NHTSA Complaint #11203303 — 2016 KIA OPTIMA

STEERING WHEEL LOCKS WHILE DRIVING. INITIALLY HAPPENED 1 YEAR AGO WHILE DRIVING. HAD TO USE SEVERE FORCE TO TURN THE WHEEL. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP, WHO SAID THEY DID SEE SOMETHING ON DIAGNOSTICS; HOWEVER, THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, SO THEY COULD NOT FIX THE CAR. THEY KEPT & DROVE THE CAR. THEY CHECKED THE COUPLING UNIT & CONTACTED KIA HOTLINE BUT STILL COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM, SO THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO ME. ON APRIL 14TH, WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE, THE WHEEL AGAIN LOCKED UP. I JIGGLED THE WHEEL AND IT RELEASED, SO I PULLED OUT & PROCEEDED TO DRIVE. I REACHED THE END OF MY STREET & WANTED TO TURN & COULD NOT MOVE THE WHEEL. LUCKILY, I WAS STILL IN MY DEVELOPMENT WITH A 25MPH ZONE, SO I TURNED OFF THE CAR. WHEN I STARTED IT AGAIN, I COULD MOVE THE WHEEL, SO I RETURNED IT TO PARKING SPOT & HAD IT TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON APRIL 15TH. THE DEALER HAD THE CAR FOR 8 DAYS, DROVE IT FOR 340 MILES & STILL COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE, SO THEY COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO ME & SAID IF THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE, THEY CANNOT FIX IT. SO I AM NOW DRIVING A CAR IN FEAR THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN & POSSIBLY WHEN ON A HIGHWAY & AT HIGHER SPEED.