2001 Kia Optima

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE ON 10/20/08. UPON PURCHASE, PRIVATE DEALER NOTIFIED ME OF A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO THE LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP ON 10/24/08 AND RECALL SC037 WAS PERFORMED. UPON PICKUP OF VEHICLE, I WAS NOTIFIED BY KIA DEALERSHIP OF RECOMMENDATIONS LISTED ON SERVICE INVOICE. ON 11/06/08 VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MY REGULAR MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION AND SERVICE FOR ITEMS ON THE RECOMMENDATION LIST FROM KIA DEALERSHIP. UPON LIFTING THE VEHICLE UP IN THE AIR TO RESEARCH ONE OF THE KIA DEALERSHIPS RECOMMENDATIONS A SOFTBALL SIZE HOLE WAS FOUND RUSTED IN THE SUB FRAME WHERE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM IS TO BE ATTACHED. WHEN KIA DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE HOLE AND SAID THEY WOULDN'T HAVE LIFTED CAR UP. KIA MOTORS AMERICA WAS PHONED AND TOLD ABOUT SITUATION AND TREATMENT BY KIA DEALERSHIP. KIA MOTORS AMERICA TOLD ME TO TAKE VEHICLE BACK IN TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE A DIAGNOSIS ON VEHICLE AND TO CALL BACK AND I WAS GIVEN A NAME, EXTENSION NUMBER AND A CASE NUMBER. I HAD TO TOW THE VEHICLE BACK IN TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP AND THEY LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THEY NEVER SAW THE HOLE PREVIOUSLY BUT HERE'S AN ESTIMATE FOR US TO FIX IT. I CONTACTED MY MECHANIC AND ASKED WHAT HIS ESTIMATE WOULD BE TO FIX IT AND HOW MUCH THE PART WOULD BE, AND IF THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE GOTTEN FROM A SALVAGE YARD. THE LOCAL SALVAGE YARDS WERE ALREADY PHONED AND THE SAME THING WAS WRONG WITH THOSE PARTS AND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH KIA VEHICLES. I ORDERED THE PART FROM THE KIA DEALERSHIP, IT IS CALLED A CROSSMEMBER. I HAVE HAD MY MECHANIC REPLACE IT, I HAVE HAD TO GET TWO NEW TIRES, A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND HAVE ASKED KIA MOTORS AMERICA TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THIS. THEY ARE NOW SAYING THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF MY PURCHASE OF THE PART ALTHOUGH I HAVE GIVEN THEM MY INVOICE NUMBER. I STILL HAVE THE OLD PART AND THE ORIGINALS OF ALL MY INVOICES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS REPLACING THE TIMING BELT ON THE VEHICLE, AN AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN ENTERED THE SHOP AND ASKED IF HE EXPERIENCED A CORRODING SUBFRAME. HE PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION, BUT IT YIELDED NO RESULTS. THE TECHNICIAN THEN PERFORMED A PHYSICAL INSPECTION AND DISCOVERED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HIM TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE AND SUBMIT THEM FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT LIABLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,105 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT FELT THE VEHICLE PULLING TO THE RIGHT. SHE DROVE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL AND SUBFRAME WERE CORRODED AND CRACKING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 99,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING OVER A BUMP AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED OR TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SIX SEPARATE TIMES. THE ROTORS, BRAKES, BEARINGS, BUSHINGS, AND TIRES WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTED. APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR AN ALIGNMENT. THE TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME AND A PILE OF RUST WAS FOUND UNDERNEATH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED BECAUSE THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE ENGINE CRADLE WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE WAS BARELY HANGING ON TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINE IN HIS VEHICLE WAS LEAKING. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE K FRAME WAS SEVERELY RUSTED. THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE IS MUCH MORE DAMAGED THAN THE DRIVER'S SIDE; HOWEVER, BOTH SIDES OF THE FRAME ARE RUSTING. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,500.

CAR HESITATED ONCE OR TWICE UPON ACCELERATION, COULD NOT RECREATE PROBLEM. 1 WEEK AGO, WHILE TRYING TO PULL OUT OF THE GARAGE, CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. WHEN CAR FINALLY WENT INTO GEAR CAR WOULD NOT MOVE UNLESS ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR, AND EVEN THEN BARELY ANY MOVEMENT. TOOK CAR TO KIA DEALERSHIP, THREE DAYS LATER DEALERSHIP CALLED, THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. DEALERSHIP SAID IT HAD TO "FIGHT" WITH THE FACTORY REP TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH I PROVIDED PROOF OF MAINTENANCE. DEALERSHIP ORDERED NEW TRANSMISSION, WHEN PREPPING CAR FOR THE NEW TRANSMISSION A "HOLE WAS FOUND IN THE SUBFRAME", THAT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THE TRANSMISSION CANNOT BE PUT IN THE CAR WITH THE HOLE IN THE SUBFRAME AT A COST OF $1,800.00. DEALERSHIP CANNOT EXPLAIN HOW A GARAGE KEPT 7 YEAR OLD CAR HAS A HOLE IN THE SUBFRAME. *TR

ON FEBRUARY 12, 2008 MY CAR BEGAN TO DRIVE VERY ERRATICALLY WITH SNOW ON THE ROAD. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE CAR FROM STEERING OFF THE ROAD. IT WASN'T JUST ROAD CONDITIONS. I THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS BROKE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP THE SAME DAY. INITIALLY THE TECHNICIAN STATED I NEED AND ALIGNMENT. I HAD JUST GOT 4 NEW TIRES AND ALIGNMENT IN DECEMBER 2007. I STATED THIS CONDITION JUST STARTED TODAY. THE TECHNICIAN WHEN BACK AND INSPECTED THE CAR IN MORE DETAIL. HE RETURNED AN SAID THAT THE ALIGNMENT COULD NOT BE DONE TO GET IT WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS. HE TOOK ME TO THE LIFT WHERE THE CAR WAS AND SHOWED ME WHY THE CAR COULD NOT BE ALIGNED. THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLY WAS SEPARATING FROM THE SUB FRAME OR ENGINE CRADLE OF THE CAR, BECAUSE THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. HE TECHNICIAN STATED THIS WASN'T IN A VERY SAFE CONDITION. HE ALSO NOTED A 7 YEARS OLD SHOULD NOT SHOW THIS TYPE OF DECAY IN A MAJOR STRUCTURAL COMPONENT. I ASKED THE TECHNICIAN TO GET THE ALIGNMENT AS CLOSE TO THE MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATION SO I RETURN HOME SAFE. INTERNET RESEARCH SHOWS THE REPLACEMENT PART COSTING $1400. THE ENGINE AND STEERING COMPONENTS ATTACHED TO THIS PART. I WILL BE CONTACTING THE LOCAL KIA DEALER FOR A LABOR COST ESTIMATE. AN INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THAT OTHER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. *TR

ON NOVEMBER 3, 2007 MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER BROUGHT OUR 2001 KIA OPTIMA TO ATLANTIC KIA IN LINDENHURST NY FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT. AFTER WAITING SEVERAL HOURS, MY WIFE WAS TOLD THAT THE ALIGNMENT COULD NOT BE DONE ON THE CAR DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES, AND TO BRING THE CAR BACK TO WHERE THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED. THE TIRES ARE 4 MONTHS OLD. SHE THEN BROUGHT THE CAR TO PEP BOYS IN PATCHOGUE, NY. THEY SAID THEY WOULD INSPECT THE TIRES AND OFFERED TO DO THE ALIGNMENT. AFTER SEVERAL MORE HOURS, A TECHNICIAN BROUGHT MY WIFE TO THE LIFT WHERE THE CAR WAS AND SHOWED HER WHY THE CAR COULD NOT BE ALIGNED. THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLY WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME OF THE CAR, BECAUSE THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. THE ONLY THING HOLDING THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR UP WAS THE TIRE. THE TECH THEN TOLD HER THAT THE CAR SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN AND ASKED WHERE THE DEALER WAS LOCATED. SINCE THE DEALER IS LOCATED ABOUT 20 MILES FROM THAT SHOP, MY WIFE WAS TOLD THAT SHE COULD NOT DRIVE IT THERE, THE CAR WAS VERY UNSAFE. ATLANTIC KIA WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH. SHE WAS TOLD TO CALL BACK ON MONDAY THE 5TH. SHE DID, AND WAS GIVEN RUDE AND UNACCEPTABLE TREATMENT FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER. SHE WAS ALLOWED TO DRIVE A HAZARDOUS VEHICLE FROM THE DEALER AND THEN IN TURN WAS TREATED VERY BADLY. ATLANTIC KIA WANTS TO TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CAR EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN THERE FOR OTHER PROBLEMS IN THE PAST. *TR