NHTSA Complaint #10861429 — 2015 KIA OPTIMA

RECURRING, INTERMITTENT LACK OF ENGINE RESPONSE TO PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR; PARTICULARLY NOTICEABLE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT AT A BREAK IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC. ENGINE ACTS AS IF STALLING, THEN RECOVERS AFTER A SECOND OR TWO DELAY. KIA DEALER SERVICE ADVISES THAT THIS IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE AND NOT ADJUSTMENT IS POSSIBLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE MAY BE STATIONARY OR MOVING A LESS THAN 5 MPH WHEN THIS OCCURS. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND NOT APPARENTLY RELATED TO FUEL OR CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. RESULTS IN DRIVER UNCERTAINTY IN ANY GIVEN TURNING SITUATION WHETHER THERE IS SUFFICIENT TIME TO MAKE THE TURN; SEVERAL NEAR CRASH EPISODES HAVE OCCURRED WHERE LACK OF ENGINE RESPONSE TO POWER DEMAND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SLOW RATHER THEN ACCELERATE. CONDITION OCCURS MOST FREQUENTLY DURING CITY DRIVING, BUT MAY ALSO OCCUR AT HIGHWAY TURNING SITUATIONS WHERE THE VEHICLE HAS STOPPED BEFORE ATTEMPTING A TURN.