Steering Problems of Kia Motor Optima Hybrid

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.

See all problems of the 2013 Kia Motor Optima Hybrid 🔎.

There's a clunking in the steering . From what I've found on the forums this is a common problem . It appears to be a plastic coupler in the steering motor that deteriorates causing a metal on metal grinding. I noticed this while turning at at street corners or changing lanes on highway. Nhtsa number: 10090941. This apparently has been reported before . Wanted to make sure my info was included .

See all problems of the 2011 Kia Motor Optima Hybrid 🔎.

When I move the steering wheel from side to side I can hear a popping noise when I am driving as well as when I am at a stop. The steering wheel has excessive vibration and raddling when I am driving between 65-75 on the highway, it decreases at 80 mph. I have gotten my tires checked as well as an alignment so it is not an issue with that.

See all problems of the 2012 Kia Motor Optima Hybrid 🔎.

This vehicle is dangerous and extremely faulty. I have had to replace the transmission due to the car traveling at no more than 55 mph. In addition, there was extreme knocking within the steering wheel in which the steering wheel had to be replaced as well. Then my car started drifting again with white smoke coming from under the hood and exhaust. Now kia is saying that the engine is faulty and needs to be replaced. My car is not being serviced for a recall on the engine because it is a hybrid, yet non-hybrid kia cars have a recall for it. This is the same thing. What a disservice! kia needs to quit making cars altogether if the internal work has no endurance. I'm still paying on this vehicle. This car is a danger, waste, and disservice. Several complaints have been noted in reference to the same thing. What if the car exploded? then what? this car could have harmed me or others. Please recall the engine and anything else this car has that is unmanageable or unhealthy. The opportunity cost is pisspoor.

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.

I've had this vehicle for about 10 months (purchased oct. 2017). A few weeks after I bought it I noticed more and more that the steering is very difficult to control and keep in a straight line, especially on the freeway above 55 or 60 mph. ( while driving on the freeway the car starts to drift slowly, I try to re-adjust the steering and while turning the steering wheel, nothing happens. I turn a little more and it over-reacts making me drift way into the other direction. I feel very unsafe on the freeway in this car, especially around bigger vehicles) I took it to 3 different kia dealers to try and solve the problem, the first suggested that it needs a �steering wheel update� since it has electronic steering. That did not solve or fix the problem. I took it to two other dealers trying to diagnose and fix this unsafe behavior of the car. They said that they are unable to duplicate my problem and so they cant fix anything on it. I told them that they need to drive it for at least 15 minutes or so, on the freeway and above 55/60 mph. They said that they still cant duplicate the problem. - - after calling kia consumer affairs multiple times and fling a report, they tell me to take it to a kia dealer. I have taken it to multiple dealers but still no solution.

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Tl the contact owns a 2015 kia Optima Hybrid. While driving approximately 15 mph and attempting to make a u-turn, the steering wheel locked up. The electronic stability control warning indicator illuminated. The contact managed to drive the vehicle back home. The contact also stated that the vehicle hesitated when switching between fuel and electric ever since it was purchased in 2017. The vehicle was towed to the dealer (rick case kia in sunrise florida). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 12647572. The approximate failure mileage was 1,096.

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I noticed that while driving pass 35 mph the steering wheel gets kinda stuck in the 12 o'clock position. If I try to steer either to the right or left it gets stuck litely, now it will not do it if I'm making a complete turn! it's hard driving down the highway because you can't keep the vehicle straight in the lane because of the steering wheel sticking. Just wanted to note that it does it not only on the highway but also on city streets. It's only happening after I go over approximately after 35 mph.

The contact owns a 2014 kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated that the steering wheel would jolt while driving at any speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they were not able to diagnose or repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 18,000.

When turning the steering wheel while driving or setting still there is a catch. Like it is stiff.

The steering coupler on the optima shatters because it is made of plastic.

This is the worst driving new car I've ever had. Above 60 it requires constant adjusting to keep it in the lane. Steering is super sensitive, it will begin to wander, when you try to correct it, it will over compensate and you go too far the other way. Trying to get it stabilized in a straight line is very difficult. Wind affects it tremendously, a danger to drive in high winds. And a danger at speeds over 60.

Bought the car new in 2012 from fuccillo kia in cape coral, florida for my wife. She noticed the very slight "clunking" noise in 2014 with about 50k miles on it and didn't think it was much of a problem. It gradually became very, very loud and she could now feel the constant "clunking" when turning the steering wheel or hitting small imperfections in the road. She brought it to my attention at about 65k miles and after researching the noise on the internet I found this problem has been occurring in thousands of kia and Hyundai vehicles from 2010 to 2014 model years. It is a quarter sized rubber star shaped bushing between two metal couplers that disintegrates over time and very quickly in warm climates like south florida. This repair is not a recall and is not covered after 60k warranty. I purchased the "new & upgraded" part from a local kia dealer for less than $2 but, the labor to install is close to $350!!! this should be a recall for the vehicles involved due to the unsafe steering characteristics and the volume of vehicles affected as it does not involve an owner serviceable routine maintenance component!!!.

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 hard to avoid the pedestrian, who eventually did not enter the road. The situation was not worthy of coming to a complete stop however the automatic braking system I described above activated. I removed my foot from the brake but the braking system continued to bring the car to a speed less than 15 mph. The vehicles behind me, understandably, had to slam on their brakes to avoid me as I could not speed back up until the system resumed to normal operation. Please let me know if this is typical operation or a potential defect. I feel this could be life threatening. Should I have to hit my brakes and this system activates, I could be severely rear-ended. Thank you.

I was driving in a residential neighborhood and a lady pulled in front of me. I slammed on my brakes and swerved to the right so I would avoid hitting her. The next thing I knew I smacked into a pole. For the past year I have been trying to figure out how and why I had so much damage to my car when I was only going 25 mph. I finally realized that this happened because I couldn't stop my car even when applying the brakes. The accident happened July 10, 2013 and one year later on the same day July 10, 2014 my brakes failed on my car while I was waiting for a gate to open. I heard a terrible crunching noise, a warning sign came on saying hybrid system warning safely stop and do not drive and the only way I could stop the car was to use the emergency brake. The same warning sign came on during the accident. I remember my car wouldn't stop and actually seemed like it gained a little speed. I hit the pole and the car still wouldn't stop so I had to use the emergency brake to stop it. I sat there in shock over what had just happened. I couldn't understand why I hit that pole and why there was so much damage to my car. Now I completely understand why this happened. It was due to my brakes not working that day. On July 10, 2014 when the brakes failed for the second time, I had my car towed to the kia dealership down the street and they kept it for 7 weeks and said they couldn't find anything wrong with the car so I picked it up. I could tell something was still wrong with it but they wouldn't listen to me. Not even 1k miles later the brakes went out for the 3rd time. This time kia picked up several error messages. They still have my car and its been 4 weeks. They said they need to replace the hydraulic power unit. This is what they told me 2 weeks ago and its still not done. This is not a safe car to drive and I do not feel comfortable driving it anymore!.

Since I bought this car, at highway speeds, the vehicle drifts left and right constantly and you have to use two hands on steering wheel just to keep the vehicle straight and from pulling left or right. Less noticeable in city driving but still drifts. Brought it twice to the dealer and tech drove it and told me alignment is within specs and it was fine I just need to get used to it. This is very unnerving and dangerous. Hope the lemon law will help me.