NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Kia Optima. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The front subframe is dangerously rusted. The same way the other optima were recalled for.
I HAVE A 2006.5 KIA OPTIMA. I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH STICKING AS OTHER KIAS CURRENTLY UNDER RECALL. MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ALWAYS ON. AM I OUT OF LUCK ON THIS ONE?
HOOD RELEASED WHILE IN MOTION, FOLDED BACK OVER WINDSHIELD AND ROOF TOP TOTALLY BLINDING DRIVER WHILE IN MOTION. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, TRAVELING SOUTH ON NC HWY 16 AT A RATE OF 50 MPH, TWO LANE ROAD. HOOD RELEASED AND FLEW UP, NO KNOWN CAUSE OR EFFECT. HOOD RELEASE AND/OR SAFETY LATCH OBVIOUSLY RELEASED WITHOUT CAUSE OR WARNING.
CAR WILL NOT ALWAYS START. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO WAIT 24 HOURS AND PICK UP THE CAR WHEREVER I HAD TO LEAVE IT CAUSE IT WOULDN'T START. WHEN TRYING TO START THERE'S A CLICKING SOUND AND ALL PANEL LIGHT START TO FLASH. REPLACED ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY, STILL NOT FIXED. SEEN A LOT OF REVIEWS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE EXACT SOME PROBLEM.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE REVERSING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO REVERSE AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATED THAT THE SHIFTER WAS IN PARK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER WOULD SHIFT OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED KIA OF LYNCHBURG (3400 OLD FOREST RD, LYNCHBURG, VA 24501, (434) 847-3292) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION COULD BE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 171,000.
OH REAR LOWER SWING ARM SUPPORTING THE SPRING BROKE LETTING THE SPRING COME OUT OF POSITION AND LETTING THE WHEEL TILT AS IF FLAT. THE LOWER ARM HAD RUSTED IN TWO ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN.
I HAVE AN 06 OPTIMA (06.5/ MS) 2.4 ENGINE BUT THE PROBLEM IM HAVING JUGING FROM KIA INTERNET FORUMS IS SPREAD ACROS MENEY YEARS AND MODELS IT IS AN INTERMITANT ENGINE STALL IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME IVE HAD IT HAPPEN AT 65MPH ON INTERSTATE THIS IS FOLLOWED BY A SERIES OF START STALL THEN IT WILL RUN FINE FOR A WHILE IVE HAD A COMPLETE WIRE HARNESS CHECK REACED SEVERAL SENSORS AND OTHER PARTS NOTHING HAS CURED THE PROBLEM IT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED BY KIA BEFORE SOME ONE GETS HURT NOT AFTER.THIS IS A TOTALLY RANDOM HAPPENING
INSTRUMENT PANEL IS NOT WORKING NO SPEED NO TEMP NO RPM NO FUEL. CHECKED ALL FUSES.
DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM EITHER THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED BUT I WAS ABLE TO FINALLY GET THE DOOR OPEN BEFORE AND DISENGAGED THE ACTUATOR. AS LONG AS NO ONE LOCKED THE DOOR, IT WORKED FINE, HOWEVER; MOTHER RECENTLY HAD WORK DONE ON HER CAR AND WHEN THEY RETURNED IT, THEY LOCKED THE DOOR. I'VE SPENT NUMEROUS HOURS TRYING TO GET THE DOOR OPEN SO THAT I CAN REPLACE THE MECHANISM AND ACTUATOR BUT HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. AFTER LOOKING ONLINE, THIS SEEM TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH KIA, THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION AND NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO. NOT SURE HOW LITTLE ELDERLY PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO SAFELY GET OUT OF THEIR VEHICLES IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. (THIS HAPPENED WHILE STATIONARY ON A FLAT, PAVED ROAD).
FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WILL MOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE CAUSING YOU TO BE LOCKED IN THE VEHICLE. ALSO WHEN YOU TRY TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY LOCKS THE CAR. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS.
AUTO LOCK ISSUE. AT 118,000 MILES MY AUTO LOCKS STARTED TO AUTOMATICALLY LOCK WHEN I TRIED TO UNLOCKED THEM, ESSENTIALLY TRAPPING ME IN THE VEHICLE. AS SOON AS I CLICK UNLOCK THEY IMMEDIATELY RELOOK. IF THIS ISN'T A SAFETY ISSUE IN NEED OF A RECALL I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS. I'VE LOOKED INTO THE PROBLEM ON OTHER FORUMS AND IT SEEMS QUITE COMMON. YIKES! PLEASE GET THIS RECALL DONE!
2006 KIA OPTIMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO CLUTCH AND ENGINE LIGHT TURN ON AND OFF. *LD *JS
"FIRST" TIME PROBLEM HAPPENED WAS JULY 3, 2016 WITH MY 2006 KIA OPTIMA. I WAS SB ON HWY I25 IN CS, CO. SPEEDOMETER READ 25MPH AS I WAS COMING OFF THE ON-RAMP. I ACCELERATED TO 40MPH INTO FLOW OF TRAFFIC. I FELT A LURCH & THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY ACCELERATED. SPEED WENT FROM 40MPH TO ABOUT 60 MPH WITHOUT DEPRESSING ACCELERATOR. BREAKING DID NOT SLOW IT DOWN. I FELT CAR WAS GOING OUT OF CONTROL. MY PASSENGER REACHED OVER & TURNED IGNITION SWITCH OFF & ON QUICKLY, TO DECELERATE & ACCELERATE. THIS HELPED CAR SLOW DOWN WHEN KEY WAS TURNED OFF TO THE FIRST CLICK & HELPED MAINTAIN AN ADJUSTED SPEED AS TRAFFIC WAS IN-FRONT & IN-BACK. WE KEPT DOING THIS UNTIL CAR SLOWED DOWN ENOUGH TO PULL OVER TO RIGHT SHOULDER. KEY WAS COMPLETELY TURNED OFF & CAR WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP. CAR WAS TOWED TO MECHANICS. DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED USING ENGINE ANALYZER. IT WAS ROAD TESTED MULTIPLE TIMES & DIDN'T IT DUPLICATE MY EXPERIENCE. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN SEPT.10, 2016 AS I, AGAIN, ENTERED HWY I25 SO.I WAS DRIVING ALONE. MY SPEEDOMETER WAS 40 MPH, IN HEAVY HWY TRAFFIC. I ONCE AGAIN "FELT" LURCH OF CAR. THIS TIME IT "STUCK" AT 40 MPH. IT DIDN'T SLOW DOWN WHEN I BRAKED, IT CONTINUED AT 40 MPH. I CONTINUED TO BRAKE & SPEED DID SLOW A BIT. MY FOOT WAS TOTALLY DOWN ON BREAK WHEN IT WAS STILL AUTO ACCELERATING AT THE HWY EXIT RAMP; NOW SLOWED TO 26 MPH AS I CONTINUED HOLDING BRAKE DOWN. FINALLY SPEED WAS DOWN TO 23MPH AS I DROVE INTO A PARKING LOT (NO CARS WERE MOVING IN & OUT AT THE TIME). I TURNED THE KEY OFF COMPLETELY; MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE & THE CAR CAME TO A LURCHING HAUL AT THAT TIME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARKING LOT. I WAITED ABOUT A MINUTE & THEN STARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A PARKING SLOT. I STARTED IT & VERY SLOWLY DROVE HOME, BUT NOT ON THE HWY. I MAINTAINED SPEED OF 25-30MPH. IT WAS ONLY ABOUT 1K BETWEEN THE 2 INCIDENTS.
I ALSO HAVE THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYS ON. I CHECKED AND FOUND OUT THERE IS A RECALL FOR DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG ON 2006 KIA OPTIMA, BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAID MY CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THIS RECALL. THIS RECALL NEED TO COVER ALL 2006 KIA OPTIMAS SINCE SO MANY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
PULLING OUT OF MY GARAGE MY CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL AT HIGH SPEED BACKWARDS ACROSS THE STREET INTO THE SIDE OF MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE TAKING HER ELECTRICAL BOX, SPRINKLER MOTOR AND A/C UNIT DOWN. THE WIRE'S WERE HOT AND I WAS ADVISED TO STAY IN THE CAR UNTIL THE FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED AND THE POWER SHUT DOWN BY THE POWER COMPANY - SCARED TO DEATH OF A FIRE OR ELECTROCUTION.
THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYS ON. I CHECKED AND FOUND OUT THERE IS A RECALL FOR DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG ON 2006 KIA OPTIMA, BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAID MY CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THIS RECALL. THIS RECALL NEED TO COVER ALL 2006 KIA OPTIMAS SINCE SO MANY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
SC088:11V-153,I CAN'T PUT MY CAR IN PART NOR CAN I GO IN REVERSE. MY KEY IS STUCK IN THE IGNITION. I SEE IT WAS A RECALL ON THIS MATTER FOR THE KIA OPTIMA. TOOK MY CAR TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP,THE TOLD ME MY VIN# WASN'T ON THE LIST. IT'S A 2006 KIA OPTIMA. AM TRYING TO GET THIS REALIZE.ARE THERE CERTAIN VIN#UNDER THE RECALL FOR THIS IF NOT WHERE I NEED TO TAKE MY CAR TO HAVE IT FIX. I WAS STATIONARY WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED I COULDN'T BACK UP NOR PUT IT IN PART AGAIN IT WANT ALLOW ME TOO DO SO.
ON 1/11/16, I TOOK MY OPTIMA TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP (LOKEY IN CLEARWATER FLORIDA) BECAUSE THE AIR BAG LIGHT SUDDENLY CAME ON AND I WANTED AN UPDATE ON ALL APPLICABLE OPTIMA MODELS AND YEARS. I PAID $135.29 FOR THEM TO JUST LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY OPTIMA HAS NO RECALLS AND THAT MY DRIVER`S SIDE SEAT BACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE AIRBAG PROBLEM. PARTS FOR THIS ALONE WERE QUOTED TO ME TO BE OVER $1248.71 THEIR REPAIR ORDER (#26083616/1) NOTED THAT THE AIRBAG PROBLEM WAS "A LOOSE CONNECTION."
AIR BAG LIGHTS WON'T TURN OFF CONSTANTLY ON ALL THE TIME
MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON A FEW MONTHS AGO WHEN I WAS DRIVING TO WORK THE LIGHT CAME ON AND HAVE NOT GONE OFF YET. I TOOK IT TO GET A DIAGNOSE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A SENSOR IN THE SEAT AND I SHOULD HAVE IT REPLACED. WELL I HAD SOMEONE PUT IN A DIFFERENT SEAT AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT DID NOT GO OFF. NOW IT'S TIME FOR MY INSPECTIONS AND I CAN'T EVEN GET IT DONE BECAUSE THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS STILL ON.
"TAKATA RECALL" ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER 16, 2015 I COULD NOT GET OUT OF MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR...I WAS LOCKED IN. I AM UNABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE, OR FROM THE OUTSIDE WITH MY KEY. THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN AND I HAVE TO CLIMB ACROSS TO THE PASSENGER SIDE TO GET IN AND OUT. I DON'T KNOW IF IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, OR WHEN I STOPPED.
I RECEIVED MY RECALL LETTER FOR THE CLOCK SPRING REPLACEMENT, MIND YOU THE ILLUMINATE LIGHT WASN'T ON, MADE THE APPOINTMENT TO GET THE PART REPLACED FROM MY LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP THEY SAID IT WILL TAKE TWO HOURS SO I LEAVE THE CAR THERE THEY CALL ME ON MY CELL PHONE RAMPING ABOUT OTHER ISSUE WITH THE CAR WHICH ARE NOT DOT PROBLEMS SO I SAY NO THANKS I CAN HANDLE THEM MYSELF , GO PICK UP THE CAR AND THEY TELL ME THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AND THERE'S A PROBLEM AND ITS GONNA COST 110 DOLLARS TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM,,, WOULDN'T THIS BE COVERED BY THE RECALL??? WHY SHOULD I PAY FOR MANUFACTURER DEFECT MY PREGNANT WIFE DRIVES THIS CAR SO NEEDS TO BE SAFE, HELP WITH THIS ISSUE SINCERELY THANKS *TR
I HAVE MY VECHILE FOR A FEW MONTHS I KEPTED UP WITH MANTAINCE. NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND ALL OF SUDDEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. I WASN'T FOR SURE WHICH SIDE IT WAS FOR SO I GOT IT LOOKED AT AND I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE PASSENGER SEAT BACK ASSEMBLY
REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM RUSTED THROUGH AND BROKE IN HALF CAUSING IT TO DRAG ON THE GROUND AND THE TIRE TO PUSH OUTWARD
AIRBAG- WE STARTED THE CAR UP AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND HAS NOT WENT OFF (OTHER THAN WHEN THE CAR IS SHUT DOWN). AFTER RESEARCH DISCOVERED THAT AN AIRBAG FAILURE WAS PART OF A RECALL FOR THIS MODEL, BUT ONLY FOR OPTIMA'S MANUFACTURED FROM SEPT 2005 FORWARD. THIS ONE WAS MANUFACTURED A FEW WEEKS PRIOR, YET HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. AFTER A GOOGLE SEARCH, THE ISSUE CAN BE FOUND ON OPTIMA'S WITH A MANUFACTURE DATE AS FAR BACK AS APRIL OF 2005. THE RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED TO ALL 2006 MODELS. DRIVER DOOR LOCKS- WHEN THE DOOR IS LOCKED, IT WILL NOT UNLOCK WITHOUT A LOT OF PLAYING WITH THE FOB OR USING KEY AND 'GETTING LUCKY' TO GRAB THE HANDLE AT THE CORRECT TIME WHILE DOING SO, OTHERWISE IT LOCKS BACK IMMEDIATELY UPON PULLING THE HANDLE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE ON 2 LEVELS. 1-IF FOR WHATEVER REASON YOUR TRAVELS TAKE YOU THROUGH ROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS, THE ABILITY TO LOCK THE DOORS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE IF YOU COME ACROSS THE WRONG PEOPLE. HOWEVER, YOU CAN NOT LOCK THEM BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND THE CAR CATCHES ON FIRE OR YOU NEED TO ESCAPE THE VEHICLE QUICKLY, THE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK SO YOU CAN OPEN IT LEAVING YOU TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE. AFTER PERFORMING A SEARCH ON GOOGLE, THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE WITH THE LOCK ACTUATOR AND IS EFFECTING OPTIMA'S DATING BACK TO THE 2002-2003 MODELS. BOTH OF THESE ISSUES SERIOUSLY NEED TO BE DEALT WITH BY KIA. EITHER ISSUE IS SETTING UP A SCENARIO THAT WILL RESULT IN THE DEATH OF THE DRIVER, IF A SEVERE ACCIDENT OCCURS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS DRAGGING ON THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE CONTROL ARM HAD FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000.
I PURCHASED MY CAR BRAND NEW FROM THE KIA DEALERSHIP AND IT HAS NEED THE SAME REPAIR ON THE SAME PART 3 TIMES (THE CLUTCH). THE TRANSMISSION IN THE 2006 KIA OPTIMA IS A VEHICLE DEFECT.
DOOR LOCK WILL NOT UNLOCK THUS DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. DOOR LOCK WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH THE KEY ON EITHER DOOR NOR THE AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL DOOR LOCK. THIS HAS RESULTED IN HAVING TO EXIT THE VEHICLE FROM THE PASSENGER DOOR. THIS IS SPORADIC AND NOT ON A REGULAR BASIS.UPON SEARCHING THE INTERNET THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ACROSS THE KIA BRAND EFFECTING NUMEROUS MODELS AND YEARS. MY MAIN CONCERN IS UNDER AN EMERGENCY, THERE IS NO QUICK/SAFE WAY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. *TR
DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT ON AND DOES NOT TURN OFF. CALLED KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND THEY STATED MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED BY THEIR CURRENT RECALL FOR THIS OBVIOUS ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAGS. MY CASE NUMBER WITH KIA IS [XXX]. THIS SEEMS TO BE A REAL SAFETY PROBLEM IF THE AIR BAGS DO NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
I PURCHASED MY 2006.5 KIA OPTIMA ON NOVEMBER 6, 2014. BEFORE MY TEST DRIVE THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED BUT THEN TURNED OFF, I SAID SOMETHING TO THE DEALERSHIP (NOT A KIA DEALER) AND THEY DIAGNOSED IT AND TOLD ME IT WAS THE AIRBAG MODULE AND THAT THEY WOULD ORDER A NEW ONE AND REPLACE IT FREE OF CHARGE. AFTER WAITING 3 MONTHS FOR THE NEW MODULE TO COME IN, I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THE 2006-2008 KIA OPTIMA'S HAVE AN AIR BAG RECALL, SO I CONTACTED A KIA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL AND THAT IF I WANTED THEM TO LOOK AT MY CAR AT ALL IT WOULD BE $99 PLUS THE HOURLY FEE (I DON'T EVEN WANNA KNOW WHAT YHR HOURLY FEE IS). BUT SINCE MY CAR FALLS IN THAT YEAR RANGE AND IS HAVING THE AIRBAG ISSUE, SHOULD IT BE KIA'S RESPONSIBILITY TO INVESTIGATE AND IF NEEDED, CORRECT THE PROBLEM? *TR
I WENT TO GO SHOPPING, AND AT THE SECOND STOP SIGN IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD I STOPPED. WHEN I TRIED TO DRIVE THE GAS PEDAL WHEN PUSHED WOULD NOT LET THE ENGINE GO FAST ENOUGH TO GO ABOVE 20 MPH, THEN I NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED MY ENGINE AND ITS FLUIDS, COULD NOT FIND ANY THING WRONG. SO I STARTED THE CAR UP AGAIN, AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO WORK FINE. SO I DROVE OFF AND THE CAR WORKED LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE. I THEN WENT TO A AUTO PARTS STORE, AND THEY USED THEIR METER TO CHECK ENGINE CODES. THE CODE WAS P2135, CODE DEFINITION: THROTTLE PEDAL/POSITION SENSOR 'A/B' VOLTAGE CORRELATION. *TR
MY CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING THEN ALL SUDDEN IT STALLED, I STARTED AGAIN THEN STALLED AGAIN. I CALLED THE TOW TRUCK AND TOWED TO THE AUTO REPAIR, MY CAR HAS A VEHICLE RECALLS. THE DEALERSHIPS REFUSED TO FIXED IT THE RECALLS, THEY TOLD ME I HAVE TO PAY FULL COSTS ABOUT $5,000 FOR NEW ENGINE. THEY WON'T FIXED THE RECALLS. I FOUND OUT THERE WAS HUGE COMPLAINTS AGAINST DEALERSHIPS OF KIA . I FILED A LAWSUITS AGAINST THE DEALERSHIPS FOR REFUSED TO FIX MY CAR. 2 RECALLS AIR BAGS/ENGINE. THE DEALERSHIPS DON'T WANT TO FIX THE RECALLS , THEY FORCE ME TO PAY FOR HUGE REPAIRS. I HAD TO PAY RENTAL CAR AND TOWING SERVICES. *TR
I PURCHASED A 2006 KIA OPTIMA 1 MONTH AGO. USED CAR DEALER DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY PAST RECALLS OR MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL DEFECTS. YESTERDAY, WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE HOME I NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL SEEMED LOCKED IN PLACE, TRANSMISSION WAS IN P. - A LITTLE JIGGLING ON THE STEERING ALLOWED THE IGNITION TO FIRE AND I COULD MOVE TO R. TODAY.AS I TRIED TO LEAVE HOME, THE CAR STARTED WITHOUT PROBLEM. WHEN I SHIFTED TO R TO BACK OUT OF DRIVE, THE CAR DID NOT MOVE.AFTER FURTHER ATTEMPTS IT WAS CLEAR THAT NO MATTER WHAT GEAR I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT THE GEAR INTO ONLY THE NEUTRAL WAS ENGAGED. I CALLED MY USED CAR DEALER WHO SAID TO CALL KIA WHO SAID ! THAT''S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU BUY A USED CAR! HOW RUDE! THE AGENT NAMED [XXX] SAID THE RECALL HAD BEEN CLOSED AND WAS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE IF THIS CAR (VIA VIN) HAD OR HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR FIXED AND, BESIDES! THE RECALL PERIOD ENDED IN 2011 (END OF SERVICE CAMPAIGN OFFER. ACCORDING TO US DOT AND NHTSA RECURRING DEFECTS WITHIN 10 YEARS FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER, THIS RECALL DEFECT SHOULD BE FIXED AT NO COST TO ME EVEN IF I AM THE SECOND OWNER. SINCE ONLY 8 YEARS HAVE PASSED I EXPECT THE RECALL DEFECT WITH THE CABLE AND SHIFT ASSEMBLY WHICH PREVENTS THE TRANSMISSION FROM SHIFTING GEAR. SO FAR I'VE BEEN TOLD (IN EFFECT. TOO BAD) TAKE IT TO KIA DEALER FOR ANALYSIS AND COST AND PAY FOR IT MY SELF. PLEASE ADVISE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR
I HAD A RECALL ON MY AIRBAG HAD TOOK THE CAR TWICE TO DEALERSHIP TO BE FIX EACH TIME THEY TOLD ME IT WAS FIX BUT THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME RIGHT BACK ON AND STILL ON. THEY ALSO NEED TO GO BACK AND DO A FUEL INVESTIGATE ON 2006 MODEL TOO. *TR
YOU CAN START IT UP. DRIVE IT FOR A LITTLE BIT, BUT AS SOON AS YOU MAKE A STOP OR SLOW DOWN, IT WILL STALL. CHANGED THE OIL, ALL FLUIDS. IT STILL DOES THE SAME THING. SO I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 11V153000 POWER TRAIN RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT GEARS OR PLACE THE GEAR SHIFT INTO PARK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,000.
ONCE THE DOORS ARE LOCKED, THEY CAN NOT BE UNLOCKED FROM THE INSIDE. THE KEY MUST BE INSERTED INTO THE DRIVERS SIDE LOCK CYLINDER (OUTSIDE) AND MANIPULATED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES BACK AND FORTH WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PULLING ON THE HANDLE UNTIL THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF FORCE AND TIMING ALLOW THE DOOR TO BE OPENED. *TR
THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH THE ELECTRICAL BUTTON OR MANUALLY. THE LOCK ONLY OPENS HALF WAY - PULL HANDLE TO OPEN - DOOR AUTOMATICALLY LOCKS. CAN'T OPEN DOOR WITH KEY FROM OUTSIDE. MUST ENTER IN PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND CLIMB OVER. BIG DANGER AS DRIVING WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR. *TR
I CAN NOT OPEN THE PASSENGER DOOR. *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V014000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON A SEPARATE OCCASION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN WHAT TYPE OF REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BATTERY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR FAILED TO LATCH PROPERLY AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC PERFORMED THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
IT IS A WELL-KNOWN ISSUE WITH KIA OPTIMA CARS THAT THE DOOR LATCH IS FAULTY, AND AFTER VARIOUS LENGTHS OF TIME, IT WILL STOP UNLOCKING. BY NO LONGER UNLOCKING, I MEAN UNDER ANY CONDITION. USING A REMOTE, USING THE KEY, EVEN SITTING IN THE VEHICLE PRESSING THE BUTTON ON THE DOOR OR MANUALLY MOVING THE INDICATOR BY THE HANDLE. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE. IN THE EVENT OF A WRECK OR OTHER EMERGENCY SITUATION, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO EXIT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR ON MY KIA OPTIMA. NO MATTER WHAT YOU ATTEMPT, THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. WHEN YOU UNLOCK IT USING ANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED METHODS, THE CAR WILL AUTOMATICALLY RE-LOCK THE DOOR AS SOON AS YOU TOUCH THE HANDLE, EITHER INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR. WHILE I CAN UNDERSTAND NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR EATING AWAY AT THE COMPONENT, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR THE CAR TO DEFAULT TO THE LOCK POSITION IN THE CASE OF SUCH WEAR AND TEAR. A SIMPLE SOLUTION WOULD BE TO HAVE THE LATCH DEFAULT TO THE OPEN POSITION, WHICH WILL ALLOW PERSONS TO EXIT THE VEHICLE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. IF THIS HAS NOT ALREADY COST INDIVIDUALS THEIR LIFE, I AM SURE IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. THIS NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY, BEFORE IT COSTS ME MY FAMILY. *TR
CALLED BOTH SERVICE DEALERSHIPS AND MAIN KIA OFFICES ABOUT RECALLS TO MY CAR CONCERNING AIRBAGS AND TRANSMISSION LINKAGE. NO HELP GIVEN ON RECALLS TO VEHICLE. DENIED SUCH A RECALL EXISTED AND MY CAR WASN'T COVERED UNDER RECALL. I'M LOCATED IN FREDERICK MD. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH THE ELECTRICAL BUTTON OR MANUALLY. MANUALLY OPENED, THE LOCK ONLY OPENS HALF WAY - PULL HANDLE TO OPEN - DOOR AUTOMATICALLY LOCKS. CAN'T OPEN DOOR WITH KEY FROM OUTSIDE. MUST ENTER IN PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND CLIMB OVER. BIG DANGER AS DRIVING WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR. *TR
I WAS TRAPPED INSIDE THE CAR WHEN THE DRIVERS DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN BY ACTIVATING THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE, THE INSIDE DOOR UNLOCK LEVER OR THE REMOTE KEY FOB. WHEN I USED THE DOOR HANDLE NOTHING HAPPENED. WHEN I PRESSED THE INSIDE DOOR UNLOCK LEVER I COULD HEAR THE POWER UNLOCK MECHANISM ACTIVATE BUT THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. NOR WOULD THE DOOR OPEN WHEN THE REMOTE KEY FOB UNLOCK WAS PRESSED EVEN THOUGH I COULD HEAR THE UNLOCK MECHANISM ACTIVATE. THE DOOR LATCH WOULD NOT RELEASE AND ALLOW THE DOOR TO OPEN. I HAD TO CRAWL ACROSS THE FRONT CONSOLE TO EXIT THE CAR THRU THE PASSENGER DOOR. DUE TO THE SMALL SIZE OF THE CAR THIS COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE WITH AN INJURY OR FOR AN ELDERLY PERSON. IN CASE OF A FIRE WHERE THE ONLY EXIT WAS THRU THE DRIVERS DOOR THIS WOULD BE A FATAL COMPONENT FAILURE. AFTER EXITING THRU THE PASSENGER DOOR I TRIED TO UNLOCK THE DOOR WITH THE KEY BUT THE LATCH WOULD NOT RELEASE THE DOOR. I TRIED PRESSING AND RELEASING THE REMOTE UNLOCK WITH AND WITHOUT THE KEY MULTIPLE TIMES USING MULTIPLE COMBINATIONS OF THE DOOR HANDLE, DOOR UNLOCK LEVER AND REMOTE KEY FOB, NOTHING WORKED. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE DOOR HANDLE AND DOOR KEY SHOULD ALWAYS FUNCTION TO ALLOW EXIT FROM THE CAR. *TR
FRONT DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK FROM INSIDE OF VEHICLE. YOU MUST USE KEY AND TOGGLE LOCK WHILE HOLDING DOOR NOB OUT IN ORDER TO UNLOCK DOOR, IT MAY TAKE A WHILE TO UNLOCK DOOR WHILE DOING THIS. I HAVE READ MANY RESPONSES TO OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. THIS MAY BE A SERIOUS ISSUE IF AN ACCIDENT OCCURS AND THE DOOR IS LOCKED, TRAPPING THE DRIVER INSIDE THE VEHICLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER FUELING, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE THROTTLE AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S DOOR FAILED TO UNLOCK WHENEVER ENTERING OR EXITING THE VEHICLE. THE POWER LOCKS NEITHER WOULD RELEASE OPEN WITH THE USE OF THE KEY FOB NOR WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE LOCKS MANUALLY. THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.
I BROUGHT TWO NEW 2006.5 KIA OPTIMAS (A RED ONE AND A BLACK ONE) FROM OUR LOCAL DEALER. SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CARS, BOTH OF THE VEHICLES HAVE HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WHICH STARTED WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF THE PURCHASE. THE TAIL LAMPS ONLY LAST ABOUT 2-3 MONTHS BEFORE I HAVE TO REPLACE THE BULBS. FIRST ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER WILL BLOW OUT, AND THEN WITHIN WEEKS, THE OTHER SIDE WILL GO TOO. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH BOTH CARS EVER SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CARS. WHEN I CALL THE DEALER AND ASK ABOUT THE PROBLEM, THEY JUST TELL ME I'VE BEEN BUYING CHEAP BULBS. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE HEAD LAMPS ON BOTH VEHICLES AT THE RATE OF ABOUT ONE EVERY SIX-MONTHS ON BOTH VEHICLES. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE WHAT THEY CALLED THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL ON BOTH VEHICLES. NOW THERE IS A NEW PROBLEM WITH ONE OF THEM. ABOUT 52,000 MILES, I STARTED HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE PARKING LIGHTS. THE PARKING LIGHTS WOULD STAY ON WHEN CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND NO MATTER WHAT I DO, THE PARKING LIGHTS WILL NOT GO OFF. THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THE BATTERY FROM GOING DEAD WAS TO DISCONNECT THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL. ABOUT A MONTH AGO, WE TOOK THE CARS TO OUR LOCAL KIA DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE. WHEN WE DROPPED THEM OFF FOR THE SERVICE, I ASKED THE REPRESENTATIVE ([XXX]), TO ALSO LOOK INTO THE PARKING LIGHT ISSUE AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM I HAD BEEN HAVING. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, [XXX] SAID THEY FORGOT TO LOOK AT THE PARKING LIGHT ISSUE, ADDING SHE WOULD CONTACT KIA DIRECTLY TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM AND WOULD CALL ME WHEN SHE HAS AN ANSWER, IT HAS BEEN A MONTH . TODAY SHE TOLD ME IT WILL COST $400 TO FIX THE LIGHTS PROBLEM. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE IT IS NOT A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. THIS IS NOT FAIR TO THE CONSUMERS WHO INVEST MONEY INTO PURCHASING A NEW CAR. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER AS A MATTER OF CONSUMER RIGHTS AND PROTECTION AGAINST MANUFACTURES KNOWN DEFECTS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
MY VEHICLE KEEPS ACCELERATING AND SLOWING DOWN RANDOMLY BETWEEN GEARS. CAN ACCELERATE ON. ITS OWN AND SLOW DOWN WHEN MORE PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO GAS PEDAL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOT ON FOR A MONTH AND NOW IT HAS APPEARED. THIS CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.IF A LESS CAPABLE PERSON WAS DRIVING. MANY OTHER KIA OWNERS OF THIS.MODEL REPORT. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR HAS BEEN THE ISSUE FOR COUNTLESS OWNERS OF THIS MODEL AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER. I HAVE HAD A DIAGNOSTIC TEST DONE AND. IT SHOWED THE SAME CODES POINTING TO THE ACCELERATOR.... MY DEALER STATED THAT IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. IT IS AN $800 PART PLUS LABOR. I THINK THAT IF THIS PROBLEM PERSISTS IN MANY OF THESE MODELS AND THE PROBLEM CAN CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH, THEN IT SHOULD. BE A RECALLED ITEM. THANK YOU *TR