NHTSA Complaint #11415214 — 2014 KIA OPTIMA

A CLICKING NOISE IN THE FRONT END STARTED WHEN THE WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE RIGHT. THIS WAS ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED A JOINT AND SAID IT WAS FIXED. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER THE NOISE STARTED AGAIN, BECAME WORSE AND THE STEERING FELT LOOSER. THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL ALSO FELT LOOSE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. THEY REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN AND SOME OTHER RELATED PARTS. THIS TIME THE STEERING WAS LOOSER, THEY HAD TO REPLACE A BOLT AND SAID IT WAS FIXED. AS SOON AS I LEFT THE LOT I HEARD THE SAME NOISE BUT VERY FAINT. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WASN'T AN ISSUE BUT IT GOT WORSE OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. THE RIGHT WHEEL HAD THE LOOSE FEELING WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS AGAIN. BY THIS TIME THE NOISE HAPPENED WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE SAME PARTS AS BEFORE AGAIN. THAT SAME DAY I COULD HEAR THE FAINT NOISE AGAIN, DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS FINE AGAIN. THE CLICKING NOISE BECAME WORSE JUST AS BEFORE AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THEY DIDN'T THINK IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE BUT THEY OBVIOUSLY DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS OR THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REPAIR IT. IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL MONTHS SINCE THEIR LAST ATTEMPT AND IT KEEPS GETTING WORSE. WHEN GOING OVER THE SLIGHTEST BUMP THE FRONT WHEELS HAVE A LOOSE FEELING WHICH IS ALSO GETTING WORSE. THIS LOOSE FEELING IN THE FRONT WHEELS HAPPENS WHEN TURNING AND GOING STRAIGHT. SPEED DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A FACTOR IN ANY OF THE PROBLEMS.