NHTSA Complaint #10504172 — 2013 KIA OPTIMA

REGARDING TO THE PREVIOUS COMPLAINT, VEH WAS TAKEN TO DEALER ON 3/15/2013 TO ADJUST THE ALIGNMENT UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO THE ALIGNMENT ISSUE STARTING AFTER THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED AT 3,400 BY THE DEALER. LEFT THE DEALER AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NOW TURNED TO THE LEFT AND THE VEHICLE WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. THE CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT SIGNIFICANTLY. THE SAME DEALER WAS CONTACTED ON 3/18/13 REGARDING THE ISSUE. DUE TO THE RECENT ENGINE REPLACEMENT, ONE ALIGNMENT TRIP AND A DISTANCE OF ROUGHLY 50 MILES TO THE SHOP, THE DEALER AUTHORIZED A LOANER TO BE BROUGHT TO MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT SO THAT THE DRIVER COULD TAKE THE VEH TO HE SHOP. VEH WAS PICKED UP THAT EVENING AT THE DEALER AND STEERING WHEEL SEEMS TO BE LEVEL. THERE IS STILL A LEFT TO RIGHT CONSTANT HANDLING ISSUE AND VEHICLE SEEMS TO HAVE A VIBRATION UNDER 35 MPH. VEH HAS NOW SPENT 11 DAYS IN THE SHOP (9 DAYS FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT AND 2 DAYS FOR TWO ALIGNMENTS) AND HAS BEEN OWNED FOR JUST UNDER 12 WEEKS. VEH IS ALSO SLOW/SLUGGISH LEAVING A STOPPED POSITION AND MPG'S ON CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 60MPH HAVE FALLEN FROM 33MPG TO 29.5MPG SINCE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. DATE COMPLAINT FILED: 03/13/2013 COMPONENT(S): ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING DATE OF INCIDENT: 03/11/2013 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10502730 MANUFACTURER: KIA MOTORS CORPORATION VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NO. (VIN): 5XXGN4A70DG... SUMMARY: DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS ON A SLOW 35MPH ROADWAY AND NOTICED OPTIMA PULLS TOWARD THE CROWN (CENTER) OF THE ROAD (WHICH IS AGAINST SLOPE). DROVE VEHICLE ON 45MPH AND 60MPH ROADWAY AND SAME SITUATION. ENGINE WAS REPLACED AT 3,400 MILES DUE TO PISTON #3 FAILING. BASED ON CURRENT ISSUES TO DATE, I WOULD NOT PURCHASE ANOTHER OPTIMA. *TR