NHTSA Complaint #10722363 — 2013 KIA OPTIMA

SHORTLY AFTER BUYING MY BRAND NEW 2013 KIA OPTIMA LX I NOTICED ISSUES WITH THE STEERING WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WHEN DRIVING ON ANY TYPE OF HIGHWAY THE CAR WONDERS ONCE I REACH HIGHWAY SPEEDS (USUALLY 65MPH OR MORE). THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED THIS IT WAS A WINDY DAY AND I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS JUST DUE TO THE HIGH WINDS... BUT, I'VE NOTICED THIS SAME ISSUE EVERY TIME I DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY, EVEN WHEN THERE IS LITTLE TO NO WIND. THE CAR REFUSES TO STAY IN A STRAIGHT LINE, CONSTANTLY VEERING LEFT AND RIGHT (EVEN ON A FLAT SURFACE). THE STEERING WHEEL BARELY MOVES, BUT THE CAR ITSELF WILL WONDER BACK AND FORTH, REQUIRING CONSTANT CORRECTION BY THE DRIVER. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPEATEDLY SAID ITS THE SLOPE IN THE ROAD, EVEN THOUGH I'VE TOLD THEM I'VE EXPERIENCED IT ON MULTIPLE HIGHWAYS. NOW I AM NOTICING THE SAME PROBLEM AT REGULAR SPEEDS OF 35MPH AND MORE. THE STEERING WONDERS AND MY SUSPENSION SEEMS NONEXISTENT. SIMPLE TAR LINES IN THE PAVEMENT FEEL LIKE I'M DRIVING OVER POTHOLES. DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY DO FEEL A BIT OF A ROUGH RIDE, BUT SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THESE ISSUES COMBINED MAKE DRIVING UNSAFE AND AT TIMES, SCARY. I HOPE SOMETHING IS DONE SOON ABOUT THE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OWNERS HAVE SUBMITTED ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I LOVE THE CAR, OTHER THAN THE STEERING ISSUE.