2004 Kia Optima

1) NO EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE, NO INDICATION OF A PENDING FAILURE. NO LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE CAR WAS RUNNING WELL UNTIL THE DAY OF INCIDENT, FEB 3, 2008. 2) AFTER DRIVING A FEW MILES, THE CAR SUDDENLY WOULD NOT GO FORWARD WHILE IN GEAR. WE WERE ON AN ACCESS ROAD TO AN INTERSTATE. WE HAD TO COAST INTO A PARKING LOT AND INTO A PARKING SPACE WHILE CARS AVOIDED US. 3) THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FLYWHEEL HAD COME LOOSE, DESTROYING THE CLUTCH. THE CAR ONLY HAD 40,000 MILES AND THE MECHANIC STATED THIS SHOULD NOT OCCUR UNTIL ALMOST 100,000 MILES. COST TO REPAIR WAS $2,000. *TR

SUMMER OF 2007 A/C WOULD NOT WORK SPORADICALLY. FEBRUARY 1,2008 I HAD MY PERSONAL MECHANIC COME TO MY HOUSE TO LOOK AT MY CAR TO FIGURE OUT WHY I AM HEARING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD. WITHOUT ANY KNOWLEDGE OF MY A/C PROBLEMS HE ASKED ME IF I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY A/C BECAUSE HE SEES THE PROBLEM AS BEING MY A/C COMPRESSOR. CALLING AROUND FOR PRICES TO FIX THIS PROBLEM I WAS INFORMED THE KIA FACTORY IS COMPLETELY OUT OF A/C COMPRESSORS. I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAD INFORMED ME THEY HAVE REPLACED A FEW A/C COMPRESSORS RECENTLY. MY CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE DUE TO QUITE A FEW THINGS THAT WILL LOCK UP UNDER MY HOOD IF I CONTINUE DRIVING IT. I CALLED KIA AND WAS TOLD I HAVE TO FIX THE PROBLEM ON MY OWN AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. *TR

PURCHASED 2004 KIA OPTIMA EX NEW. HAVE HAD FUSE BLOCK REPLACED W/IN 15000 MILES. NOW, THE FUEL PUMP HAS FAILED. THE CAR RAN FINE AND WAS PARKED. NEXT DAY CAR WOULD NOT START. NO FUSES BLOWN. THE TERMINAL CONNECTOR FROM THE FUEL PUMP TO THE GAS TANK PENETRATION HAS BURNED OUT CAUSING AN INTERMITTENT OPEN IN CIRCUIT. FUEL PUMP BURNED UP IN TANK. WIRES AND CONNECTORS VISIBLY CHARRED. CONNECTION THAT FAILED IS INSIDE OF THE GAS TANK. VERY SIMILAR TO NTSB CASE #10161074. HAVE 120,000 MILES ON THE CAR. OTHERS WITH LESS MILEAGE ARE IN FOR TROUBLE DUE TO POOR ENGINEERING DESIGN. DEFECTIVE PARTS AVAILABLE FOR PHOTOGRAPH OR INSPECTION. *JB

ON JULY 22, 2007, I WAS ON MY WAY BACK HOME FROM MY ANNIVERSARY TRIP WHEN MY CAR JUST SHUT OFF. WE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THE CAR RESTARTED WITH NO LUCK. SINCE THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, WE CALL FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WHICH FALLS UNDER THE WARRANTY. WELL 3-1/2 HOURS LATER A TOW TRUCK SHOWED UP. UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, IT WAS NOT CALLED BY KIA. HE JUST HAPPENED DOWN THE ROAD AT THE TIME. SO I HAD TO PAY $250.00 TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED HOME TO AVOID STORAGE FEES AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE NEXT DAY THE KIA DEALERSHIP HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY CHANGED THE CRANK SENSOR AND TIMING BELT. TWO WEEKS LATER THE CAR STARTED HAVING IDLING PROBLEMS. THE CAR WOULD SHUT OFF IF LEFT TO IDLE. THE CAR JERKED WHEN TAKING OFF AND IT SOUNDED LIKE THE ENGINE WAS BOUNCING AROUND UNDER THE HOOD. SO I HAD IT TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT FIXED. IT IS NOW 2 WEEKS LATER AND MY CAR IS STILL AT THE KIA DEALERSHIP. THEY HAVE CALLED ME 4 TIMES TO COME GET THE CAR IT IS READY. NO IT WAS NOT!!! SO 4 TIMES I DROVE AN HOUR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AN HOUR HOME TO GO DOWN TO THE DEALERSHIP, CRANK UP MY CAR, REALIZE IT STILL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, GIVE THEM BACK THE KEYS, AND DRIVE HOME. I AM NOW AT THE POINT WHERE KIA CAN KEEP THE PIECE OF SH*T AND EITHER GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK ON MY SUPPOSEDLY NEW CAR OR GIVE ME AN ACTUAL NEW CAR. I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!!@!

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SHE USED THE KEY TO UNLOCK THE DOORS, ONLY THE REAR DOORS UNLOCKED. THE FRONT DOORS ALSO FAILED TO UNLOCK FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. SHE HAD TO CLIMB IN THE VEHICLE FROM THE BACKSEAT. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 109,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WILL NOT UNLOCK AND HAVE BEEN LOCKED OUT OF THE VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES. THE CONSUMER FURTHER STATED THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND HAD TO LEAVE DOORS UNLOCKED FOR FEAR OF BEING LOCKED OUT OF THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 08/29/07 *TR

I BOUGHT A 2004 KIA OPTIMIA IN MARCH 5005 AND ALREADY THE HEADLIGHT GLOBE WAS STARTING TO FADE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. THE CAR HAS 26800 MILES ON IT. AND WAS KEPT IN A GARAGE . THE SERVICEMAN SAID IT CAME FROM SUN RAYS. THE ONLY TIME THE CAR WAS IN THE SUN WAS WHEN I WAS AT WORK. THE CAR WASIN GOOD CONDITION. THINK THIS WAS AN INJUSTICE, I DIDN'T CAUSE THE PROBLEM. *AK