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What 34 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid
These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.
2 of 34 complaints match · Steering · clear filters
Apr 11, 2024Steering
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, after starting the vehicle, the steering wheel became stiff. The “Steering Assist Fault” messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering gear had failed. The dealer was contacted for a second opinion, but a diagnostic test was not performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
NHTSA ODI 11582463
Dec 25, 2018Steering
THERE'S A CLUNKING IN THE STEERING . FROM WHAT I'VE FOUND ON THE FORUMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM . IT APPEARS TO BE A PLASTIC COUPLER IN THE STEERING MOTOR THAT DETERIORATES CAUSING A METAL ON METAL GRINDING. I NOTICED THIS WHILE TURNING AT AT STREET CORNERS OR CHANGING LANES ON HIGHWAY. NHTSA NUMBER: 10090941. THIS APPARENTLY HAS BEEN REPORTED BEFORE . WANTED TO MAKE SURE MY INFO WAS INCLUDED .
NHTSA ODI 11163367
Working with the data? Download all 34 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026
How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your
pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the
full 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid verdict →