Page 5 of 5 · complaints 201–212 of 212

2019 Kia Optima complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2019 record →

Service Brakes
Filed Feb 22, 20209,000 milesCA

WHEN MY PHONE IS PLUGGED INTO THE CHARGER, MY SCREEN WILL GO BLACK ALL OF A SUDDEN, AND I HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND UNPLUG MY PHONE AND TURN THE CAR BACK ON FOR THE SCREEN TO COME BACK ON. ALSO, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE MY BRAKES LOCK UP ON ME, AND I ALMOST HIT THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME. ESPECIALLY IN THE RAIN, AND I HAVE EVEN HAD TO SWERVE OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID A COLLISION. IT HAPPENS WHEN I AM IN MOTION DRIVING AND GO TO STOP. THE RADIO SCREEN THOUGH HAS TURNED OFF ON ME WHETHER I AM DRIVING OR IN PARK.

Power Train
Filed Dec 19, 20199,200 milesGA

IF I SLOW DOWN THEN SPEED UP IT TAKES OFF SLOW. IF I GO UP A HILL IT PUTTS AND WHEN I DRIVE IT JUST FEELS LIKE ITS PUTTERING THE WHOLE TIME. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP OF COURSE THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING BUT THIS IS A NEW CAR I KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG. I JUST GOT THE CAR IN MARCH DROVE FINE NO ACCIDENTS OR ANYTHING AND IT'S KIND OF DISAPPOINTING THAT MY CAR IS LIKE THIS BUT KNOW ONE KNOWS WHAT'S WRONG.

Air BagsCrash2 injured
Filed Nov 25, 20193,168 milesKS

TL* THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND OWNS A 2019 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A DEER THAT JUMPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED NECK AND BACK PAIN AND HIS DAUGHTER, WHO WAS SEATED BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT, SUSTAINED NECK PAIN. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT BOTH OCCUPANTS WOULD BE TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR THEIR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY WAITING TO BE TOWED TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,168.

Service BrakesCrash
Filed Nov 20, 201922,000 milesWA

I WAS IN TWO LOW SPEED REAR ENDED CRASHES BECAUSE THE CIB DIDN'T ENGAGE AND I HAD NO BREAKING POWER. ONE WHO ON THE HIGH WAY AND ONCE IN AN EXIT RAMP

Steering
Filed Nov 17, 201933,000 milesNV

LANE SAFETY CONTROL SYSTEM MAKES UNUSUAL TURNS WHILE I'M DRIVING RESULTING ME HAVING TO CORRECT. IN SOME SITUATIONS VEHICLE ALMOST TURNED INTO CARS IN NEARBY LANE. INCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED BOTH ON SURFACE STREETS AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 55 MILES PER HOUR AND ON THE FREEWAY AT SPEEDS EXCEEDING 55 MILES PER HOUR

Air BagsCrash
Filed Oct 25, 20192,500 milesCA

I WAS REAR ENDED ON THE FREEWAY. TRAFFIC CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, BUT THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS GOING 40-50MPH AND DID NOT STOP IN TIME AND REAR ENDED ME AND PUSHED ME INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.

Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Oct 12, 201925,000 milesPA

I WAS DRIVING ONE NIGHT ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND A DEER RAN OUT IN FRONT OF MY CAR. I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES BUT STILL HIT THE DEER WHICH DAMAGED MY FRONT DRIVERS SIDE FENDER AND LIGHTS. I WAS TRAVELING AT 25 MILES PER HOUR. I DIDN'T CALL THE AMBULANCE AT THE TIME BECAUSE I HAD TO GO RIGHT BACK TO WORK. AT THE TIME I ALSO DID NOT THINK THAT THE ACCIDENT AFFECTED ME BUT I BELIEVE THAT DUE TO THE WHIPLASH FROM SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES THAT IT DID IN FACT DAMAGE MY SPINE. I KEPT GOING TO THE DOCTOR'S AND HOSPITALS TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH MY BODY BUT NONE OF THEM REALLY HAD ANY DRAINAGE ANSWERS. JUST RECENTLY HAD AN EMERGENCY SURGERY ON MY UPPER BACK. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS SPINAL STENOSIS. I HAD NO PRIOR HEALTH PROBLEMS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT AND I WANT SOME ANSWERS TO THAT. ALSO AFTER THIS INCIDENT MY BACK TIRE BLEW OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS NO SPARE TIRE, FLARES FOR SAFETY OR ANYTHING WHEN I LOOKED IN MY TRUNK I AM SURE THIS IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT ISSUE ALL TOGETHER BEFORE ALL OF THIS I HAD FAITH IN KIA AND NOW I DOUBT THAT KIA CARES OR IS CONCERNED WITH THE WELL BEING OF BUYING AND PAYING CUSTOMERS. KIA FINANCIAL TREATED VERY BADLY AS WELL. MY MOM, MY DAD AND MY STEP MOTHER ALL DRIVE KIA'S A'S WELL. IS IT TIME FOR US TO SWITCH UP CAR CHOICES?

Unknown or Other
Filed Sep 22, 20191,000 milesKY

I WAS LOOKING ON CREDIT KARMA AND READ THERE IS A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. I HAD NO CLUE AND HAVEN'T HAD ANYONE CONTACT ME IN REGARDS TO THIS! I'M CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY

Air Bags
Filed Aug 18, 201946 milesMD

PURCHASED 2019 KIA OPTIMA EX ON 4/27/2019 FROM A KIA DEALERSHIP IN HAGERSTOWN,MD. AFTER RESEARCH ON THIS WEBSITE WE FIND OUT THAT THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION FOR AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING ON THIS VEHICLE IN CRASHES. THIS INVESTIGATION WAS INITIATED BEFORE THE PURCHASE OF THIS VEHICLE. HOW IS A DEALERSHIP ALLOWED TO SELL A VEHICLE WITH A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE? A DEALERSHIP/MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE TO LET THE PURCHASER KNOW BEFORE THEY BUY THE VEHICLE. WE WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IF WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS!

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Jul 30, 20193,100 milesSC

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE FIXED PANE GLASS ABRUPTLY FRACTURED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,100. THE VIN WAS INVALID.*BF *AS

Electrical System
Filed Jun 27, 20192,000 milesNJ

I BOUGHT MY 2019 OPTIMA BRAND NEW BACK IN NOVEMBER. IT IS NOW JUNE AND I HAVE HAD IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES FOR RANDOMLY NOT STARTING ON ME. I GET THE SAME ANSWER EVERY TIME. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, NOTHING COMES UP ON THE COMPUTER WHEN THEY PLUG IT IN. THEY SAY, "IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN, CALL US AND WELL TAKE IT IN". BUYING THIS CAR BRAND NEW AND MY PAYMENTS BEING THAT OF A RANGE ROVER, I AM EXTREMELY UPSET. TO TOP IT OFF, THE BACK WINDSHIELD IS SLIPPING DOWN. I AM OVER THIS CAR AND I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER KIA AGAIN. BUT, MY FIGHT IS NOT OVER, SOMETHING WILL HAVE TO BE DONE. IT ALSO HESITATES AT TIMES, FEELS AS THOUGH IT IS STRUGGLING TO GO. ALSO, TWO TIMES WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR, THE DASH LIT UP WITH ALMOST EVERYTHING LIKE, I WAS IN A CRASH, THE EXCLAMATION POINT, ETC.

Power Train
Filed Mar 14, 2019PA

I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR A LITTLE OVER TWO MONTHS. IT CURRENTLY HAS 1600 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED ONCE AND I AM STILL EXPERIENCING STUDDERING AND SHAKING. HAVE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT ON 3/15. EVEN HAVE KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE INVOLVED.

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2019 Kia Optima → · Every Optima year → · How the figures are calculated →