2011 Kia Optima Power Train

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.

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).

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 THE RELOCATION TO THE GEORGIA PLANT AND SAID THAT MY CAR IS KOREAN DUH SO THAT MEANS THAT THE ENGINE IS KOREAN. WHEN I CALLED DEALERSHIP AND MACHINE SHOPS BOTH HAVE SAME PARTS JUST A DIFFERENT PART # SO IT WILL AVOID A RECALL BUT THAT IS SPLITTING UP THE DIVISION OF BRANDS NOT THE PLACE WHERE MY KIA ENGINE WAS MADE IN ALABAMA AND SO WAS THE SONATAS. JUST DIFFERENT NUMBERS. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE NEEDS TO STEP IN AND TAKE OUT THE BLATANT DISREGARD FOR THE LAW AND ORDER OF FAITHFUL OWNER'S OF THE KIA AND HYUNDAI VEHICLES. I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM KIA AND IM IN NEED OF THE NHSTA TO GET INVOLVED. AND DO AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE HYUNDAI AND KIA MOTOR PLANTS RECALL FOR YOU AND ME THE CONSUMER PRODUCTS SAFETY COMMISSION NEXT STEP I GUESS.

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 CONCRETE BAR ON THE GROUND THAT IS IN MY PARKING LOT, AT THAT TIME I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, BUT IT WAS NOT MUCH OF CONCERN BECAUSE I WAS NOT DRIVING THE CAR IN THE STREET. NEXT DAY (5-5-14) TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, AND THEY CONTACTED KIA TO REPORT THIS ISSUE, ON MAY 7 AT 4:20 PM A GENTLEMAN FROM KIA HIS NAME WAS [XXX] CALLED ME TO GET SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND TOLD HIM EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AND GAVE A CASE #2706364, THEN ON 5-7-14 ANOTHER GENTLEMAN FROM KIA CORPORATION CALLED ME, HIS NAME [XXX], AND TOLD ME THAT HE IS IN CHARGE OF MY CASE NOW AND WILL CALL ME TO LET ME KNOW ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THIS, WELL HE DIDN'T CALL SO I CALLED HIM BACK ON 5-15-14, (10 DAYS LATER), HE TOLD ME HE WAS WAITING FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO CALL HIM, I WENT TO THE DEALER AND I WAS INFORMED BY ED THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THEY WERE DOING SOME TESTS, HE CALLED ME LATER SAYING THAT HE TALKED TO [XXX] IN KIA CORPORATION AND HE GAVE 11 POINT OF INSPECTION TO DO. SITUATION SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA TO AVOID ANY FUTURE INCIDENTS THAT COULD CAUSE SOME SERIOUS INJURIES OR FATALITIES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

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.

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 GARAGE, AND WHEN I SHIFTED THE CAR INTO REVERSE, IT SLAMMED INTO GEAR. I PARKED AND WENT INSIDE FOR THE EVENING INTENT ON GETTING THE DEALER TO SEND A WRECKER FOR THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNING. I GOT UP THE NEXT MORNING TO SEE IF THE CAR WAS STILL ACTING THE SAME WAY. I STARTED THE CAR UP AND IT DROVE PERFECT, SHIFTING THROUGH ALL OF THE GEARS AS IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BEHAVE. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SUPPOSEDLY FOUND THE PROBLEM AND WE LEFT WITH OUR "REPAIRED" VEHICLE. ON JUNE 26, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AT 50 MPH ON A SURFACE STREET, THE SAME "SLAM" HAPPENED IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR, FRIGHTENING MY WIFE. SHE THEN PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, STOPPED THE CAR, AND SHUT IT OFF. SHE RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT SHIFT AS IT WAS SUPPOSED TO. SHE CAME BACK HOME, PARKED THE CAR IN THE GARAGE AND CALLED THE DEALER. SHE STARTED THE CAR ON JUNE 27 TO GO TO THE DEALER, WENT DOWN THE ROAD APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES AND THE SAME EVENT OCCURRED. SHE PULLED OVER, RESTARTED THE CAR AND DROVE TO THE DEALER. THEY NOW HAVE THE CAR AND SAY THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT 12000 MILES. *TR

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON A FLAT SURFACE WITH THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED, WHEN IT ROLLED BACKWARDS FOR APPROXIMATELY TWENTY FEET. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,036.

2011 KIA OPTIMA LX. CAR PULLS TO THE LEFT AT ALL SPEEDS BUT MOST SIGNIFICANTLY AT SPEEDS ABOVE 60MPH. THIS CAN MAKE FOR VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AS THE CAR DRIFTS IN ALL SITUATIONS TO THE LEFT. IF THE ROAD IS CROWNED TO THE LEFT THE CAR WILL PULL ALMOST VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT. I HAVE ALMOST HIT MEDIAN BARRIERS AND/OR GONE VEERED OFF THE ROAD SEVERAL TIMES. I CAN CONSIDER MYSELF A GOOD DRIVER WITHOUT ANY ACCIDENTS IN THE PAST 12 YEARS AND THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. KIA HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE AND IS WORKING ON THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, KIA HAS NOT COME UP WITH A FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM. *KB

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 THIS VEHICLE. WE FIND THIS TOTALLY UNSATISFACTORY AND ASKED KIA TO REPLACE OUR VEHICLE WITH AN IDENTICAL ONE. KIA REFUSED, BASICALLY SAYING 'WE DON'T OWN IT ANYMORE'. THEY DID REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION.