2004 Kia Optima

DT: THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE REPAIRED FIVE TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2005 THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT A CAUSE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE SOUND FROM THE AIRBAG HAD GIVEN THE DRIVER A HEADACHE. THE CAUSE WAS STILL UNKNOWN. *SC . *AK

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT IMPACTING A FIXED MEDIAN CURB. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP IDENTIFIED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER REMARKED THAT THE FRONT SUSPENSION APPEARED TO HAVE BOLTS MISSING. THIS WAS INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED BY THE BODY SHOP. IN THEIR DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, THEY FOUND THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM TO BALL JOINT BOLTS WERE MISSING AND THE 2 HOLES WERE ROUNDED OUT IN A WAY THAT WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE BOLTS FALLING OUT. THE BOLTS FALLING OUT CAUSED THE LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE THEREBY CAUSING THE ACCIDENT. A COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH KIA MOTORS AMERICA. THEY REQUIRED THE INSURANCE COMPANY OR MYSELF TO PROVIDE ALL OF THE EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT THEIR CAR WAS AT FAULT. AFTER SUBMITTING THE REPAIR ESTIMATE AND PICTURES FROM BOTH THE SCENE AND FROM THE REPAIR SHOP, KIA MOTORS AMERICA AND THEIR LEGAL DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THAT THEY ARE NOT AT FAULT. THE REPAIR SHOP MANAGER COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY WOULD MAKE A DETERMINATION WITHOUT EVER LOOKING AT THE CAR. ACCORDING TO JENNIFER AT KIA, THE COMPLAINT IS CLOSED AND I HAVE NO FURTHER RECOURSE OTHER THAT TO CONTACT A LAWYER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS IT WILL BE SHOWN AS A CLAIM AGAINST MY INSURANCE POLICY AND THEN CAUSE MY RATES TO INCREASE. I FEAR THAT THIS PROBLEM MAY BE PRESENT ON OTHER 2004 KIA OPTIMAS OR OTHER MODELS THAT BOTH KIA AND HYUNDAI MAKES. *JB UPDATED 01/11/06. *JB

DT: WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD AT 75 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. ALSO, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN. VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE CURVE. THEN OWNER CALLED DEALERSHIP WHO WAS SUPPOSE TO PICK UP VEHICLE UP BUT DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR ABOUT 4.5 HOURS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE, AND WAS LEFT AT THE SHOP. THE NEXT DAY OWNER CALLED TO CHECK ON THE VEHICLE, NOTHING WAS DONE . THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR. CURRENTLY, THE OWNER WAS WAITING FOR THE ALTERNATOR. OWNER'S FAMILY SUFFERED HEAT EXHAUSTION BY WAITING OUTSIDE, AND HIS SON BECAME ILL DUE TO HEAT EXHAUSTION. THE OWNER HAS NOT CONTACTED KIA. *AK

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2004 KIA OPTIMA AND PAID IN FULL. I PURCHASED FOR THE 10 YR WARRANTY AND EXTENDED WARRANTY I BOUGHT. THE A/C HAS ALWAYS OVERHEATED , CAR SEATS IN THE LOCKED POSITIONMOVING WHILE DRIVING OUT OF THEIR POSITION, LOCKS MALFUNCTIONING WHEN NO ONE IS TOUCHING THEM, TRANSMISSION JUMPING. VARIOUS OTHER PROBLEMS. THE BIG BELL ROAD KIA IN PHOENIX, LOCATED AT 2121 EAST BELL ROAD,

PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2004 KIA OPTIMA FROM THE DEALER ON 12/09/2004. THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS NOT BEEN WORKING SINCE THE FIRST DAY IT WAS DRIVEN OUT OF THE DEALER'S LOT. WHAT'S MORE, THREE WEEKS INTO OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE, IT BEGAN TO EXHIBIT INTERMITTENT, ROUGH IDLING PROBLEMS. THE PROBLEM IS NOT NOTICEABLE ON COLD STARTS, BUT AFTER IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR ABOUT 35 MINUTES OR SO AND THE ENGINE HAS WARMED UP AND REACHED A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE, IT WILL BEGIN TO MAKE ROCKING-JERKY-THRUSTING LIKE MOVEMENTS. IT CAN BE FELT, AS IF, THE CAR IS EITHER CHOKING OR TRYING TO ACCELLERATE WHILE WAITING AT A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT. AS FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL, THE MODULE WAS ORDERED ON ITS FIRST VISIT, THE MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND REORDERED ON ITS SECOND VISIT, THE MODULE WAS INSTALLED ON ITS THIRD VISIT, AND THE DEALER STATED THAT IT NEEDED A SWITCH FOR THE CRUISE TO WORK. THREE MONTHS LATER, THE CRUISE CONTROL IS STILL INOPERABLE. AS FOR THE IDLING PROBLEMS, IT COULD NOT BE VERIFIED ON ITS FIRST VISIT. IT WAS VERIFIED AND REPRODUCED ON ITS SECOND VISIT, AND THE CAR STAYED FOR 2 AND 1/2 WEEKS WITH THE DEALER TO REPLACE A MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR. PICKED UP THE CAR ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT IT STILL HAS THE SAME IDLING PROBLEMS. IT WENT BACK TO THE DEALER 5 DAYS LATER, AND THEY CLAIMED THAT THE PROBLEM "COULD NOT BE DETECTED." TWO DAYS AFTER ITS LAST VISIT ON 02/02/2005, THE DEALER DELIVERED THE CAR WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE ON THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT AND PASSENGER DOORS. THE CAR GOT IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE IT WAS IN THE DEALER'S CARE, AND THEY PROMISED IN WRITING TO FIX IT. 1 AND 1/2 MONTHS LATER, THE PROMISED WAS NOT FULFILLED, SO I PICKED UP THE CAR AND TOOK IT TO ANOTHER SHOP. MY INSURANCE PAID FOR THE COST, LESS $500 DEDUCTIBLE. WHERE THE DEALER FAILED IN 1.5 MONTHS TO FIX THE DAMAGE, ANOTHER SHOP SUCCEEDED IN JUST 6 DAYS! THE DOORS ARE FIXED, BUT THE ON-GOING PROBLEMS ON THE CAR STILL REMAIN. THREE MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP OF A SUPPOSEDLY "BRAND NEW" CAR, AND IT BEHAVES LIKE A CLUNKER.

RY TIME IT RAINS AND OUR COUNTY DIRT ROAD GETS WET AND MUDDY. MUD SPLASHES UP INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND INTO THE EGR VALVE AND CAUSES IT TO MALFUCTION DUE TO THE WAY IT WAS DESINED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERS SHOP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A MAINTENCE PROBLEM AND THAT THE DEALER WOULD FIX IT ONLY ONCE AND AFTER THAT I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY REPAIR IF IT FAILS AGAIN. AS OF THIS DATE ( 03/24/05) THIS CAR HAD 23760 MILES OF A 100,000 MILE WARRANTY ON IT. *AK

BOUGHT KIA OPTIMA ON JUNE 22, 2004 VIN# [XXX] AND HAVE SINCE HAD SEVEN SERVICE APPOINTMENTS, REPLACED TWO SETS OF DRIVE BELTS, REPLACED A LEAKING POWER STEERING RACK, REPLACED A LEAKING FUEL REGULATOR, MACHINED THE FRONT ROTORS, LOST TIME FROM WORK, LOST PRODUCTIVITY FROM WORK AS WELL AS JEOPARDIZED MY WIFE'S WORK FROM CAR POOLING FOR FIVE MONTHS, COMPLETED SCHEDULED ARBITRATION WITH THE BBB WITHOUT SUCCESS FOR FOUR PROBLEMS: ACCELERATION DELAY, LOW GRINDING BRAKE NOISE, LOW VIBRATION STEERING NOISE, AND LOUD SQUEALING NOISE FROM THE DRIVE BELTS. *JB UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

IRREGULAR OCCURRENCES OF STEERING PROBLEM, LEAKING POWER STEERING RACK. *BF SINCE THE INITIAL REPAIR OF THE POWER STEERING RACK, THE CONSUMER HAS CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING, HOWEVER THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE CONSUMERS CONCERN. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED IN THE MORNINGS, THERE WAS A SECOND DELAY IN THE TRANSMISSION. *JB