2002 Kia Optima Complaint Log

PURCHASED CAR BRAND NEW ON APRIL 30, 2003 - INCIDENT #1: JULY 15, 2003, I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 30-35 MILES PER HOUR EXITING THE MASS PIKE EXIT AT ROUTE 30. ALL TRAFFIC WAS SLOWING TO EXIT - I APPLIED THE BRAKES - WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN - REALIZED THAT THE BREAKS WERE NOT WORKING - PANICKED - IMPACTED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT WORK. INCIDENT #2: AUGUST 8, 2003, WHEN VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE OWNER OF BUCCI'S AUTO BODY TOOK THE CAR IN THE PARKING LOT FOR A TEST DRIVE. AT ABOUT 15 MILES PER HOUR - WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE FRONT FREEZED UP AND THE BACK PUSHED FORWARD TO CREATE A LUNGE FORWARD EFFECT. I CONTACTED KIA MOTOR AMERICA IN IRVINE, CA AND HAVE A COMPLAINT FILE NUMBER. AFTER ABOUT 1 MONTH OF DOING NOTHING I DEMANDED, ON AUGUST 8TH, THAT THEY TOW THE CAR FROM THE BODY SHOP TO BOCH KIA (WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED)AND CHECK OUT THE MASTER CYLINDER/PROPORTIONATE VALUE SYSTEM. THEY DID SO AND ON AUGUST 12TH I WAS TOLD THAT AN ENGINEER LOOKED AT THE CAR AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. KIA REFUSES TO STAND ACCOUNTABLE AND ALLEDGES THAT THE VEHICLE HAS NO PROBLEM. I AM FORCED TO DRIVE A CAR THAT HAS BAD BRAKES UNTIL 2 MORE INCIDENTS HAPPEN IN ORDER TO PROCEED UNDER THE MASSACHUSETTS LEMON LAW. EVERY MODEL OF KIA IN 2002 HAS HAD HYDRAULIC AS WELL AS ABS BREAK FAILURE. SEEMS TO ME THAT KIA NEEDS TO REDESIGN THE BRAKING SYSTEM - OR - PERHAPS TRY THIS NEW TAG LINE IN ADVERTISING: KIA - BUY OUR CAR - JUST DON'T EVER HAVE TO STOP FAST!

RECENT CATROSTROPIC FAILURE OF THE EMERNGENCY BRAKE

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*JB....*AK

I BOUGHT A USED KIA OPTIMA 2002 IN JANUARY OF 2003. IT HAD ABOUT 23000 MILES ON IT. WE TOOK A TRIP TO LAKE TAHOE IN FEB.2003 AND ON THE RIDE HOME EVERY TIME I BRAKED COMMING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN THE CAR WOULD JERK AND SHAKE VIOLENTLY. WHEN WE GOT HOME I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER AND THEY REPAIRED IT FOR ME AFTER I PLEADED AND ARGUED WITH THEM. LESS THAN 8 MONTHS LATER THE SAME POBLEM STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN SO I TOOK MY IN AND THEY AUTOMATICALY PLACED THE BLAME ON ME. THEY TOLD ME THAT I MUST BE DRIVING MY CAR WAY TO HARD AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY APPLY THE BRAKES. THAT CAME FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT MANAGER. THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT THAY ARE NOT REASPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRES THAT ARE CAUSED BY BAD DRIVING. WE'LL HERE IT IS LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS LATER AND I'M ABOUT TO PAY ANOTHER $700 FOR A PROBLEM THAT IS NOT MY FAULT AND MY BRAKES ARE THE WORST YET. OH AND BY THE WAY THE LAST TIME THAT I HAD MY CAR FIXED THEY REFUSED TO SHOW ME THE PARTS THAT THEY TOOK OFF MY CAR. SAID THAT IT IS UNUSUAL TO SHOW THE PARTS TO THE OWNER. I FIND THAT STRANGE. SOMEONE NEEDS TO REFRESH THEM ON THE LAWS. WHEN I PURCHASED MY CAR I ALSO PURCHASED A 5 YR BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRENTY WHICH IS GOOD UNTIL 82000 MILES AND MY CAR KNOW HAS 47000 AND ABOUT TO GO THROUGH ITS THIRD COMPLETE BRAKE JOB. *AK

JAN. 10TH- BRAKED TO AVOID ACCIDENT ON I-59 AT 70 MPH AND CAR WAS COMPLETELY UNCONTROLLABLE-RAN OFF I-59 AND COLLIDED WITH TREE FEB. 14- BRAKED AGAIN AT HIGH SPEED TO AVOID ACCIDENT AND CAR WAS UNCONTROLLABLE. HIT TREE AND ALMOST LOST LIFE. WOULD HAVE LOST LIFE HAD NOT SOMEONE PULLED ME FROM VEHICLE, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED DOWN COMPLETELY. *NLM

FEB. 14, 2003, DRIVING A 2002 OPTIMA KIA AND APPLIED BRAKES HARD ABOUT 70 MPH AND CAR WAS COMPLETLY UNCONTROLLABLE SENDING ME OFF THE ROAD INTO VARIOUS TREES EVENTUALLY HITTING A TREE HEAD ON. CAR CAUGHT FIRE AND COMPLETELY BURNT DOWN. I WAS SENT TO A TRAUMA UNIT AT FOREST GENERAL IN HATTIESBURG MS WITH A PUNCTURED LUNG , SPLEEN REMOVED AND EXTREME DAMAGE TO THE RIBS WHICH I AM PRESENTLY IN PAIN MANAGEMENT FOR AND ON LTD. *AK

NO SUMMARY. DT

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE HAVE TREAD SEPARATION CAUSING A TIRE BLOW OUT. DEALER NOTIFIED SIZE#LT26575R16. DOT# UNKNOWN. MR *TT

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON 7 TIMES WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT THAT CONTAINED THE SIDE AIR BAG BECAUSE IT WAS FAULTY, AND INSTALLED A NEW AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE. ALSO, THEY REPROGRAMMED THE AIR BAG SENSOR SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE LIGHT STILL CAME BACK ON. VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN 2 FRONTAL COLLISIONS IN WHICH THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

VEHICLE MODEL IS A 2002 KIA OPTIMA 4 DOOR SEDAN AND THE PROBLEM IS REGARDING THE DRIVERS LEFT DOOR. THE POWER LOCK DOOR LOCKS ON ITS OWN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DOOR IS UNLOCKED USING THE KEY. THE CAR WAS THEN TAKEN TO GET FIXED ON 05/24/02 AND OUNCE AGAIN THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED ON 01/31/08 THIS TIME COST TO FIX IS $233.16. AFTER THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED, AGAIN FOR THE SECOND TIME, IT OCCURRED AGAIN. I AM CONVINCED THAT THE POWER LOCKS ARE DEFECT AND DANGEROUS RISKS OF BECOMING TRAPPED IN THE CAR. THIS PROBLEM IS UNPREDICTABLE IT OCCURS FROM TIME TO TIME, AND I AM UNABLE TO GET IT FIXED BECAUSE MECHANICS MUST BE THERE TO SEE WHEN PROBLEM OCCURS IN ORDER TO TRY TO FIX IT. IN ONE INCIDENT I WAS FORCED TO CRAWL OUT OF THE WINDOW IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. I FEEL VERY INSECURE AND UNSAFE IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT IF I WOULD BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR WHICH IS WHY I AM RAISING AWARENESS OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR