2012 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID Steering Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A DISK INSIDE THE STEERING WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE AIR FLAP SYSTEM SENSOR AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED CASEY KIA (LOCATED AT 11999 JEFFERSON AVE, NEWPORT NEWS, VA 23606, (757) 347-8247) AND A DIAGNOSTIC APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

WHEN I MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL FROM SIDE TO SIDE I CAN HEAR A POPPING NOISE WHEN I AM DRIVING AS WELL AS WHEN I AM AT A STOP. THE STEERING WHEEL HAS EXCESSIVE VIBRATION AND RADDLING WHEN I AM DRIVING BETWEEN 65-75 ON THE HIGHWAY, IT DECREASES AT 80 MPH. I HAVE GOTTEN MY TIRES CHECKED AS WELL AS AN ALIGNMENT SO IT IS NOT AN ISSUE WITH THAT.

THIS VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS AND EXTREMELY FAULTY. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION DUE TO THE CAR TRAVELING AT NO MORE THAN 55 MPH. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS EXTREME KNOCKING WITHIN THE STEERING WHEEL IN WHICH THE STEERING WHEEL HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. THEN MY CAR STARTED DRIFTING AGAIN WITH WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND EXHAUST. NOW KIA IS SAYING THAT THE ENGINE IS FAULTY AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. MY CAR IS NOT BEING SERVICED FOR A RECALL ON THE ENGINE BECAUSE IT IS A HYBRID, YET NON-HYBRID KIA CARS HAVE A RECALL FOR IT. THIS IS THE SAME THING. WHAT A DISSERVICE! KIA NEEDS TO QUIT MAKING CARS ALTOGETHER IF THE INTERNAL WORK HAS NO ENDURANCE. I'M STILL PAYING ON THIS VEHICLE. THIS CAR IS A DANGER, WASTE, AND DISSERVICE. SEVERAL COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN NOTED IN REFERENCE TO THE SAME THING. WHAT...

WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE DRIVING OR SETTING STILL THERE IS A CATCH. LIKE IT IS STIFF.

INHERENTLY BAD ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING COUPLER. BROKEN WILE STILL RELATIVELY LOW MILAGE. MAKES A VERY BAD CLUNKING NOISE WHEN STEERING AND GOING OVER BUMPS AND CAUSES STEERING WHEEL TO WOBBLE.

THE STEERING COUPLER ON THE OPTIMA SHATTERS BECAUSE IT IS MADE OF PLASTIC

BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN 2012 FROM FUCCILLO KIA IN CAPE CORAL, FLORIDA FOR MY WIFE. SHE NOTICED THE VERY SLIGHT "CLUNKING" NOISE IN 2014 WITH ABOUT 50K MILES ON IT AND DIDN'T THINK IT WAS MUCH OF A PROBLEM. IT GRADUALLY BECAME VERY, VERY LOUD AND SHE COULD NOW FEEL THE CONSTANT "CLUNKING" WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL OR HITTING SMALL IMPERFECTIONS IN THE ROAD. SHE BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTENTION AT ABOUT 65K MILES AND AFTER RESEARCHING THE NOISE ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING IN THOUSANDS OF KIA AND HYUNDAI VEHICLES FROM 2010 TO 2014 MODEL YEARS. IT IS A QUARTER SIZED RUBBER STAR SHAPED BUSHING BETWEEN TWO METAL COUPLERS THAT DISINTEGRATES OVER TIME AND VERY QUICKLY IN WARM CLIMATES LIKE SOUTH FLORIDA. THIS REPAIR IS NOT A RECALL AND IS NOT COVERED AFTER 60K WARRANTY. I PURCHASED THE "NEW & UPGRADED" PART...

I WAS DRIVING IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD AND A LADY PULLED IN FRONT OF ME. I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES AND SWERVED TO THE RIGHT SO I WOULD AVOID HITTING HER. THE NEXT THING I KNEW I SMACKED INTO A POLE. FOR THE PAST YEAR I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW AND WHY I HAD SO MUCH DAMAGE TO MY CAR WHEN I WAS ONLY GOING 25 MPH. I FINALLY REALIZED THAT THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE I COULDN'T STOP MY CAR EVEN WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED JULY 10, 2013 AND ONE YEAR LATER ON THE SAME DAY JULY 10, 2014 MY BRAKES FAILED ON MY CAR WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR A GATE TO OPEN. I HEARD A TERRIBLE CRUNCHING NOISE, A WARNING SIGN CAME ON SAYING HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING SAFELY STOP AND DO NOT DRIVE AND THE ONLY WAY I COULD STOP THE CAR WAS...

SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR, AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE DRIFTS LEFT AND RIGHT CONSTANTLY AND YOU HAVE TO USE TWO HANDS ON STEERING WHEEL JUST TO KEEP THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT AND FROM PULLING LEFT OR RIGHT. LESS NOTICEABLE IN CITY DRIVING BUT STILL DRIFTS. BROUGHT IT TWICE TO THE DEALER AND TECH DROVE IT AND TOLD ME ALIGNMENT IS WITHIN SPECS AND IT WAS FINE I JUST NEED TO GET USED TO IT. THIS IS VERY UNNERVING AND DANGEROUS. HOPE THE LEMON LAW WILL HELP ME. *TR