What 107 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE PROGRESSING FROM THE ENGINE. THE DEALER (JIM BONE KIA, 1255 SANTA ROSA AVE, SANTA ROSA, CA 95404, (707) 545-7050) AND THE MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE HYBRID MODEL EXHIBITED THE SAME FAILURE AS THE RECALL, BUT THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO APPROVE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY AND THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000. ... .UPDATED 11/16/17 *BF *TR

NHTSA ODI 11005961

WE FIRST TOOK IT TO EDWARDS KIA IN COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA ON 2/11/15. WHEN I ORIGINALLY TOOK IT TO THEM, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAD JUST COME ON AND THE CAR HAD JUST STARTED DOING THE LUNGING AND HESITATING WHEN SHIFTING IN LOWER GEARS. IT WAS AS IF THE ACCELERATOR WAS STICKING. THEY DOWNLOADED A COUPLE UPDATES AND TURNED THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT OFF. THEY ADVISED THE LIGHT CAME ON BECAUSE OF THE UPDATE THAT WAS NEEDED AND SAID THAT THE SHIFTING /IDLING ISSUE WAS BETTER. AS SOON AS I DROVE IT, I NOTICED IT WAS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. ON 2/23/15 I TOOK IT BACK IN AND THEY ADVISED THAT THERE WERE TWO PARTS TO THE DOWNLOAD AND THAT THEY HAD PUT THE SECOND PART ON AND THOUGHT IT WAS BETTER. THEY ALSO GAVE ME A KIA TECH SUPPORT SHEET ON HOW TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. THIS INCLUDED WARMING THE CAR UP FOR 10-15 MINUTES, DRIVING WITH THE ECO ON THE START OF THE TRIP, AND TO DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR 10 % MORE. THEY ADVISED THAT WAS THE NATURE OF THE HYBRID VEHICLE IN THE COLD WEATHER BUT IT DIDN'T DO IT THE YEAR BEFORE. WE THEN TOOK THE CAR TO H&H KIA IN OMAHA, NE ON 3/3/15 AND THE CAR IS STILL THERE 7 WEEKS LATER. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION TWICE WITH REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSIONS. I AM NOT SURE WHY THEY WOULDN'T PUT A NEW ONE IN SINCE THE CAR ONLY HAS $19,663 MILES ON IT. THE HAVE REPLACED THE GENERATOR NOW AND STILL HASN'T FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE CAR STILL ISN'T SHOWING ANY CODES ON THE COMPUTER AND THEY ARE WAITING FOR THE KIA "EXPERTS" TO ARRIVE. I HAVE NOT HAD MY CAR FOR 8 WEEKS AND THEY WANT ME TO TAKE THE CAR HOME UNTIL THE EXPERTS ARRIVE BUT I DO NOT FEEL SAFE WITH IT LUNGING AND SHIFTING ERRATIC LIKE IT IS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10712278