10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
31,520 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #10

Mar 082019

Optima

  • 7 miles
Brake lights will not go off after I turn off my car. Sometimes the brake lights and back lights pops on even when the car is off and will not turn off. The slippery when wet light stays on at all times. When I am driving the car and I have to use the brakes to stop at a red light or stop sign the car moves very slowing and stalls. Sometimes when I am driving the car looses power. I was driving on the interstate twice and the car just lost power and began to slow down. This was a huge safety concern. Now the car has no power.

- Plant City, FL, USA

problem #9

Aug 032017

Optima

  • 45,000 miles
The head lamps point at the ground and may light 10 feet in front of the car. Kia said there is nothing wrong, but the lights worked well when we brought the car, and when this happen it was one lamp at a time, drivers side first and then passengers side about a month later. I replaced the bulbs with no help, and there is no adjustments for the low beams and those are the lamps with the issue.

- Anderson, SC, USA

problem #8

Oct 082018

Optima

  • 119,000 miles
My headlight bulbs blew finally after 5 years but the cover to change them is stuck! it's like they are super glued or welded shut! I tried to open the cover and take it off and so did my husband. We went to autozone and a actually Kia dealership and they can't even remove it! light are super important and are a huge safety issue if you can't access your headlight bulbs without them having to remove your front end. Kia is charging me $108 a hour saying they are going to have to remove the front part of my of my car to try to remove the light cover. Please review this issue!

- Lynn Haven, FL, USA

problem #7

Jul 102018

Optima

  • 166,000 miles
Push the start button and car did not start tried the 30 second rule car just sizzled after about 10 tries car start but cut it off does same thing my car was parked in driveway or at work and it cuts off in traffic engine was replaced last year due to recall battery has been replaced parking light on one side is out when replacing it car also would not start

- Cowpens, SC, USA

problem #6

Jun 162017

Optima

  • 56,000 miles
The passenger side headlamp has died. To make this repair you need to remove the radiator expansion tank, a small screw holding the rear of the light cover in place and then the entire lamp assembly by releasing two screws on top and clips between he body and the lamp assembly from underneath the car. You need car ramps to do this apparently. This is outrageous. This is something that can not be done in an emergency. I called my dealer and the labor is about 45 minutes - to change a light bulb! this is financially irresponsible of Kia to design the car so poorly. It is a real safety issue if you were driving overnight and could not replace the bulb. Having to make a service appointment to change a lightbulb is a completely unnecessary and ridiculous situation. If the weather were inclement and you cannot change the bulb you are in a real predicament. The ntsb should have a policy that headlamp replacement access should be in a location that a 7th grader could reasonable be expected to change the bulb without having to remove significant car components. Someone could incur a burn moving the expansion tank if the car were not cooled down enough. The entire process is beyond comprehension.

- Acton, MA, USA

problem #5

Apr 192017

Optima

  • miles
Sunroof is not closing properly; Kia is unwilling to fix it under their warranty. Fog light switch broke and they will also not fix it under their 60K warranty. Both of these items occurred before the date selected; this was the date that Kia notified me of their decision. Also, the mileage at which these occurred was before 60K and just after 60K were on the vehicle.

- Downingtown, PA, USA

problem #4

Nov 072016

Optima

  • 67,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. While washing the vehicle, water was observed in the driver and passenger side headlights. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the sealant around the headlights was failing. The headlights were not repaired or replaced. The manufacturer was notified. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 67,000.

- Des Moines, IA, USA

problem #3

Apr 152016

Optima

  • miles
-1st problem- headlights/ fog lights seem to burn out way too often. I've owned cars for over 30 years and never had to replace bulbs as often as I do with this car. -2nd problem- steering seems to be difficult to keep on road and wheel seems to be sticking. I find myself over-correcting to "unlock" the steering wheel. I have a long daily commute, 184 miles round trip, so my 3 year old car has over 100,000 miles. I bought it brand new and never had the steering problem until recently. The headlights burning out has been on going since about 2 months after buying the car. Other than those 2 things, the car has been great with great gas mileage, good ride, etc. However, the steering problem scares me now.

- Delmar, MD, USA

problem #2

Feb 222015

Optima

  • 32,000 miles
My headlight went out Sunday, 2/23/2015. I purchased a bulb from our local auto parts store and went home, thinking I could change the bulb myself. I took out my trusty car manual and tried to get directions on changing the bulb myself. After following the instructions, I was still unable to get to the bulb. At this point I went to the internet. My Kia will be 2 years old in May 2015. Low and behold, I find out you have to take off the front bumper just to change the headlight. In a panic, I call the dealership, sale Kia of kinston, nc, they inform me that even though I have the bulb, it will cost me $100 to take off the bumper, just to change the light. Maybe I should buy another bulb and change both and that way I could be saving myself another $100. This is the second Kia I have owned. I traded my amanti which was 6 years old for this vehicle. I got none of the advertised perks, loyalty bonus or any other advertised bonus that I had read about, that should have been my warning. Trading for this Optima was the worst mistake I could have made. I had one service call worked on through my warranty on the amanti. After 9 months in the Optima the dealership stated noting unusual wear on my front tires. I finally had to buy more out of my pocket. By the way my Kia didn't come with a spare or a jack, just a mobility kit, which consist of a little bag with a can of fix-A-flat. So if you're in the market for a brand new car, don"T buy a Kia. Whew!! I feel better now. I'm retired, so I guess my next step is to start checking the want ads to find me a job to save up for a down payment on another car, and you can believe it won't be a Kia.

- Kinston, NC, USA

problem #1

May 052013

Optima

  • 5,600 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the headlights flickered sporadically. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 5,600 and the current mileage was 5,900.

- Odenton , MD, USA