NHTSA Complaint #10616578 — 2013 KIA OPTIMA

I PURCHASED A 2013 KIA OPTIMA FROM A LOCAL DEALER WHO WAS SELLING IT SECOND-HAND. THE CAR HAS 13,500 MILES ON IT AT PURCHASE. WHEN TEST DRIVING THE VEHICLE I WENT IN A SMALL CIRCLE THAT INCLUDED ONLY VERY MINIMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING. ON JUNE 26,2014 MY FAMILY LEFT FOR A 5 HOUR TRIP TO CHARLESTON, SC. IT WAS ON THIS TRIP I STARTED NOTICING VERY EARLY ON THAT I WAS HAVING TO CONSTANTLY CORRECT THE STEERING TO THE LEFT AND THEN BACK TO THE RIGHT, OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN...ALL THE WAY DOWN TO CHARLESTON. SINCE NOTICING THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN AN ISSUE EVERY SINGLE TIME I'VE DRIVEN THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY, AND IT HAS RESULTED SEVERAL TIMES IN ME VEERING INTO THE LANE BESIDE WHETHER TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. I LITERALLY HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY MICRO-STEER THE CAR JUST TO KEEP IT WITHIN THE LANE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO PLAY IN THE STEERING WHATSOEVER. YOU CANNOT LOOK IN YOUR SIDE VIEW OR REAR VIEW MIRROR WITHOUT THE CAR DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT. THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING IN THE 2013 OPTIMAS. I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS TO KIA, AND KIA DOES NOTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY SAY IT'S WITHIN SPECS. THERE WILL BE MANY HEAD ON CRASHES WHERE CARS CROSS THE CENTER LANE BECAUSE OF THIS STEERING, AND IM SURE MANY FATALITIES WILL RESULT. I CAN PROMISE YOU THIS WILL HAPPEN IF IT ALREADY HASN'T. THERE ARE CERTAIN 2013 KIA/HYUNDAI MODELS THAT HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM REPORTED. 2013 WAS THE FIRST YEAR KIA/HYUNDAI UTILIZED ELECTRONIC STEERING. 2014 AND NEWER MODELS ALSO HAVE ELECTRONIC STEERING BUT THEY HAVE THREE STEERING MODES ON THEM TO ADJUST THE STEERING. THIS PROBLEM IS SPECIFIC ONLY TO 2013 MODELS. THERE ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AND SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. IT WILL HAPPEN, AND I WILL BE KEEPING THIS CORRESPONDENCE FOR MY OWN FUTURE LEGAL PROTECTION. *TR