Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| TSB-110 | 12/21/2011 | 10042894 | Kia: some vehicles warning light for the engine may illuminate. voltage should be recorded on ro sheet. use gds for lower mechanical stop of boost pressure. *pe | 01/23/2012 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 03/01/2013 | 18000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2012 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, the tire pressure sensor, abs, and the stability control warning indicators illuminated until the engine was turned off. the failure occurred when driving through a car wash and during rainy weather conditions. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they were unable to duplicate the problem. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 18,000. mah | |||
| 03/01/2013 | 18000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2012 kia optima. the contact stated while driving approximately 20 mph, the tire pressure sensor, abs and the stalibility control warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel until the engine was turned off. the failure occurred when driving through a car wash and during rainy weather conditions. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they were unable to duplicate the problem. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 18,000. js | |||
| 05/10/2012 | 120 | 1 | |
| I bought this kia optima sx in may 2012 because it's a beautiful car, basically with no hesitation. my first day driving it, i thought the steering felt a little different, tight, and pulled to the left and right and very hard to keep it going straight. i thought to myself, well it's a brand new car and has to be broken in a little maybe. about 500 miles in, problem didn't go away, took it to the dealer, they inspected the alignment, said alignment was ok, but the psi in tires was a little off and that it should fix the issue. nothing has changed. week later i took it in again. was told everything is up to spec, and was told i am the first person to report this kind of issue with the car. i go home that night and google optima steering problem...the search engine goes nuts!!! this is a issue with the optima since 2011!!! i'm a truck driver and i can barely steer this car!!! how can this be safe on the roads??? there is thousands of complaints of this exact problem!! when my wife drives it she tells me she can't even take a drink of her soda because she has to pay so much attention to holding the wheel straight!! i feel the same way!! come on kia!!! come on d.o.t. it's only just a matter of time before this car causes a serious accident!! obviously the electronic power steering isn't safe!! so recall it!! *tr | |||
| 05/10/2012 | 120 | ||
| I bought this kia optima sx in may 2012 because it's a beautiful car, basically with no hesitation. my first day driving it, i thought the steering felt a little different, tight, and pulled to the left and right and very hard to keep it going straight. i thought to myself, well it's a brand new car and has to be broken in a little maybe. about 500 miles in, problem didn't go away, took it to the dealer, they inspected the allignment, said allignment was ok, but the psi in tires was a little off and that it should fix the issue. nothing has changed. week later i took it in again. was told everything is up to spec, and was told i am the first person to report this kind of issue with the car. i go home that night and google optima steering problem...the search engine goes nuts!!! this is a issue with the optima since 2011!!! i'm a truck driver and i can barely steer this car!!! how can this be safe on the roads??? there is thousands of complaints of this exact problem!! when my wife drives it she tells me she can't even take a drink of her soda because she has to pay so much attention to holding the wheel straight!! i feel the same way!! come on kia!!! come on d.o.t. it's only just a matter of time before this car causes a serious accident!! obviously the electronic power steering isn't safe!! so recall it!! | |||
| 08/08/2012 | 13800 | 1 | |
| Was sitting at light and went to take off car felt like it didn't want to shift into gear and had a loud rough grinding noise, all lights on the dashboard came one. brake light, check engine light, coolant, etc and none of the gauges were working. i stopped at the store and went to leave the car would start up but wouldn't go into gear, it was stuck in park. i had to get it towed to the dealership to have it looked at. i had just had this same problem 1 week ago where all the lights were on and the gauges weren't working and the dealership had supposedly replaced the fuse panel box but that apparently didn't fix the problem. i think that it's a computer or engine issue. *tr | |||
| 08/08/2012 | 13800 | ||
| Was sitting at light and went to take off car felt like it didn't want to shift into gear and had a loud rough grinding noise, all lights on the dashboard came one. brake light, check engine light, coolant, etc and none of the gauges were working. i stopped at the store and went to leave the car would start up but wouldn't go into gear, it was stuck in park. i had to get it towed to the dealership to have it looked at. i had just had this same problem 1 week ago where all the lights were on and the gauges weren't working and the dealership had supposively replaced the fuse panel box but that apperantely didn't fix the problem. i think that it's a computer or engine issue. | |||
| 06/12/2012 | 970 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2012 kia optima hybrid. while driving approximately 10 mph the contact crashed into a curb, causing the front and rear driver side tires to deflate. the vehicle suddenly stalled. the check engine and actuator warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing however, the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 970. kmj | |||
| 01/06/2012 | 200 | ||
| Upon the purchase of my 2012 kia optima sx i noticed a pull to the left in the steering wheel. the dealership is approx. 80 miles from my home, driving home i noticed the tug and the car's inclination to veer left. i felt a constant pressure on the wheel to veer. i took the car back within a week or two and had the service dept. check the veer. of course, i was told there is no veer. the car continues to stray, now at 3500 miles. the car will be going in for service next week for the same problem and for maintenance. i have spoken to another dealership's salesman who has confirmed for me there is a definite issue with the optima's steering and to date, they don't know what to do with it. i love this car, i absolutely love it, but the pull is a problem. by the time i drive the car at cruise speed on the highway and get back with it, i literally feel tired in the arm and shoulder from the pressure to keep it straight in the lanes. also, lately at approx. 3000 miles, i've noticed that in reverse, the backup camera doesn't always come on when shifting gears. it has a hesitation that has lasted as long as 30 - 40 seconds before i can see behind the car. anyone who has driven the optima knows, you can't see anything behind you in that car due to the low sitting seats and higher trunk - it has to be tall to see it behind you. i'm taking the car to a different dealership for service next time, from there, i'll decide as to what happens next as far as keeping this car. | |||