2018 Kia Optima Steering Problems

Steering column coupler went bad. Unable to swap out the coupler alone ($12 part) and had to get a whole new column (over $1200). Some of the Kia's around this one's make and model were recalled but not this one. Without this repair driving would have been dangerous.

Check engine light began flashing halfway down the highway. Oil changes and maintenance are done regularly. Vehicle handling seemed to be unsafe. Vehicle would not accelerate. Had inspection done in September.

High injector fuel pump top engine mount went out at 68000 miles. It caused the vehicle to stall and lose power and basically cut the car off while driving.

Just Started Having Problems On It’s On The Car Only Has 38,000 Miles

We would like to know what Kia is planning to do to address the fact that Kia built a car without the basic immobilizer circuit making it very easy to steal. Over the last few months, local and national news reports, as well as many social media sites, have reported on this security flaw which likely emboldens others to attempt a theft of a Kia and/or Hyundai. As I do not live in Milwaulkee, I would like to know how the company will fix this problem for the rest of us. It will not be restricted to just one city. There are numerous articles by victims that have detailed how their car theft cost them thousands of dollars in insurance deductibles, rental cars, and repairs. Many of the articles explain how thieves as young as 12 years old are able to still these cars in under a minute in broad daylight and driving recklessly creating a serious safety hazzard. Please advise what Kia will do to negate this serious security flaw.

Turned on my car and steering wheel was stuck , it didn’t turn, turn the engine off and back on and it went back to normal.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING LOCKED IN MID TURN WITH THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT CALLED PERRIS VALLEY KIA (707 E 4TH ST, PERRIS, CA 92570) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR THE DEFECT WAS TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE WITH THE DEALER FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. THE CONTACT DECLINED THE OFFER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000.

I HAVE 63,826 MILES ON MY 2018 KIA OPTIMA S AND I DROVE IT TO THE STORE AND ALL MY LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON WHEN I WOULD COME TO A STOP AND MY POWER STEERING WOULD GO OUT AND ABOUT CAUSE ME TO WRECK. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS MY ALTERNATOR BUT AFTER GETTING A NEW ALTERNATOR I THEN DROVE IT TO GET DINNER A FEW DAYS LATER WHEN THE SAME THING STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN AND MY POWER STEERING KEPT GOING OUT AGAIN. I HAVE TWO NEWBORN BABIES, A 5 YEAR OLD AND A 10 YEAR OLD IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME AND HAD I WRECKED WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A BAD SITUATION.

THE STEERING WHEEL DOESN'T LOCK WHEN I PUT IT IN PARK, TURN THE CAR OFF AND REMOVE THE KEY.

I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH MY CAR, I GET MAINTENANCE AS SCHEDULED SO IT'S ODD THAT THIS IS EVEN HAPPENING. ON DECEMBER 6TH I WENT TO MOVE MY CAR. I CRANK THE CAR WITH NO PROBLEM. I NOTICED IT KIND OF HESISTATED SLIGHTLY, BUT CONTINUED ON WITH NO PROBLEM. WHEN I WENT TO PUT MY CAR IN REVERSE IN ORDER TO PARK IT STALLED AND ABOUT 5 OR 6 OF THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON, THE STEERING WHEEL WENT HARD TO MANAGE/STEER AND AS 6 OTHER LIGHTS STARTED BLINKING, I COULD NO LONGER MANIPULATE MY WHEEL SO I ALLOWED THE CAR TO ROLL INTO THE SPOT BECAUSE I WAS ON A SLIGHT INCLINE AND PUT IT IN PARK. THE MOMENT I DID THAT THE CAR CUT OFF. IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER, IT WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING BESIDES CLICK WHEN I TRIED TO CRANK THE CAR AGAIN. I EVENTUALLY ASKED SOMEONE FOR A JUMP AND MANAGED TO MAKE IT HOME. THE NEXT DAY I GOT UP AND DROVE AS I NORMALLY WOULD AND THATS WHEN THE ELETRIC POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN THAT LIGHT COMES ON THE CAR BECOMES HARD TO MANEUVER. THANKFULLY THAT TIME IT WENT OFF AND PROCEEDED TO DRIVE AS IT WOULD NORMALLY. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS UNEXPECTEDLY WITHOUT ANY WARNING. SO AT ANY MOMENT I COULD BE DRIVING AND THE CAR CAN STOP ON ME. I HAVE 4 KIDS AND LIVE IN A REALLY BUSY AREA SO EVEN THE THOUGHT OF THIS HAPPENING HAS ME SECOND THINKING EACH TIME I HAVE TO MOVE MY CAR!! I'VE SEEN MORE THAN ONE OF THE SAME COMPLAINT AND I NOTICE OUR VIN #'S ARE SIMILAR SO SOMETHING SHOULD REALLY BE DONE ABOUT THIS AS IT SEEMS THIS IS A TREND WITH THE YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL OF THIS CAR.

HELLO I AM NYCHOLE AND IN OCTOBER OF 2017 I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2018 KIA OPTIMA . NEVER REALLY HAD ANY ISSUES WITH IT UNTIL FRI NOV 22. AS I WAS LEAVING FROM WORK MY CAR DID A VERY ABRUPT JERK THAT I ACKNOWLEDGED BUT DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT BECAUSE MY GAS LIGHT HAD JUST CAME ON. BUT TODAY WHICH IS SUNDAY MY CAR'S EPS (ELECTRIC POWER STEERING) LIGHT FLASHED. WEIRDED OUT I LOOK AT THE MANUAL IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. AS I EASED INTO MY APARTMENT COMPLEX THE CAR DID THAT SAME JERK, THE STEERING WHEEL WENT HARD TO MANAGE/STEER AND 6 OTHER LIGHTS STARTED BLINKING( PARKING BREAK LIGHT,EPB LIGHT ,ABS LIGHT,ESC LIGHT ,BATTERY CHARGE LIGHT, AND THE MASTER MALFUNCTION LIGHT) . I COULD NO LONGER MANIPULATE MY WHEEL SO I PULL FORWARD ONTO A OPEN SPOT AND PUT IT IN PARK. THE MOMENT I DID THIS THE CAR CUT OFF. IT WILL NOT TURN OVER, IT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING BESIDES TICK. I HAVE BEEN GREAT WITH MAINTENANCE BECAUSE IT WAS EITHER FREE OR DIRT CHEAP SO I ALWAYS TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE READ MORE REVIEWS OF PEOPLE GOING THROUGH SIMILAR THINGS. JUST IMAGINE IF I HAD MY CHILD IN THE CAR, ON THE INTERSTATE AND COULD NO LONGER CONTROL MY STEERING WHEEL OR THE CAR JUST DYING MID DRIVE ON THE INTERSTATE HOW DANGEROUS THIS ISSUE IS. MY CAR IS BASICALLY 3 YEARS OLD AND HAS LESS THAT 50 K. IT HAS NEVER BEEN WRECKED , TOWED OR DAMAGED STILL PRACTICALLY NEW. I HAVE ALSO READ SIMILAR RECALLS ABOUT ELECTRONIC ISSUES THAT ARE ONLY RELEVANT TO THE HYBRIDS . THE RECALL SEEMS SIMILAR.

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2018 KIA OPTIMA IN NOVEMBER 2018. I HAVE PUT APPROXIMATELY 22,500 MILES ON IT AND HAVE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH UPDATED OIL CHANGE MAINTENANCE PER THE SCHEDULE RECOMMENDED BY THE DEALER. ON SATURDAY 9/28 I DROPPED THE CAR OFF FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, AND AS I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT IT SPUTTERED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO DIE, BUT IT DIDN'T. THE CAR CONTINUED TO RUN AND IT GOT ME HOME. THE NEXT DAY, SUNDAY 9/29, IT DROVE WITHOUT PROBLEMS FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, BUT WHILE DRIVING THE CAR COMPLETELY POWERED DOWN AND STOPPED WORKING. IT WAS A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE AS I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAJOR CITY ROAD AND ALMOST CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND WAS ABLE TO START IT BACK UP, AND I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH NOT TO BE STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CLOSED AT THIS TIME SO I CALLED THEM FIRST THING MONDAY 10/1 TO REPORT THE ISSUE AND DROPPED IT OFF. THE DEALERSHIP IS CLAIMING TO BE UNABLE TO RECREATE THE ISSUE SO READY TO GIVE ME THE CAR BACK. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AND I CAN'T BELIEVE WE AS CONSUMERS HAVE TO PUT OUR LIVES AT RISK TO WAIT FOR THE PROBLEM TO HAPPEN AGAIN BEFORE ANY RECOURSE CAN BE TAKEN. FROM MY RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, IT IS VERY COMMON FOR THE DEALERSHIP NOT TO BE ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM SO UNABLE TO PROVIDE A FIX. KIA HAD 5+ YEARS OF ENGINE STALL PROBLEMS THAT WERE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED UNTIL MANY YEARS LATER, AND THE DEALERSHIP CERTAINLY WILL NOT VALIDATE THIS. FURTHERMORE, WHEN THE ENGINE STALLS, THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES BOTH GO OUT, SO YOU HAVE NOTHING BUT PRAYERS TO RELY ON TO KEEP YOU ALIVE.