NHTSA Complaint #10532929 — 2007 KIA OPTIMA

DRIVER SIDE VISOR CEASED TO REMAIN UPRIGHT WHEN FLIPPED UP OUT OF THE WAY. ONLY WAY TO KEEP FROM BLOCKING MY VIEW WAS TO FLIP IT OVER TO THE LEFT SIDE. A FEW MONTHS LATER, SAME THING HAPPENED WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE SUN VISOR. KIA NEVER RECALLED THIS ITEM, BUT IT HAS FAILED ON THOUSANDS OF THEIR VEHICLES. DEALER WANTED OVER $500 TO REPAIR. INSTEAD, I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND NEW REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR $206.50. I ORDERED THEM AND REPLACED THE VISORS MYSELF--I SEARCHED AND FOUND DIAGRAMS FROM KIA'S PARTS INVENTORY AND FOUND POSTS ONLINE FROM OTHERS WHO'D HAD TO REPLACE THEIRS WHO EXPLAINED THAT YOU POP OFF THE OVAL-SHAPED PIECE HOLDING THE ARM OF THE VISOR WITH A BUTTER KNIFE (SLIP IT UNDERNEATH) OR FLAT-BLADE SCREWDRIVER TO ACCESS THE SCREW UNDERNEATH AND UNSCREW TO REMOVE THE OLD VISOR AND SCREW IN THE NEW ONE IN ITS PLACE. MY CAR WAS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND YET ONLY HAD APPROXIMATELY 36,000 MILES ON IT (I ALTERNATE DRIVING ANOTHER VEHICLE); THIS PART SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED SO SOON. GIVEN THAT SO MANY OF THESE FAILED SO EARLY ON, KIA SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE THEM FREE AND THEY SHOULD REIMBURSE THOSE OF US WHO'VE ALREADY REPLACED THEM OR HAD THEM REPLACED. *TR