NHTSA Complaint #10486711 — 2013 KIA OPTIMA

ABOUT A DAY AFTER I BOUGHT MY BRAND NEW 2013 KIA, I NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE LEFT. I TOOK IT BACK THAT WEEKEND TO GET AN ALIGNMENT AND THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT WASN'T AN ALIGNMENT, BUT THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS OFF. SO, THEY ADJUSTED THAT. WHEN I TOOK DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE AGAIN, THE ISSUE WAS STILL THERE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THEM AGAIN, AND THIS TIME, THEY SAID THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TWISTED. I THEN MOVED FROM VA TO FL TWO DAYS LATER. AT THIS POINT I ONLY HAD ABOUT 1200 MILES ON MY CAR. DURING THE TRIP, I NOTICED THE STEERING DOING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. I CALLED THE DEALER AND ASKED THEM TO JUST TELL ME WHAT THE ISSUE WAS WITH THE CAR. I WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE WAS MADE WITH A BATCH OF OTHER VEHICLES THAT HAD THIS ISSUE AND THERE IS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN INVOLVED WITH IT. SHE SAID ITS PROTOCOL TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN MULTIPLE TIMES SO THAT THEY CAN RULE OUT CERTAIN ISSUES. SHE STATED THE NEXT STEP WAS TO REDO THE SUSPENSION. UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, I HAD TO GO TO A DIFFERENT DEALER FOR THIS BECAUSE I WAS NOW IN FL. ALSO, UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, THE FIRST DEALER DIDN'T RECORD WHEN I WENT IN THE FIRST TWO TIMES. SO WHEN I GO TO THIS NEW DEALER AT 2500 MILES, THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, GIVE ME AN ALIGNMENT THAT DOESN'T SOLVE THE ISSUE AND SEND ME ON MY WAY. THIS IS TRULY RIDICULOUS. I BOUGHT A NEW CAR TO AVOID THESE ISSUES. AND KIA NEEDS TO OWN UP AND FIX THESE STEERING WHEEL ISSUES PROPERLY. I'M GOING BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN TOMORROW. PLEASE RECALL THIS STEERING WHEEL ISSUE. *TR