2013 Kia Optima Hybrid complaints

HEADLIGHTS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE HORRIBLE. WORST OF ANY VEHICLE I HAVE EVER SEEN. APPROXIMATE ILLUMINATION RANGE OF THE CAR IS 15 METERS (50 FEET) ON HIGH BEAMS. ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF VEHICLE SEEM FINE, BUT THIS IS A SERIOUS SHORTCOMING. LAMPS ARE PROPERLY AIMED AND PROVIDE VIRTUALLY USELESS NIGHTTIME VISIBILITY TO THE VEHICLE OPERATOR. THIS CONDITION IS WIDELY DISCUSSED ON THE INTERNET AND THE REMEDY IS 3RD PARTY AFTERMARKET LIGHTING (HID), WHICH VOIDS THE VEHICLE WARRANTY. *TR

WE TOOK THE CAR TO A CAR WASH , AFTER THEY CLEAN THE CAR WE TRIED TO START THE CAR , BUT WE GET AN ERROR " KEY IS NOT RECOGNIZE". WE WERE NOT ABLE TO START THE CAR. THEN MY WIFE BROUGHT THE SECOND KEY , WE GOT THE SAME ERROR. WE TOWED THE CAR TO DEALER AND STILL THERE AFTER 3 DAYS . THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG . I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT , THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG , WHAT HAPPENED IF THIS CONDITION APPEAR IN HIGHWAY ? I DRIVE 30,000 MILES A YEAR AND EVEN THOUGH THIS IS THE FIRST EPISODE, I AM VERY CONCERN REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

THIS HYBRID HAS A VERY DANGEROUS HESITATION ON DRIVER'S REQUEST FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT ACCELERATION. REGARDLESS OF IF THE CAR IS STATIONARY OR AT SPEED A REQUEST FOR ANY SUDDEN ACCELERATION IS MET BY A VERY SIGNIFICANT HESITATION BEFORE ANY NOTICABLE RESPONSE IS MADE. THAT IS FOR ALL SPEEDS AND CONDITIONS. THIS BOTH WITH THE "ECO" FUNCTION ENGAGED OR DISENGAGED. THAT IS NOT SAFE. *JS

UPON ACCELERATION FROM STOP OR LOW SPEED, BRAKE WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED INSTRUCTING ME TO SAFELY PULL OVER AND STOP THE VEHICLE. ADDITIONALLY, ESSENTIALLY ALL WARNING LIGHTS DISPLAYED ON THE INFORMATION SCREEN. WARNING LIGHTS BEGAN FLASHING AND DOOR LOCKS BEGAN CLICKING ON/OFF. CAR BECAME DISABLED AFTER A SHORT DISTANCE AND CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD WHEN IN DRIVE. REQUIRED TOW TO DEALER FOR SERVICE. DEALER SCANNED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND OVER 20 HISTORY CODES POINTING TOWARDS A CAN ISSUE. AFTER VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AND ROAD TESTED, HISTORY CODES WERE CLEARED BY DEALER ON 5/24/2014. SAME PROBLEM REPEATED UNDER SIMILAR CONDITIONS ON 5/28/2014 AND AGAIN ON 6/4/204. DURING THE THIRD INCIDENT, THE CAR BECAME DISABLED IMMEDIATELY AFTER ENTERING AN INTERSECTION AT LOW SPEED AND COULD NOT BE MOVED OUT OF THE INTERSECTION UNDER ITS OWN POWER, CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD WITH CROSS TRAFFIC WAITING TO ENTER THE INTERSECTION. AFTER THE SECOND OCCURRENCE, DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM OR REPEAT THE CONDITIONS. AFTER THE THIRD OCCURRENCE, THE CAR BECAME OPERABLE A SHORT TIME AFTER THE INCIDENT AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN A FEW TIMES. AFTER EACH OCCURRENCE, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED IN THE HISTORY CODE. CURRENTLY AWAITING RESPONSE AND DIAGNOSIS OF PROBLEM BY KIA DISTRICT PARTS SERVICE MANAGER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS WOULD EXPERIENCE AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK AFTER MAKING CONTACT WITH ANY EXTERIOR METAL PART OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TO WHOM IT CONCERNS, I HAVE A GREAT SAFETY CONCERN RELATED TO THE OPTIMA 2013 HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEM. I AM NOT SURE IF THE BEHAVIOR I AM GOING TO DESCRIBE IS TYPICAL OR DEFECTIVE. WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEED, WITH THE CRUISE SET, I FIND THAT ANY SUDDEN AND HARD HIT TO THE BRAKES WILL ACTIVATE SOME TYPE OF AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM. THE BRAKING SYSTEM FEELS LIKE ABS AND SOUNDS VERY MECHANICAL HOWEVER THE BRAKING SYSTEM DOES NOT DEACTIVATE AFTER I REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE. THE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO AUTOMATICALLY REDUCES THE CAR TO A NEARLY COMPLETE STOP (LESS THAN 15MPH) WITHOUT ME HAVING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THIS HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES, THE MOST RECENT WAS 4/10/14. EARLIER TODAY I WAS TRAVELING 50 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, WITH THE CRUISE SET, WHEN IT APPEARED A PERSON WAS GOING TO WALK INTO THE HIGHWAY. I HIT THE BRAKES HARD TO AVOID THE PEDESTRIAN, WHO EVENTUALLY DID NOT ENTER THE ROAD. THE SITUATION WAS NOT WORTHY OF COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP HOWEVER THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM I DESCRIBED ABOVE ACTIVATED. I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE BUT THE BRAKING SYSTEM CONTINUED TO BRING THE CAR TO A SPEED LESS THAN 15 MPH. THE VEHICLES BEHIND ME, UNDERSTANDABLY, HAD TO SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES TO AVOID ME AS I COULD NOT SPEED BACK UP UNTIL THE SYSTEM RESUMED TO NORMAL OPERATION. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS TYPICAL OPERATION OR A POTENTIAL DEFECT. I FEEL THIS COULD BE LIFE THREATENING. SHOULD I HAVE TO HIT MY BRAKES AND THIS SYSTEM ACTIVATES, I COULD BE SEVERELY REAR-ENDED. THANK YOU.