2018 Kia Optima Complaint Log

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT WAS NOTIFIED BY OTHER MOTORISTS THAT FLAMES WERE PRESENT UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT AND A PEDESTRIAN EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS WERE AT THE SCENE, BUT THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE IF REPORTS WERE FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO NORTHSTAR KIA (46-05 NORTHERN BLVD, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101, (877) 244-0989) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN ENGINE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE REVERSING THE VEHICLE, THE REAR AND SIDE SENSORS FAILED TO IDENTIFY TWO PEOPLE WALKING PAST. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUNSET KIA OF AUBURN (3401 AUBURN WAY N, AUBURN, WA 98002, (855) 474-9626) WHO STATED THAT THE SENSORS WERE WORKING AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,356.

WHEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE RATTLES AND SHAKES IT HAS A BURNING SMELL/GAS SMELL. IT CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. LOOSES OIL.OIL AT LOW LEVEL BEFORE DUE. THIS MAKE AND MODEL IS NO LONGER BEING MANUFACTURED. IT HAS A KNOWN HISTORY OF ENGINE PROBLEMS. WHY WERE CONSUMERS ALLOWED TO BUY THIS CAR. PROBLEMS ARE ACTIVE AND ONGOING. STARTED ABOUT A YEAR OR CLOSE TO A YEAR AFTER PURCHASE. IT IS A LEMON . THE DEALER WANTS TO DIAGNOSE THE ENGINE, BUT THEY ALREADY KNOW THE ENGINE IS NO GOOD.

I HAVE THE KIA OPTIMA SX WITH THE TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE THAT COMES EQUIPPED WITH THE AUTO-LEVELING AND AUTO-BENDING LED HEADLAMPS. I BELIEVE THAT THE AUTO-LEVELING FUNCTION IS WORKING INCORRECTLY. WHEN WEIGHT IS ADDED TO THE CAR (MORE PASSENGERS) THE BEAM PATTERN AUTO ADJUSTS ITSELF TO POINT EVEN LOWER INSTEAD OF HIGHER. THIS CAUSES AN ADVERSE EFFECT. THINK OF IT THIS WAY, THE BEAM HAS A DEFAULT SETTING TO WHERE IT POINTS TO WHEN THERE IS NO WEIGHT ADDED TO THE CAR. WHEN TWO PASSENGERS SIT IN THE CAR, THE BEAM SHOULD NOT POINT LOWER, INSTEAD IT SHOULD AUTO-LEVEL ITSELF TO A HIGHER POSITION TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOW LOWER WHEN WEIGHT IS ADDED TO THE VEHICLE. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE HEADLIGHTS BY DEFAULT ARE POINTED A BIT LOW, I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP (CONCORD KIA IN CONCORD, CA) TO HAVE THEM RE-ADJUSTED. ALAS, NO BETTER RESULT WAS ACHIEVED DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE AUTO-LEVELING. OFTEN WHEN DRIVING IN THE CAR WITH MY FIANCE (A COMBINED WEIGHT OF ABOUT 600 LBS DISTRIBUTED TO THE FRONT SEATS), THE LED LOW-BEAMS APPEAR TO REACH A MAX DISTANCE OF 40 FT ON LEVEL LAND, AND AROUND 70 FT. GOING UP A HILL. WHEN ONE IS GOING DOWNHILL, THE PROJECTED LED LIGHT REACHES A DISTANCE OF AROUND 25 FT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE 2017-2020 KIA OPTIMA SX MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE AUTO-LEVELING AND AUTO-BENDING LIGHTS HAVE RECEIVED A FANTASTIC RATING. I AM SURE WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE WORKING AT OPTIMAL CONDITIONS (1 PERSON IN THE CAR WHO MAY WEIGH UNDER 200 LBS) THE LIGHTING CAN BE GREAT. HOWEVER, I ENCOURAGE THE NHSTA TO RE-CONDUCT A THOROUGH TEST UNDER THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS: SEAT TWO PEOPLE IN THE FRONT WHO WEIGH AT LEAST 200 LBS. FIRST SEAT ONE PERSON, NOTICE THE BEAM PATTERN AGAINST A WALL ABOUT 50 FT. AWAY, THEN SEAT ANOTHER PERSON IN THE VEHICLE AND NOTICE HOW THE BEAM PATTERN IS LOWERED. I ALSO ENCOURAGE THE TESTERS TO DRIVE THE AROUND A BIT.

TAKARA RECALL VEHICLE POWER DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING 45 MPH ON A CITY STREET THE CAR WAS STATIONARY IN MOTION THEN POWERED BACK UP WITHOUT ME TURNING THE IGNITION.WAS A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE

There is already the theta 2 campaign on my Kia optima but Kia is not upholding their warranty for a new engine. Kia customer care told me that untill my car actually throws a rod then they will not fix it. So I could be doing 80 down the freeway and jeopardize not only my safety but everyone else's for them to uphold their lifetime warranty? Also upon doing further investigation and I don't know how many cars this pertains to but the fuse box in my 2018 actually belongs to a 2016 which if you look it up yes they are comparable but don't offer all the same functions or power that my 2018 needs to run I fully believe Kia knew this when they were being built on the factory line because it just so happens that there is about 6 different versions to the pcb relay that can fit from a 2016 to a 2020 k5 but for some odd reason every car got something different why?

THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT. OFTEN TIMES THE ALARM GOES OFF WHEN NO ONE IS SEATING IN THE SEAT ESPECIALLY WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, WHEN SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE SIT IT OVERLY LOCKS NO MATTER THE SPEED OF THE CAR, THUS CAUSING THE PASSENGER TO HAVE TO UNDO AND REDO THE SEAT BELT WHILE DRIVING. THE SEAT BELT HAS ITS OWN MIND.

2018 KIA 12,000 MILES HAD RECALL 2 MONTHS AGO FOR SOFTWARE UPDATE AS I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ONE DAY GETTING ON INTERSTATE IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC MY SPEED AT TIME WAS PROBABLY 60 MPH CANT PUSH THE GAS CAR JUST STALLS 18 WHEELER BEHIND BLOWING HORN I PULL CAR TO SIDE OF INTERSTATE GOT CAR TO CLOSEST KIA DEALERSHIP I ASK WHAT WAS WRONG AND THEY STATED THEY USE TO REPLACE THE MOTOR BUT NOW THEY JUST PUT A PART CALLED A HARNESS ON IT PART WAS NOT IN THEY HAVE TO KEEP CAR SEVERAL DAYS

WHEN I GOT IN MY CAR THE CHECK ENGINE CAN ON. I STARTED DRIVING MY CAR TO WORK, BECAUSE I WAS NOT SURE WHY THIS LIGHT CAME ON BECAUSE THIS WAS/IS A NEW CAR. I HAVE LESS THAN 19K MILES ON MY CAR. AS I ATTEMPTED TO GET ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR REFUSED TO SPEED UP. THE MAX THAT I COULD DRIVE WAS 60 MPH. I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD NOT PICK UP SPEED. SO I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, WHO INFORMED ME THAT WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE IN JANUARY THAT THEY HAS PLACE A SAFTEY FEATURE ON MY CAR TO KEEP THE ENGINE FROM BLOWING UP. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THERE IS POSSIBLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE, HOWEVER, THEY ARE STARTING OUT BY CHANGING THE WIRING FIRST. I CAN NOT EXPLAIN HOW DIFFERENT THIS DRIVES SINCE THE WIRES HAVE BEEN CHANGED. IT IS THE WORST DRIVE. THE CAR IS VERY LOUD IT DOES NOT PICK UP SPEED WHEN IT SHOULD AND IT DOES NOT SLOW DOWN AS FAST AS IT USE TO. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I AM HAVING ISSUES WITH THIS CAR AND SEEMINGLY EVERY TIME I TAKE IT IN FOR REPAIRS, THE CAR GETS WORST. I WILL NEVER EVER BUY A NEW/USED KIA AGAIN.

ON 03/29/2019 WAS TRAVELING TO WORK. ON INTERSTATE 53 SOUTHBOUND CAR WENT TO LIMP MODE. NO POWER. MANAGED TO GET TO DEALERSHIP. THEY TRIED TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE FOR 1 MONTH AFTER THEY TOLD ME THAT ENGINE NEED TO BE REPLACED THEY MANAGED TO CHANGE WIRING HARNESS. AFTER 1 MONTH IT WAS DONE. I TOOK CAR BACK. 1 OR 2 WEEKS LATER CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE AGAIN WITH SAME PROBLEM. FILED A CLAIM WITH KIA AND BBB TO RESOLVE IT. AS OF RIGHT NOW THEY HAD IN INSPECTIONS ON MY VEHICLE AS THEY STATED FROM KIA CALIFORNIA HQ AND FROM KOREA HQ WITH NO LUCK TO REPAIR IT. AS MANAGER TOLD ME THEY DONT HAVE ANY IDEAS HOW TO FIX IT. WANT KIA TO BUYBACK MY VEHICLE AND LET ME GET AWAY FROM THIS LEASE WITH REIMBURSEMENT ON PAYMENTS BECAUSE CAR NOT IN MY POSESSION FOR 128 DAYS AND COUNTING. THEY SWITCHED ME 3 LONERS.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH NO OTHER TRAFFIC AROUND THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF EXPLODED. THERE WAS A SOUND LIKE A GUNSHOT AND THEN A RUSH OF AIR INTO THE DRIVER/PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THANKFULLY I HAD THE INTERIOR SHADE (PANEL) CLOSED AND WAS NOT RIDDLED WITH BROKEN GLASS.

THIS HAS OCCURRED ON 3 TIMES SO FAR. I WAS AT A GAS STATION FILLING UP THE TANK, THE KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION, THE CAR WAS IN PARK, THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING, AND MY CAR DOOR WAS CLOSED. WHEN I FINISHED GETTING GAS, I TRIED TO OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND IT WAS LOCKED. ALL DOORS WERE LOCKED. I WAS 20 MILES FROM HOME FORTUNATELY SOMEONE WAS AT HOME TO BRING A SPARE KEY FOR ME TO OPEN THE TRUNK, PUSH THE REAR PASSENGER SEATS DOWN AND CLIMB THRU TO THE FRONT TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF AND UNLOCK THE DOOR. THE SAME SCENARIO OCCURED THIS PAST WEEK WHEN I HAD GONE OUTSIDE TO WARM UP MY CAR BY TURNING ON THE DEFROST FOR THE FRONT AND BACK WINDOWS. ONCE AGAIN, THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND I CLOSED THE DOORS. ONCE THE CAR WAS WARM, I TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR AND IT WAS LOCKED. I HAD TO GO IN THE HOUSE TO GET THE OTHER SET OF KEYS, OPEN THE TRUNK PUSH THE BACK SEATS DOWN AND CLIMB THRU THE TO THE FRONT, TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND UNLOCK THE DOOR. THIS LAST OCCURENCE WAS ONCE AGAIN AT A GAS STATION, THIS TIME IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT, IT WAS 20 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND HAD TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE FROM MY HOUSE BRING THE SPARE KEYS. THE QUESTION I HAVE FOR MYSELF IS, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO IF NO ONE IS AT MY HOUSE TO BRING THE EXTRA KEY. SURELY, I DONT PLAN TO BRING TWO SETS OF KEYS WITH ME. EVERYTIME I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE KIAOFDAYTON SERVICE CENTER, I AM TOLD THEY CANNOT RECREATE THE ISSUE. I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE. IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING. IN EVERY INSTANCE THE CAR WAS IN PARK, THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING, AND THE DOORS WERE UNLOCKED WHEN I HAD EXITED THE VEHICLE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO GET BACK IN, I COULD NOT BECAUSE THE DOORS HAD LOCKED BY THEMSELVES.

I purchased my Kia optima brand new I believe it had 7 miles on it when I purchased it, shortly after it was purchased it started having a problem with the transmission, I would go to takeoff and it was lunch and jerk pretty hard to where it was very noticeable. I took it into the shop they thought that it was something a computer program could reset they performed that I did not fix it, I don’t drive my Kia very much I barely have 25,000 miles on it right now I am a real live in care provider so I don’t drive very much my job is at home. I have taken the car into several dealerships repeatedly to have it fixed, IA really was at a loss and did not know what to do because I had taken it to two different dealerships and the problem was never resolved. I contacted an attorney they got nowhere because apparently I needed to take my car in one more time within a timeframe for them to be able to do anything about it? And any right, still to this day the car does the same thing it’s been in the shop four or five times for this problem. One time I took it to Kia and Elk Grove they kept it looked at it said they couldn’t find the problem. Every time I’m renting a car paying for the insurance going through the inconvenience of renting a car paying extra insurance etc. just to have nothing done with my car. When I went to pick up my car from the Elk Grove dealership I threw a fit because I was tired of it and I said look somethings wrong with the car I’m not a mechanic I can’t tell you what it is but I need this car fixed, the service manager came out and said I’ll take a a ride with you and we’ll see if maybe I can see what the problem is we didn’t even get out of the parking lot and it jerked so hard at the service manager noted it in the file had me drop it back off and leave it it’s still wasn’t fixed. I took it in again after that the new service manager took it on an hour drive on the freeway hooked up to a computer with Kia and of course it didn’t do anything while h

WHEN REVERSING THE BRAKES TAKE 5 TO 10 SECONDS TO RELEASE, ALSO THE BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON THE ENTIRE TIME OF THIS ISSUE HAPPENING.

TRANSMISSION FAILED AFTER 4 MONTHS AND 3800 MILES WHILE DRIVING ST LOCAL STREETS, KIA DEALERS REFUSED TO REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY.

THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY. THERE IS NO EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE EXCEPT FROM INSIDE OF THE TRUNK. MY KEYS WERE STUCK INSIDE THE TRUNK THERE IS NO WAY TO OPEN IT. THE TRUNK RELEASE BUTTON FROM THE DRIVER SIDE DID NOT RESPOND. THE TRUNK RELEASE BUTTON FROM THE TRUNK ITSELF DOES NOT RESPOND. THE REAR SEATS CANNOT FOLD FROM THE INSIDE EITHER, BECAUSE IT CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED FROM THE TRUNK

TAKATA RECALL. I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE I WAS COMING OFF THE HIGHWAY, SLID ON WATER AND CRASHED INTO A STEEL POLE. THE BREAKS DID NOT WORK AT ALL AND WHEN I GOT OUT TO LOOK AT THE DAMAGE THE BREAK PADS WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET LIKE THEY HAD JUST FALL OFF. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND MY FRIEND'S HEAD CRACKED THE WINDSHIELD. CAR WAS TOTALED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FORWARD COLLISION WARNING SYSTEM AND THE FORWARD COLLISION BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT OPERATE AS INTENDED. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY TWO FEET BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE CONTACT WAS NOT WARNED OF THE OTHER VEHICLE AND THE SYSTEM DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN NECESSARY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (MORITZ KIA FORT WORTH, 8501 I-30 WEST, FORT WORTH, TX) WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300. *TT

TL* THE CONTACTS DAUGHTER WAS A PASSENGER IN A 2018 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE FRONTAL DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER AND THE DRIVER WERE INJURED AND TREATED AT A HOSPITAL. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 18:55(APPROXIMATELY) AMHERST MASSACHUSETTS, 39 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT PARKED CAR, PULLED KEYS AND EXITED CAR TO HELP MY MOTHER EXIT. PARKED ON INCLINE, VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING BACK DOWN DRIVEWAY HAD KEYS IN POCKET AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION VEHICLE TRIED MOVING BACK TO DRIVER DOOR WHICH HAD LOCKED OR WAS STUCK USED ALL STRENGTH TO TRY TO KEEP VEHICLE STATIONARY, WITHOUT MUCH H SUCCESS FINALLY, MOTHER WAS ABLE TO OPEN DRIVER DOOR FROM INSIDE I AM 53, WITH MILLIONS OF MYLES UNDER MY BELT....MOTHER IS 73 BOTH OF US STRAINED OURSELVES, KEEPING VEHICLE FROM MOVING. VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON PRIVATE, SLIGHTLY DESCENDING DRIVEWAY VEHICLE RENTED FROM ADVANTAGE RENT A CAR CALLED RENTAL COMPANY AND WAS NOT HELPED WE ARE STILL VERY SHAKEN FROM THE EXPERIENCE WILL NOT DRIVE VEHICLE AGAIN NO VIDEO FOOTAGE, JUST MY MOTHER AND I EXPERIENCED MALFUNCTION

My cars bulbs have been blowing on a regular basis for two years..some of the bulb connections are catching fire and exploding .Ive changed on numerous occasions but doesn’t matter even with new fittings…obviously an electric problem