2013 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID Steering Problems

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel started shaking abnormally with a sound coming from the steering rack. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

1. DRIVING VEHICLE ON FREEWAY AND THE ENGINE BLEW. KIA REBUILT THE TOP HALF OF THE ENGINE. 2. DRIVING VEHICLE ON STREET AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. TOOK A LOT OF STRENGTH TO STEER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. KIA RESET MAIN CONTROL UNIT TO FIX ISSUE. 3. DRIVING VEHICLE ON STREET AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AGAIN. KIA WANTS TO REPLACE MAIN CONTROL UNIT. CAR HAS PASSED THE WARRANTY BY 10K MILES. NOT COVERED.

TO WHOM IT CONCERNS, I HAVE A GREAT SAFETY CONCERN RELATED TO THE OPTIMA 2013 HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEM. I AM NOT SURE IF THE BEHAVIOR I AM GOING TO DESCRIBE IS TYPICAL OR DEFECTIVE. WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEED, WITH THE CRUISE SET, I FIND THAT ANY SUDDEN AND HARD HIT TO THE BRAKES WILL ACTIVATE SOME TYPE OF AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM. THE BRAKING SYSTEM FEELS LIKE ABS AND SOUNDS VERY MECHANICAL HOWEVER THE BRAKING SYSTEM DOES NOT DEACTIVATE AFTER I REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE. THE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO AUTOMATICALLY REDUCES THE CAR TO A NEARLY COMPLETE STOP (LESS THAN 15MPH) WITHOUT ME HAVING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THIS HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES, THE MOST RECENT WAS 4/10/14. EARLIER TODAY I WAS TRAVELING 50 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, WITH THE CRUISE SET, WHEN IT APPEARED A PERSON WAS GOING TO WALK INTO THE HIGHWAY. I HIT THE BRAKES...