general problems of the 2011 Kia Motor Optima

After getting hecu recall done , it has caused issues with the hecu module to where the brake lights no longer work and the esc light comes on the cluster panel. Up on reading the code c2130, it says brake lamp relay error. Mind you that my car was in working order before this recall was even done. This a huge safety issue not having your brake lights work. I can get rear-ended and I have kids in the car. This has been a issue since July when I got the recall done and kia has yet to find a fix for this matter.

Check engine has failed. Glow relay stuck on or knock sensor or engine warranty. I don't know. Kia service will find out what's wrong with my car.

Low beam headlights on my 2011 kia Optima with 150,000 miles are bright to look at them, however the beam pattern on on the roadway is terrible. I have tried replacing the bulbs with brightest bulbs, checked voltages and grounds. After checking over 10 forums I have found that the reflective service on the headlight housing has degraded and lost its reflective value causing a very safe condition. 1 person disassembled the headlight unit and installed foil tape, stating this corrected the issue. I have attempted to contact kia with out a return response. I feel this should be a kia recall issue.

The headlights fail to light up safely and can cause serious injuries or even death. You are unable to see 10 foot in front of the car on deem and bright lights you can only see 15 feet at the max.

The passenger airbag lights will flash, my lights won't turn off when on auto, my radio is turning on and off by itself and is doing some weird things.

The contact owns a 2011 kia Optima. The contact stated that the headlights were significantly dim, which reduced the driver's visibility of the roadway while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to the local pep boys where the headlight bulbs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and charged a repair fee for the headlights replacement. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

My car have lot of problems in side.

Problem with kia door sensor light staying on when all doors are shut tight. I've gotten (3) three jumps and purchased a new battery because this sensor is draining my battery. When the sensor is on it won't allow me to secure the car. If I use the clicker it won't lock because the sensor light is on. I never know when I go to the car if it will actually start or not. I'm trying to get the dealership to unplug the sensor. Had to call tow truck Jan 1, Jan 17 and Jan 19.

My kia 2011 interior dome light goes on & off while driving. It's dangerous at night because the light goes on & off while driving.

The low beams on this vehicle are dangerous. We purchased it for our daughter and now are scared to let her drive it at night. The high beams seem to be fine but when the low beams are on you can not see anything. Very dangerous.

My college student daughter drives the vehicle and is unable to see sufficiently at night while driving. The lights are too dim to safely see at night. The car was taken to the local kia dealership and we were told it would be $1,000 to repair the wiring problem that is well known to the dealership. We were unable to afford to make the repair and the dealership told her to drive with her bright lights on while driving at night which could cause other drivers issues.

Low beam head lighting is very very poor.

Tl- the contact owns 2011 kia Optima xx. The contact stated that the low front beams illuminated too low at night. The contact stated they had replaced the bulbs however, the issue remained. The contact stated they had read the housing for the front beams were burning out due to the receptive strip melting when the front beams were being used. The contact took the vehicle to the dealership (hagerstown kia located at 10307 auto place, hagerstown, MD, 21740 phone number: 866-404-6114) who were in the process of diagnosing the vehicle at this time. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 114,000. Gl.

"takata recall" I have a 2011 kia Optima. We recently had an issue with the front light (low beam) on the left driver's side. The bulb was replaced, as we thought it was a bulb issue. However, when the bulb didn't work we took the vehicle to kia. Kia stated there was possibly something wrong with the wiring and they would have to replace the whole light assembly. I've heard of bulbs going out, but never the whole assembly, in which the whole front bumper would have to be removed. I've owned many other cars and have never had an issue with the light assembly. I believe this issue should be recalled by kia as it presents a safety issue for drivers.

Dim headlamps due to deteriorating reflective coating on low beam housing.

Driving at night has been near impossible. I have gone to two different dealerships with no results. There was a recall, but the dealership said my car did not show signs for the recall.

Head lights flash on and off for no reason when first started it up last for about 10 minutes.

Lights flash off and on while driving / hear clicking sound while my dash board flickers as well. This happens when parked and in motion.

The low beams on my car are dangerously dim. I've replaced the light bulbs with factory recommended to no avail. I can so no more than 5 feet in front of me while driving - I have to limit my night time driving, which is tough when driving home from work on a daily basis. Please take notice and issue a recall as I know I am not the only one experiencing this issue.

Right low beam needed constant changing (1 every 4-6 months). Within the last 6 months, I had changed the bulb, 2 weeks later, the low beam light was not working again. Noticed a white film on inside of light assembly. Upon investigation, I discovered the wiring caught fire and melted the connector for the light bulb. I purchased a new assembly, only to have the exact same thing happen. This is a huge safety concern. Firstly, the low beam lighting is absolutely horrible in this car to begin with, now I'm running off of one light. After looking into complaints online, I see this problem is prevalent across the board with this car. Kia is a multi million dollar company, you need to stand behind your product and have the mindset of putting your customers safety as a priority. I work as a firefighter/emt and I'd hate to arrive on scene of someone that was killed due to kia's faulty unsafe product. Especially of one that could be prevented by fixing these problems that you know is a manufacturer defect. Shame on you kia for putting people at risk.

Horrible & dangerous low beam lighting on the 2011 kia Optima I own. It has been this way for about a year, and I have changed bulbs, taken to different service stations, etc. The google reviews are horrifying, saying people are being charged $900+ dollars for fixing the deterioration of the paint surrounding the light. I pray that's not the case. You simply can not see while driving at night, and even the high beams are much much much more faded than "working & normal" lights. It"s awful and kia needs to fix this for consumers! before someone gets hurt!!!.

Sometime toward the end of 2017, I noticed that my dome light no longer illuminated when the doors were opened. I can still use the interior lights manually, though this usually leads to forgetting and leaving them on. I live in wa, it is often dark around 4 pm and grey throughout the day. I feel this is a huge safety issue, as I cannot see who is in my car before entering when in a parking lot. Also, my 5-year-old has a hard time buckling her own car seat belt since she cannot see the buckle. This is an inconvenience and with crime rates rising, it makes me feel uncomfortable going out alone, knowing that nobody can see what is going on while I am buckling her in. The chances of being mugged or worse go up, my safety is worth the $400, however, I should not have to pay to have a malfunction in the vehicle fixed. The reason I feel this should be a recall is because of the 3 kia's we own, 2 of them have this same issue of the interior lights only working manually and not activated with opening the door. My wife's 2014 kia sorento dome light stopped working when the doors were opened around December of 2018. Both of us have over 60,000 miles on our vehicle at the time of the malfunction. I was quoted over $400 to have this repaired. When looking at forums, it looks as though it is a connection that wiggles loose. I am sure that if 2 of our kia's have this issue, it is highly likely many more kia owners have the same issue. Kia should be responsible to fix this safety issue.

Low beam hid headlamp illumination has gotten progressively worse over the last year, to the point at which driving at night with the low beams on is a hazard and the fog lamps are not only required to be on but also provide nearly all of the forward illumination. Dealer has inspected the electrical components, replaced the auto leveling module and hid bulbs and cleaned the reflectors within the headlamp assemblies. I have seen complaints online that the reflective material within the headlamp assemblies may fail making the low beams ineffective as the light is not projected down the road. I am not sure if this is the case, but suspect that it may be.

The engine seized. Ive been waiting for this recall. Kia has had tis vehicle for a month and I can't seem to get the approval for the current recall. It was in motion driving at 30 miles per hour smoke came from the engine and never turned on again. It was 300 downtown salt lake city. A city street. We had the vehicle towed home. The dealership seized the engine and quoted us 6500. 00 to fix the entire car. Replace the engine.

The low beam head lights or almost useless at night. From what I have read the reflective paint used burns off after a couple years of use. I highly doubt that it meets the illumination standards of the national traffic and safety association. I like having 2 weak flash lights taped to the hood.

The contact owns a 2011 kia Optima. While driving at an unknown speed in the rain, the flood lights did not turn on without warning. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

My wife told me she couldn't see going to work in the early morning. I took her car out in the evening to find you could only see a few feet in front of the car. I am an electrician and ran a couple of tests only to find everything checked out. I read in a kia car forum about the reflective paint melting inside the low beam cup. I ordered an aftermarket replacement and things worked great. I took apart the original and sending a photo of the melted paint. Here is a website with others having the same issues. . Read more...

Low beams are very dim due to internal head light cup chrome worn out , can't see more than 3 feet ahead at night , unless I use hi beams .

The contact owns a 2011 kia Optima. While the vehicle was parked, the stop lamps failed which caused the brake warning light to illuminate. In addition, the transmission shifter would not move out of the park position. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 13v114000 (exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the brake warning light would illuminate intermittently. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,000.

Both low beam lights have melted the reflectors. Took into dealer and they have no clue what happened. It seems a lot of other people have this same issue. The lights are so dim, are melted into other positions and don't even shine on the road. It's very dangerous, and the eater wants me to pay for 2 new lights systems for the car.

Low beams are not illuminating. . The refelective paint inside has burned off and I cannot drive at night with out my high beams due to the fact that I can't see more than 2 feet in front of my car. The steering on my car started this clicking noise when turning and the steering wheel rattles when I go over the smallest bump on the road. It is also wearing out my tires and causing my car to pull slightly to the left or right.

The interior overhead lights periodically come on and go off while operating our 2011 Optima. This occurs with the switch in both on and off position and the lightbulbs tend to become overheated. They do not respond to manual operation, but go off on their own and this malfunction repeats several times in a ten minute drive. Best-case scenario results in the bulbs burning out prematurely, but I believe there is a real chance of a more serious short-circuit and potential interior fire.