Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||
| 06/01/2009 | 175000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2001 kia optima. the contact stated that the vehicle surged forward while it was stopped. the contact applied excessive pressure to the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact also stated that the rear brakes intermittently seized. the manufacturer was made aware of the failures and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 175,000. sm. | |||
| 09/27/2010 | 50000 | ||
| The front frame and many components of my 2001 kia optima have completely rusted out. it currently has 50000 miles on it and has had many problems since i purchased it. check engine light is pretty much on every day. i was told it was something to do with the gas cap, although that never really came up as the reason, there was more than that- resulting in multiple repairs. the o2 sensor has gone twice, the brakes have corroded so badly my repairman had to hit them off to remove them. i had to replace all of the brake lines since they all rusted out. the airbag light goes on and stays on and noone can figure out why. the silver trim on the back window has fallen off. the paint comes off in random places making weird spots of primer show. the transmission has almost caused an accident numerous times because the car would not accelerate from a stop. speed sensor was replaced twice. the same headlight goes out almost monthly and is almost impossible to put in and find in stores. door locks will lock and unlock on their own, locking me in or out of the car. the windows have very weak motors that barely roll up or down. this is a car i bought from a dealership and am still making payments on it. i have taken excellent care of it. i have brought it in for regular service and have spent more than the car is worth on repairs while still making car payments and keeping full coverage insurance. i am very upset because the frame has rotted out and i was told to junk the vehicle by bill dodge kia service and then again by the gentleman doing my state inspection today. kia states there is no recall currently on my vin #. i find that difficult to understand. i believe this vehicle should be replaced or all the parts that have corroded should be completely replaced free of charge by kia motor co. | |||
| 03/16/2006 | 14000 | 1 | |
| Since purchasing my 2001 kia optima, i have had nothing but difficulty. i purchased an extended warranty at the dealership i purchased it from in case i needed repairs. i got my money's worth. but the problems i had are common problems with the vehicle, locks not working, windows not rolling up, paint peeling off, transmission problems, check engine light constantly on, decreased acceleration, heat surges when gas pedal released and pressed and the list goes on. it is not hard to find other kia owners with the same problems. the repair that bothers me the most is the complete transmission it needs. there is 41,000 miles on the vehicle. common problems that are widely known and should be repaired at an authorized dealer at kia motor company's expense. *tr | |||
| 04/06/2007 | 0 | 3 | 07/30/2006 |
| I have safety concerns regarding this vehicle. i was driving on the highway when engine dropped into 3rd gear and wouldn't get out of it. i had it diagnosed at the auto parts store and the speed sensors were shot. if i keep driving it like this i am going to blow the transmission, if it is not already blown! i called the dealership where i purchased it, only to find out that they were shut down. i called another dealer to look up my warranty information only to find that the warranty expired 1 month before this problem. the dealership from where i purchased it told me that i would be covered with a 10 year or 100,000 mile warranty. i have only had this car for 6 months. i bought it used, and it has been a nightmare! they sold me this car under false pretences, and apparently, it is going to cost me $180.00 to replace this defective part. i have 36,000 miles on this car, and there should be something they can do. i have had better cars that have run better than this! i will never buy another kia again!*ak | |||
| 09/30/2003 | |||
| While driving about 55 mph on the highway and without warning consumer's vehicle suddenly accelerated up to 75 mph or more, resulting in a collision with another vehicle. driver sustained minor injuries, was not transported by ambulance nor was there any fatality. *ak | |||
| Consumer noticed rpms changing while set on one speed. soon after vehicle would surge. dealer has been contacted, and technician noticed that computer chip needed to be replaced. please provide furthr information.*ak | |||
| 07/01/2002 | 07/01/2001 | ||
| During spring/2002 noticed hesitation of car during attempts to pass other cars on the highway. hesitation/delay worsened over the next few weeks. it then developed hesitation after starting the car and would at times stall or suddenly lunge as accelerator depressed. this became a fairly common problem when starting the engine when cold. after a few minutes with the engine warmed-up it seems to run fairly well with exception of the hesitation/stalling sensation when passing. the car was returned to the dealer to fix the problem on july 18. initially, they believed it was the computer, an air sensor or fuel delivery problem. however, kia now states the problem is a software problem linked to spring/summer gas formulation. their solution is to make sure the car warms up several minutes before driving and that the problem will go away in the fall. obviously, it will recur next spring. the dealership has provided us a rental car at no charge d/t the warranty. they have been exceptionally polite. kia has been somewhat slow on their end communicating with us but polite and cordial. however, the concern remains with the problem of knowing how long to wait to warm the engine and then when you depress the accelerator adapting to the speed that is somewhat erratic. the car is often parked in parking garage and this erratic behavior represents some concern with pedestrians and other vehicles moving in a confined space.*ak | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - ACCELERATOR PEDAL | |||
| 05/01/2002 | 04/01/2002 | ||
| When car is started after it has sat for extended amount of time and put in drive car hesitates and does not move when acclerator is pressed. have taken to two different kia dealerships and both say nothing is wrong.*ak | |||