start. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure could not be duplicated. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000. updated 09/17/15*lj *cn

When driving on the highway 55mph or higher steering wheel has a loud knock and pulls left. it is very dangerous to drive because the steering wheel is uncontrollable. when in park and turning the wheel it makes the knocking noise also. updated 10/07/15*lj updated 12/11/2017*cn

My 2011 kia optima panoramic sunroof exploded like a bomb went off above my head while i was traveling at normal highway speed on a beautiful clear day. once i got pulled over onto the shoulder i observed a bowling ball sized hole blasted outward in the center of the front panel of the sunroof. nothing hit it. everything was normal. boom. luckily the sun shade was closed at the time, otherwise the shattered glass would have rained down upon me at the time of the big bang, and i probably would have lost control.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while making a turn, there was an abnormal noise coming from the steering wheel. the contact mentioned that the failure occurred mostly when making a left turn. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the dealer was informed that there was a manufacturers recall related to the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 98,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while the vehicle was parked, the stop lamps failed which caused the brake warning light to illuminate. in addition, the transmission shifter would not move out of the park position. the vehicle was serviced under nhtsa campaign number: 13v114000 (exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. the contact mentioned that the brake warning light would illuminate intermittently. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 72,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving at various speeds and making a turn, the steering wheel made a clicking noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer stated that the steering coupling ring needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 60,000.

I have a 2011 kia optima lx, 2.4 liter engine. always keep up on the maintenance and oil changes, car is in great shape. i was not experiencing any issues, warnings, no check engine/oil lights, no noises, absolutely nothing. then last night my car just sputtered and cut off while being driven. apparently when the engine cuts off, so does the brakes. there was no way to push the brakes, so i had to try to safely coast to the side of the road, with no brakes and no power steering. i finally pulled over, tried to restart the car and there was such a loud knocking noise, and some squealing noises as well. the car will no longer start either. i had a mechanic look at it today and says the engine is "just gone." no explanations at all. i verified that the kia optima and the hyundai sonata are the same manufacturer and use the same engines. i see there are way more complaints about the 2011 hyundai sonata with this same issue. i will try to notify kia and see if they are willing to step up and correct this even with the warranty expiring 7,000 miles ago, since i am the second owner. i have found many complaints about this same thing for both the 2011 optimas and sonatas. this is so dangerous because there are no warnings, and the engine cuts off in traffic, which also causes the brakes and steering to go out. not safe at all.

My headlights have gone completely dim. i can't see more than 4 ft in front of my car so no longer drive at night. i have taken it to the kia dealership here in orlando and they stated this has happened because the heat of the bulb cause the paint in the unit to peel away. i have not had any accidents yet, but have had a few occasions where a car cut me off and another almost ran me off the road because my light to not illuminate. the dealership said since i am no longer under warranty it would cost me $1200 to fix. i have researched and found some forums where other drivers have complained of the same issue for years and nothing has been done. there is also an issue with the steering. there is a clicking noise and rattling when i drive and hit a small bump. i was told by the same dealership that it would cost $400 to fix that $3.00 piece of plastic that holds that together. if it not fixed in time that the steering would be gone completely. i don't think consumers should have to pay for the manufacturer taking short cuts and using cheap products that cost us tons of money to fix.

My husband and i were on our way to the coast when we passed another vehicle and as soon as we passed the other vehicle we lost all power in the car we were able to get over to the side of the road where the check engine light came on.second try car did start but was making a loud knocking noise from the engine vehicle was towed to dealer it was an internal engine malfunction car was still under warranty dealer replace engine. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving at an unknown speed and making a turn, the steering wheel made a clicking noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the power steering hose o ring failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 82,000.

While at a red light my car stalled without warning. once off major street we thought it was the battery and after charging for a bit the car did start but made a horrible sound. had it towed to dealership and they said there was no oil in engine and was due to faulty maintenance which is untrue. my last oil change was 2/2/15 and was due again 4/11/15. my car never gave a check engine or check oil light, i had no oil spills in my garage or where i park at work. there was no signs of trouble. when i asked what caused this to by all standards a new car all they want to say is that is faulty maintenance because kia didn't do the work. my car went from functioning perfectly well to needing a new engine to the tune of kia's price of $6400.00 they will not honor warranty unless i can produce receipts dating back three years. my car needs a new engine at 63,400 miles? really... *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while traveling at approximately 50 mph and attempting to slow down for a stop light, the vehicle stalled without warning and failed to restart. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who diagnosed that the starter burned out and that the engine seized. the dealer replaced the starter and was not able to diagnose the source of the failure. the contact was informed that a more extensive diagnosis was required and the engine needed to be taken apart. the engine failure was not repaired by the dealer. the vehicle was not able to be driven. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was not available.

The car pulls continuously to the right when riding in a curve going to the right or making a right turn. i spoke to technicians at the dealership where i purchased the car. the issue was supposed to be fixed, but i am still experiencing the same problem. *tr

I was on my way to work when i heard a big pop and realized my sunroof busted open. it was closed at the time it was not hot outside and no other vehicles around me. *tr

The spark plugs in the car were replaced at 44,298 miles (just prior to the 45,000 recommendation in the owner's manual). at 48,269 miles my car was idling slightly off. i gave the car part throttle in the parking lot of my work and the car misfires and cel comes on. giving it more gas, it goes away. i made an appointment at the dealership (kia of cherry hill, nj) to have it looked at. at this point the car was idling really bad. i got a call from the service manager asking about the spark plugs and how i noted they were done at 44k miles. he says all 4 are fouled. i then get a call back saying that the plugs in my car were never done at 45k like they should have been and that they need to be changed. i explained to him they were done, his response was, "i don't buy it." i then said that i have the receipt from the parts department from his dealership for the plugs, and that i have pictures of them being changed and that i even have the old plugs in the new boxes. no response to that except quiet. i said if the plugs were done 4k miles ago, then why do they need to be done again? why would they all go bad? no response except that he can't do anything unless the spark plugs are replaced because they are fouled. all 4 plugs were bad due to lean condition in the motor (possible fueling problem). one of the plugs was missing the porcelain from cylinder #2, which was also missing on the original from cylinder #2 pulled at 44,298 miles. dealership and kia corporate was not willing to look at the fueling or the car further unless the plugs went bad again. also wouldn't offer any reimbursement for the bad plugs. *tr

My car has been pulling to the left every since i purchased it. i took it to the dealership to get an oil change and to register a complaint about the pulling. the car was test driven on the highway. afterwards i was told that this is a "feature" of the steering wheel. it is called a "smart wheel" and there was nothing to worry about. i have always had this problem and i have never been able to get used to this "feature". *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while at a stop light, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was able to be restarted. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 62,887. updated 04/13/15*lj updated 11/5/2015*js

We were in my 2011 kia optima on a transition ramp from one freeway to another doing about 45 mph. as we rounded a turn we saw 2 cars and a tow truck on the side of the ramp we then hit a puddle (lake) that went across both lanes of this ramp. the water slowed us by maybe 20 mph with water shooting all around us. we then saw a truck coming down a on ramp to merge in front of us he hit another puddle and spun sideways and hit a guard rail. we pulled up next to him to see if he was alright and my car stalled. we could smell gas i thought it was coming from the truck and i wanted to move away from him. the car would not start, i had my 4 year old in the car and he was terrified and crying. luckily a tow truck pulled up behind us and blocked other cars from hitting us he pushed us out of the lane. when the car was taken to the kia dealer i found out there is a piece of (plastic or metal i don't know which) that runs down the center under the car, it holds the gas and hydraulic lines up from the front to the back, this piece is held in place with clips ( not bolts or screws ) the water pulled these clips free and my gas and hydraulic lines were pulled down, my gas line broke that was the gas i was smelling, it there had been a spark or flare it could have been fatal. this could also have happened if i was driving in snow. in my opinion this is a factory defect and should be covered under warranty. the dealer said no. so i have to pay $500 plus 5 days of car rental. i'm 59 i have driven every make of car i have never had this happen before. *tr

The roof is rusting just above the windshield. *tr

Just weeks after purchasing my kia, it had to be brought back to replace cracked dash, heated steering wheel peeling, tires wearing on the outside, wiper blades sucked & you could not see out of them when it rain, cracked outside of sunroof seal, pulling to left side and surges. they put new tires, steering wheel & fixed the dash. the service manager stated the specs were within normal limits for the alignment & transmission. the outside of the sunroof is normal wear & tear & it will crack again, stated the sun cracks it! it has been in the service department 5 times! even though my car is still under warranty! i have had 4 set of tires & they wear on the outside, it stills pulls to the left & i was told the alignment is normal. 6 sets of new wiper blades & they say that's not a problem. my car surges & it has not even been addressed! in late september my check engine light came on the day after i had my oil changed, i took my car to my dealership service, they kept it, fixed the 'oil control valve" within 5 miles from my dealership, check engine light came back on. after a week & a half, my 'intake cvvt timing & my 'exhaust cvvt timing! my warranty will be up in the next few months & i am worried about what is going to happen next & then there's no warranty! there should be a recall on optima's steering to the left & on the tires either, alignment! i have went as far as contacting the georgia consumer protection, kia consumer hotline, us department of transportation, traffic safety, the attorney general's office. i have also contacted my local & national news station & will be meeting with them next week. if this does not raise a few questions, i will hire an attorney!! this is not about money, verses what is right! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving 75 mph at night with the cruise control activated, there was smoke coming from under the hood and the vehicle engulfed into flames. the fire department extinguished the fire. a police/fire report was filed and there were no injuries reported. the vehicle was destroyed and the cause of the fire was not determined. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 51,500.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, the headlights were activated however, the illumination was extremely dim. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, who informed that both head lamps overheated which caused the reflector to melt. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 62,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle made a squealing and an unusual popping sound that emitted from the front of the vehicle. the contact was able to maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road. the front tires had seized. the vehicle was towed to dealer. the technician diagnosed that the engine block bracket fractured. as a result, the technician recommended an engine replacement. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified about the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 82,273.

This is the second time i report this unintended acceleration, last month happened on may 4 , i documented in my previous complaint, they returned the car 5-21-14 they didn't find anything, on june 6 again the car accelerated when i was stepped on the brake and ready to put it in park, they told me to take the car to another dealer until now don't hear from them, called kia in california left messages no call back, today a got a hold with another person jenny, and she repeat like a broken record we cannot duplicate the problem but they still keep the car for a long time, i have a case # [xxx] the nhtsa should investigate this, like i explained to this lady engineers should look at this situation not the mechanic, is something to do with the computer, they just follow instructions and their machine tell them nothing is wrong, like i mentioned before in my other complaint this one is the fourth time that happened, what are we waiting that some people got kill to investigate, look at the problems that toyota and general motor had, they wait until people died then start doing something, thank you to this site that we could voice our concerns. *tr information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) updated 1/6/2015 *js

On 5-4-14 i was driving from wisconsin when we decided to stop at wal-mart, while we were waiting for a person to move out of its parking spot, my optima start to accelerate even when i had my foot in the brake, my first reaction was to move the gear shift to neutral and then the engine start racing up the rpm were very fast (was in neutral), at the moment a lady and her small kid were crossing in front of my car, god knows what it would happened if i wouldn't move the gear to neutral. this is the third time last year it did the same thing in july when i was at the stop sign , the second time was this year in january when i came back home from work then i was parking when the car starting accelerating but i was holding up with concrete bar on the ground that is in my parking lot, at that time i shut the engine off, but it was not much of concern because i was not driving the car in the street. next day (5-5-14) took the car to the dealer, and they contacted kia to report this issue, on may 7 at 4:20 pm a gentleman from kia his name was [xxx] called me to get some information about this sudden acceleration and told him everything that happened and gave a case #2706364, then on 5-7-14 another gentleman from kia corporation called me, his name [xxx], and told me that he is in charge of my case now and will call me to let me know about the outcome of this, well he didn't call so i called him back on 5-15-14, (10 days later), he told me he was waiting for the dealership to call him, i went to the dealer and i was informed by ed the service manager that they were doing some tests, he called me later saying that he talked to [xxx] in kia corporation and he gave 11 point of inspection to do. situation should be investigated by nhtsa to avoid any future incidents that could cause some serious injuries or fatalities. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Vehicle was driven a mile to a commuter rail station for a drop off and back home. nothing unusual was noted during the short trip nor had any problems been observed in the days leading up to the incident. shortly after parking the vehicle on the 5th floor of the parking garage and entering the residence, the complex fire alarms actuated and all residents were advised to evacuate without entering the community parking garage. shortly thereafter, i was notified by the complex manager via my cell phone that my car was on fire in the garage. the entire front of the vehicle was burned and was declared a total loss by the insurance company. (allstate). the entire car would have burned if it hadn't been parked directly under a sprinkler head in the garage plus a speedy response from the fire department. an independent fire origin investigator was hired by the insurance company. his professional opinion was the fire started at the radiator fan assembly. *tr

Tl* the contact owns 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while at a stop with the brakes depressed, the engine rpms increased as the vehicle abnormally accelerated six feet. the contact was able to bring the vehicle to a stop by depressing the brake pedal with force. the sudden acceleration was experienced on two separate occasions. the dealer performed a diagnostic but was unable to generate a failure code. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 18,100.

Moonroof on our 2011 kia optima ex model exploded while traveling at 60 mph december 25th 2013 - evening. outside temperature was 36 degrees f at the time. incident also caused body and paint damage to our trunk as well as peppered vehicles behind us with glass fragments. upon reviewing multiple forums on line it appears this is not an isolated incident for kia/hyundai as i learned multiple models made by this duo have also suffered similar scenario's. i'm sure nhtsa is quite aware that the hyundai veloseter has recalled several thousand vehicles mfg. for this potential issue and we're coincidentally made during the same time frame our vehicle was assembled. *tr

Received a nhtsa recall notice regarding my kia optima tires, nhtsa campaign id number:13t009. yokohama tire corporation is recalling certain 7.50r16ry215 tires manufactured 01/01/2006 through 08/01/2011. *tr i have a 2011 kia optima with tires made by hankook/kumho/nexen tires. are these part of a recall? the dealer fuccillo kia, 404 ne pine island, cape coral, florida, 33909 where i purchased the car says he is not aware of a recall. are my car tires part of a recall? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 13v114000 (exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic) and stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall. the contact stated that he's experiencing problems with the vehicle when the brake pedal was depressed, it would disengage the transmission. the failure mileage was 100. the current mileage was 4,900.

Defective tires - after 2 flat tires it was discovered that all 4 had the same defect - bubbling and separation inside the tire shoulder, after appx 17k miles with proper installation and tire pressure. was offered the same tires at a reduced cost. declined and purchased a different brand. *tr

When i purchased the vehicle i noticed it pulled to the left and i brought it back to the dealer and they "said" they performed a fix according to an internal kia tsb-032 document. when i brought the vehicle back for a 15,000 mile service and another tire rotation they rotated the tires and the car aggressively pulled to the left again. i brought it back and argued over paying for an alignment and they said they would do the alignment to correct the problem. at this point, it did not correct the issue and the tires were put back prior to the 15k rotation. since owning the vehicle, i am unable to rotate the tires without an aggressive pull to the left. just today, 8/24/2013, the dealer told me kia had numerous complaints with nexen tires and have since switched to kumho. there should be a recall because kia used a product line that is obviously flawed and now the dealer is saying i have to spend >$1000 on a set of new tires for a problem that has existed since i drove the vehicle (brand new) off the lot. *tr

Police officer pointed out my car's tail lights were out wed night (while headlights were on). thurs, checked all fuses, all ok. did web search to find fuse for tail lights. found instead description of kludge fix of removing memory fuse for several minutes. removed memory fuse for several minutes, put it back in, tail lights then came on when headlights were on. *tr

My hand held phone device stop working and could have caused a major accident. *tr

Sudden acceleration! happened approximately 6 months ago and again on may 10th. going slowly towards a stop sign while braking to stop, the car suddenly accelerates and lunges forward. stepped on the brake but car keeps going. put shift lever in neutral with engine racing and after about 2 seconds the engine slowly drops to idle. no accidents caused because no one was in front of me. very dangerous situation! took car to the dealer on may 15th and they could find no codes present and said the vehicle was operating as designed. *tr

On april 25th, 2013, i drove from the atlanta area to shannon, ga. near adairsville, ga. i stopped a the gate put the car in park, set the brake. before i could get out the car surged forward smashing the gate. i hit the brake, backed it up, put it in park, set the brake and again before i could get out it surged forward. this time when i backed up put it in park i turned off the motor. jumping forward in my story, i called kia and found out the car was on recall. i looked it up on the internet only to see the notices would not be sent out until may 2013. kia. is replacing the part but will not fix the front end damage. they told me to call my insurance company. kia ran some test and said it showed nothing wrong with my car. i would have been run down and killed or in the hospital. all i ask is for them to fix the front end of my car and replace the gate. they still have my car so the mileage is and estimate. i did use cruse control. case #[xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The airbag warning light came on back in november . according to the kia owners manual this means the airbags will not work. i contacted 2 kia dealers in the tampa fl area (back in november) and have not heard back from them. i guess they must be too busy or don't like doing warranty work. now the brake lights do not work, this car is a pos. *tr

This kia has a push button start option. the vehicle would not start and the brake lights were not turning on when the brake pedal was depressed. the computer looks for a signal from the brake light switch before it starts the engine. i disconnected and reconnected the brake light switch and the problem was temporarily corrected. two days later, the vehicle would not start again and the brake lights were not turning on. we used the procedure to bypass the brake signal (hold start button for 12+ seconds) to start the engine. vehicle was now driving down the road with no brake lights. there was also a warning light illuminated on the instrument cluster indicating an issue with the esc system. dealership stated they have seen a few cars with this issue. *tr

I have a 2011 kia optima lx, one night while driving home from work aloud boom sound with a jerk of the car and all power was gone at once. there was nothing,lights out, in and out and no acceleration, then after about 10 seconds all power returned, before and after this there was no warning of any kind, it has happened a total of three times so far.2nd time at an intersection and the 3rd time in heavy traffic, the only way i got out of traffic the car coasted, all the while steering was very hard , had to be towed to the dealership because power did not return. while they were about to check, once again the power returned all on its own in front of them, they run diagnostics, still not showing anything, so they keep giving me no answers, and putting me back into fear. 4 other repairs was made before these last 3 recurring incidents ;vehicle would not shut off with removal of the key; horns quit working; brake light switch, because could not get car into gear; fuse to the phone charger. back to the shut downs the service techs.said they don't know what to fix! and the kia corp. stand behind the same answer. they know how to make these cars what's wrong with fixing these problems especially electrical issues like this! i suggest to anyone who's reading this don't buy a kia of anykind! *tr

We bought our car last year , 5 months after we got the car , when i was driving it the vehicle dynamic control (vdc) light turn on and the car shaking very bad and we can not handle the car right and the brake its not working well, its very very scary. the only thing that we can do we turn the vdc light off, its gonna be ok for couple days , and again it happens. after that i took the car to fairfax kia in virginia they didn't believe me and they said when they test drive the car it didn't happened to them, so it happens for me almost 7 times and every time they when i took it back to the service they said the same thing. i have no idea what should i do, somebody needs to fix this problem, if something happened to me what should i do? kia motor in responsible for that. *tr

First noticed abnormal tire ware on the outside edge of the front right tire, took to dealership. was told that the vehicle was out of the adjustment period. so i had to pay for an alignment. received the spec sheets after. the alignment was out .15 degrees rf, .01 degrees lf, .19 degrees lr, .13 degrees rr. vehicle was set back to factory settings, and dealership blamed the mis alignment on michigan roads. car was set to have the alignment checked 1500 miles later or 30 days. 2nd time in the shop for alignment check and was out . 09 degrees lf, .11 degrees rf, .02 degrees lr, .04 degrees rr. dealership set the alignment back to factory specs. car again was set 30 days later or 1500 miles for another alignment check and was out once again. .21 degrees lf, .13 degrees rf, .26 degrees lr, .02 degrees rr. at this time the mileage was 22300. after the 3rd time to the dealer and taking their advice to give them the chance to fix the problem. in the end , the dealer said that there was nothing wrong with the car, yet every time it was there the alignment had to be adjusted and put back to factory settings. as you can see by the number of degree changes, more than .05 degrees is astronomical when it comes to toe settings on any car. this car has a 100,000 mile warranty, yet kia, nor the dealership is standing behind the product, they manufacture or sell! *tr

I was leaving work @ 5:45 pm and got in my car, but it would not start. i tried for 20 minutes before i called kia ledgen dealership for help. they told me where to put the aux key starter inside the glove box area. after several attempts the car still would not start. they told me a would have to call the 800 number to get a jump or have my car towed. i found a co-worker who gave me a jump and the car started right up. i proceeded to a firestone station and got a new batter ($146.00). started right up and had no problems until my wife and i went to the mall today (dec 28) and my car would no start again. i thought we were going to get stranded or needed to find a jump. after 5 attempts it finally started and i took my car back to the dealership and they said they could not duplicate the problem so there was nothing they could do. after stating that i read about other kia owners having the same problem they decided to keep it over night. are there other owners with similar problems that can lead me in the right direction to get this problem fixed? *tr

Tail lights, dash back lighting became inoperative. this is a safety hazard. this model does not have a smart key system solution found on-line 1.open in-dash fuse box 2.pull yellow memory fuse 3.wait a few minutes 4.replace fuse 5.check to see if things are working right (if not, repeat previous steps with a longer wait before replacing the fuse). *tr

I was sitting in a turn lane, to turn left. there were two lanes to my right for traffic. i was waiting for a car coming from the opposite direction. i happened to look in my rear view mirror and it was completely taken up by this red object, which happened to be a car. immediately i felt a terrible shock and my car was lifted up in the rear and the front end pointed at the road. this car drove me approximately 40 yds. up the road. the air bags did not deploy...none of them and there was $12,000 worth of damage done to my car. i still have lower back pain and severe cramps on the left side of neck and head. of course the driver was dui, no license, no insurance and left the scene of the accident. on 10/22/12 my wife had driven home from florida to tn. she turned on a street heading up a hill toward our home. she was going approximately 25 miles per hour, when an older grey truck coming down the hill crowded her off the road. she swerved to her right and hit a 700 lb. mailbox(cement & bricks) this accident tore the ride side front end back by 4 feet, also buckling the hood and popping rivets in the motor. the air bags again failed to deploy. there has to be something wrong with the 2011 kia optima's air bags. she bloodied her nose and had a gash in her right wrist. there4 is absolutely no sense of having air bags when they don't do as they supposed to. this must be explored and the reason found! thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while driving approximately 40 mph, the transmission exhibited a jerking motion and failed to respond when engaging the accelerator pedal. the rpms began to increase rapidly. the contact was able to maneuver to the side of the road. upon restarting, the vehicle resumed normally for a short period and the failure recurred. the failure occurred three times. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer three times for the identical failure and they were unable to duplicate or locate the problem. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 36,000.

If the vehicle is parked pointed slightly down hill or slightly to the right and sits for 15-20 minutes there is valve clatter when started as if there is no oil. happens every time parked as above. dealer says a fix is not available. *tr

This is update to odi #10453907. optima hybrid still experiencing power loss problems. latest is at cold start, when it starts in ev mode, system indicates ready, shift into reverse or drive, car doesn't move. if we turn it off and re-start it, it operates normally. when this happens, dash icon indicates hybrid system malfunction. at re-start light goes off. dealer can find no trouble codes stored. *tr

I was driving my 2011 kia optima ex on a residential area. my speed was about 25 mph when suddenly there was a loud explosion sound. at the time that this occurred there were no cars or semis near my vehicle. after my 4 year old daughter and i recovered from the initial shock, i pulled over to check my vehicle and i notice the back window sunroof had a hole in the middle close by the shark tale and was still shattering. at that point, i had no other choice and had to drive my daughter to school. once i dropped her off i dropped off my vehicle and a family members house and borrowed a vehicle, since my vehicle was unsafely to drive in that condition. *tr

The first episode was a dead battery. the car had 13 miles on the odometer. the second incident, car would not start, ignition issue, but later started (after 1hr). taken to dealer, secondary to ignition issues. problem resolved until today. would not start again. tried two different key fobs and still did not start. this is the third incident since having the vehicle. i will need to have the car towed for the second time. *tr

Sometime around june 4, on an expressway at 70 mph, it felt like i had hit something. there was a violent slam in the front of the car. i pulled the car to the side of the expressway to see if i had hit something. after seeing that i had not hit anything, i got back in the car to get back on the expressway. i put the car in gear and tried to accelerate and the car would hardly move as though it were starting off in a high gear. i drove toward the next exit at 55 mph at around 3500 rpm and it felt as though the vehicle never shifted gears. when i got off the next exit to return home, the vehicle did not shift into low, it stayed in a high gear. i drove home in one gear and got home to back into the garage, and when i shifted the car into reverse, it slammed into gear. i parked and went inside for the evening intent on getting the dealer to send a wrecker for the vehicle in the morning. i got up the next morning to see if the car was still acting the same way. i started the car up and it drove perfect, shifting through all of the gears as it was supposed to behave. we took it to the dealer and they supposedly found the problem and we left with our "repaired" vehicle. on june 26, while driving the car at 50 mph on a surface street, the same "slam" happened in the front of the car, frightening my wife. she then pulled to the side of the road, stopped the car, and shut it off. she restarted the car and it shift as it was supposed to. she came back home, parked the car in the garage and called the dealer. she started the car on june 27 to go to the dealer, went down the road approximately 3 miles and the same event occurred. she pulled over, restarted the car and drove to the dealer. they now have the car and say they are going to replace the transmission at 12000 miles. *tr

The interior overhead lights periodically come on and go off while operating our 2011 optima. this occurs with the switch in both on and off position and the lightbulbs tend to become overheated.they do not respond to manual operation, but go off on their own and this malfunction repeats several times in a ten minute drive. best-case scenario results in the bulbs burning out prematurely, but i believe there is a real chance of a more serious short-circuit and potential interior fire. *tr

The gasket edge for the panoramic sun roof dry rotted and cracked at around 9,000 miles. the entire stationary section of the sun roof was replaced by the kia dealer. *tr

After 1-2 miles of driving after cold start, engine continues to rev up but car come to rolling stop. as if no power is being transferred from engine to transmission/drive system. then turn car off for a minute, restart and car runs okay. dash icon indicates trouble with hybrid system. has happened multiple times since first incident. dealer finds nothing wrong. causes an extreme hazard when it happens in traffic. *tr

This is the second complain regarding the same issue car fail to start this time the car had to be towed to, and dropped at the kia dealer. at the end of the day we called the dealer to see if they had found what is wrong with it. the technician that was working on it, mention that as soon as the car was uncounted from the tow truck, they try and switch the car; nevertheless, the car started without any issues. he said that they switch it off and on throughout the day, and were not able to replicate the problem. what am i to do? all i want is for the problem to be taken care of. i want to drive my car without the fear of being stranded. *tr

Had just finish bringing my wife home from the hospital, after surgery, and needed to stop at the pharmacy. after picking up a couple of prescriptions we got in the car, and try to switch the car on, but it would not start. i could tell that the battery had plenty of power, but the engine would not even turn. it was almost as if the ignition was disconnected from the rest of the car. i even put it on neutral to see if i would start, but nothing happened. i keep on trying for almost half hour, and when i was about to call a tow truck i attempted to start it again, and it finally turn and started. right now i have a car with less than 20,000 thousand miles that i'm afraid to drive because i'm afraid it will leave me stranded. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the vehicle would veer towards the left while driving at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on numerous occasions and a camber kit was installed on the suspension but the failure continued. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a complaint was filed. the failure mileage was 500.

I was stopped, 2nd in position, at a stop light. i was rear ended by a nissan sentra doing approximately 50 tp 55 mph. my car was hit in the rear, pushing the front into a dually. the airbags did not deploy. i struck my head on the steering wheel. i was wondering why the airbags did not deploy. the front left bumper was severely damaged as the left rear bumper. in all, the car was a total loss. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving, a rock struck the front windshield on the passenger's side bottom corner and shattered the glass. the contact noticed that the molding around the windshield was not secure. this failure recurred on more than one occasion. the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 8,535 and the current mileage was 8,537.

I was traveling 55mph behind a vehicle who suddenly swerved out of the way into the right hand lane. there was a car stopped in the left hand lane, unable to stop in time i struck the black jeep liberty in the rear bumper more toward the driver side with the the passenger front bumper of my car. ( kia optima) my air bag did not deploy and i did strike my head, although i am not sure if i hit it on the windshield or on the glass top. my concern is my seatbelt did not engage properly allowing me to strike my head. and again that the airbags did not deploy. *tr

I have a 2011 kia optima ex, with the navigation package. i had a strange incident which i would like to report. after driving for 15 minutes, i placed the transmission in park and the car immediately began to rev very high. i put my foot firmly on the brake and shifted in to neutral, but it kept revving very high, so i put it in drive and it still revved very high-- roaring. i put the car in park again and turned the engine off. started it again 5 seconds later and immediately the engine roared revving very high. turned off the engine again and then it started normally. my foot was firmly on the brake the whole time and there were no objects touching the accelerator. *tr

This is a brand new hybrid. since initial purchase the car has been observed to steer to left on its own at lowest speeds. tire pressure has been checked weekly and has been maintained as per specs. car still veers to left. on researching have found that this is an issue with all 2011 kia optimas including other models. continuously observed this for next 500 or so miles and then took to dealer who acknowledged the issue but said kia corporate has not notified them of any issue so they do not know what to do as this hybrid car is too new. the same issues has been reported on other kias non hybrid as well.the dealer was dulles kia in leesburg, va . i would not worry about cosmetic issues but on a brand new car such safety issues are troublesome especially when dealers have no clue. dealer indicated these are new cars with new power steering modules and hence they have seen lot of these cases. kia needs to recall and replace asap. nhtsa needs to issues safety research. the car on higher speeds also pulls to left and is dangerous with windy conditions. *tr

I bought the car in february 2011 and within several days, noticed the car would pull left after making a left turn or even changing lanes to the left. thinking it was just an alignment issue, i took the car back to the dealer. the car has been back to the dealer for this issue 6 times, each time they did an alignment. recently i noticed both front tires were wearing excessively, with less than 14000 miles, and have had to replace both tires. since the new tires have been installed, the problem has gotten worse, like it was when i purchased the car. now at the dealer for the 6th time, i was told that kia has new alignment specifications, the 3rd set of alignment specifications kia has had in less than a year. i was told also told that this issue was in part due to the nature of electronic steering. this is unacceptable and an excuse, not a reason. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. while attempting to make a left turn, the contact inadvertently deactivated the headlights when the turn signal lever was pushed down. the contact stated that the end point of the turn signal lever included a knob that controlled the headlights, which easily rotated to deactivate the headlights while making a turn. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technicians advised that there was not a remedy available for the issue and the design of the vehicle could not be compromised. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 1,300. updated 02/15/12*bf the dealer informed the consumer, there was no fix for the problem. updated 02/29/12

Tl* the contact owned a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the vehicle began to decelerate abnormally. after a few moments, the vehicle suddenly surged forward. the contact maneuvered the vehicle to the shoulder and stopped. black smoke then began to rise from under the hood and the vehicle was immediately engulfed into flames. the fire department appeared on the scene to extinguish the fire. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to a towing lot. the vehicle was not examined for the cause of failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure and the current mileages were 7,000.

Purchased my brand new kia optima in may 2011. from the onset the remote start never worked on the first try, eventually it didn't work at all. in aug noticed that the horn wasn't sounding right, eventually it didn't work at all. i took the car in for the horn to be repaired and they stated that it was a bad fuse. 1 week later horn was out again. i returned to the dealer who said they would order 2 new horns as they weren't sure what was the cause. bought the car in to have horns installed they say "we need to order a new module for your car" although the horns were working, i figured the module was the reason the horns went bad in the first place. i call to weeks later, they still haven't received the parts (strange). i mention that now the remote start is completely out they say "we know, that is why we ordered the module" (why wasn't this explained to me??). oct 2011 i spend yet another sat morning at the dealer. an hour and a half in they say we cant figure this out we need to order the schematics on this car...you will need to drop the car off next week. i leave the car for over a week, they call to say they are ordering a whole new remote start system. when i pick up the car the remote start is still working intermittently, the alarm is going off at random and the sunroof will not close. i return the car the following week they say they are not having any problems with the remote start, alarm hasn't sounded and they just needed to replace the fuse for the roof. i am not sure what they did but they did some sort of repair, no prob with either since then. today dec 12, 2011 i have called to tell them that the horns are completely out again, "they say bring her in and we will take a look at her". i have no desire to spend a day at kia dealer once a month. in fact, i no longer have a desire for kia period. i am contacting bbb's lemon law assistance today. *tr

I bought a brand new 2011 kia optima hybrid and the car pulls heavily to the left even on straight roads. i took the car to the dealer and they did an alignment and they say it is within specs but it acts the same. if you let go of the steering wheel for a couple seconds you're on the shoulder. this is a very serious safety issue. second issue is that both driver and passenger seats were bolted down in one bolt out of four. the dealer installed the missing bolts but this makes me really worried about the quality control at kia. what else might they missed? i don't even want to think what might have happened had i been involved in a collision before noticing this. unacceptable! *tr

Kia optima lx 2011 was purchased brand new at 4 miles in odometer. problem 1 less than a month: steering veering to the left an right. had to steer this car to track straight. the dealer performed minor alignment in october. car continues to veer left and right. took car back to the dealer. the tech stated the front end off by 2 degrees and stated he performed the adjustment. the steering problem not fixed. problem #2: car was parked with fuel reading 42 miles to empty. returned to start car. will not crank after numerous attempts. towed the car to dealer. car cranked upon de-tow at the location. but still left the car for why it will not crank in the first place. returned 4 days later. i was advised that the car was empty of gasoline, even when fuel reader clearly indicated 42 miles to empty. kia paid for rental for 4 days ($100). i was further advised that the fuel regulator was replaced and on back order. the steering problems and the stalling issues are significant public safety concerns since the lanes, arterial roads and highways that i have to drive daily are congested. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the vehicle consistently pulled to the left. the contact had the dealer perform an alignment twice and both the struts and the bolts were replaced. the dealer insisted that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle, but the contact believed there was some type of defect. the failure mileage was 347 and the current mileage was 3,672. updated 12/12/11*lj updated 01/23/12*jb

Purchase as a new car on june 20,2011 from kia dealership. first problem occurred within first month. the remote start continually failed at starting the vehicle. when pressing the remote start button the car would not start and the car alarm would sound off immediately. second problem that occur within first month is the gas door on outside would not open when pressing the gas button on the inside of the car. it required you to keep pressing gas button repeatedly before it would open the outside door to pump gas. third problem that occurred within the third to the fourth month of the purchased vehicle is the sound to the car horn failed. when i went to blow my horn, there was no sound which also lead to no sound on the car to indicate that i had locked the vehicle with the remote car-lock. the lost sound to the horn and to the vehicle has recently failed for a second time after recently being repaired by the dealership. *tr

Defective key fobs. they cannot be reprogrammed and you become stranded with no way of starting the auto. dealership has tried four times to reprogram the key fob without success. there is no way to start or operate the car with the mechanical key. can become a dangerous situation if you are in an isolated area! *tt

The vehicle pulls to the left and sometimes to the right. you have to hang onto the steering wheel with both hands to keep it straight. the pulling to the left is more prominent. i took it in on sept 20th for the first time. they switched the wheels but the problem continued. i took it in again on oct. 7th and at this time they told me there was nothing wrong with it. the problem continued still. on oct 9th i was driving off a thruway ramp when the car almost swerved into on coming traffic. i took it back on oct. 13th because i'm afraid to drive it. they still have said vehicle. *tr

2011 kia optima. consumer states problems with vehicle steering *tgw the consumer stated the steering would often veer to the left and then to the right. *jb

I purchased my optima sx turbo with less than 50 miles on it. i got the turbo with 274 hp because it was the closest i could get to a hot rod with four doors. i have send this information to kia in hopes of resolution. the car's acceleration is fantastic, especially from 40-50 with gas peddle floored. here is the problem. the front end rises and the weight shift makes the car feel like you are about to pull a wheelie. at this point i question the traction of the front tires. it cannot be the same as with no severe acceleration. this takes away the reason i bought the car with this specific engine. also think about this scenario. a family is driving this car on the highway in the rain. they want to pass an 18 wheeler going up a grade. acceleration is increased and with weight shifted back off the front wheels, they crash. the car needs either stiffer suspension or ability to change the suspension. when i floor it, the weight ratios over all wheels must not change. *tr

The owners manual, section 3, page 8 describes the "forward and backward adjustment" of the headrests in the 2011 kia optima. the head rests do not adjust as described in the manual. kia customer service explains this as a "typographical error." the problem is that the head rest is designed so that it thrusts dramatically forward. if the seat is sitting upright one must tilt ones head forward to accommodate the head rest or the seat must be leaned backward such that an individual who is 5' 2" tall can not see out the front of the vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that after a storm her vehicle was flooded. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that there were vents on the bottom of the vehicle which were designed to let water out but since it was sitting in the water it seeped into the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 5,200.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the vehicle would pull toward the left. in order to keep the vehicle from driving into oncoming traffic, excessive pressure would be applid to the steering wheel. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on three different occasions, but they were unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100 and the current mileage was 6,425.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked on a flat surface with the engine shut off and emergency brake engaged, when it rolled backwards for approximately twenty feet. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was awaiting a response. the failure mileage was 4,036.

2011 kia optima lx. car pulls to the left at all speeds but most significantly at speeds above 60mph. this can make for very dangerous situations as the car drifts in all situations to the left. if the road is crowned to the left the car will pull almost violently to the left. i have almost hit median barriers and/or gone veered off the road several times. i can consider myself a good driver without any accidents in the past 12 years and this is unacceptable. kia has been notified of the issue and is working on the problem. however, kia has not come up with a fix for this problem. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the rear window was difficult to see through when reversing. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unavailable and the current mileage was 2,400.

Purchased a 2011 kia optima lx on 5/18/11. car constantly pulled left so bad that you would end up into oncoming traffic on a two lane road in you didn't continually correct to the right. had the dealer align vehicle to factory specs with no change. took car back to dealer who realigned to new specs received from kia tech support. vehicle now only has a tendency to pull left but will drift left if you take your hands off of the steering wheel. dealer test drove the car again and claims the vehicle drives better than a new one on the lot. dealer said they couldn't do anything else for me and referred me to kia consumer relations. *tr

My 2011 kia optima pulls left and the dealer states this is normal operation. the vehicle meets factory alignment specs but still pulls hard to the left. *tr

On 04/15/2011 our 2011 kia optima was damaged by mice eating wires in the engine compartment. we need an engine harness replaced. dealer told us that the part is not in the us. they also tell us that they don't know when it will be found. on 5/3/2011 we were told that it might be available on 6/112011. this car has approx. 1050 miles. the service manager at the dealer has been great in keeping us updated. our problem is with the lax attitude i received from kia cs, and the "parts manager of the region" from nj that called me and told me that we just have to wait. while we make out monthly lease payments to kia. how is that a company can have no parts to repair a brand new vehicle and still make money from us? *tr

I purchased a 2011 kia optima ex on 12/28/10 from kia country of savannah. kia country obtained the auto from an orlando kia dealer and drive it 269 miles to savannah where i took delivery. the steering pulls/drifts left while driving. it has drifted since i purchased it. kia country attempted to fix it, but it still drifts left. kia corporate has been notified, and are non responsive. *tr

Car pulls to the left. *tr

I am also having the left pull issue with my 2011 kia optima. i alerted the dealer as soon as it left the lot and took the car in for service on 5/2/11. spoke with the service tech today (5/4) and he said that all of the alignment specs were within factory standards but the car is still pulling left. currently awaiting guidance from kia's corporate engineers. this presents a clear danger as the car will switch lanes unless constant pressure is put on the steering wheel. *tr

When i bought the 2011 kia optima ex i went around the block and came back to the kia dealer because the vehicle was pulling to the left. the dealer technician looked at it and i left. i came back a week later for the same issue so dealer did a wheel alignment that did not resolve the issue. i contacted kia directly and they sent a district manager to look at it. later on kia sent a district technician to look at it and re-do the wheel alignment. the vehicle is still pulling to the left and it is very dangerous. i understood by other kia dealers that it is an issue with a lot of 2011 kia optima's.

On 4/11/11, we were driving to work and had gone four miles from our house, when we thought we had hit a deer! the car made a very loud sound and lurched violently, at highway speed, frightening us both. the lurching was so violent that it may well have caused other damage. we were extremely fortunate not to have crashed. we then found that the car would not shift gear. the transmission had gone out of our 2011 kia optima ex. we bought the kia new at o¿brien auto park in champaign, illinois, on 1/8/11. the car had 3600 miles on it at the time of the catastrophic failure. this was our first kia purchase, and we are very disappointed. needless to say, we were shocked by this dangerous occurrence! we very easily could have had tragic consequences for us and our fellow commuters. we are no longer confident in this vehicle. we find this totally unsatisfactory and asked kia to replace our vehicle with an identical one. kia refused, basically saying ¿we don¿t own it anymore¿. they did replace the transmission.

2011 kia optima pulls to left all the time. i have had it back to the dealer four times and they state nothing is wrong and it is within alignment specs. the car will change lanes if you let go of the steering wheel. you have to hold tension on the steering wheel so that it will stay straight. this is the worst car i have ever driven on the highway. i drive 50 miles one way to work and by the time i get to work my arm hurts. this car is a danger on the highway and the dealer told me they are not authorized to do anything more for me. i sure hope this gets looked into before someone gets hurt or dies because of this. if someone would let go of the steering wheel for a second the car could cross over into on coming traffic. *tr

Upon driving home from taking delivery of my new 2011 kia optima on 2/11/11, my husband i noticed that the vehicle pulls to the left substantially. if you loosen the grip of the wheel the car immediately pulls to the left. i have had the vehicle in for service on 2/18, 3/5 and 3/14. each time i have received the car back from the dealer, they indicate that it is within kia specs and is ¿tracking¿ straight. i picked the vehicle up last night and the vehicle is still pulling to the left. *tr

Tl*the contact owns 2011 kia optima. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked on an incline when it rolled backwards. the manufacturer stated that the manual brake should always be applied in a manual vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the vehicle was operating normally. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 500 and the current mileage was 626.

Car pulls to left 100% of the time. car has been inspected by kia service and meets all factory specs. this appears to be a design flaw. kia requires all 2011 optima's to be realigned prior to being sold. customer service rep. said that one of her tec. reps. drives a 2011 optima and it also pulls left.

Purchased a new 2011 kia optima sx with premium touring package. the car has pulled to the left since i bought it. seems to be more noticeable the faster you go. at highway speeds on a straight road i will be in the next lane in a second or two upon letting go of the steering regardless of which side of the road crown i am on. i also noticed the steering wheel does shift left during this and is off center. *tr

It's happening on my brand new 2011 kia optima. i drive an hour to work both ways, so any problem with a vehicle can easily present itself. on my first day of work, i realized the car pulled left. i thought it could have been in my head or simply the crown of the road. after a few days of ignorantly thinking it was just me, i noticed that when i let go of the steering wheel, it holds slightly left. thus, the car pulls left. it does this about 85 percent of the time. i took it into the dealership and waited three hours. they adjusted the alignment and rotated the tires but to no avail. the car still pulled left. i took it in five days later. they gave me a loaner car for two days while they tried to figure out the problem. they call me and said it was fixed because they readjusted the steering wheel and replaced a tire (and realigned it again). i go and pick it up, take it on the highway, and the problem still exists. i take it back to the dealer and their head technician rides with me because they thought i was crazy (they never took it on the highway). he sees the problem and couldn't believe the car pulled like that. he said something was definitely wrong. the service manager then tells me to take the car home for the weekend and we'd set something up. i refused to drive it unless it was fixed so i am still with the loaner car five days later. i am still waiting to hear back. i've almost been in one wreck already because of the heavy left pull. it's extremely dangerous considering the types of roads i must drive on everyday. *tr

Since the day the car was driven off the lot, on the expressway, it pulled to the left. brought it to the dealer, and an alignment was performed. dealer declared that it was fixed. on the drive home, the pull to the left persisted as it had done previously. returned the car to the same service dealer. another alignment was performed. i specifically requested that the dealer perform a thorough test drive to ensure that the issue was repaired. the general manager promised this would happen, and also promised that the service manager would ride along with me upon picking up the car to ensure that the problem was fixed. when i went to pick up the car, the service manager had left for the day, and when i drove home, it was still pulling left. returned the car to service. upon calling the service dept. to see if they had found a problem, the service manager declared that they had found a bad tire, and had swapped it to the back of the car. i had to argue with the manager that i did not want a bad tire left on my car. he finally conceded, and said he would take a new wheel and tire of a new car and swap it with the bad one. drove the car home. seemed a little better, but still was pulling left, and just felt unsettled, with very poor on center feel. contacted kia consumer relations. they sent out 2 engineers who validated the handling problems. replaced left strut, tightened rear suspension, talked about software upgrades to the electronic assist power steering, but not sure exactly what they did to it. drove the car home. car performed better than it ever had, but now the steering wheel is cocked left, and the more i drive it, the more it pulls left again, and is reverting to the very poor on center feel. consumer relations is starting to get irritated with my continuing phone calls. the car has been in to the shop 4 times for the same problem and it is still not fixed. i feel i deserve compensation under the lemon law. *tr

This happened twice.the first time my son was driving the car to austin tx on the freeway when the car shut off while driving about 60mph.the we had the car toed to a local mechanic and after he checked the motor we were informed the motor seized up.i purchased a used motor at a junk yard with 22,000 miles and the mechanic installed it. dec.26 2017 we spent christmas in austin tx and was on our way back on i10 around sealy tx the motor shut off.i was able to start the car up again.i found a kia dealer in katy texas and decided to take the car there, it was about 8 miles away however we didn't make it.i stayed in the right lane driving really slow 55-60mph and there was a loud pop and then smoke the motor locked up.the car is at the kia dealer but i am still waiting for an authorization to get he engine replaced,

Bad part in steering column , the plastic coupler is broken and it makes a horrible sound and with that part being bad it could cause the steering wheel to lock up. i first heard this noise driving to work on the freeway

Purchased a new 2011 vehicle, when we purchased the vehicle i went to the parts dept. and ask that the order some seat belt extenders for me. the manager said he would after 5 weeks i called the parts dept. he told me they have not come in yet. another week goes by then i get a call from the regional parts manager stating they did not offer them. period no and if or buts no. in your fmvss 209 require manufactures to provide longer belts or seat belt extenders to accommodate extremely large people. i was 480 lbs down to 360 but i still need some. i even asked the dealer to see if they would reimburse me. sense i am on ssi. they refused but they did tell me where to go to find them. seat belt extenders, the part that the shoulder belt snaps in to that goes in the latch, i am a large man and have extreme pain in shoulders and arms. with burcides and authorities, dealer refuses to supply extenders, its funny every other vehicle dealers carry them. their lines offer them planes offer extenders. kia dose not and refused to help consumers with disabilities. the parts manager even said when he worked for mercedes the carried 6 inch 8 inch and 12 inch. extenders. i do not have the 40.00 each i need two passangerside drivers side. nothing for the back seat i can?t fit there... the person that i have been talking to is [xxx]consumer s affairs analyst southern reagion. kia motors kais case # [xxx] her direct no is 1-800-225-3193 extension or option 4. any help would be greatly appreciated... i need a 8 inch. parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr