What 916 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Optima Phev

WHILE TRAVELING FROM KNOXVILLE TN.WE NOTICED THE SMELL OF GASOLINE WHILE TRAVELING ON I-75.AS WE CONTINUED ON THE SMELL WENT AWAY.WE REFUELED IN SWEETWATER TN. AND CONTINUED ON.AT A REDLIGHT IN MADISONVILLE WE NOTICED THE SMELL AGAIN.I PULLED INTO A WENDYS PARKING LOT AND CHECKED BENEATH THE HOOD.THERE WAS NO GAS SMELL OR LEAKS.WE CONTINUED ON TO HWY 68.NEAR FARNER TN. THE CAR HAD A HOT SMELL AND WITHIN A FEW SECONDS WENT UP IN FLAMES.WE PULLED ONTO A SIDE ROAD AND EXITED THE VEHICLE.THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHTS, AND THE CAR DID NOT MISS OR SHUT OFF.NO WARNING WHATSOEVER.WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUT ONLY.FLAMES CONSUMED THE CAR IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE EXITED THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10587361

WHILE DRIVING MY 2012 KIA OPTIMA SX T GDI I LOST ACCELERATIONS ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS DRIVING AT 55 MPH BECAUSE THE CAR WOULDN'T ACCELERATE, BUT IT DID DECREASE IN SPEED TO A DANGEROUS 20 MPH. I TRIED TO USE MY PADDLE SHIFTERS IN HOPES THAT WOULD WORK, TO NO AVAIL. I DEPRESSED THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND THE SPEED DID NOT CHANGE. I EVENTUALLY REACHED A SAFE PLACE AND SHUT THE CAR OFF, WAITED SEVERAL MINUTES AND ATTEMPTED RE-STARTING THE CAR. THE CAR SPUTTERED AND PAUSED BEFORE EVENTUALLY STARTING, THEN ALLOWED ME TO DRIVE APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS BEFORE HAVING THE SAME DECREASED SPEED SITUATION AGAIN. I WAS FORTUNATE TO DRIVE HOME AT 45 MPH AND AVOID BEING RUN OFF THE RODE OR REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE OR WORSE . . . A TRUCK. THE NEXT MORNING I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AFTER A DIAGNOSTIC WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NOT SUCH BAD NEWS BUT I WAS SHOCKED THAT THE PRICE QUOTED TO ME, BY THE SERVICE MANAGER, IS $900.00. UNBELIEVABLE!!! I SEARCHED ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND FOUND ALL THE PARTS THAT ARE RELATED TO THIS TYPE ISSUE AND NOTHING, NOT ONE PART, COST $900.00. THE PROPOSED COST TO REPAIR MY CAR IS GREATER THAN THE CAR PAYMENT. AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT COST MORE THAN THE CAR PAYMENT FOR MY WIFE'S ML500. I HAVE VISITED KIA FORUMS THAT SPEAK TO PROBLEMS WITH THE KIA AND IT SEEMS THAT A MANUFACTURER IS IN ORDER. INCIDENTALLY, THE PART IS NO LONGER COVERED BY THE WARRANTY BECAUSE I RECENTLY PASSED THE 60,000 MILE MARK. I FEEL LIKE I AM BEING RIPPED OFF TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED FOR WHAT WILL BE LESS THAN AN HOUR OF WORK TO REPLACED A MINOR PART, THAT INCIDENTALLY HAS A COST OF $900.00. I WILL BE WILLING TO PROVIDE ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO MY EXPERIENCE WITH MY 2012 KIA OPTIMA. I SHOULD BE PURCHASED AND AUDI. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10515593

GAS PEDAL WOULD NOT WORK. AVIS PUTS RUBBER FLOOR MATS OVER CLOTH FLOOR MATS THAT HAVE HOOKS EMBEDDED IN TIME TO HOLD THE FACTORY FLOOR MATS IN PLACE. I DID NOT KNOW THEY HAD DID THIS. OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL HOURS OF DRIVING THE RUBBER FLOOR MAT SLID FORWARD UNDER THE GAS PEDAL RENDERING IT INOPERABLE; I COASTED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD AND DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM, PULLED THE RUBBER FLOORMAT BACK TOWARDS THE FRONT SEAT AND IT HAPPENED A 2ND TIME A FEW HOURS LATER WHERE I LOST COMPLETE USE OF THE GAS PEDAL SO I PUT THE RUBBER MATS IN THE TRUNK. I REPORTED THIS TO AVIS. AN AVIS REP SAYS THIS IS A STANDARD CORPORATE POLICY SO THEY CAN SAVE WEAR ON THE CLOTH RUG STYLE FLOOR MATS. I ASKED THEM TO REEXAMINE THEIR CORPORATE POLICY. I HOPE YOUR AGENCY CAN REVIEW THIS PRACTICE AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO AVIS. WITH ALL THE ISSUE SURROUNDING CAR ACCELERATOR PEDALS AND AFTER MARKET FLOOR MATS JAMMING THEM IT SEEMS THEY HAVE TAKEN LEAVE OF COMMON SENSE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10479639

FOR 3 TO 5 SECONDS, NO RESPONSE FROM ENGINE AT IDLE WHEN ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED AND THE CAR IS STOPPED (E.G., FOR TRAFFIC SIGNAL). THEN, WITHOUT WARNING, THE ENGINE WENT FROM IDLE (ABOUT 800 RPM) TO RAPID (SURGING) ACCELERATION, OFTEN WITH SCREECHING TIRES. THIS OCCURRED EACH TIME I STARTED FROM A STOPPED POSITION DURING A 493-MILE TRIP. THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AFTER I REACHED MY TARGET DRIVING SPEED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10466784