kia optima 2014 Complaints

ENGINE

my kia optima 2014 started a noise near the engine that sounds like a clapping noise. the first kia dealer i took it to said that it is not to worry and is part of the kia engineering design. the second kia dealer i took it to said that the noise is bad news and after further diagnostics, they determined that the entire engine needed to be replaced. just 5,000 miles into the life of my brand new kia optima 2014. i want people to be aware that if you hear a clapping noise near the top of the engine than please take it into a kia dealer immediately while it is still under warranty. it is not currently a kia recall but i feel it should be since this can lead to replacing the entire engine. thank you.

Reported in: VICTORVILLE CA || Crash: N || VIN #:

STEERING

tl* the contact owns a 2014 kia optima. the contact was driving 50 mph when the power steering assist failed. the vehicle was not taken for inspection or diagnosis. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 100.

Reported in: STATEN ISLAND NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGN4A76EG

ENGINE

i had my car kid optima 2014 2 weeks (800 miles on my new ).the engine was making a knocking noises took it back to dealership it was the piston not working fully they said i was going to have to have engine replaced .i don't want the car ! i'm not happy.

Reported in: WINTER HAVEN FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGM4A78EG

STEERING

vehicle wanders from side to side on the highway, at highway speeds (60+ mph) and requires constant correction from left to right to maintain lane position. this has been a problem from the time we purchased it new less than 3 weeks ago. the steering is very hyper-sensitive at speed and a correction to the right requires a correction to left with no apparent "gray" or middle center area which would keep the vehicle in a straight line. most of this is on very straight surfaces with little to no crown & camber on the road. steering mode was changed by the dealer service dept. (at our request) from ex sport to ex standard, with minimal improvement. we replaced the oem tires, with upgraded tires. while traction and turning performance have improved, still no noticeable improvement in the wander. my wife refuses to drive the car on the highways, as she feels fear, stress and exhaustion from the constant correction during lengthy drives.

Reported in: JURUPA VALLEY CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGN4A76EG

VISIBILITY:SUN ROOF ASSEMBLY

driving southbound on i-95 in virginia, i heard a loud explosion like a gunshot. moments later, i heard the sound of air rushing past from above my head and debris vibrating on the interior sunroof screen. i later found that it was broken glass crackling and falling against the interior sunroof screen. i pulled over immediately to check the roof for damage. what i found was a gaping hole (8-12 inches in diameter) in the glass of the front sunroof. i was not near any overpass or work trucks, nor did i ever observe anything striking the car at any time- not during this incident or ever before. i seriously thought there had been an explosion or gunshot somewhere nearby. this is a serious issue. the exploding sound alone might cause a person to go off the road or otherwise swerve into traffic.

Reported in: FREDERICKSBURG VA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGN4A72EG

STRUCTURE:BODY

driving southbound on i-95 in virginia, i heard a loud explosion like a gunshot. moments later, i heard the sound of air rushing past from above my head and debris vibrating on the interior sunroof screen. i later found that it was broken glass crackling and falling against the interior sunroof screen. i pulled over immediately to check the roof for damage. what i found was a gaping hole (8-12 inches in diameter) in the glass of the front sunroof. i was not near any overpass or work trucks, nor did i ever observe anything striking the car at any time- not during this incident or ever before. i seriously thought there had been an explosion or gunshot somewhere nearby. this is a serious issue. the exploding sound alone might cause a person to go off the road or otherwise swerve into traffic.

Reported in: FREDERICKSBURG VA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGN4A72EG

STEERING

vehicle wanders at highway speeds. it is almost impossible to go straight without constant adjustment. even with constant adjustment the car will not track straight.

Reported in: CHARLOTTE NC || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGN4A74EG

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

i complained to the dealer about the rough ride and harsh ride but was told not to worry. i then took it on the highway and the steering pulled to the left and i never felt confident about the steering only to say that it did not feel right and it was worrisome to me. it simply did not feel right to me. i've been driving 50 years and have never felt this uncomfortable driving/steering a car at highway speeds.

Reported in: DAYTONA BEACH FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGN4A78EG

SUSPENSION

i complained to the dealer about the rough ride and harsh ride but was told not to worry. i then took it on the highway and the steering pulled to the left and i never felt confident about the steering only to say that it did not feel right and it was worrisome to me. it simply did not feel right to me. i've been driving 50 years and have never felt this uncomfortable driving/steering a car at highway speeds.

Reported in: DAYTONA BEACH FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGN4A78EG

STEERING

i complained to the dealer about the rough ride and harsh ride but was told not to worry. i then took it on the highway and the steering pulled to the left and i never felt confident about the steering only to say that it did not feel right and it was worrisome to me. it simply did not feel right to me. i've been driving 50 years and have never felt this uncomfortable driving/steering a car at highway speeds.

Reported in: DAYTONA BEACH FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGN4A78EG

STEERING

car demands constant correction of steering wheel to maintain straight line. there doesn't seem to be any time or steering position where car will track in a straight line. the least correction to the left will result in the car moving left past where it should be tracking, necessitating a small corrective movement of the steering wheel to the right, which results in the same over-correcting. there is no center null spot where it doesn't require more and constant attention. one second of inattention and you are over the line or off on the shoulder. very tiring to drive. car is now five months old and has only 3900 miles on it because we only use it when we have to. dealer has tried twice to fix it, but has made no improvement. i notice pages devoted to similar comments on a california website since model year 2011. how can kia get away with something this dangerous and annoying without it being reported in some of the car magazines? i am considering binding arbitration but don't expect any help because these retired lawyers and/or judges may be great legal wizards but dumb as a sack of rocks when it comes to mechanical things.

Reported in: GULF SHORES AL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGM4A72EG

STEERING

2014 kia optima. consumer writes in regards to power steering issues. *smd the consumer stated the power steering was too sensitive, to the point that it was difficult keeping the vehicle straight on the road. the consumer noticed the issue, ten days after purchasing the vehicle. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where they tried to resolve the problem, by aligning the front end, and even replacing the tires. but, to no avail. the service manager stated the only way to correct the problem was to re-design the power steering system. however, the owner of the dealership stated the vehicle handled fine. *jb

Reported in: CHUBBUCK ID || Crash: N || VIN #:

STEERING

while driving on the interstate the vehicle pulls she you try to correct it it gets worse. very dangerous to drive. vehicle will not go straight. while driving on long trip i am exhausted from trying to keep the vehicle on the road. someone is going to be killed by the steering of this vehicle!

Reported in: PEGRAM TN || Crash: N || VIN #:

STEERING

the car has a hard time continuing in a straight line. the steering always pulls to the left or right. the car either goes 1° left of 1° right. there is no center. it is a strain to try to keep the car in a lane at high speeds.

Reported in: ORLANDO FL || Crash: N || VIN #:

STEERING

when buying the car i never tested it on a highway or above 45mph. after buying i took it on the highway and had to use every muscle in my body to keep the car on a straight line. it was firghtening. will not even let my wife drive ot on the highway. the steering has a mind of its own. took it back to dealer and they stated it was fine and part of the new steering control sysytem kia developed. even tried new tires but the car is still all over the road. they also changed via software update the steering to "sport mode" to toghten up the steering. while it did feel better the steering is still frightening at highway speeds - especially if there are wing gusts. please please please investigate this before someone gets killed. this is a serious serious issue.

Reported in: DAYTONA BEACH FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGN4A78EG

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

2014 kia optima. consumer writes in regards to vehicle steering problems. *smd the consumer stated the steering issue caused the vehicle to wander to the left or right. the consumer has attempted to get the steering issue fixed several times. the consumer was informed it was a characteristic of the electric assisted power steering. however, the dealer changed the steering mode from normal to sport setting, which made no improvement in the problem. driving the vehicle demanded constant correction of the steering wheel to maintain a straight line. *jb

Reported in: GULF SHORES AL || Crash: N || VIN #:

SUSPENSION

the car is impossible to keep straight on the highway. if you correct for one drift you start going the other way. in windy conditions or when larger traffic passes you, you better have a lot of extra road to deal with.

Reported in: STATESVILLE NC || Crash: N || VIN #:

STEERING

the car is impossible to keep straight on the highway. if you correct for one drift you start going the other way. in windy conditions or when larger traffic passes you, you better have a lot of extra road to deal with.

Reported in: STATESVILLE NC || Crash: N || VIN #:

ENGINE

purchased my new optima on 4/14/2014 (monday) and later that same week and first of the following week heard a noise best described as a diesel engine idle sound at startup. took it into my dealership on 4/24/2014 to find out it was in need of a new engine. after looking on a forum for these cars, this site and others, this seems to be an issue with the turbo model of this car and year. i believe that kia needs to address this issue due to it's severity.

Reported in: CUMMING GA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGR4A65EG

STEERING

tl* the contact owns a 2014 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle veered from side to side. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the vehicle was working up to standards. the manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100 and the current mileage was 14,000.

Reported in: ANTHEM AZ || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGR4A78EG

STEERING

i recently filed 2 complaints with your office but would now like to amend or retract these. after a little more than 1k on the odometer i find i am becoming more used to the electric (mdps) type of steering. i also became more aware that as my speed increased the steering also became more noticeably tighter and also retained better tracking. with my hands off the wheel, and no other cars around, it was most obvious that there were no alignment problems or a sense that my car would soon be swaying into a ditch. hope you find this helpful. thank you.

Reported in: DAYTONA BEACH FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGN4A78EG

STEERING

car demands constant correction of steering wheel to maintain straight line. there doesn't seem to be any time or steering wheel position where car will track in a straight line. the least correction to the left will result in the car moving left past where it should be tracking, necessitating a small corrective movement of the steering wheel to the right, which results in the same over-correcting. there is no center null spot where it doesn't require more and constant attention. three seconds of inattention and you could be either over the center line or off on the shoulder. very tiring to drive. in all the cars i have owned over my lifetime, i have never had one that was this hard to handle or was as inherently dangerous. it was purchased for my wife and i am afraid for her to drive it. kia has attempted to fix it by trying all four steering settings and it has made no difference. front end alignment and tire pressures have been checked. kia has given up on fixing it saying it meets all their specs, but offered me $400 and a $50 visa card to just go away. problem is this: it will cost me $5000 to trade it for some other make of 2014 like-equipped car, so i have no recourse but binding arbitration since that is part of the contract i signed even though i paid cash for the vehicle.

Reported in: GULF SHORES AL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGM4A72EG

ENGINE

tl* the contact owns a 2014 kia optima. the contact stated that the vehicle would hesitate to accelerate and would attempt to stall. the contact mentioned that the failure would accelerate independently. the contact mentioned that the failure occurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who could not duplicate the problem. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 3,000.

Reported in: HUNTSVILLE AL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGM4A72EG

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

tl* the contact owns a 2014 kia optima. the contact stated that the vehicle would hesitate to accelerate and would attempt to stall. the contact mentioned that the failure would accelerate independently. the contact mentioned that the failure occurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who could not duplicate the problem. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 3,000.

Reported in: HUNTSVILLE AL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGM4A72EG

STEERING

vehicle demands constant correcting of the steering wheel in order to safely remain inside a lane. small corrections to one side will result in the vehicle overturning to the other side and vice versa. it is physically exhausting to maintain the vehicle safely especially on longer drives. dealership denies there is any problem with the vehicle when there clearly is. could possibly be that they know the problem exists but do want to lose sales by admitting to it. please address this issue as there are many other complaints on other websites such as carcomplaints.com about the same issues and it is a very dangerous problem that should be prevented.

Reported in: UPLAND CA || Crash: N || VIN #:

SUSPENSION

vehicle demands constant correcting of the steering wheel in order to safely remain inside a lane. small corrections to one side will result in the vehicle overturning to the other side and vice versa. it is physically exhausting to maintain the vehicle safely especially on longer drives. dealership denies there is any problem with the vehicle when there clearly is. could possibly be that they know the problem exists but do want to lose sales by admitting to it. please address this issue as there are many other complaints on other websites such as carcomplaints.com about the same issues and it is a very dangerous problem that should be prevented.

Reported in: UPLAND CA || Crash: N || VIN #:

SEATS

2012-2014 kia optima and possibly other cars. headrest position is very much incorrect. this is a safety issue that could lead to many people being paralyzed or killed as in a similar manor as happened to race car driver dale earnhardt. here's a link to picture...which shows the aggressive angle and forward position of the headrest. http://images.dealer.com/evox/stills_0640/9259/9259_st0640_051.jpg the headrest is shown fully adjusted to it's rear position and as one can see it ends up pushing your head forward so your chin is in your chest and you can't drive because your looking at your feet. thus your forced to drive sitting off the back of the seat which is extremely uncomfortable. you can adj the headrest to the full up position (out of the way) however in a collision, the top of the headrest would hit your head and the forces could snap your neck and kill you. here's a quoted complaint on the internet... "is anyone having problems with their headrests? i can't seem to be able to sit without hitting my head on the rest. i have found one solution. i don't recommend this, but it is all i have found that works. i turn the head rest around." -------------------- turning the headrest around defeats the safety aspect of the headrest, however you can drive the car comfortably. viewing the front and rear seats there is a dramatic difference between the two as one can see in the picture. the rear headrest are perfectly comfortable and properly designed. i've contacted kia and was told that i was the first one to complain. yea right... quoted complaint on the internet... i will be contacting kia about this issue, but as they have failed to address previous concerns, i am not hopeful. ---------------- feel free to contact me at anytime for anything that may be needed or required to get this issue resolved.

Reported in: ALTAMONTE SPRINGS FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGM4A72EG

STEERING

at all speeds since new - the car has had no predisposition to go straight. the steering wheel needs constant input as the car continuously wanders from side to side. the steering wheel needs excessive input to make even the slightest correction. and, when the steering does respond - it over corrects. this effect has you weaving constantly. in the time it takes to look over your shoulder to check traffic - you can be in the next lane. rather than being able to make a smooth turn - the driving line through a turn looks more like a circular saw blade that a smooth arc. the electric assist steering has a digital feel. it's as if there are programmed digital positions that the wheel can be turned to. anything in between those positions has you fighting the steering wheel to hold your line. it's bad driving down the freeway. it's the most dangerous when driving on narrow two-lane roads - especially when they're windy. it's subtle, but, you can feel distinct favored steering wheel positions to either side of straight ahead(example: 2 and 4 degrees to either side). it feels as if the steering clicks into those positions. when the wheel is in one of these positions - and, the arc of the turn matches the 2 or 4 degree steering angle - you can go around corners with no hands on the wheel. it feels electrically stuck in position. if a turn is not the same angle as the stuck points - you often find yourself counter-steering through the turn. example: you're going through a 3 degree left hander. the steering wheel favors a 2 or 4 degree position. the 2 degree position has you drifting to the outside of the turn. you correct to tighten it up. the wheel corrects by going to the favored 4 degree position. you have to hold pressure on the wheel to the right(countersteer) to hold your line in a left hand turn. unfortunately, there is no favored position for going straight. dangerous!

Reported in: CAMARILLO CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGN4A78EG

SEATS

on our 2014 optima lx model the passenger seat is adjusted to low to the floor board and my partner which is 61 years old and 4'10" is staring right at the dash cannot see over the top of dash and if air bag should deploy maybe very dangerous not to mention would like to see the outside world .

Reported in: TORRANCE CA || Crash: N || VIN #: KNAGM4A78E5

STEERING

i recently purchased a 2014 kia optima for my wife, i choose this car since i already owned a 2011 optima that i have been happy with, almost 50,000 miles. so i felt i knew what i was getting with the 2014 optima. i drove this car for the first time last week and at highway speeds there is definitely an issue with the steering, it is challenging to keep it straight at highway speeds, when you need to make a correction to follow a curve in the road, it is as if the vehicle over shoots and then you need to correct again, causing you to move back and forth in the lane, it also feels like the steering wheel is held in position by some electromagnetic force, while driving at highway speeds and it takes extra effort to move it from this position . i am concerned since i have driven my 2011 optima for 3 years and it does not display any of these characteristics. kia needs to look into this before something tragic happens

Reported in: NEW LONDON WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGM4A72EG

STEERING

the car will not stay in its lane. it wonders and is very dangerous!

Reported in: OCALA FL || Crash: N || VIN #:

STEERING

i recently leased a 2014 kia optima lx and when driving home on the highway experienced the followed hazards with this vehicle: - drifting - pulling to the left and right - difficulty maintaining straight course and feeling like the car was "all over the road" - instability when driving in windy conditions - extremely sensitive steering wheel the car pulled to the left and right constantly and was worse at higher speeds. the car would drift in lanes and it was constant work to get it to go straight which seemed impossible. high gust winds made it seem like my war was going to move into the other lane. i contacted dealership and after further research by them, they said they could electronically change the mode of the power steering. there seem to be 2 modes available and one of them makes the steering flimsy and hard to handle and the other makes it feel more stable like a steering wheel should be. i would suggest anyone experiencing this problem to contact their service department and ask for the mode change. most dealership staff don't even know this option exists and some service departments aren't familiar with it either but apparently it does exist. i would not have kept this vehicle if they couldn't have changed the power steering mode because it is simply unsafe to drive. again, this is not a mode feature on the dashboard or a display function that some of the other kia models have. this is specifically something that the service department needs to do electronically and they can do this on the lx model. one other feature i just discovered that i don't like and think may be an additional problem is the ridiculously low passenger seat. this makes no sense to me at all and i will be inquiring with service about it.

Reported in: WASHINGTON DC || Crash: N || VIN #: KNAGM4A73E5

STEERING

tl* the contact owns a 2014 kia optima. the contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle would steer in opposite directions. the failure recurred on multiple occasions. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic for diagnostic testing where it was confirmed that the tire pressure was too high and that the steering wheel was overly sensitive. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 105.

Reported in: SCRAMENTO CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGN4A78EG

AIR BAGS

tl* the contact owned a 2014 kia optima. while driving 20 mph, the contact's vehicle was crashed into on the driver's side by a fire truck. the frontal, side, and rear air bags failed to deploy. the vehicle spun around three times and came to rest on a curb facing oncoming traffic. there were no injuries and a police report was filed. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer requested that the contact send them photos and the police report. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 2,000. updated 09/05/14*lj

Reported in: WINCHESTER VA || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5XXGN4A76E6

STEERING

after purchasing a brand new kia optima (51 miles on it at delivery), it became very apparent there were major issues with its steering at speeds over 50 mphs. the vehicle would move left or right within a lane on its own and i would have to constantly put input into the steering wheel to keep it within a lane. my first attempt to remedy the issue was to my local dealership down the street. the dealerships first attempt was to change the steering computers setting to more of a sport mode (told ex model only has 2 steering settings) and i was out of there in 15 minutes. the change did nothing to fix the problem. i took the vehicle back to the same dealership and re-explained the steering issues i was having. after receiving a phone call from a service advisor, i was told the dealership had contacted kia reference the problem and the dealership was told to replace the entire steering column to fix the side to side drifting issue. the steering column would have to be ordered and my brand new vehicle was at the dealership for 5 days to have a major part replaced. upon a call from the service rep. i was told my vehicle was fixed and it was ready for pickup. it was the next day that i got the vehicle on the freeway only to find i would still drift left and right. the problem was not fixed. i called the dealership and i set up an appointment to take a drive with the mechanic who signed off on the repair. i drove with the mechanic and showed him the drifting issue was still there. he agreed it should not be doing it but i would have to wait for a pending computer fix kia was working on. i asked when this would be available and i was told it could be 1 month or up to 8 months. now i'm thinking about using the lemon law in my state to return the vehicle. it has less than 2,000 miles and i won't let anyone in my family drive it because its unsafe.

Reported in: PEORIA AZ || Crash: N || VIN #: 5XXGN4A77EG

STEERING

the steering wanders side to side. it is a constant battle trying to keep it in a straight line.there is no "sweet spot" you constantly have to correct a little left then a little right over and over again. also air conditioner failed twice. car only had 200 miles on it. and again at 350 miles.

Reported in: GLOUSTER OH || Crash: N || VIN #: