What 1,371 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Kia Optima

The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at 20 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle accelerated to a speed which caused the vehicle to go over a medium and crash into a tree. The air bags did deploy. No warning lights illuminated on the vehicle. The contact was the only person in the vehicle, and sustain injuries to their chest and lower back. There was medical treatment at the scene however the contact did not go to the hospital for further evaluation. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto body shop where it was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.

NHTSA ODI 11448899

I NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING ROUGHLY 65 MPH. MY VEHICLE PRETTY MUCH WENT INTO LIMP MODE. I WAS ONLY ABLE TO TRAVEL AT A CERTAIN TOP SPEED. OVER HEATING THEN BECAME A VERY DRASTIC ISSUE. I LOOKED ON THE NHSTA WEBSITE FOR ANY KNOWN RECALLS THERE WERE SOME FOR MY YEAR AND MODEL BUT MINE WASN'T LISTED? I CALLED A FAMILY MECHANIC AND DESCRIBED IN MORE GREATER DETAIL ABOUT MY ISSUE FROM START TO FINISH, HE ADVISED ME NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE THAT IT WAS DISPLAYING THE EXACT QUALITIES AS THE LISTED RECALL AND I SHOULD CALL KIA MOTOR COMPANY TO HAVE THE LOOK INTO MY CLASS OF VEHICLES FURTHER. LONG STORY SHORT I WAS BASICALLY LEFT HOMELESS IN A CITY AND STATE PRETTY MUCH BEAT ON THE WHOLE IDEA OF EVERY GETTING MY CAR BACK AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT IT DROPPED BELOW 28 DEGREES OUTSIDE. I WAS APPROXIMATELY 200 MILES FROM HOME. BECAUSE OF THIS CORPORATIONS NEGLIGENCE. I LOST MORE THAN A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP I HAD TO START BACK OVER AGAIN AND I'M UNFORTUNATELY AN ONLY CHILD WITH NO PARENTS SO IT WAS VERY MIND BOGGLING.. I MADE REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO COME TO SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT WITH KIA TO NO AVAIL. SOME ONE WENT SO FAR AS TO STEAL A SAFE OUT OF MY VEHICLE. WHICH I HAD PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED AND VANDALIZED THE INSIDE OF MY CAR BEYOND REPAIR. THANKS KIA, FOR VICTIMIZING ME TO MAKE YOUR MILLIONS.

NHTSA ODI 11353252

TAKARA RECALL: MY ENGINE HAD BEEN KNOCKING/SHAKING FOR A GOOD MINUTE NOW. WHEN I HAVE IT RUNNING AND HOOD OPEN IT'S JUST VIBRATING EXTREMELY HARD AND CONSTANTLY.I'VE NOTICED IT WANTS TO STALL OR NO SHIFT CORRECTLY AFTER A DEAD STOP AND SOMETHING GOING INTO 3RD GEAR. EVEN WHILE JUST IDLING I CAN FEEL THE ENGINE SHAKING THE WHOLE CAR FROM INSIDE.

NHTSA ODI 11221025

TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE A MONTH AGO FOR AIRBAG RECALL AS WAS TOLD WOULD NOT INFLATE IN CRASH. CALLED KIA CORP. TO ASK STATUS AS I HAVE HEARD NOTHING MORE AFTER CALLING EACH WEEK AND WAS TOLD MY CAR WAS READY AS OF THAT MOMENT. PICKED UP CAR AND TRANSMISSION (LIGHT CAME ON AND DIED) IN MIDDLE OF 4 LANE HWY 5O'CLOCK TRAFFIC AS I WAS IN MOTION APPROACHING TRAFFIC LIGHT AT WITHIN A MILE OF LEAVING REGAL KIA AND WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE AIRBAG WAS STILL NOT WORKING AS THE EXTRA FIX WAS OUTSIDE OF THE RECALL AND I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR. I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT DURING STALL AS I WENT IN FOR A AIRBAG RECALL AND LEFT WITH A DEAD TRANSMISSION AND AIRBAG WAS NOT FIXED, PUTTING MY LIFE IN DANGER WITHIN MINUTES OF LEAVING THE SAME DEALERSHIP THAT EARLIER MONTHS CLEARED MY CAR AS PERFECT EXCEPT FOR TUNE-UP BECAUSE OF ANOTHER PREVIOUS RECALL. I WAS NOT PLACED IN REQUESTED LOANER TO MATCH MY VEHICLE SIZE AS NEEDED DUE TO MY FAMILY SIZE FOR 4 WEEKS. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE BY ANY MEANS AS A CUSTOMER.

NHTSA ODI 11140595

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION AFTER LOSING FUNCTIONALITY OF VARIOUS ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PRIOR TO THE CRASH, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VALLEY HI KIA (14673 CIVIC DR, VICTORVILLE, CA), BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED UNTIL THE SECOND TIME IT WAS BROUGHT IN FOR DRIVING ABNORMALLY. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM, MOTOR MOUNT, AND TRANSMISSION WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER BANNED THE CONTACT FROM RETURNING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO KIA OF ORANGE (210 W KATELLA AVE, ORANGE, CA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DID NOT RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE. THE RECALL WAS REMEDIED, BUT NO OTHER REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THERE WAS ONE INJURY THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT SUFFERED LOWER BACK, HIP, AND HEAD INJURIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 56,000.

NHTSA ODI 11046243