2013 KIA OPTIMA Seat Belts Problems

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle and fastening his seat belt, the seat belt warning light remained illuminated. After unfastening the seat belt, the seat belt warning light turned off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the seat belt buckle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 187,000.

My son owned a Kia Optima built in June of 2013. He was in a motor vehicle accident where he was put in a pit maneuver and Then was T boned on the passengers side causing his body to lay across the front seats and died at the scene. His black box download showed that the seat belt pretensioner was off and both airbags in the front did not go off. I know there is a recall for optimas built before aug 31 of 2012. I believe there was an issue with this vehicle as well. I would hate for there to be anymore deaths or injuries with the later models of these vehicles. I do hope this is looked into further.

The contact's ex husband owned a 2013 Kia Optima .The contact stated while her ex-husband was driving at an undetermined speed a 2009 Jeep Liberty cross the center line and crashed into the vehicle. The driver succumbed to his injuries at the scene. There was a report of the driver being located leaning towards the front passenger seat. The air bags deployed. The seat belt was extended and locked but, was torn. The contact stated the driver of the Jeep was intoxicated however there were no reported injuries. The vehicle was towed to a police lot. A police report was filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was unknown.

REAR PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LATCH/UNLATCH PROPERLY. WHEN BUCKLING, IT WON'T LATCH WITHOUT JIGGLING AND REINSERTING SEVERAL TIMES. LATCH WON'T ALWAYS RELEASE WHEN UNBUCKLING. VEHICLE IS STATIONARY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO LATCH AND UNLATCH. THE FOG LIGHTS DO NOT FUNCTION AT ALL THE ANTENNA WIRING IS DEFECTIVE. SATALIGHT RADIO WILL NOT PICK UP UNLESS THE BRAKES ARE USED AND THEN FOR JUST A MOMENT THE CONNECTION IS MADE AND THE STATION CAN BE HEARD ALTHOUGH STATICKY AND UNCLEAR. BUT ONLY DOES IT SOMETIMES AND WHEN CAR IS DRIVING AND THE BRAKES ARE APPILED

MY DAUGHTER REAR ENDED ANOTHER CAR. HER AIR BAGS DID NO DEPLOY AND HER SEAT BELT DIDN'T LOCK. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT.

I WAS T-BONED IN THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE CAR WAS SPUN A COUPLE TIMES BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THE PASSENGER IN THE CAR WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY WEARING THE SEATBELT IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT THE SEATBELT WAS NO LONGER BUCKLED. WE BELIEVE THE SEATBELT CAME UNDONE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE IN THE VEHICLE HAD BRUISING AND BURNS FROM THEIR SEATBELTS BUT THE PASSENGER DID NOT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE SEAT BELT WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. CRAIN KIA (5830 WARDEN ROAD, SHERWOOD, ARKANSAS 72120, (501) 542-6042) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DISABLED THE AIR BAG LIGHT; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V363000 (AIR BAGS) ON JULY 27, 2018. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 113,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS AT A STOP LIGHT, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF HER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELTS FAILED TO RESTRAIN PROPERLY. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. THE PASSENGER WAS NOT INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S HOME AND THE BODY DAMAGE WAS REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

TAKATA RECALL - WE CALLED DEALER BALL KIA IN NATIONAL CITY, CA & WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE A LETTER. FOR US TO CALL BACK THEN & THAT WE HAD TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE AN UN-SAFE VEHICLE UNTIL THE LETTER ARRIVED AND A APPOINTMENT COULD BE MADE. THIS CAR COULD KILL US UPON IMPACT!!! PLEASE, THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER & SAFER SOLUTION.

SEAT BELT FOR LEFT REAR SEAT DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE FEMALE PART SINKS INTO THE SEAT POCKET WHEN ATTEMPTING LATCHING SUCH THAT IT WILL NOT ACCEPT THE MALE PORTION OF THE SEAT BELT. THE HARDER THE PUSH OF THE MALE PART, THE MORE THE FEMALE PORTION RETRACTS INTO THE SEAT. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS PROBLEM TO THE ATTENTION OF MY KIA DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS BUT THEY CLAIM IT IS A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING PROBLEM AND THEY CANNOT OFFER A SOLUTION, IN SPITE OF THE SAFETY CONCERNS I HAVE FOR MY PASSENGERS - ESPECIALLY MY GRANDCHILDREN. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ME AND I HOPE IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE TO THE NHSTA EITHER. I HOPE YOU WILL INVESTIGATE & ULTIMATELY FORCE KIA TO OFFER A RECALL. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. [XXX] GLENDALE, AZ VIN IS INVALID. ('PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE...

SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE,IT GOT TIGHTER ANN WOULD NOT RELEASE WHILE IN LOWE'S PARKING LOT. THERE WERE 4 PEOPLE AND AN OFF DUTY POLICEMAN TRIED TO HELP AND FINALLY STATED THAT THE BELT WOULD HAVE TO BE CUT AND THEY DID. I WAS IN DIRE STRESS AND BREATHING PROBLEM AND IN DIRE NEED OF IMMEDIATE RELEASE. A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE.

OPTIMA'S DRIVER'S-SIDE SEAT BELT STOPPED WORKING AND THE BACK SEAT MIDDLE SEAT BELT, (RARELY USED), STOPPED WORKING DUE TO INABILITY TO CLICK (LOCK) INTO PLACE. CAR IS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA GDI & IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION IN EVERY OTHER ASPECT SEEN & KNOWN.

AIR BAG LIGHT CONSTANTLY STAYS ON WHILE DRIVING

REAR SEAT BELTS IN CLOTH SEAT CONFIGURATION DO NOT HOLD THE BUCKLE IN AN EXPOSED POSITION SO THAT A CHILD OR AN ADULT CAN REASONABLY OPERATE IT. MOST VEHICLES HAVE A PLASTIC SHEATH THAT HOLD THE BUCKLE EXPOSED SO THAT IT IS ACCESSIBLE. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT A CHILD SEAT ON THE SEAT AND THEN ATTEMPT TO BUCKLE A CHILD IN PLACE. THIS DESIGN IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS USERS WILL BE FRUSTRATED AND OMIT USING THE REAR SEAT BELTS.

REAR SEAT BELTS IN CLOTH SEAT CONFIGURATION DO NOT HOLD THE BUCKLE IN AN EXPOSED POSITION SO THAT A CHILD OR AN ADULT CAN REASONABLY OPERATE IT. MOST VEHICLES HAVE A PLASTIC SHEATH THAT HOLD THE BUCKLE EXPOSED SO THAT IT IS ACCESSIBLE. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT A CHILD SEAT ON THE SEAT AND THEN ATTEMPT TO BUCKLE A CHILD IN PLACE. THIS DESIGN IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS USERS WILL BE FRUSTRATED AND OMIT USING THE REAR SEAT BELTS. *TR

I WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. I UNBUCKLED MY SEATBELT AND THEN LEANED FORWARD TO PICKUP SOMETHING OFF THE FLOOR. WHEN I STARTED TO RELEASE THE SEATBELT AND THE SHOULDER STRAP PULLED MY HEAD INTO THE HEAD REST MY MY NECK. THE MORE I PULLED THE SEATBELT TO LOOSEN IT, THE TIGHTER IT GOT. NOTHING HELPED. FINALLY MY FRIEND WHO HAD BEEN DRIVING, REMOVED THE SIDE PANEL AND THEN REMOVED THE LOCKING MECHANISM ON THE SEATBELT TO RELEASE MY NECK. *TR