2011 KIA OPTIMA Power Train Problems

I could not brake and almost caused a car accident. Brakes gave out, no gas, it smelled like it was going to catch on fire.

While driving on the road, I came to a stop at an intersection. While waiting for the green light the engine stopped running. I tried starting the car by pressing the brake and the push start button and the car only clicked and did not start. I pushed the car off the road. After several attempts to start the car it wouldn't start and it started smoking it looked like it was coming from the starter location. It appears that the engine seized and it won't turn over.

18V363 17220 IT HAS MADE A LOUD CLANKING/KNOCKING NOISE. IT STALLED THEN COMPLETLY DIED ONCE I GOT OFF THE MAIN HIGHWAY AND WOULDNT CRANK AGAIN. IT USES AN AWFUL LOT OF OIL. UPON FIRST OIL CHANGE IT HAD SHARDS OF METAL IN IT. THE PLACE I GOT THE VEHICLE FROM SAYS THEY PUT NEW MOTOR IN IT AMONG OTHER THINGS BUT I HAVENT SEEN IN CHANGE IN THINGS OTHER THAN IT DOESNT SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD WHILE IDLING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND THE VEHICLE SHUT-OFF WITHOUT WARNING. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT ENGINE HAD SEIZED. THE CONTACT THEN HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO JTS KIA OF ROCK HILL (840 N ANDERSON RD, ROCK HILL, SC 29730) WHERE THE VEHICLE REMAINED IN THEIR POSSESSION. THE VEHICLE HAD YET TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD YET TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 160,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TRANSMISSION IS SOMETIME SHIFTING ABRUPTLY, & ALSO SLOW TO UP SHIFT GEARS.

RECENTLY WHEN I HIT ABOUT 103,000 MILES MY 2011 KIA OPTIMA 2.0 TURBO TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN ACTING STRANGE. WHEN DRIVING FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP AS I'M PULLING OFF ACCELERATING THE CAR JERKS MAKE AND WON'T ACCELERATE PAST 40 MPH. AFTER DOING ACOUPLE RESEARCH I WAS TOLD IT'S THE TRANSMISSION TEMPERATURE SENSOR. I. BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM DUE TO THE FACT AS YOUR PULLING OFF AFTER THE COMPLETE STOP IT JERKS SO HARD YOU JERK SO HARD WITH THE CAR. ALSO IF ANYBODY IS BEHIND YOU AND IT DOES THAT SUDDEN JURK IT CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE DRIVER BEHIND YOU ISN'T AWARE BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE YOUR HITTING THE BREAKS. I ALSO SEARCHED ONLINE THAT THIS MODEL AND YEAR CAR HAS TWO OPEN RECALLS FOR ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS (UNKNOWN).

WHILE ON MY WAY TO PICK UP MY DAUGHTER FROM SCHOOL AT AROUND BETWEEN 1 AND 2 OCLOCK PM I WAS STOPPED AT A 4 WAY STOP AT GA HWY 225 IN SPRINGPLACE , AS I PROCEEDED THROUGH THE 4 WAY WHILE IN MOTION I HEAR AND FEEL A SUDDEN JOLT TO MY VEHICLE AND I SKID TO A STOP THANK GOD IT HAD JUST WENT THROUGH THE STOP SIGN AND DID NOT GAIN ANY SPEED. I EXITED THE VEHICLE AND GLANCED UNDERNEATH THINKING THAT I HAD HIT SOMETHING, INSTEAD I NOTICED THAT MY MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION WHERE NO LONGER CONNECTED TO MY VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER SIDE BUT THEY WHERE LAYING ALMOST ON THE GROUND. I HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED HOME AND MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR MY DAUGHTER. MY VEHICLE WAS ONE ON THE LIST THAT HAD A RECALL ON THE MOTOR THE...

VEHICLE WILL NOT START. ENGINE AND IGNITION REPLACED DUE TO BEARING WEAR RECALL. TRANSMISSION REPLACED 2 WEEKS AGO FOR REBUILT ONE, AND NOW CAR WON'T START. IT'S BEEN 2 DAYS AND KIA HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. THE REASON I WANTED TO SUBMIT THIS COMPLAINT IS BECAUSE I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON TRANSMISSIONS INSTALLED IN THESE VEHICLES. KIA WANTED ME TO WAIT FROM 10 SEP TO MID DEC BECAUSE THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE ON BACK ORDER. WHICH MEANS THERE'S SO MUCH DEMAND THAT DEC IS THE EARLIEST THEY COULD RECEIVE IT. THEIR SHOP IS FULL, MOSTLY OF THESE CARS (OPTIMA). THEY EXPECTED ME TO WAIT 3 MONTHS WITHOUT A CAR IN ORDER TO GIVE THEM TIME. IT JUST BOGGLES MY MIND THAT THEY COULD DO THIS. THE CRAZIEST THING IS THAT EXPECT EVERYONE TO WAIT THIS LONG. I TALKED TO 3...

BEGINNING IN SPRING 2017 MY 2011 KIA OPTIMA EX TURBO (I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW, ONLY OWNER) BEGAN STUTTERING WHILE IN MOTION (AS IF SOMEONE WERE PUMPING THE BRAKES). THE CAR STALLS AND DIES AT RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS AND NEEDS RESTARTED. IT ALSO STALLS AND DIES WHILE IN MOTION, MOST DISTURBING IN HIGH SPEED, HIGH TRAFFIC INTERSECTIONS AND AT 70 MPH HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I WILL BE TRAVELING ON HIGH SPEED INTERSTATES AND THE CAR JUST DIES AND I HAVE TO HOPE I HAVE ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO SAFELY GET OVER TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT USUALLY GOES ON AND OFF AT LEAST FOUR TIMES IN BETWEEN EACH SERVICE ATTEMPT. IT HAS BEEN ANALYZED AND GIVEN ATTEMPTED REPAIRS BY A KIA DEALERSHIP FOUR TIMES SINCE LATE MAY 2017 (SEE ATTACHED RECORDS), BUT THE STALLING AND STUTTERING PROBLEMS PERSIST. I PICKED UP THE CAR...

MY KIA WAS MAKING A WHISTLING NOISE ON AND OFF FOR AWHILE THEN MY OIL LIGHT WOULD FLICKER SO I FIGURED I NEED AN OIL CHANGE. GOT MY OIL CHANGED AND THEN THE CAR STARTED MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE AND WOULD GET WORSE WITH ACCELERATION AND WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME ACCELERATING. IT WOULD JOLT AND VIBRATE AND MAKE KNOCKING AND FLAPPING NOISES. TURN ON MY ROAD TO GO HOME AND LOST POWER. MY CAR SLOWLY CAME TO A STOP I COULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL. MY ENGINE, BATTERY, OIL, AND EPS LIGHT CAME ON. I TRIED STARTING IT UP AND WOULD COME ON FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS MAKE A LOT OF NOISE AND THE ENGINE WOULD TURN OFF BUT MY RADIO AND WINDOWS STILL WORKED. MY AC WAS ON BUT NOT COOLING. ALL THE CABIN LIGHTS WORK STILL BUT MY BRAKE ARE STIFF.

ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2016, I WAS DRIVING MY 2011 KIA OPTIMA TO CHURCH WITH MY 2 CHILDREN. AFTER COMING UP ON A RED LIGHT I STOPPED AND THEN PROCEEDED TO GO WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN. I WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH THE LIGHT AND ACCELERATE UP A SLIGHT HILL AT ABOUT 35-40MPH. AFTER GOING OVER HILL, I WAS NOT ABLE TO PRESS THE GAS TO KEEP GOING AND MY BRAKES ENDED UP LOCKING UP SO I HAD TO GET IN FAR LANE IN ORDER FOR THE CAR TO COAST INTO A STORE PARKING LOT. ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE CAR CAME ON AND CAR LITERALLY JUST CUT OFF. THANKFULLY IT WAS NOT A LOT OF CARS ON THE ROAD TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I CONTACTED A TOW COMPANY THE NEXT DAY TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND SAID THE CAR STILL WANTED TO TURN OVER BUT SOMETHING...

SHORTLY AFTER TEST DRIVING AND BUYING A USED 2011 KIA OPTIMA LX, WE BEGAN EXPERIENCING AN INTERMITTENT ENGINE HESITATION PROBLEM WHEN ACCELERATING AT LOW SPEEDS. IT MAY NOT OCCUR FOR MANY MILES OF SLOW-AND-GO TRAFFIC BUT, WHEN IT HAPPENS, IT IS SHOCKING BECAUSE THE ENGINE FEELS LIKE IT IS GOING TO COMPLETELY DIE FOR UP TO 3 OR 4 SECONDS. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WHILE TURNING ONTO A BUSY HIGHWAY OR CROSSING A HIGH SPEED INTERSECTION.I THIS HESITATION PROBLEM WILL OCCUR AT RANDOM REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE ENGINE OR THE WEATHER IS COLD OR WARM. WE LEFT THIS CAR AT A KIA DEALER FOR SEVERAL DAYS BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE HESITATION PROBLEM. THE ENGINE HAS HESITATED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST MONTH.

WHEN PUTTING THE CAR IN GEAR, IT WOULD JERK REALLY HARD LIKE I HAD HIT SOMETHING. AT FIRST IT ONLY DID IT ONCE OR TWICE WITHIN A MONTH SO IT WAS HARD TO DUPLICATE. RECENTLY IT STARTED GETTING CONSISTENT. IT WOULD JERK HARD WHEN PUTTING IT IN GEAR OR PARK. ALSO GOING DOWN THE ROAD IT SHIFTED REALLY HAD LIKE SOMETHING WAS SLIPPING. IT DIDN'T MATTER IF IT WAS IN THE MORNING OR AFTERNOON. TWICE THIS WEEK, IT DID IT EACH TIME I WENT SOMEWHERE. THE SHIFTS WERE SOMETIMES SHORTER AND MORE OFTEN. IT FELT LIKE IT WAS MAYBE SLIPPING OR NEEDED FLUID. I TOOK IT IN AND DETERMINED IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION TEMPERATURE SENSOR. THEY REPLACED TRANY TEMP SENSOR, CODE P0711. THERE WAS NO CODE ON THE DASH, THEY HAD TO CHECK IT IN THE TRANSMISSION. IT WORKED.

MY KIA OPTIMA (2011) HAD STARTED A TICKING ENGINE NOISE AT AROUND 90K MARK AND NOW IT'S ESCALATED TO A LOWER END WAS TOLD BY SERVICE DEPARTMENTA T ABOUT 92K IT WAS NORMAL NOISE OF CAMSHAFT AND I ONLY NOTICED IT UNDER LOADS AND HIGHER ELEVATION ON OVERPASSES. I HAVE BEEN USING MOBIL1,FULLY SYNTHETIC MOTOR OILS AND A K&N OIL FILTERS. THIS LAST WEEK I HAVE NOTICED THAT IT WAS GETTING LOUDER.AND FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I ASKED THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP THAT MY WIFE'S 2015 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT WAS GETTINGI TS OIL CHANGED@ AND YES WITH MOBIL1, AND THEY TOLD ME ABOUT A RECALL ON THE MOTOR PLANT IN ALABAMA THAT SUPPLIES THE ENGINES OF BOTH FOR THOSE YEARS MODELS HAD AN METALLIC FRAGMENTS LEFT UN ENGINE AT MANUFACTURER OF ENGINE AND HAS ISSUED A RECALL. SO I CALLED KIA CONSUMER PRODUCTS DEPARTMENT AND THEY APPARENTLY HAVE HIDDEN BEHIND...

ON 5-4-14 I WAS DRIVING FROM WISCONSIN WHEN WE DECIDED TO STOP AT WAL-MART, WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR A PERSON TO MOVE OUT OF ITS PARKING SPOT, MY OPTIMA START TO ACCELERATE EVEN WHEN I HAD MY FOOT IN THE BRAKE, MY FIRST REACTION WAS TO MOVE THE GEAR SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND THEN THE ENGINE START RACING UP THE RPM WERE VERY FAST (WAS IN NEUTRAL), AT THE MOMENT A LADY AND HER SMALL KID WERE CROSSING IN FRONT OF MY CAR, GOD KNOWS WHAT IT WOULD HAPPENED IF I WOULDN'T MOVE THE GEAR TO NEUTRAL. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME LAST YEAR IT DID THE SAME THING IN JULY WHEN I WAS AT THE STOP SIGN , THE SECOND TIME WAS THIS YEAR IN JANUARY WHEN I CAME BACK HOME FROM WORK THEN I WAS PARKING WHEN THE CAR STARTING ACCELERATING BUT I WAS HOLDING UP WITH...

SUDDEN ACCELERATION! HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS AGO AND AGAIN ON MAY 10TH. GOING SLOWLY TOWARDS A STOP SIGN WHILE BRAKING TO STOP, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATES AND LUNGES FORWARD. STEPPED ON THE BRAKE BUT CAR KEEPS GOING. PUT SHIFT LEVER IN NEUTRAL WITH ENGINE RACING AND AFTER ABOUT 2 SECONDS THE ENGINE SLOWLY DROPS TO IDLE. NO ACCIDENTS CAUSED BECAUSE NO ONE WAS IN FRONT OF ME. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION! TOOK CAR TO THE DEALER ON MAY 15TH AND THEY COULD FIND NO CODES PRESENT AND SAID THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. *TR

I HAVE A 2011 KIA OPTIMA LX, ONE NIGHT WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ALOUD BOOM SOUND WITH A JERK OF THE CAR AND ALL POWER WAS GONE AT ONCE. THERE WAS NOTHING,LIGHTS OUT, IN AND OUT AND NO ACCELERATION, THEN AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS ALL POWER RETURNED, BEFORE AND AFTER THIS THERE WAS NO WARNING OF ANY KIND, IT HAS HAPPENED A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES SO FAR.2ND TIME AT AN INTERSECTION AND THE 3RD TIME IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, THE ONLY WAY I GOT OUT OF TRAFFIC THE CAR COASTED, ALL THE WHILE STEERING WAS VERY HARD , HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE POWER DID NOT RETURN. WHILE THEY WERE ABOUT TO CHECK, ONCE AGAIN THE POWER RETURNED ALL ON ITS OWN IN FRONT OF THEM, THEY RUN DIAGNOSTICS, STILL NOT SHOWING ANYTHING, SO THEY KEEP GIVING ME NO ANSWERS, AND PUTTING ME BACK INTO FEAR....

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION EXHIBITED A JERKING MOTION AND FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN ENGAGING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE RPMS BEGAN TO INCREASE RAPIDLY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. UPON RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY FOR A SHORT PERIOD AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER THREE TIMES FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURE AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR LOCATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

THIS IS UPDATE TO ODI #10453907. OPTIMA HYBRID STILL EXPERIENCING POWER LOSS PROBLEMS. LATEST IS AT COLD START, WHEN IT STARTS IN EV MODE, SYSTEM INDICATES READY, SHIFT INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE, CAR DOESN'T MOVE. IF WE TURN IT OFF AND RE-START IT, IT OPERATES NORMALLY. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, DASH ICON INDICATES HYBRID SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. AT RE-START LIGHT GOES OFF. DEALER CAN FIND NO TROUBLE CODES STORED. *TR

SOMETIME AROUND JUNE 4, ON AN EXPRESSWAY AT 70 MPH, IT FELT LIKE I HAD HIT SOMETHING. THERE WAS A VIOLENT SLAM IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR. I PULLED THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE EXPRESSWAY TO SEE IF I HAD HIT SOMETHING. AFTER SEEING THAT I HAD NOT HIT ANYTHING, I GOT BACK IN THE CAR TO GET BACK ON THE EXPRESSWAY. I PUT THE CAR IN GEAR AND TRIED TO ACCELERATE AND THE CAR WOULD HARDLY MOVE AS THOUGH IT WERE STARTING OFF IN A HIGH GEAR. I DROVE TOWARD THE NEXT EXIT AT 55 MPH AT AROUND 3500 RPM AND IT FELT AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE NEVER SHIFTED GEARS. WHEN I GOT OFF THE NEXT EXIT TO RETURN HOME, THE VEHICLE DID NOT SHIFT INTO LOW, IT STAYED IN A HIGH GEAR. I DROVE HOME IN ONE GEAR AND GOT HOME TO BACK INTO THE...

AFTER 1-2 MILES OF DRIVING AFTER COLD START, ENGINE CONTINUES TO REV UP BUT CAR COME TO ROLLING STOP. AS IF NO POWER IS BEING TRANSFERRED FROM ENGINE TO TRANSMISSION/DRIVE SYSTEM. THEN TURN CAR OFF FOR A MINUTE, RESTART AND CAR RUNS OKAY. DASH ICON INDICATES TROUBLE WITH HYBRID SYSTEM. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE FIRST INCIDENT. DEALER FINDS NOTHING WRONG. CAUSES AN EXTREME HAZARD WHEN IT HAPPENS IN TRAFFIC. *TR

I HAVE A 2011 KIA OPTIMA EX, WITH THE NAVIGATION PACKAGE. I HAD A STRANGE INCIDENT WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT. AFTER DRIVING FOR 15 MINUTES, I PLACED THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO REV VERY HIGH. I PUT MY FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE AND SHIFTED IN TO NEUTRAL, BUT IT KEPT REVVING VERY HIGH, SO I PUT IT IN DRIVE AND IT STILL REVVED VERY HIGH-- ROARING. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AGAIN AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. STARTED IT AGAIN 5 SECONDS LATER AND IMMEDIATELY THE ENGINE ROARED REVVING VERY HIGH. TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AGAIN AND THEN IT STARTED NORMALLY. MY FOOT WAS FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE THE WHOLE TIME AND THERE WERE NO OBJECTS TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. *TR

ON 4/11/11, WE WERE DRIVING TO WORK AND HAD GONE FOUR MILES FROM OUR HOUSE, WHEN WE THOUGHT WE HAD HIT A DEER! THE CAR MADE A VERY LOUD SOUND AND LURCHED VIOLENTLY, AT HIGHWAY SPEED, FRIGHTENING US BOTH. THE LURCHING WAS SO VIOLENT THAT IT MAY WELL HAVE CAUSED OTHER DAMAGE. WE WERE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE CRASHED. WE THEN FOUND THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION HAD GONE OUT OF OUR 2011 KIA OPTIMA EX. WE BOUGHT THE KIA NEW AT O'BRIEN AUTO PARK IN CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS, ON 1/8/11. THE CAR HAD 3600 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THIS WAS OUR FIRST KIA PURCHASE, AND WE ARE VERY DISAPPOINTED. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE WERE SHOCKED BY THIS DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE! WE VERY EASILY COULD HAVE HAD TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES FOR US AND OUR FELLOW COMMUTERS. WE ARE NO LONGER CONFIDENT IN...