Table 1 shows one common wheel related problems of the 2004 Kia Motor Optima.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Wheel problems |
I was driving on I-10 westbound, katy TX freeway, travelling about 65 miles per hour. The passenger's side front tire blew out causing the car to go back and fourth between two lanes of traffic. In the process, I was hitting the rubber dividers, damaging the hood of the car and the windshield. The blown tire caused damage to the oil pan, the radiator, and eventually the transmission. I got the car to the emergency lane. The car was towed off the freeway and eventually picked up and transported to a car repair shop. A few days later, the insurance adjuster and the repair shop owner both agreed the car was a total loss. I had to buy a new car.
The NHTSA campaign number is 09v183000 and the component is suspension. I was told that the recall portion for my vehicle was performed but only as an inspection by glassman kia, southfield michigan, in July 2009. I experienced the actual corrosion of the front sub-frame but thank god I did not have a crash. I am told by kmc that there is a possibility they may not fix the car. I have an appointment at glassman tomorrow, July 17, 2014.
The passenger wheel came off the car as my son was backing out of a parking space at a grocery store. I bought this car new. That part of the car had never been worked on. The car had to be towed to a garage for repair. Kia used glue on life a support nut on a ball joint, where they should have used a cotter pin. I have bought four (4) kias. These cars are still in the family. The kia I drive daily is identical (except being automatic) to the one that the wheel came off.
The contact owns a 2004 kia Optima. While driving approximately 10 mph, an extremely loud sound of metal to metal emitted outside of the vehicle. The contact drove onto the emergency lane and noticed the front driver's side suspension and frame completely fractured due to rust corrosion. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The failure was associated with recall NHTSA campaign id number 09v183000 (suspension: front); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact planned to notify the manufacturer regarding the defect. The failure mileage was 85,854. I was less than ten minutes removed for highway, I could have been killed, wheel front passanger completely broke off! updated 09/14/2011 updated 12/19/11.