There are 12 stored owner reports matching the powertrain & transmission leading-label group for the 2007 Kia Optima in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 12 of 12 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)My vehicle speed up and slow down all that itself. It will not maintain speed even with my foot steady on the gas. It will not accelerate, but the major problem is my seatbelt gets stuck all the time I’m afraid to get buckled. I am unable to remove my seatbelt multiple times so now I have buckled my seatbelt behind me so I can start getting tickets. I’ve gotten like four tickets because I’m scared to be buckled that it’s not gonna come on down when I need it to be I’ve got 40 bought tickets. I was going about 20 mph when I went to the brakes for my vehicle accelerated by itself crashing into a pillar at the mall. I did call the police.
I'VE SEEN IN OTHER FORUMS ABOUT ENGINE RECALLS. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED AND THE ENGINE IN MY CAR DISINTEGRATED. IT WAS REPLACED WITH AN ENGINE FROM A WRECKING YARD. THIS SHOULD BE COVERED BY MANUFACTURER. I HAD ISSUES WITH THE BRAKE LINES RUSTING OUT. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED EITHER. NOT BEING ABLE TO SERVICE THE TRANSMISSION AND ARGUING WITH THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS SHOULD BE REPLACED BY MANUFACTURER!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER BECAME STUCK IN NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE DETACHED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000. UPDATED 09/10/15*LJ UPDATED 09/14/15*LJ
AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY TODAY THE CAR SUDDENLY WENT FROM A SPEED PF 65 TO 20 MPH IN THE PASSING LANE. I SUDDENLY TURNED ON THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS TO LET THE CARS BEHIND ME KNOW THAT THEIR WAS A PROBLEM. THANK GOD I WAS HIT AND WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OVER ON THE RAMP. I CALLED TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED BUT IN HOUSTON (THIS LABOR DAY) NO ONE IS ABLE TO LOOK AT THE CAR SO I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TOWED TO AUTO ZONE. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND THE TPS (THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR) CODES APPEARED. I WAS TOLD ONLY KIA CARRIES THE PART. I WAS SO SCARED FOR MY LIFE AND I DON'T WANT TO EVER BE IN THAT POSITION AGAIN BECAUSE MY KIDS WERE IN THE CAR. I WAS READING COMPLAINTS ON SEVERAL WEBSITES AND IT SEEMS THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR A WHILE. IT'S SAD THAT KIA HASN'T OF YET ISSUED A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS AS THIS WAS WAKE UP CALL FOR ME I CAN HONESTLY SAY I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO LOSE MY LIFE WHEN MY CAR DROPPED DAWN FROM SPEEDS OF 65 TO 20. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR LOSING POWER BUT IT WOULD QUICKLY REGAIN POWER BUT NOTHING OF THIS INSTANCE. VERY SCARY SITUATION FOR NOT ONLY ME BUT FOR THE SAKE OF MY CHILDREN THAT WERE PRESENT IN THE VEHICLE. HTTP://REPAIRPAL.COM/FAULTY-THROTTLE-POSITION-SWITCH-355 I JUST RESEARCHED AND FOUND OUT THEY RELEASED A BETTER PERFORMING PART BUT OTHERS ARE STILL CONTINUING TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM EVEN AFTER THE REPLACEMENT PART. KIA COULD OF AT LEAST NOTIFIED ITS CUSTOMERS OF THE PROBLEM RATHER THAN MANY OF US FINDING OUT THE HARD WAY. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL IMMEDIATELY. THE NEXT PERSON MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCKY. *TR
I WAS IN A CRASH AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM. AFTER I RECEIVED MY CAR BACK FROM THE BODY SHOP THE CAR HAS BEEN MALFUNCTIONING ! THE 2.7L HAS STUMBLE ON AND AT ACCELERATION THE FAILURE IS THE THROTTLE POSITION SWITCH THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM FOR ALL DRIVER'S THAT DRIVE A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. THE MALFUNCTION OCCURS FIVE TIMES IN ONE DAY. THIS PROBLEM MAY CAUSE SEVERE OR FATAL INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE. NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE AND THE OLD THROTTLE POSITION SWITCH IS AVAILABLE! I REALLY THANK THAT THIS IS FOUND TO HAVE A DEFECT THAT AFFECTS SAFETY AND THE AUTOMAKERS NEED VOLUNTARILY ANNOUNCE A RECALLS ON ALL THE 2007 KIA OPTIMA THAT HAVE THE SAME THROTTLE POSITION SWITCH AS THIS VEHICLE. *TR
I WAS IN A CRASH AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM. AFTER I RECEIVED MY CAR BACK FROM THE BODY SHOP THE CAR HAS BEEN MALFUNCTIONING ! THE 2.7L HAS STUMBLE ON AND AT ACCELERATION THE FAILURE IS THE THROTTLE POSITION SWITCH THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM FOR ALL DRIVER'S THAT DRIVE A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. THE MALFUNCTION OCCURS FIVE TIME'S IN ONE DAY. THIS PROBLEM MAY CAUSE SEVERE OR FATAL INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE. NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE AND THE OLD THROTTLE POSITION SWITCH IS AVAILABLE! I REALLY THANK THAT THIS IS FOUND TO HAVE A DEFECT THAT AFFECTS SAFETY AND THE AUTOMAKERS NEED VOLUNTARILY ANNOUNCE A RECALLS ON ALL THE 2007 KIA OPTIMA THAT HAVE THE SAME THROTTLE POSITION SWITCH AS THIS VEHICLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK WHEN THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO ROLL AWAY. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO ADVISED THAT THE VIN DID NOT QUALIFY FOR REPAIRS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V153000(POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
WHILE PARKING 2007 OPTIMA I WAS UNABLE TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK OR TAKE OUT THE KEY. THE SHIFTER LINKAGE AND CABLE HAD BROKEN. I USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING. I TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER (SUMMIT KIA, WATERFORD, MI) THEY REPLACED THE VEHICLE SHIFTING LINKAGE AT A COST OF $750.00. THE DEALER STATED THE CABLE BROKE AND WHEN I ASKED IF THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE THEY STATED THAT IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL TO HAVE TO REPLACE THIS ON THE 2007 KIA OPTIMA. THE VEHICLE HAS 108,000 MILES. IN 40 YEARS AND MANY VEHICLES I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS GO ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE I OWNED. *TR
ON TWO OCCASIONS (TO DATE) MY KIA OPTIMA HAS BECOME INOPERABLE - UNABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. THE FIRST OCCURRED DURING THE WINTER IN FEBRUARY 2010. AFTER ONE OF MANY SNOWSTORMS THIS SEASON I WAS DRIVING ON A PLOWED ROAD THEN ENCOUNTERED AN AREA WHERE THERE WAS ONLY ROOM ENOUGH FOR ONE CAR TO PASS. WHEN I PULLED OVER TO ALLOW AN APPROACHING VEHICLE TO PASS MY CAR WAS IN ABOUT 8-INCHES OF SNOW. WHILE MOVING THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR BETWEEN REVERSE TO GET OUT OF LOOSELY PACKED SNOW I FOUND I COULD NO LONGER GET THE CAR INTO A DRIVE GEAR ' FORWARD OR REVERSE. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER OPERABLE AND WAS CAUSING A ROAD HAZARD FOR OTHER VEHICLES. THE DEALER CLAIMED SNOW CAUSED THE SHIFTING CABLE TO DETACH FROM THE GEAR SELECTOR. THE DEALER, HOLLY KIA, REPORTED THE PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED BY REATTACHING THE CABLE TO THE SELECTOR. MORE RECENTLY MY SON WAS OPERATING MY VEHICLE ON OR ABOUT JULY 6TH, 2010 ' A 100+ DEGREE DAY. HE REPORTED THAT HE WAS IN REVERSE TO MOVE THE CAR TO ANOTHER PARKING SPOT IN A CAR DEALERSHIP AND THE CAR COULD NO LONGER BE SHIFTED INTO ANY GEAR' AGAIN. DURING THIS INSTANCE THE CAR WAS ON A STEEP INCLINE AND MY SON WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR AROUND OTHER PARKED CARS BUT THE CAR HAD TO BE COASTED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GRADE IN ORDER TO BE SAFELY PARKED. AFTER THE SECOND INSTANCE, THE CAR WAS AGAIN TOWED BACK TO HOLLY KIA FOR REPAIR - HOLLY KIA IS NOW REPLACING THE SHIFTING CABLE. THE HOLLY KIA SERVICE DEPARTMENT CLAIMS THIS PROBLEM WITH THE 2007 KIA OPTIMA AS A MANUFACTURING FLAW. MY CONCERN IS, AFTER THE REPAIR CAN THE CAR BE TRUSTED AND OPERATED SAFELY ' BOTH INCIDENTS LEFT THE CAR IN A VERY COMPROMISED STATE AND A HAZARD TO OTHER VEHICLES (MOVING AND PARKED). *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2007 KIA OPTIMA LS. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE SHIFTER CABLE DISCONNECTED AND WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK. THE KEYS WERE NOT IN THE IGNITION WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE. WHEN SHE GOT BACK INTO THE VEHICLE THE BRAKES AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WERE ENGAGED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE CABLE WAS ATTACHED AT NO CHARGE TO THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 73,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AT A LOW SPEED, HE ATTEMPTED TO PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE. HE NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE INTO ANY GEAR AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE SHIFT CABLE NEEDED TO BE RE-ATTACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 38,100 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,591.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE TRUNK WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. UNEXPECTEDLY, THE TRUNK UNLATCHED WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPONTANEOUSLY. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CLOSED THE TRUNK DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOUR TIMES FOR INSPECTION, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURES OCCURRED ON THIRTY SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 14,000. UPDATED 03/18/09.*LJ THERE WAS A HESITIATION WITH THE VEHICLE BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH, THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. THERE WAS NO HEAT COMING FROM THE LOWER HEATING DUCTS. THE CRUISE CONTROL CAME ON BY ITSELF
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.