NHTSA Complaint #10572516 — 2012 KIA OPTIMA

VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL CONTROL HAS ABNORMAL NONFLUENT CONSISTENCY. THE DRIVER HAS TO CONTINUOUSLY CORRECT STEERING TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE TRAVELING STRAIGHT, OTHERWISE VEHICLE WILL START TO DRIFT IMMEDIATELY. WHEN CORRECTION IS MADE TO KEEP VEHICLE TRAVELING STRAIGHT, STEERING WHEEL HAS TO BE TURNED WITH MORE THAN NORMAL FORCE, WHICH THEN RESULTS TO A OVERSTEERING RESPONSE DUE TO THE INCAPABLE OF MAKING A MINOR ADJUSTMENT. THIS CONTINUES TO MAKE VEHICLE TO DRIFT FROM SIDE TO SIDE EXCESSIVELY WHILE DRIVING WHICH IN TURN CAN MAKE THE DRIVER APPEAR IMPAIRED OR DISTRACTED. THE PROBLEM IS FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL CAUSING THE WHEEL TO STICK IN PLACE NEAR CENTER PLACEMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, IT IS LIKE RIDING A BIKE ON PAVEMENT THEN TRANSITIONING TO MUD, ONE HAS TO APPLY MORE PEDDLING MOTION TO GET THROUGH THE MUD, AND WHEN THEY ARE BACK ON PAVEMENT SUDDENLY, THEY JUMP TO AN UNEXPECTED SPEED, FASTER THEN WHAT THEY INTENDED. THIS IS HOW THE STEERING REACTS TO MINOR ADJUSTMENTS THAT NEED EXTRA FORCE TO UNSTICK THE STEERING WHEEL WHICH CONCLUDES THAT THE ELECTRIC-ASSISTED POWER STEERING IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE'S AIR PRESSURE IN ALL 4 TIRES ARE EQUAL AND AT 35PSI, WHEELS ARE PROPERLY BALANCED ALIGNMENT IS AT MANUFACTURES SPECIFICATIONS. THIS PROBLEM DID NOT EXIST WHEN THE CAR WAS BOUGHT NEW (BECAUSE NO ONE WOULD BUY A $30,000 CAR THAT DOES NOT DRIVE STRAIGHT) AND JUST CURRENTLY STARTED TO ACT UP. *TR