2011 Kia Optima owner complaints

Engine failure..bought in 2013 w 14,000 miles.currently has 68,000.check engine light came on last year.Kia would only pay for 1 spark plug.then,l paid to have a new fi system put in.l was never reimbursed.dec 20,driving down a busy highway w my kids and engine shuts off with no warning.then,the check engine light came on along with weird smells of gas and burning.took it to the dealer and no issue.took it back again on dec 21,but no techs available.dec 23,l was driving my kid to work,engine shook,check engine light came on flashed and a big boom.car was going 5mph while it was clicking.l got it towed(after Kia motors had the audacity to try to make me pay for a tow@99.00,but l refused)thru my insurance co.as the car sat,a big cloud of smoke came from the engine,we though that it was catch

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Kia optima. The contact stated while her son was driving 60 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated and the vehicle began to accelerate independently. The driver pulled over and parked on the side of the roadway. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not informed of failure. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

As I was driving down the road on my way home my car lost power so I had to pull over to the side of the road after a car almost hit me from not being able to accelerate in the middle of the road. I then turned my car off and it would not turn back on.

2011 Kia optima driving home on expressway engine started knocking and seized up, pretty much froze the steering and had to fight to get to shoulder. Kia has a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty. A letter was sent in mail claiming issues with bearings crankshaft pistons on the 2.0 turbo and 2.4 gdi motors , so Kia bumped up warranty to 10 years 120,000. I have 120,722 Kia says they wont warranty even though I am this close. Also Kia and Hyundai are sister companies and Hyundai put the same in engines in there sonata a recalled 400,000 plus engines and Kia has not recalled one. If there is an issue and there claiming there is one by extending warranty shouldn't it be fixed under a certain amount of time. I've read that engines tend to stall at around 100,000 to 120,00 miles. *tr

I as driving on the highway and all of a sudden the car would not accelerate. The engine light, oil light, air bag lights etc. all turned on. The speed quickly dropped but I was able to to move into the safety lane. The card finally stalled and would would not start. I tried turning it back on, but the engine would not crank. The lights, radio, AC would still turn on, but the engine would not start. I have maintained it's scheduled maintenance and I was under miles until it's next oil change considering I had just changed it a month ago. I took it to get checked and was advised there was no oil and the engine was seized. I never received a warning the oil pressure was low. My car is over the 10 years and/or 100,000 k warranty as it was purchased 8/2011.

I was driving down the road, no warning lights came on. Oil pressure gauge was normal and the car just stopped. Made no noises, just stopped. Technician pulled oil pan and stated that hunks of metal fell out around the bearings.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Kia optima. The contact received an unknown recall notification regarding the engine. The vehicle was taken to sunset Kia of bradenton (4770 14th st w, bradenton, fl 34207, (941) 752-1000) where the engine was tested and passed. The contact stated that the engine had been sputtering prior to the test. The dealer stated that the failure was due to lack of oil, although the vehicle recently had an oil change. The dealer also stated that they did not find metal shavings while conducting the test and the check oil indicator was not illuminated. Approximately one week later, while driving, the engine seized in the middle of the road. The vehicle was towed back to the same dealer who stated that a new engine was needed due to the recall. The check engine indicator ill

The passenger occupant classification system sensor mat failed while the vehicle was in motion, as indicated by a light illuminated on the dashboard. The failure occurred during normal operation of the vehicle. Failure of this sensor is a significant safety concern, as it may cause the airbag not to deploy in the event of an accident. This is a known issue in other Kia vehicles around the same model year, but there isn't a recall or service bulletin for this particular vehicle.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Kia optima. While the contact's vehicle was stationary, another vehicle reversed into the front of her vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The air bag and traction warning indicators were illuminated. The contact sustained a concussion, neck injury, and convergence insufficiency to the left eye. Medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 18v363000 (air bags). The vehicle was taken to Kia of bedford (located at 18180 rockside rd, bedford, oh 44146, (440) 735-4000) where they replaced the bumper and stated that an alignment was needed. The vehicle was repaired for crash parts, but not for the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.

Check engine has failed. Glow relay stuck on or knock sensor or engine warranty. I don't know. Kia service will find out what's wrong with my car.

Low beam headlights illuminate so little, only lighting approximately 10 feet in front of the car. This has become extremely dangerous and a major safety issue.

I bought a brand new 2011 Kia optima hybrid and the car pulls heavily to the left even on straight roads. I took the car to the dealer and they did an alignment and they say it is within specs but it acts the same. If you let go of the steering wheel for a couple seconds you're on the shoulder. This is a very serious safety issue. Second issue is that both driver and passenger seats were bolted down in one bolt out of four. The dealer installed the missing bolts but this makes me really worried about the quality control at Kia. What else might they missed? I don't even want to think what might have happened had I been involved in a collision before noticing this. Unacceptable! *tr

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. The contact stated while reversing, the contact heard a popping sound, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an impendent mechanic, and he reinstalled the inner shaft. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 110,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 2011 Kia optima. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle began to decelerate abnormally. After a few moments, the vehicle suddenly surged forward. The contact maneuvered the vehicle to the shoulder and stopped. Black smoke then began to rise from under the hood and the vehicle was immediately engulfed into flames. The fire department appeared on the scene to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a towing lot. The vehicle was not examined for the cause of failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure and the current mileages were 7,000.

Recently when I hit about 103,000 miles my 2011 Kia optima 2.0 turbo transmission has been acting strange. When driving for a little while and coming to a complete stop as I'm pulling off accelerating the car jerks make and won't accelerate past 40 MPH. After doing acouple research I was told it's the transmission temperature sensor. I. Believe this is a serious problem due to the fact as your pulling off after the complete stop it jerks so hard you jerk so hard with the car. Also if anybody is behind you and it does that sudden jurk it can cause an accident because the driver behind you isn't aware because it's not like your hitting the breaks. I also searched online that this model and year car has two open recalls for engine and transmission problems (unknown).

I was leaving work @ 5:45 pm and got in my car, but it would not start. I tried for 20 minutes before I called Kia ledgen dealership for help. They told me where to put the aux key starter inside the glove box area. After several attempts the car still would not start. They told me a would have to call the 800 number to get a jump or have my car towed. I found a co-worker who gave me a jump and the car started right up. I proceeded to a firestone station and got a new batter ($146.00). Started right up and had no problems until my wife and I went to the mall today (dec 28) and my car would no start again. I thought we were going to get stranded or needed to find a jump. After 5 attempts it finally started and I took my car back to the dealership and they said they could not duplica

Moonroof on our 2011 Kia optima ex model exploded while traveling at 60 MPH december 25th 2013 - evening. Outside temperature was 36 degrees f at the time. Incident also caused body and paint damage to our trunk as well as peppered vehicles behind us with glass fragments. Upon reviewing multiple forums on line it appears this is not an isolated incident for Kia/Hyundai as I learned multiple models made by this duo have also suffered similar scenario's. I'm sure NHTSA is quite aware that the Hyundai veloseter has recalled several thousand vehicles mfg. For this potential issue and we're coincidentally made during the same time frame our vehicle was assembled. *tr

While driving to work early in the morning, traveling at about 55-60 MPH,without warning a startling sound like an explosion, once I realized it wasn't a tire blowout, I pulled over to find a hole in my roof. Thankfully I was alone and my children wasn't with me and no other vehicles were on the road at that time.

We were in my 2011 Kia optima on a transition ramp from one freeway to another doing about 45 MPH. As we rounded a turn we saw 2 cars and a tow truck on the side of the ramp we then hit a puddle (lake) that went across both lanes of this ramp. The water slowed us by maybe 20 MPH with water shooting all around us. We then saw a truck coming down a on ramp to merge in front of us he hit another puddle and spun sideways and hit a guard rail. We pulled up next to him to see if he was alright and my car stalled. We could smell gas I thought it was coming from the truck and I wanted to move away from him. The car would not start, I had my 4 year old in the car and he was terrified and crying. Luckily a tow truck pulled up behind us and blocked other cars from hitting us he pushed us out of the

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 37 MPH, he noticed a burning odor, and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood and through the A/C vents. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The local dealer and several unknown dealers were contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. VIN tool conf