NHTSA Complaint #10487840 — 2012 KIA OPTIMA

AFTER WARMING UP ENGINE I DROVE ONTO THE ROAD AND ONTO A FREEWAY ENTRANCE RAM A QUARTER MILE FROM MY HOME. WHILE ENTERING THE FREEWAY, THE CAR "LOST POWER", IE NO THROTTLE RESPONSE, CAR WOULD NOT GO FASTER THAN 60 MPH. RPM WAS PEAKING OVER 3,000 RPM (HIGHER THAN NORMAL). I PUT THE AUTO/MANUAL FLOOR-SHIFT INTO MANUAL AND THE DASH SHOWED 4TH GEAR. I SHIFTED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN AUTO AND MANUAL WITH THE SAME RESULTS SEVERAL TIMES, 4TH GEAR, OVER 3,000 RPM, LOSS OF POWER (NO THROTTLE RESPONSE), MAX SPEED 60 MPH. I NEARLY GOT REAR ENDED, CARS WERE DODGING ME. I WAS ABOUT TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND EVERYTHING RETURNED TO NORMAL. I READ A SIMILAR REPORT A FEW MONTHS AGO FROM ANOTHER "NEW" OWNER OF AN OPTIMA AND THE DEALERSHIP "COULDN'T FIND" ANYTHING WRONG. I NOW HAVE READ LOTS OF WARRANTY-DENIED HORROR STORIES WITH KIA. THIS SEEMS LIKE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I IMAGINE IT COULD BE A "COMPUTER PROBLEM" AS THERE ARE LOTS OF COMPUTERS IN THESE NEW CARS. I CAN'T FIND ANY TSB'S LISTED FOR TRANSMISSION RELATED PROBLEMS, BUT AM WONDERING HOW MANY OTHERS HAVE THIS "ELUSIVE" CONDITION? *TR