2015 Kia Optima Steering

Steering sticks in the center position. Makes it difficult to maintain a straight line.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the steering column was previously replaced due to power steering failure. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality inadvertently, and veered to the right lane unintendedly. The anti-skid and the power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the roadway. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that he was able to continue driving using physical strength to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the earliest availability for diagnostic testing was September 8, 2023. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The steering wheel sticks at the 12 o'clock position. Typically in cooler weather. It is very noticeable at highway speeds. The same thing was documented in the 2012 - 2014 models under TSB CHA 060. I took it to the dealer in 2016, but they couldn't duplicate the issue. I have recently moved from SC to KY. The problem is more pronounced in cold weather. I have to use both hands to keep the car straight on the highway.

Vehicle lost power steering completely. Has been inspected. Steering wheel sensor needs to be replaced. ABS light active as well as steering wheel light. No reason as to why this happen but it seems to be and ongoing issue for Kia Optima owners after reading other reports online.

Sticking Steering. Steering Wheel seems to 'stick' at a 12 o'clock position causing an 'over steering' problem. You drift from left to right as the Electronic Steering tries to correct the drivers reactions to the Sticking. This is an obvious 'DEFECTIVE' part and can cause a loss of steering. Kia Consumer Assistance Center does not recognize this as a serious problem, maybe you will. This will be my 3rd Steering Column replacement. (1) Original, (2) Replaced at 7,500 miles, (3) replacing at 99,600 miles. Please look into this. Kia needs to 'Recall' their cars before people get killed.

2015 Kia Optima EX Steering column replaced under warranty at approx. 7,000 miles. Now at 99,500 I need a new Steering Column because of the same symptoms; STICKING STEERING. Steering wheel sticks when trying to maneuver towards the right. Then you over steer and need to pull back to the left. This goes on over and over at all speeds. The worst is at high speeds because the slight tug on the wheel makes you drift more because of your speed. Kia needs to recall all Optima's and re-engineer and replace their Steering Columns.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds with the steering wheel in the straight position, the steering wheel experienced resistance when attempting to turn from the 12 o'clock position in either direction. The contact indicated that the resistance would suddenly cease causing the driver to over steer and potentially lose control of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 34,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE CENTERED IN THE LANE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FEATURE WAS NOT OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND WAITED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE RESTARTING THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE TO THE RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT TH STEERING ANGLE PRESSURE HAD STARTED TO FAIL IN THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING UNIT. THE MECHANIC RECOMMENDED THAT THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NAPLETON'S MID RIVERS KIA (4955 VETERANS MEMORIAL PKWY, ST PETERS, MO 63376) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

MY STEERING WHEEL IS STICKING AND MY HUSBAND TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND THEY HAVE CHECKED IT AND SAID IT NEEDS STEERING COLUMN. THEY GAVE US A PRINTOUT SAYING FOLLOWED TSB CHA 090 PREFORMED EFFORT MEASUREMENT TEST. MEASUREMENT 4.6 NM SUPPOSED TO BE 3.3 NM NEEDS STEERING COLUMN AT A COST OF $1400.00 WITH A 10% DISCOUNT BECAUSE IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, WHICH WE THEN DECLINED TO PAY THAT AMOUNT. WHEN WE PURCHASED THE CAR FROM PERRY-ELLIS KIA WE GOT A BUMPER TO BUMPER UNLIMITED WARRANTY "AT LEAST THAT WAS OUR UNDERSTANDING" THROUGH FIDELITY WARRANTY SERVICES, INC. SO WHEN LARA WHO WORKS IN THE WARRANTY DEPARTMENT FOR THE DEALERSHIP WHICH IS NOW PREMIER KIA GAVE ME THE WARRANTY PER MY SHE IS NOW TELLING ME THE STEERING COLUMN IS NOT COVERED. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SOME KIND OF RECALL PERFORMED STATING SA188 SERVICE ACTION SA188 '15 QF STEERING FEEL IMPROVEMENT DEALER CODE TX137 REPAIR DATE JULY 10, 2015 DEALER TYPE RD. WHICH RAISES CONCERN TO ME NOW THAT I AM STILL HAVING STEERING PROBLEM AND THEY WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE FIXED UNDER THIS SERVICE CAMPAIGN SINCE THE PROBLEM ALREADY EXISTED THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. DEALER STATED THEY ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO COVER UNDER ANY WARRANTY. YOUR COOPERATION INTO THIS MATTER WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *LN CONSUMER STATED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WERE MADE REGARDING FRONT END SHAKING AND NEW TIRES BALANCE AND ROTATION.*JB

I AM SENDING THIS COMPLAINT IN REGARDS TO COMPLAINT #11317148. ON MARCH 09, 2020 I FILED A COMPLAINT ABOUT A POSSIBLE RECALL ISSUE TO MY 2015 KIA OPTIMA.I CONTACTED KIA MOTORS @800-333-4542 CASE #[XXX] SPOKE WITH [XXX] ABOUT THE ISSUE ON MARCH 16, 2020 AND [XXX] ON MARCH 17, 2020 AND THE RESPONSE WAS THAT PREMIER KIA LUFKIN TEXAS SAID I DECLINE TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING FLUID CHANGED WHICH WAS THEY DECLINE TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN UNDER ANY WARRANTY, SO I DECIDED TO PAY THE $1298.00 ON JUNE 09, 2020 TO HAVE PREMIER KIA LUFKIN TEXAS TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN FOR MY SAFETY AND MY FAMILY. I ALSO CONTACTED KIAPARTS.COM ABOUT WHERE TO LOCATE THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR AND RECEIVED A EMAIL ON MAY 27, 2020 FROM [XXX]AT HANSOMOTORS PARTS DEPARTMENT INFORMING ME THAT MY 2015 KIA OPTIMA HAVE AN ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING. THERE IS NO PUMP OR RESERVOIR. BUT LIKE I SAY FOR SAFETY ISSUES I PAID THE $1298.00 TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN. MY QUESTION NOW IS HAVE THERE BEEN ANY RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE THAT WOULD WARRANT ME A REFUND OF $1298.00 THE AMOUNT I PAID PREMIER KIA ON JUNE 09, 2020? I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECEIVE UPDATES ON ANY AND ALL RECALLS CONCERNING MY 2015 KIA OPTIMA. THANKS. SINCERELY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHENEVER TRAVELING OVER SPEEDS OF 45 MILES PER HOUR THE STEERING SYSTEM STARTS STICKING AT THE 12 O'CLOCK POSITION, AND CAUSES YOU TO MAKE OVER ADJUSTMENTS WHICH MAKES YOU WEAVE ACROSS THE ROAD.

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED BUT MOST DANGEROUS WHEN AT FREEWAY SPEEDS THE STEERING BECOMES JERKY AND NOT RESPONSIVE AND FORCES YOU TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AGGRESSIVELY THEN IT WILL START TO WORK AGAIN CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE. AT SLOWER SPEEDS THIS IS NOT NEARLY AS DANGEROUS AND THE SWERVING IS MINIMAL BUT STILL PRESENT. WHEN IT HAPPENS AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, THE SWERVING IS VERY SIGNIFICANT AND VERY DANGEROUS. THIS HAS CAUSED SEVERAL NEAR MISSES OF POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS ACCIDENTS AND WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE STEERING HAS A CATCH IN IT AND YOU NEED TO USE FORCE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL

POWER STEERING DISENGAGES WHILE DRIVING

STICKY FEELING IN THE STEERING AT ANY SPEED. TAKES A LITTLE MORE THAN NORMAL FORCE TO MOVE STEERING WHEEL IN ANY DIRECTION.

STEERING WHEEL STICKS AT THE 12 O'CLOCK POSITION. IT TAKES SOME ADDITIONAL FORCE TO GET OVER THE 12 O'CLOCK HUMP CLOCKWISE AND COUNTERCLOCKWISE. THIS OCCURS DURING ALL DRIVING CONDITIONS

CANNOT CONTROL STEERING. SEEMS TO WANT TO HOLD IN THE 'CENTER' POSITION. WHEN TRYING TO CORRECT THE STEERING, LEFT OR RIGHT, I GET A 'STICKY' OR 'DEAD SPOT' IN THE STEERING WHEEL. A FEW MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THIS CAR, THE DEALER REPLACED THEW STEERING COLUMN BECAUSE IT WAS 'UNDRIVEABLE', NOW A FEW YEARS LATER, THE PROBLEM IS RECURRING. MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT 'STICKY' STEERING FOR KIA OPTIMAS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN, THE STEERING WOBBLED AND LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO REDDING KIA (888-778-5635, LOCATED AT 418 E CYPRESS AVE, REDDING, CA 96002) AND KEPT FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHILE THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED A LOANER VEHICLE. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE YOKE IN THE STEERING BOX WAS FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PART WAS BACK ORDERED. THE CONTACT WAS LATER INFORMED TO RETURN THE LOANER VEHICLE BECAUSE HER VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE WHILE WAITING FOR THE PART. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND PROMISED TO FOLLOW-UP WITH THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE STEERED. THE DEALER (BECK & MASTEN KIA, 25503 TOMBALL PKWY, TOMBALL, TX 77377) WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE CAR SEEMS TO WANDER BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT AND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT THE STEERING WHEEL WILL "STICK" AND REQUIRES ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF EFFORT TO GET IT TO RESPOND TO DRIVER INPUT. ONCE IT RESPONDS IT OVER CORRECTS SLIGHTLY WHICH CAUSES TO CAR TO WEAVE (WITHIN IT'S LANE). THE CAR NOW REQUIRES CONSTANT DRIVER INPUT TO KEEP THE CAR WITHIN IT'S LANE. WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN LATE 2016 AND DON'T DRIVE IT A LOT AS IT NOW HAS ONLY 11,000 MILES AND THIS PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE SINCE ABOUT 5,000 MILES.

THE STEERING HAS BECOME DIFFICULT, JERKY, STICKS AND REQUIRES MUCH EFFORT TO CONTROL. THIS OCCURS AT ALL SPEEDS BUT OF COURSE IS MORE PREVALENT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. KIA INDICATED THAT THE MOTOR DRIVEN POWER STEERING IS DEFECTIVE AND THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN HAS TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR SIMILAR ISSUES MULTIPLE TIMES. AS THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY KIA IS REFUSING TO REPAIR THIS AT THEIR EXPENSE. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR INJURY OR DEATH TO ME AND MY FAMILY. I WOULD LIKE KIA TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE IN GOOD FAITH TO US AS A LOYAL CUSTOMER. KIA CLAIM # IS 12961775. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT JIM BUTLER KIA IN CHESTERFIELD MO AWAITING AN ESCALATION TO KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME, MOST LIKELY SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW, BUT HAS RECENTLY BECOME MORE NOTICEABLE AND MORE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.

THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW IN 2015, THE STEERING BOX ON THIS VEHICLE WAS REPLACED IN NOVEMBER 2016 UNDER WARRANTY AS THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD HAVE A HESITATION (FELT LIKE A BRIEF STICKING) REGARDLESS OF DRIVING CONDITIONS BUT MORE DANGEROUS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. NOW MAY 2018 I AM HAVING TO HAVE IT REPLACED AGAIN AS THE STEERING IS VERY LOOSE AND WANDERS FOR NO REASON, AGAIN, REGARDLESS OF DRIVING CONDITIONS BUT MORE UNPREDICTABLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND REQUIRES A GREAT DEAL OF CONCENTRATION TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN THE LANE. THE VEHICLE IS 36 MONTHS OLD WITH 78000 MILES AND IS HAVING THE 3RD STEERING BOX INSTALLED. THE TECHNICIAN HAS DEEMED MY VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND STATED THAT THE TECH SUPPORT FROM KIA ACTED AS THOUGH THEY WEREN'T SURPRISED. I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING THIS CAR KNOWING THAT THIS MECHANISM IS FAILING AT AN UNSAFE RATE. KIA KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM AND APPARENTLY FEELS FINE WITH IT THOUGH THEY DEEM THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO A PART THAT THEY KNOWINGLY ARE INSTALLING IN THESE VEHICLES. A BRIEF SEARCH ON THE INTERNET (GOD LOVE THE INTERNET) WILL REVEAL THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS, THESE VEHICLES ARE UNPREDICTABLE ON THE ROAD AND BY THEIR OWN ADMISSION UNSAFE. MY CASE NUMBER WITH KIA FOR THIS PROBLEM IS 12711641

WHEN DRIVING ON FREEWAY "65 MPH AND ABOVE" THE STEERING WHEEL STICKS IN THE 12:00 POSITION CAUSING THE CAR TO SWERVE FROM THE PRESSURE APPLIED TO CORRECT DRIFT . IT STEERS FINE IF YOU CONSTANTLY MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH. IT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR DRIVING STRAIGHT AND MAKING MINOR STEERING WHEEL ADJUSTMENTS. WHEN IT BREAKS LOOSE IT CAUSES YOU TO SWERVE WHICH COULD END UP CAUSING A CRASH.

I HAVE NOTICED THAT AS I AM DRIVING ON THE THE INTERSTATE THAT MY STEERING IS STICKING, THIS TOO ME IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND THIS SHOULD BE NOTED AS A SAFETY CONCERN, THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO BEFORE T TURNS DEADLY.

STEERING SEEMS TO GET TIGHT AS IF THE POWER IS GOING OUT. STEERING WHEEL WILL SHIFT FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND IT MAKES FOR AN EXHAUSTING DRIVE. I DRIVE 160 MILES TO AND FROM WORK DAILY AND THIS HAS BECOME A VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY DRIVE FOR ME. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. IT IS DISHEARTENING THAT NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT THIS AS OF YET. I FEEL AS IF SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO LOSE THEIR LIFE BEFORE THE MANUFACTURER WILL TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY WRONG HERE, WHEN YOU SPEND SO MUCH MONEY ON A VEHICLE AND ARE UNABLE TO USE IT BECAUSE OF A MANUFACTURER FLAW. PLEASE, SOMEONE HEAR WHAT WE ARE SAYING BEFORE SOMETHING TRAGIC HAPPENS.