NHTSA Complaint #10611372 — 2014 KIA OPTIMA

AT ALL SPEEDS SINCE NEW - THE CAR HAS HAD NO PREDISPOSITION TO GO STRAIGHT. THE STEERING WHEEL NEEDS CONSTANT INPUT AS THE CAR CONTINUOUSLY WANDERS FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE STEERING WHEEL NEEDS EXCESSIVE INPUT TO MAKE EVEN THE SLIGHTEST CORRECTION. AND, WHEN THE STEERING DOES RESPOND - IT OVER CORRECTS. THIS EFFECT HAS YOU WEAVING CONSTANTLY. IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER TO CHECK TRAFFIC - YOU CAN BE IN THE NEXT LANE. RATHER THAN BEING ABLE TO MAKE A SMOOTH TURN - THE DRIVING LINE THROUGH A TURN LOOKS MORE LIKE A CIRCULAR SAW BLADE THAT A SMOOTH ARC. THE ELECTRIC ASSIST STEERING HAS A DIGITAL FEEL. IT'S AS IF THERE ARE PROGRAMMED DIGITAL POSITIONS THAT THE WHEEL CAN BE TURNED TO. ANYTHING IN BETWEEN THOSE POSITIONS HAS YOU FIGHTING THE STEERING WHEEL TO HOLD YOUR LINE. IT'S BAD DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY. IT'S THE MOST DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING ON NARROW TWO-LANE ROADS - ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE WINDY. IT'S SUBTLE, BUT, YOU CAN FEEL DISTINCT FAVORED STEERING WHEEL POSITIONS TO EITHER SIDE OF STRAIGHT AHEAD(EXAMPLE: 2 AND 4 DEGREES TO EITHER SIDE). IT FEELS AS IF THE STEERING CLICKS INTO THOSE POSITIONS. WHEN THE WHEEL IS IN ONE OF THESE POSITIONS - AND, THE ARC OF THE TURN MATCHES THE 2 OR 4 DEGREE STEERING ANGLE - YOU CAN GO AROUND CORNERS WITH NO HANDS ON THE WHEEL. IT FEELS ELECTRICALLY STUCK IN POSITION. IF A TURN IS NOT THE SAME ANGLE AS THE STUCK POINTS - YOU OFTEN FIND YOURSELF COUNTER-STEERING THROUGH THE TURN. EXAMPLE: YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A 3 DEGREE LEFT HANDER. THE STEERING WHEEL FAVORS A 2 OR 4 DEGREE POSITION. THE 2 DEGREE POSITION HAS YOU DRIFTING TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE TURN. YOU CORRECT TO TIGHTEN IT UP. THE WHEEL CORRECTS BY GOING TO THE FAVORED 4 DEGREE POSITION. YOU HAVE TO HOLD PRESSURE ON THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT(COUNTERSTEER) TO HOLD YOUR LINE IN A LEFT HAND TURN. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS NO FAVORED POSITION FOR GOING STRAIGHT. DANGEROUS! *TR