NHTSA Complaint #10747588 — 2012 KIA OPTIMA

NOTICED IN OCTOBER 2014 THE CAR STARTED DRIFTING AND THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO LOCK UP. IT HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND NOW I'M HEARING A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE STEERING WHEEL. I WAS TOLD BY MY COWORKER WHO HAS A 2011 OPTIMA THAT HE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND HE WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT IT WAS A PLASTIC GEAR IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND WOULD COST ROUGHLY $300 TO FIX. UPON RESEARCH WITH THIS ISSUE I HAVE COME ACROSS SEVERAL OWNERS THAT SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH KIA KNOWS ABOUT. I FEEL THAT KIA SHOULD CORRECT THIS PROBLEM AT THEIR EXPENSE BEFORE THIS ISSUE KILLS SOMEONE.