What 590 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Kia Optima

THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP HAS A SHORT GOING TO THE MOTOR, WHICH IS A FIRE HAZARD. ALSO, YOU MUST MOVE THE WHEEL NONSTOP OR IT WILL LOCK UP WHICH COULD CAUSE YOU TO WRECK AND DIE. VERY DANGEROUS. AT THIS POINT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO POWER STEERING MAKING IT VERY HARD TO DRIVE AND STEER.

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18V363 17220 IT HAS MADE A LOUD CLANKING/KNOCKING NOISE. IT STALLED THEN COMPLETLY DIED ONCE I GOT OFF THE MAIN HIGHWAY AND WOULDNT CRANK AGAIN. IT USES AN AWFUL LOT OF OIL. UPON FIRST OIL CHANGE IT HAD SHARDS OF METAL IN IT. THE PLACE I GOT THE VEHICLE FROM SAYS THEY PUT NEW MOTOR IN IT AMONG OTHER THINGS BUT I HAVENT SEEN IN CHANGE IN THINGS OTHER THAN IT DOESNT SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD WHILE IDLING.

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THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHTS WILL FLASH, MY LIGHTS WON'T TURN OFF WHEN ON AUTO, MY RADIO IS TURNING ON AND OFF BY ITSELF AND IS DOING SOME WEIRD THINGS

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER (GLASSMAN KIA 28000 TELEGRAPH RD, SOUTHFIELD, MI 48034 (888) 451-0949) AND THEY SAID THE VEHICLE WAS STUCK IN LIMP MODE. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY REPROGRAMMED ENGINE WITH A CODE FOR A RECALL REPAIR. THE FAILURE RECURRED AGAIN WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT 40 MPH THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED. THE CONTACT TRIED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE SPUN AROUND AND CRASHED INTO THE CURVE AND INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT LEFT THE CRASH SCENE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND GAVE THE CONTACT A CLAIM NUMBER BUT SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.*DT *TR

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE PROPERLY WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED. THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER BECAME DIFFICULT TO MOVE WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED AT THE DEALER BOB BELL KIA OF BALTIMORE (7900 EASTERN AVE, BALTIMORE, MD 21224) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V114000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, EXTERIOR LIGHTING) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

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MY CAR LOSES POWER WHEN I USE THE HORN. IT HAPPENS WHILE PARKED WITH THE ENGINE ON AND IN TRAFFIC. INITIALLY, I THOUGHT IT WAS FAULTY ELECTRICAL PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE WERE 3 ACTIVE RECALLS NEEDING TO BE FIXED. I RECENTLY TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED KIA SERVICE CENTER TO GET THE RECALLS TAKEN CARE OF AND ADDITONALLY, HAD THE A/C COMPRESSOR, STRUTS, AND A BELT REPLACED. I ALSO DESCRIBED THE ISSUE OF ENGINE POWER LOSS WHEN I USE THE HORN WITH SERVICE TECH AND ATTEMPTED TO DEMONSTRATE. HOWEVER, MY CAR DIDN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. I'M NOT SURE IF THE TECHS TESTED IT THOROUGHLY DURING THE DAYS IT WAS BEING SERVICED. THE FINAL DETAILED BILL STATES THAT THE CAR WOULDN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. I'M CURRENTLY SATISFIED WITH THE FIXED RECALLS, A/C, BELT, AND OTHER MINOR REPAIRS. I'M HIGHLY CONCERNED AND FRUSTRATED THAT I'M STILL EXPERIENCING ENGINE, ACCELERATION, RPM, AND A/C FAILURE WHENEVER I NEED TO USE MY HORN. A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO WHILE IN TRAFFIC, I HAD TO BLOW THE HORN BECAUSE A DISTRACTED DRIVER NEARLY SIDE SWIPED ME. AS A RESULT, MY CAR LOSS POWER. I COULDN'T ACCELERATE AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T SHIFT. I ENDED UP DOING AROUND 30MPH UNTIL I MADE IT TO A SAFE DESTINATION. I CALLED FOR HELP, BUT AFTER I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, IT WAS AS IF IT NEVER HAPPENED. I'M FURIOUS ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE DISTRACTED DRIVER PROCEEDED TO TAILGATE AND INTIMIDATE ME OUT OF ANGER. LASTLY, IT WAS NOT PROFESSIONAL OR CARING TO BE LAUGHED AT WHEN I VOICED THIS PROBLEM AT THE SERVICE CENTER. I NEED HELP AND ANSWERS BEFORE SOMETHING MORE TERRIBLE HAPPENS. THE NUMBER OF ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL COMPLAINTS ARE STARTLING. I'M HOPING THAT MY ISSUE WILL BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND LOOKED INTO. I'M NOT COMFORTABLE DRIVING MY CAR.

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I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELLING STRAIGHT IN TRAFFIC AT ABOUT 50 MPH WHEN MY CAR STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT, THEN IT STALLED AGAIN. THEN I RESTARTED IT ONE MORE TIME. THEN IT MADE A GRINDING CLUNKING SOUND LIKE SOMETHING SNAPPED AND WAS GETTING WHIPPED AROUND BY THE MOVING PARTS. THEN IT HAD NO THROTTLE RESPONSE AND I WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE AS THE CAR NO LONGER WAS RUNNING.

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MY CAR JUST DIED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I HAD A AAA TECHNICIAN COME OUT FOR A TOW. HE INSPECTED MY ENGINE AND FOUND OUT THERE WAS A LOW AMOUNT OF OIL AND METAL SHAVINGS. AFTER BEING TOWED TO A AUTO SHOP THEY DETERMINED MY ENGINE FROZED AND INFORMED ME I NEED TO PURCHASE A NEW ENGINE. THEY ALSO FOUND METAL SHAVINGS

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WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY IN OREGON, MY CAR STALLED AND MADE WEIRD SOUNDS OUT OF NOWHERE. ON A BROAD CURVE, MY CAR SLOWED DOWN QUICKLY AND LUCKILY THERE WEREN'T ANY CARS BEHIND ME. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT THE ENGINE WAS GOING TO FAIL. I TRIED TO PULL OVER SAFELY TO THE NARROW SHOULDER AND LET THE CAR COOL DOWN FOR A LITTLE BIT. I TRIED STARTING IT AGAIN AND THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE ROCKS IN A BLENDER. I HAVE TAKEN GREAT CARE OF MY HYBRID AND HAS NO HISTORY OF OTHER ISSUES AND IT ONLY HAS 89,000 MILES ON IT. THE MECHANIC SAID THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2.4 L THETA II ENGINE FROM MY CAR'S YEAR.

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THE AIRBAG INDICATOR ON MY DASHBOARD REMAINS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. IT HAS BEEN THIS WAY SINCE APRIL 2018 WHEN THE FRONT END (JUST RIGHT OF CENTER) WAS IMPACTED. HAVE BEEN TO KIA PERFORMANCE CENTER IN MOOSIC PA AND WAS TOLD THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO REGARDING THIS MATTER. ALSO, MY VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT ERTLEY MOTORWORLD AND THEY TOO STATED THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS.

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THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE EXTREMELY DIM. IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. THE ONLY SAFE WAY TO DRIVE IS WITH THE HIGH BEAMS WHICH ENDANGERS OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHER KIA OPTIMA DRIVERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM BUT KIA WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE OR FIX THE ISSUE.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND THE VEHICLE SHUT-OFF WITHOUT WARNING. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT ENGINE HAD SEIZED. THE CONTACT THEN HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO JTS KIA OF ROCK HILL (840 N ANDERSON RD, ROCK HILL, SC 29730) WHERE THE VEHICLE REMAINED IN THEIR POSSESSION. THE VEHICLE HAD YET TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD YET TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 160,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

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FRONT OF SUNROOF GLASS PANEL SHATTERED VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN A PARKING LOT.

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THE THETA 2.4GDI ENGINE WAS REPLACED IN MY 2011 KIA OPTIMA MAY 2019, AFTER A TOTAL ENGINE SEIZURE THAT LEFT ME STRANDED AT AN INTERSECTION IN ALBUQUERQUE NM. IT HAS STARTED TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME PATTERN OF MALFUNCTIONING IN THE LAST 10 MONTHS, SPORADICALLY, FIRST WHILE DRIVING AND ANOTHER TIME WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START MY VEHICLE. HOWEVER, PRONOUNCED MALFUNCTIONING. I AM DUMBFOUNDED THAT KIA STATES THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AS I HAVE PROVIDED VIDEOS OF THE NOISES FOR THEIR REVIEW!! THEY THEMSELVES WRITE IN ARTICLES THAT THEY PREFER TO REPAIR BEFORE TOTAL ENGINE SEIZURE. HOWEVER, I TOOK MY VEHICLE BACK TO PITRE KIA, WHERE THE ENGINE WAS ORIGINALLY REPLACED AND NOW THEY SAY THE ENGINE WARRANTY WAS 12 MONTHS, EVEN THOUGH THEIR LITERATURE STATES DIFFERENTLY. WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO FOLLOW THAT ADVISE, THEY COMPLETELY SWITCH TO TOTAL RUDENESS AND GO AS FAR AS LAUGHING AT YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN OVER THE VEHICLE THAT YOU PAID FOR AND WHICH ULTIMATELY PAYS THEIR SALARY!! I JUST WANT TO HAVE FAITH IN MY VEHICLE THAT IT WILL NOT LEAVE ME STRANDED. I AM RESTRICTED, AT THIS TIME, FROM GOING OUT OF TOWN. I DO NOT TRUST MY VEHICLE TO TAKE ME ANYWHERE, MUCH LESS MAKE THE NECESSARY TRIPS TO SANTA FE (56 MILES AWAY) DUE TO THE FEAR OF GETTING STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, I AM A 64 YEARS OLD DISABLED FEMALE AND THOUGHT I HAD PURCHASED A RELIABLE VEHICLE ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT IS THE FARTHEST FROM THE TRUTH. NOW THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES AND SUPERVISORS ARE IN TOTAL DENIAL OF THEIR FAULTY EQUIPMENT AND THEN PROCEED TO BE RUDE! THEY CAN LIE ALL THEY WANT, BUT THEY DO KNOW OF THE LAWSUITS OVER THEIR FAULTY ENGINES!! THEY ARE JUST BEING TOLD BY THE GREEDY CORPORATE HEADS NOT TO COMPLY WITH REPAIRS.

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ENGINE KNOCKING WON'T GO OVER 20 MPH, THERE IS A RECALL ON ENGINES ON THE 2011 KIA OPTIMA AND THIS CAR ONLY HAS 75K MILES AND IS REGULARLY SERVICED.

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I REPORTED MY KIA WITH AN ENGINE FAILURE PROBLEM A FEW WEEKS AGO. GOT A CALL FROM KIA TODAY AND THEY REFUSE TO COVER BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THE RECALL BY NHTSA IS FOR 2 AND 2.4 L OPTIMA , KIA IS CLAIMING IT IS FOR A SPECIFIC TYPE OF ENGINE. I SHOULD PAY 6200 AND SUBMIT FOR POSSIBLE REIMBURSEMENT. MINE IS AN MPI AND IT IS EXCLUDED. HOW CAN YOU EXCLUDE MY ENGINE? WHY WOULD MY ENGINE FAIL FOR NO VIABLE REASON AND THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS TO HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN? MY CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP. I AM ASKING FOR A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION AND NOT A PHONE INVESTIGATION. . MY CAR IS A 2.4L I4 MPI HYBRID ELECTRIC DOHC. AN ENGINE FAILS FOR A REASON. KIA HAS HAD DEBRIS ISSUES WITH ENGINES AND IF MINE IS THE FIRST THEN SO BE IT. PLEASE HAVE SOMEONE LOOK AT THE CAR TO ASCERTAIN THIS WAS NOT A LEMON ENGINE FROM THE GET GO. THIS BRUSH OFF BY KIA IS UNACCEPTABLE. *JS

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THE LOW BEAMS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE DANGEROUS. WE PURCHASED IT FOR OUR DAUGHTER AND NOW ARE SCARED TO LET HER DRIVE IT AT NIGHT. THE HIGH BEAMS SEEM TO BE FINE BUT WHEN THE LOW BEAMS ARE ON YOU CAN NOT SEE ANYTHING. VERY DANGEROUS

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE), HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT PULLED TO THE SHOULDER AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

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THE KIA OPTIMA 2011 MOTOR NO LONGER WORKS AND SMOKE KEEPS COMING OUT WHEN IT'S ON AND TURNED OFF AFTER DRIVING FROM THE EXHAUST ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL GETS STUCK AND DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO MAKE THE CHANGE IN TRANSMISSION. I TOOK THE CAR TO TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS AND BOTH OF THEM COME OUT WITH THE SAME DIAGNOSE. WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR IS A RECALLED CAR BECAUSE IT IS TO SOON FOR THE MOTOR TO BE SHUTTING DOWN SINCE IT ONLY HAS 81,000 MILES AND IT'S NOT AN OLD CAR. THE SUSPENSION IS ALSO NOT IN PROPERLY.

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THE STEERING WHEEL IS STIFFING . I LOOKED IT UP TO SEE IF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE.

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CAR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING, CAR STARTED MAKING LOUD NOISE AND SMOKE STARTS COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE. PARKED CAR AND HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER STATES ENGINE INTERNAL FAILURE AND ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A CAR THAT'S ONLY SERVICED AT DEALERSHIP. LAST 360 POINT INSPECTION WAS NOVEMBER 2019. LAST DEALERSHIP VISIT MAY 2020. RECALL STATES 2-LITER AND 2.4 LITER FOUR CYLINDER ENGINES. KIA STATES ITS FOR GDI NOT MPI. YOUR REPORT DID NOT SPECIFY. PLEASE ASSIST. THANK YOU. *TR

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SO ONE OF THE KIA DEALERS IN THE STATE OF MAINE REPLACED THE MOTOR IN OUR 2011 OPTIMA, EVER SINCE THEN OUR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM HAS NOT BEEN WORKING. I'VE HAD IT TESTED AND RECHARGED. STILL NO ACC. I HAVE DIAGNOSED NO POWER TO THE AC PUMP. ALSO THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE NEW BULBS IN LOW BEAM AND ARE DIM..?? *TR

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CAR STARTS SMOKING AND MAKING NOISE WHILE DRIVING A DAY BEFORE SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT. CAR TOWED TO DEALER 6/23/2020- RODS IN ENGINE WENT BAD, ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. 360 POINT INSPECTION NOVEMBER 2019. THIS CAR WAS BOUGHT USED AND HAS BEEN SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE PURCHASE. IT IS FRUSTRATING THE DEALERSHIP IN MAY 2020 DID NOT DETECT A PROBLEM AND I AM NOW AT THIS POINT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON CONTINUOUSLY AND WE HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 4 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR FOR THIS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ISSUE. WHAT'S THE POINT OF USING A DEALERSHIP TO SERVICE YOUR CAR? *TR

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2011 KIA OPTIMA WAS PURCHASED IN 2014 WITH LOW HEADLIGHT BEAMS OUTPUT, HAS SINCE DETORIATED TO ALMOST NON EXISTENT. HAVE REPLACED HEADLIGHT BULBS SEVERAL TIMES TRYING TO IMPROVE LIGHT QUALITY AND HAS NOT RESOLVED THIS ISSUE IN ANY WAY. HAD PLANNED ON KEEPING THIS CAR FOREVER AS I HAVE REPLACED THE ENGINE ONCE ALREADY BUT I'M AT A LOSS, U SIMPLY CAN NOT SAFELY DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AT NIGHT! SO UPON RESEARCH I FOUND THIS IS A VERY BIG AND COMMON PROBLEM FOR KIA OWNERS. CLEARLY IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO SERVICING OR RECALLS OFFERED TO CORRECT THIS FOR US DRIVERS. WITH THE SUGGESTED RESOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM BEING A NEW HOUSING/ASSEMBLY AT $1,000 OR MORE THAT IS COMPLETELY NOT A FEASIBLE RESOLUTION TO BE ACHIEVED FINANCIALLY BY WAY OF THE AVERAGE DRIVER AS THOSE REPAIRS ARE WAY TO COSTLY, KIA SHOULD HAVE ALREADY JUMPED IN AND OFFERED SOME SAFETY RECALLS! ALSO WORTH NOTING, I HAVE CHANGED THE HEADLIGHTS MANY TIMES JUST DO TO THEM BURNING OUT, NOT SURE IF THAT IS BECAUSE OF WHATEVER UNDERLYING PROBLEM THERE IS FOR THESE LIGHTS INITIALLY OR MAYBE BECAUSE OF AFTERMARKET LIGHTS, ETC. PLEASE PLEASE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE SOON!! MY REGARDS, *COMPLAINT FORM ASKS IS THERE WAS A CRASH WITH ONLY YES OR NO OPTIONS TO ANSWER AS. THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ADDED FIELD WITH "THERE IS GOING TO BE"!

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STEERING WHEEL HAS A CLICKING NOISE AND A PLAY. ALSO ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF. *TR

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