2001 Kia Optima

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. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN AROUND A BEND AT 45 MPH, THE CONTACT OVERCORRECTED THE TURN. SHE TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK IN THE OTHER DIRECTION AND OVERCORRECTED AGAIN. SHE WAS TWO FEET FROM DRIVING OFF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A MECHANIC AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE WAS CORRODED AND ROTTEN IN HALF. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 90,000.

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

PURCHASED OCT,15,07. WITHIN 3 DAY WE HAD IT UP TO DEALER WERE PURCHASES 1) FOR WINDOWS NOT GOING UP OR DOWN ALL THE TIME. 2) LIGHT ON RADIO AND HEATER DO NOT WORK. 3) THE CAR HAD NO POWER AND WOULD GO FROM 1ST GEAR TO 3RD GEAR AND WOULD STAY THAT WAY UNTIL CAR TURNED OFF. 4)HAD TO REPLACE SPEED SHIFT SENSOR. 5) BRAKES. GOT LOOKED IN CAR SEVERAL TIMES AND COULD NOT GET OUT. SOMETIMES THEY WORK MOST OF THE TIME THEY DON'T. 6). ANTENNA BROKE OFF FOR NO REASON. WENT OUT ON DAY BARELY TOUCHED IT AND IT FEEL OFF. 7) ON FEB 9TH CAR WOULD NOT START FOR 4 DAYS FOR NO REASON HAD TOWED FROM OWN HOUSE TO GARAGE WERE THEY KNOW BELIEVE IT HAS A CRACKED HEAD OR BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 89,000 MILES AND SHOULD NOT HAVE ALL THESE PROBLEMS ALREADY. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING DONE I HAVE A 3YR OLD AND A 7 YR OLD. I FEAR FOR THERE LIVES AND MINE. . I DON'T EVEN WANT THIS CAR ANYMORE AND HAVE HAD IT FOR ONLY 4 MONTHS. PLEASE HELP IF U HAVE ANY ADVICE. DON'T BUY A KIA. ALSO THIS CAR CAME WITH A 90 DAY WARRANTY FROM HARRY'S AUTO SALES AND THEY KEPT TELLING ME FOR 3 MONTH THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AND ONLY WOULD RESET COMPUTER UNTIL I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER GARAGE AND THEY FOUND OUT DIFFERT. THEY TOLD US HEAD GASKET. HARRY SAID NOOOOOO. WHEN WARRANTY RAN OUT THEN THEY INFORMED ME I NEED A HEAD GASKET. THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT CAUSE WARRANTY OUT. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LEMON. PLEASE HELP ME FIND LEGAL ADVICE. *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