2009 Kia Optima complaints

LATE LAST YEAR (2014) IN OUR KIA OPTIMA 2009 GOT SOME TRANSMISSION ISSUE WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN FOR. TO ME IT LOOKS LIKE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH KIA MUST RESOLVE. THIS IS WHAT I EXPERIENCED: IN 2014 OCTOBER, I STARTED FEELING A HEAVY JOLT/JERK WHENEVER I USED THE CAR AND THE ENGINE IS COLD. THE JOLT IS SO STRONG THAT EVERY PASSENGER NOTICED IT. THIS HAPPENS ONLY WHEN I TRY TO SLOW DOWN THE CAR AND IT GETS NEAR TO 20 MPHR. SO THE FACTORS ARE: 1. COLD 2. DOWNSHIFT 3. SPEED 20 MPHR ON SLIPPERY ROADS IT MAY BE VERY DANGEROUS WHICH CAN LEAD TO MAJOR INJURIES. KIA MUST ACCEPT THIS DANGEROUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT BEFORE IT START TAKING LIVES. IT IS VERY ANNOYING ISSUE TOO, IT IS ALWAYS ON MY MIND WHILE DRIVING WHICH IS CAUSING DISTRACTION WHILE DRIVING. KIA MUST TAKE AN ACTION INSTEAD OF SITTING QUITE. THEY MUST ISSUE RECALL THIS TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE. NHTSA ALSO SHOULD SUPPORT ALL THE PEOPLE WITH SAME PROBLEM SO THAT PEOPLE CAN BELIEVE THEIR SAFETY STANDARDS. I TOOK MY CAR 2-3 TIMES THERE AND EXPLAINED THE ISSUE, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIX IT SO FAR. IF KIA'S OWN DEALERS CANNOT FIX THIS PROBLEM THEN WHO WILL? THANKS FOR READING MY COMPLAINT AGAINST KIA! *TR

I AM A OWNER OF THE KIA 2009 OPTIMA, AND I BROUGHT IT FROM LUMBERTON KIA OF LUMBERTON, NC THE PROBLEM THAT I AM HAVING WITH MY 2009 KIA OPTIMA, IS WHEN I GET READY TO MAKE A STOP MY CAR JERKS REALLY HARD AND I HAVE TOLD THE LUMBERTON, KIA TO PLEASE CHECK IT WHEN I WOULD GET MY OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES BUT THE TECHNICIAN WOULD TELL ME THAT HE CHECK IT AND FEEL NOTHING BUT IT DOES IT IN MY CAR EVERY DAY EVEN MY PASSENGERS FEELS IT WHEN THEY ARE IN THE CAR.I FEEL THAT I HAVE A MALFUNCTION IN MY BRAKES BUT I NEVER WHO I NEEDED TO TALKED WITH ABOUT MY CAR UNTIL MY FRIEND TOLD ME ABOUT THIS WEB SITE.I HAVE NOT HAD NO ACCIDENTS THUS FAR WITH MY CAR AND I HOPE I DON'T IN THE NEAR FUTURE. *TR

WHILE SLOWING DOWN AND BREAKING THE TRANSMISSION MAKES A ROUGH DOWNSHIFT AROUND 20 MPH. IT WILL LITERALLY JOLT THE DIVER AND PASSENGERS. THE TRANSMISSION WILL DO THIS UNTIL IT HAS WARMED UP. IT IS ESPECIALLY BAD DURING THE COLD WINTER MONTHS. THE DEALER HAS LOOKED AT IT THREE DIFFERENT TIMES AND MADE ONE ADJUSTMENT TO THE TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE BUT TO NO AVAIL. I STOPPED BY THE DEALER AGAIN YESTERDAY AND THEY SAID I WOULD BE CHARGED A $105 FEE JUST TO LOOK AT IT. I AM AFRAID THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING TO LOCK-UP AND CAUSE A WRECK. *TR

WHEN I GET AROUND 20 MILES PER HOUR THE CAR DOWNSHIFTS HARD FORM 2ND GEAR TO 1 ST GEAR HWNE IT IS COLD ...BUT ONCE IT WARMS UP IT IS FINE ...THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 53,000 MILES ON IT ... IT SHOULD NOT BE HAVING TRANSMISSION ISSUES ...IT HAS HARDLY BEEN DRIVEN ...I CALLED THE DEALER THEY SAID THE WARRANTY RAN OUT ... I CALLED KIA THEY SAID THE SAME THING ...THIS IS A ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE ... THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ... I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS ...IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT ...IT IS SAID THEY DON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS ... I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS HAD THIS ISSUE WITH KIA OPTIMAS ...PLEASE DO A RECALL ON THIS MATTER ...IT IS GETTING OUT OF HAND ..THANKS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHEN THE VEHICLE SLOWS TO 20 MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR DOWNSHIFTS HARD BY ITSELF. CAR LURCHES FORWARD. IN RESEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THE SAME THING. FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS THE BRAKES, BUT MECHANIC SAID BRAKES WERE FINE. IT CAN ONLY BE THE TRANSMISSION / POWER TRAIN. *TR

THERE IS AN EXISTING RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR THIS MODEL UP TO MANUFACTURE DATE OF JAN 2008 (SC094). HOWEVER, MY VEHICLE MANUFACTURED OCT 2008 EXHIBITS THE SAME FAILURE. I BELIEVE THIS RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THE 2009 MODEL YEAR. *TR

THE AIRBAG LIGHT COME ON AT AROUND 84000 MILES. WHEN THE ERROR CODE WAS READ, IT WAS CONSISTENT WITH FAULTY OCS MAT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE (B1448). IT SEEMS TO BE AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM OF MANY KIA VEHICLES WITH POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS, YET THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL. THE ONLY SOLUTION SEEMS TO BE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MAT ($1700-2000), WITH ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL NOT MALFUNCTION AFTER 10 MILES (THE ELECTRIC SENSOR OF THE MAT CAN INTERFERE WITH ELECTRONIC DEVICES NEARBY). *TR

THE ESC ALARM CAME ON AND THE CAR BEGAN SHUDDERING. I TRIED TO BRAKE BUT IT SEEMED TO MAKE THE SHUDDERING WORSE. IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER SO I COASTED THE VEHICLE.TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES. I TURNED THE IGNITION AGAIN AND THE CAR CAME ON FIRST TRY BUT THE ESC ALARM WAS STILL ILLUMINATED AND USUALLY IS ALTHOUGH IT TURNS OFF FROM TIME TO TIME. *JS

LEFT FRONT INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE BROKE IN HALF DURING NORMAL SERVICE. EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER, RIGHT FRONT INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE BROKE DURING NORMAL SERVICE. BOTH THESE INSTANCES MADE IT DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO EXIT THE CAR, WITHOUT ROLLING DOWN THE WINDOW TO ACCESS THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE. SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY RISK IF IT WERE TO OCCUR IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. *TR

SHORTLY AFTER WE PURCHASED THIS CAR THE AIR BAG (SRS) LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER. SCAN TEST FOUND CODE B1447 OC ECU DEFECT, FOUND POOR CONNECTION AT CONTROL UNIT. THEY CLEARED THE CODE AND STATED THE UNIT WAS WORKING NOW AS DESIGNED. EVERYTHING GOOD UNTIL 10/6/14, 57000MI., 52 DAYS OUT OF BASIC WARRANTY. CALLED KIA DEALER, WANTED TO SCAN IT FOR $95.00. SAID THEY WOULD APPLY SCAN FEE TO REPAIR BILL. (ILL BET THEY WOULD!) TOOK IT TO A LOCAL TECH. WHO HAS A HIGH TECH SCANNER. I DON'T HAVE THE CODE BUT HE TOLD ME IT HAS A DEFECTIVE PRESSURE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND IT WOULD BE AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. I THINK ITS HIGH TIME KIA DOES THE RIGHT THING AND OWNS UP TO ITS ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THIS LIFE-SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

WHEN THE VEHICLE SLOWS TO 20 MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR DOWNSHIFTS HARD BY ITSELF. IN RESEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THE SAME THING. IN SPEAKING WITH MY PERSONAL MECHANIC, HE SAID THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE TRANSMISSION PORTION OF THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY - NEW TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE NEEDS TO BE RE-DOWNLOADED TO THE CAR'S COMPUTER AND THEN THE COMPUTER RESET - THIS SHOULD RETRAIN THE TRANSMISSION ON WHEN TO DOWNSHIFT. *TR

AFTER A BATTERY REPLACEMENT, THE BATTERY SPARKED WHEN THE CAR FIRST TURNED ON, BUT THE CAR IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON. FROM THAT POINT FORWARD WE HAD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, THE BRAKE LIGHT ON AND TWO OTHER LIGHTS ON THE DASH ON CONSTANTLY. WE TOOK IT IN AND SPENT $4000+ ON OIL CHANGES, FRONT END REPLACEMENT AND SEVERAL OTHER ITEMS THAT TOOK ALMOST A MONTH AND A MASTER MECHANIC FROM KIA TO FIND OUT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A WIRING HARNESS ISSUE. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND THAT BECAUSE OF THAT IT WASN'T GOING TO GET REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE CAR WAS NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT, AND THE WIRING HARNESS STILL SHOWS FOUR LIGHTS ON THE DASH. IF A SIMPLE BATTERY REPLACEMENT CAN CAUSE THE WIRING HARNESS TO FRY THERE MUST BE A PROBLEM, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S THE BATTERY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2009 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND SUDDENLY ACCELERATED RAPIDLY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY ENGAGE THE BRAKE PEDAL AND STOP THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,858. ..UPDATED 11/17/14 *BF

I PURCHASED A USED KIA OPTIMA IN MARCH 2012, BUT HAD, WHAT I THOUGHT WERE "GRABBING" BRAKES. I TOOK IT IN WHEN I FOUND A SERVICE BULLETIN TSB-067. I HAD THE CAR ANALYZED, AND FOUND IT HAD THIS SHIFTING ISSUE. I HAD THE REPROGRAMMING DONE AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR, THEN NOT ONLY DID THE DOWNSHIFTING ISSUE START BACK UP AGAIN, BUT NOW HAVE ACCELERATION ISSUES AS WELL. NOW THE VEHICLE "LOPES" ON ACCELERATION - SOMETIMES A LOT . I CONTACTED KIA ABOUT IT, AND THEY SAID I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK FOR DIAGNOSIS YET AGAIN, AND THEN THEY WOULD THINK ABOUT REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE SECOND SERVICE APPOINTMENT. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS NOT A RECALL ON IT YET. IT IS DESTROYING MY TRANSMISSION BECAUSE OF THE "BANGING" OF THE TRANSMISSION DUE TO THE EXTREME DOWNSHIFTING OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT FLICKERED ON AND OFF FOR A FEW DAYS THEN CAME ON PERMANENTLY. I LATER HEARD ABOUT THE RECALL: NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V014000, AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING ASSEMBLY. THAT ONLY COVERED KIA 2006 THRU 2008. IT APPEARS THAT 2009 SHOULD BE INCLUDED. *TR

WATER LEAK CAR ROOF TO BODY SIDE WELD NEVER SEALED AT FACTORY, CAUSE EXTENSIVE MOLD DAMAGE. CEILING REPLACED, CARPETS , KIA DEALER UNABLE TO FIND REPLACEMENT BACK SEAT CAN'T REPAIR, MOLDY SMELL. CERTIFIED MOLD EXPERT SAID ENTIRE INTERIOR OF CAR NEEDS REPLACED, AND AIR TESTED BYE A CERTIFIED EXPERT ($2000). *TR

KIA OPTIMA IGNITION SWITCH ISSUES, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND COULDN'T TURN CAR ON AND WHEELS LOCKED. HAD TO HAVE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH SO SOMEONE CAN NOT STEAL THE CAR. THEY ALSO SAID IF THE IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR THE FRONT WHEELS COULD HAVE LOCKED CAUSING A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. I WENT ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE AND TO MY SURPRISE THERE WERE MANY THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. I ALSO LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE IGNITION SWITCH AND I COULDN'T FIND ANY AT THE TIME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A GARAGE, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000. UPDATED 10/03/14*LJ UPDATED 3/10/2015 *JS

MY 2009 KIA OPTIMA WAS PARKED. WHEN I PUT THE KEY IN, IT WOULD NOT TURN THE CAR ON. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD MOVE SLIGHTLY. THE IGNITION SWITCH AND TUMBLERS WERE NOT READING THAT THE CAR WAS IN PARK. I HAD THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED. I CONTACTED KIA BUT THEY WOULD NOT COVER REPAIRS BECAUSE THE CAR WAS 2 WEEKS OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

THE KEY WILL NOT TURN TO START THE VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY. *JS

WHILE LEAVING FOR WORK IN THE AM, AS I DECELERATE AT THE STOP SIGN, WHEN SPEED NEARS 20-25 MPH THE VEHICLE JERKS HARD LIKE IT'S TRYING TO DOWNSHIFT. SEEMS TO DISAPPEAR AS THE VEHICLE WARMS TO RUNNING TEMP. *TR

WHEN I BRAKE AND SLOW DOWN MY KIA OPTIMA AND IT GETS TO 20 MPH OR LOWER, IT WILL JERK SUDDENLY AS IF THE TRANSMISSION IS CHANGING ABRUPTLY AND DANGEROUSLY. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE AND NOT JUST A RECENT OCCURRENCE. *TR

KIA OPTIMA IGNITION SWITCH ISSUES, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND COULDN'T TURN CAR ON AND WHEELS LOCKED. HAD TO HAVE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED. *JS

I RECEIVED A LETTER REGARDING A SAFETY RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE'S STOP LAMP SWITCH. I SUBMITTED A REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF MY REPAIRS ON JANUARY 22, 2014. I RECEIVED A CHECK FOR PARTIAL PAYMENT OF $101.34. THIS AMOUNT WAS JUST FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE STOP LAMP SWITCH. HOWEVER, I SUBMITTED AN ADDITIONAL RECEIPT AND REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST FOR THE ACTUAL BRAKE LIGHT REPLACEMENT. THIS WAS DUE TO THE MALFUNCTION OF THE STOP LAMP SWITCH. THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPLACEMENT WAS $28.10. I CONTACTED KIA AT 1(800) 333-4542 WHICH WAS THE NUMBER INDICATED ON THE LETTER. I WAS TRANSFERRED TWICE WITH NO ASSISTANCE. I JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION AS TO WHY I WASN'T PAID THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF $129.42 (THE COST OF THE INSTALLATION AND BULB REPLACEMENT). *TR

AFTER THE PROBLEMS WITH THE ROTOR AND PADS WHICH [XXX] SAYS HE DID REPLACE BOTH BACK PADS WITH GENERIC PADS EVEN THOUGH MY RECEIPT SHOWED SOMETHING DIFFERENT; I WENT TO GET THE CAR APPRAISE TO SEE HOW MUCH I COULD GET FOR IT ON A TRADE-IN VEHICLE, I WAS TOLD THE CAR NEED FRONT BUSHINGS SO THAT KNOCKED $900 ON THE AMOUNT THEY WOULD GIVE ME FOR IT. BUSHINGS, ON A CAR BARELY DRIVEN AND I HAVE A 10 YEAR WARRANTY THAT COMES WITH IT, A 10 YEAR WARRANTY I PURCHASE AND A 5 YEAR WARRANTY ON THE TIRES. CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? I CAN'T. I GUESS IF I DROVE IT EVERY DAY THE WAY I SHOULD THE CAR WOULD BE COMPLETELY OVERHAULED AT MY EXPENSE AND ALL THE WARRANTIES MEAN NOTHING; MY MONEY JUST WENT RIGHT UP IN SMOKE. THIS IS DEFINITELY A PIECE OF JUNK OR I AM BEING SCAMMED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

AFTER GETTING THE BRAKE LIGHT RECALL SWITCH EXCHANGED THE NEXT DAY MY CAR STARTED MAKING DRAGGING NOISE AND SO ME CLICKING SOUNDS IN THE BACK REAR ESPECIALLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE. I TOOK IT JEFFREY KIA, ROSEVILLE, MICHIGAN ON GRATIOT AVENUE AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE RIGHT BRAKE PAD AND THE LEFT ROTOR AND IT WOULD BE $300. I TOLD HIM I HAD A WARRANTY, EXTENDED WARRANTY AND A TIRE WARRANTY AND THAT I DO NOT RIDE MY BRAKES AND HAS NEVER EXPERIENCE THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH ANY CAR I HAVE DROVE. MIKE CALLS ME BACK AND SAYS HE CAN ORDER SOME GENERIC PADS AND FIX THE ROTOR FOR $169. WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP HE PLACED ON PAD ON ONE SIDE AND ONE ROTOR ON THE OTHER SIDE AND THE BREAKING SEEMS UNSURE OF A COMPLETE STOP. THE DISTANCE SEEMS TOO LONG. MY CREDIT IS MESSED UP DUE TO FAMILY BUT I AM GOING TO HAVE TO SELL THIS CAR AND GET A NEW ONE BECAUSE THIS IS DEFINITELY A DEFECT. I HAVE HAD THIS CAR SINCE OCTOBER 2010 AND BARELY DRIVE IT. EITHER KIA IS A RIP OFF OR JEFFREY KIA IS BECAUSE THE TIME BEFORE THIS I WAS TOLD BY [XXX] I NEEDED A BATTERY WHEN I DID NOT. AT THIS SERVICE CALL IT WAS NOT EVEN MENTIONED. I BELIEVE THEY HAVE ROLLED BACK THE PROMOTERS ON THIS VEHICLE AND SOLD IT AS NEW AND IT IS DEFECTIVE BUT THEY ARE MAKING ME PAY FOR THE DEFECTS. THEY MAY BE CREATING THEM BECAUSE THIS IS CRAZY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE CAR JERKS VIOLENTLY FORWARD AS IT DOWNSHIFTS AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH. THE SHIFT IS STRONG ENOUGH TO THROW A PERSON THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD IF YOU WERE NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT. THERE ARE MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE AND KIA SHOULD FACE THIS ISSUE AND RECALL THESE CARS.. THEY ARE DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE FIXED. I COULD EASILY SEE THIS CAUSING AN ACCIDENT, ESPECIALLY IN BAD WEATHER. *TR

THE BATTERY DIED IN MY 2009 KIA OPTIMA AND UPON REPLACING BATTERY THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. IT WAS TAKEN TO A KIA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS BECAUSE WE CHANGED THE BATTERY. THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS RESET. ABOUT A WEEK LATER IT CAME ON AGAIN AND WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND RESET AGAIN. IT CAME BACK ON THE NEXT DAY AND WAS AGAIN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AT WHAT TIME WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS THE B1382 & B1481 AIRBAG PROBLEMS AND THAT IT WAS GOING TO COST OVER $1200.00 TO FIX. WHY WOULD CHANGING THE BATTERY CAUSE THESE PROBLEMS? I HAD ONLY PURCHASED THE CAR 18 MONTHS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. *TR

PER NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 13V114 I TOOK MY 2009 KIA OPTIMA TO KOONS KIA IN WOODBRIDGE ON 11/21/2013 TO REPLACE MY VEHICLE'S STOP LAMP SWITCH. THE NEXT DAY I NOTICED THAT AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES FOR THE FIRST TIME THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED AND REMAIN ILLUMINATED AFTER I HAVE SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND THE IGNITION SWITCH IS IN THE OFF POSITION. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON. BOTH OF THE ABOVE PROBLEMS AROSE AFTER THE 11/21/2013 STOP LAMP SWITCH REPLACEMENT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY AND IT MADE A CONTINUAL NOISE UNTIL BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WOULD OCCASIONALLY MAKE THE NOISE EVEN WHEN STOPPED UNTIL I PUSHED ON THE BRAKES. THE ESC LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT WERE ON AND WOULD OCCASIONALLY TURN OFF WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HULLMAN'S FORD FOR DIAGNOSTICS. I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE VEHICLE HYDRAULIC ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT WAS FAULTY. *TR

I WAS BACKING UP TO PART MY VEHICLE AND PULLED FORWARD TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE CAR. WHILE PULLING FORWARD I APPLIED MY BRAKE AND THE ENGINE ACCELERATED - I THEN SLAMMED MY BRAKE AND THE CAR STOPPED. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND PARKED. TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AND CAREFULLY MOVED FORWARD INCIDENT DID NOT REPEAT. TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP AT BURDICK DRIVERS VILLAGE IN CICERO, NY AND DIAGNOSTICS RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THERE IS CURRENTLY A RECALL FOR HYUNDAI ELANTRA FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE FAULTY PART NUMBERS. I HAVE MY OLD BRAKE SWITCH AND IF IT MATCHES THE RECALLED ONES I WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED. MY SON ALSO HAS A 2009 OPTIMA AND IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS. *JB

THE ESC LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON FOR ABOUT 7 MONTHS. TOOK CAR IN TO COWBOY KIA AND WAS TOLD CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND THERE WILL BE A $90.00 DIAGNOSTIC FEE. *TR

VEHICLE AIR BAG TROUBLE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD. WHEN BROUGHT TO THE DEALER, WE WERE TOLD THAT A SEAT SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $1500. THIS IS ON TOP OF A RECENT $2700 TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT ON THE SAME VEHICLE ONE MONTH PRIOR. SINCE WE ARE STILL PAYING FOR THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR, WE CHOSE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE AIR BAG SYSTEM FUNCTIONING PROPERLY WHICH WE REALIZE IS A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT WE CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER EXPENSIVE KIA REPAIR. *TR

1ST ESC OFF LIGHT CAME ON & STAYED ON, PRESSING ESC BUTTON DID NOTHING. CRUISE CONTROL BEGAN NOT WORKING. BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK. BLINKERS WORK, BUT NO BRAKE LIGHTS. FUSES & BULBS HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND NONE ARE BLOWN. *TR

SECOND FAILURE OF BRAKE SWITCH. ESC OFF LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. UNSURE IF BRAKE LIGHTS ARE WORKING, IF THE ESC IS WORKING, OR IF THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL SHUT OFF DURING THESE EPISODES. THERE IS A RECALL ON OTHER MODELS AND YEARS OF KIA AUTOMOBILES BUT NOT ON THIS MODEL. IT SEEMS IT MAY HAVE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

THE VEHICLE HAD THREE EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS IN RAPID SUCCESSION. THE FIRST WAS THE TRANSMISSION WHICH STARTED A SEVERELY HARD DOWNSHIFT ON BRAKING FROM ABOUT 25 MPH. THE WHOLE CAR SHUDDERED AND FELT AS IF WE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES FOR A SECOND. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING, KIA TOLD US WE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR $2700 WITH NO HELP FROM KIA. AFTER THIS REPAIR, NOT EVEN TWO WEEKS LATER, THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. DIAGNOSIS FROM KIA, DEFECTIVE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY AND A $1500 REPLACEMENT ESTIMATE. WE DECIDED NOT TO FIX THIS ITEM BECAUSE WE WERE GOING TO TRADE THE CAR IN ON ANOTHER MAKE AND CUT OUR LOSSES. THE THIRD PROBLEM WHICH OCCURRED ONE WEEK LATER WAS A FAILURE TO START AFTER PARKING THE CAR FOR AN HOUR AT A DOCTOR'S OFFICE, STRANDING MY WIFE IN 95 DEGREE HEAT. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A NON-KIA REPAIR SHOP AS I NO LONGER WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH KIA WHO WILL DENY ANY CLAIM AGAINST THEIR SO-CALLED QUALITY PRODUCTS AND WILL BE DISPOSING OF THE CAR AS SOON AS IT IS RUNNING AGAIN SINCE KIA DOES NOT STAND BEHIND ITS DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS. AFTER THREE MAJOR FAILURES IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WE FEEL THIS IS AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO SECURE INTO PARK OR REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE BRAKE SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000. *TR

THE VEHICLE LURCHES WHEN SLOWING DOWN BETWEEN 2ND GEAR AND 1ST GEAR. THE LURCH IS STRONG ENOUGH TO JERK PASSENGERS FORWARD IN THEIR SEATS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN STAMFORD, CT ON APRIL 27, 2012. THEY REPLACED THE STOP LAMP SWITCH. THE FIX LASTED UNTIL 63,000 MILES, ALMOST 9 MONTHS LATER. IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP IN PLANO, TX. THEY SAID IT WAS A COMPUTER UPGRADE ISSUE. THE UPGRADE DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. KIA IS NOW TELLING ME THERE IS NO REFUND, NO FIX, AND THAT I'M NOT PART OF THE RECALL FOR THIS SAME PART ON LATER YEAR MODELS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A TRAFFIC STOP, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SURGE FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5. UPDATED 5/9/13 *CN

IN THE PAST MONTH I HAVE NOTICED WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND APPLYING THE BRAKES ON MY 2009 KIA OPTIMA THAT THE CAR JERKS LIKE IT DOESN'T WANT TO STOP. I HAVE HAD MY BRAKE PADS CHECKED AND THEY ARE FINE. I HAVE HOWEVER NOTICED THAT WHEN I'M COMING TO A STOP AND PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL I STOP FINE WITH NO JERKING. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEIR IS NO PROBLEMS THERE AND HAVE ALSO CALLED THE LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE PROBLEM LOOKED AT BUT THEY STATED THAT IF ITS SOMETHING NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY I HAVE TO PAY $100 JUST FOR THEM LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE REGARDLESS IF THEY FIND THE PROBLEM OR NOT. I HAVE SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND HAVE SEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THIS PARTICULAR CAR BUT NO INFORMATION ON WHAT IS CAUSING THE ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA OPTIMA .THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED AND ONCE THE SPEED FELL BELOW 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE COMPUTER AND TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE RESET. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

AFTER RETURNING FROM WORK AND PARKING MY VEHICLE AT HOME, THE CAR SAT IN MY DRIVEWAY IN 40 DEGREE WEATHER FOR APPROXIMATELY 12 HRS. I WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING AND FOUND MY CAR ON FIRE AND IS A TOTAL LOSS. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE CALLED AND DISPATCHED TO MY HOME. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND DETERMINED IT WAS PROBABLY AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THERE IS NO REMOTE STARTER INSTALLED OR ANY OTHER ACCESSORIES INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE AFTER PURCHASE. THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND STARTED SPONTANEOUSLY, PERHAPS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I WAS ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY FROM LEAVING WITH THIS CAR TO RETURN TO MY OFFICE AND I AM CONCERNED IT COULD OF STARTED WHILE I WAS IN IT, PERHAPS CAUSING INJURIES OR DEATH. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT IF THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ME, THAT THERE ARE OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME FAULTY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND IT COULD HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. I BELIEVE KIA HAS A HIDDEN MANUFACTURING DEFECT AS WAS DESCRIBED IN MY INCIDENT, AND ITS VERY POSSIBLE IT EXISTS ON OTHER KIA VEHICLES. PLEASE TAKE MY CONCERNS SERIOUSLY AND I THINK KIA NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER ASAP. ALTHOUGH THE CAR IS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR, I WELCOME AND ENCOURAGE KIA TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO ASSURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN TO ANYONE ELSE. *TR UPDATED 03/12/13

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE VEHICLE DOWN SHIFT WITH EXTREME FORCE. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER AND THE GEAR SHIFT FAILURE WAS CORRECTED; HOWEVER, THE COMPUTER REPROGRAMMING AFFECTED THE VEHICLES ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS RELEASED AND THE ENGINE BECAME IDLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR A TEST DRIVE WHERE THE FAILURE WAS DUPLICATED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE CORRECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,553 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,240. UPDATED 3/25/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED IT TOOK MONTHS TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. KIA DENIED THERE WAS EVEN A PROBLEM. IT WAS FINALLY DISCOVERED, WHEN THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE TRANSMISSION FOR A HARD SHIFT, THEY INADVERTENTLY CREATED A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE CONTROLS.

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON IN OCT 2012. DEALER STATED THE BATTERY WAS BAD. BATTERY WAS REPLACED. AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT RETURNED NOV. 2012 DEALER NOW STATES AIR BAG FAULTY BUT NOT COVERED BY KIA RECALL. *TR

THE FRONT PASSAGER DOOR HANDLE SNAPPED IN HALF. ONE WEEK LATER THE DRIVERS DOOR HANDLE SNAPPED IN HALF WHILE BEING OPENED. THERE WAS NO EXTRA FORCE OR PRESSURE ON THE HANDLES THEY JUST BROKE IN YOUR HANDS. *TR

WHEN BRAKING AT 25 MILES PER HOUR OR LESS THE VEHICLE HAS A VERY HARD JERKING MOTION. THE WAY YOUR VEHICLE JERKS CAN MAKE YOU OVERREACT AND IT CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON THE ROAD. NOTICED THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY 1 HAVING THIS ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. WENT TO 2 OR 3 DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION PLACES . THEY ALL SAID THE SAME THING THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED SOME TRANSMISSION WORK . THEN I LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT SEVERAL OTHERS WERE HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND THAT THE VEHICLE JUST NEEDED TO BE RELEARNED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. KIA SAID THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE CALLING THEM ABOUT THIS ISSUE THEREFORE IT IS NOT A KNOWN ISSUE YET I SEE OVER 20 TO 30 OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM . *TR

THE FIRST SIGNS OF ANY TROUBLE WITH THE VEHICLE STARTED IN FEBRUARY/MARCH OF 2011 WHEN THE SHIFTING ON THE VEHICLE WAS ERRATIC ON TAKEOFF AND ESPECIALLY BAD WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN, ROUGHLY SHIFTING IN AND OUT OF GEAR. IT TOOK TWO OCCASIONS TO "FIX" THE ISSUE EVEN THOUGH A FEW WEEKS LATER THE SHIFTING APPEARED TO SUBSIDE IT STILL HAD THE OCCASIONAL ISSUE ON TAKE-OFF. THE ISSUE PROGRESSIVELY GOT TO THE POINT WHEN I LOST TOTAL ENGINE POWER WHILE CROSSING LANES OF TRAFFIC, ALMOST GETTING HIT. I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR BUT NO MATTER WHAT I DID I COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLES RPM??S ABOVE 1500 (ABOUT 5MPH). TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY STATED THEY "FIXED THE PROBLEM". RETURNED TO DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNTIL MY WIFE HAD THE SAME ISSUE HAPPEN TO HER ABOUT 9 DAYS LATER COMING WITHIN INCHES OF GETTING HIT WHILE TURNING INTO A BUSINESS. TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK AGAIN AND WAS TOLD IT WAS "FIXED" TWO DAYS LATER. STARTED IT UP THE DAY AFTER IT WAS RETURNED AND HAD THE LOSS OF POWER ISSUE AGAIN. BESIDE THE POWER LOSS EVEN THE SHIFTING CONTINUED TO BE ROUGH AND ERRATIC. RETURNED IT YET AGAIN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS FIXED. CUSTOMER SERVICE DID NOT TAKE MY SAFETY CONCERNS SERIOUSLY. I AM STILL UNSURE OF THE STATUS OF THE VEHICLE AND I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE. I WILL FIND OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION UNTIL THIS VEHICLE IS RETURNED. BEWARE THAT THE POWER LOSS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME CREATING VERY SERIOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS THAT COULD LEAD TO

ESC STARTS BLINKING WHILE DRIVING AT 40MPH AND THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE GOES DOWN ALL OF A SUDDEN. *TR

WHEN I BRAKE TO 20 MPH MY CAR JERKS FORWARD. I CALLED THE KIA CONSUMER LINE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM HADN'T BEEN HEARD OF. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD WITH EXTREME FORCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE COMPUTER WOULD NEED TO HAVE A RE-LEARN PROCEDURE PERFORMED. AFTER THE PROCEDURE, THE FAILURE CONTINUED AND WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER A THIRD TIME. THE TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS ALSO REPLACED BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.