Quick News About Kia Optima Problems

Short stories about Kia Optima recalls, lawsuits, and other interesting bits. Signup to have these stories emailed to you for free from CarComplaints.com.

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  1. More than 1,800 Kia vehicles have burst into flames, now the government wants to know why.

    It’s about time. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was petitioned to look into these non-collision fires last June. They are responsible for 77 injuries and 1 death. The investigation will focus on the Theta II engine, but the NHTSA plans on looking into tail lights and other potential combustion sources as well .…

    keep reading article "NHTSA Opens Investigation into Non-Collision Kia Fires"

  2. Kia is recalling nearly 68,000 engines with fuel tubes that were misaligned, improperly tightened, or otherwise damaged during installation.

    This lets gas can spray out onto hot surfaces and is the perfect recipe for engine fires. To make matters worse, these engines were the replacements for recalled engines that suffered from knocking and seizing due to widespread oil flow problems. Yeesh.…

    keep reading article "Even Kia’s Replacement Engines Are Catching on Fire"

  3. What are the odds that your car will set itself on fire without ever being involved in a collision?

    Much higher than you’d think, especially if you’re one of these 3 million Hyundai and Kia owners. The Center for Auto Safety (CAS) has put together a list of vehicles that they say should be taken off the road until a pending government investigation ends with a comprehensive recall.…

    keep reading article "Are 3 Million Hyundai and Kia Cars Too Dangerous to Drive?"

  5. One Kia owner has had enough of gnawed wires leading to dashboard warning lights and multiple calls to the insurance company.

    Tsvetelin Tsonev filed a class-action lawsuit because his 2015 Soul is being used like a chew toy. The plaintiff says he leased a 2015 Kia Soul in April 2015 that has allegedly been damaged three times because the automaker keeps replacing soy-based wiring with more soy wiring, inviting more critters to snacktime.

    OK, so it turns out rodents don’t really snack on the coating, but they do love chewing on it and making nests out of it.

    And if you’re wondering just how much damage a rodent could do, brace yourself.…

    keep reading article "Soy Wires are Still Being Chewed Up. Maybe Kia Should Stop Advertising with Rodents."

  6. Kia is facing another lawsuit for metal shavings causing catastrophic failure in its Theta II engine.

    The engines can allegedly fail at any time while driving any speed, leaving owners in dangerous driving conditions once the engines stall. According to the plaintiffs, damage to the connecting rod bearings causes metal shavings to appear in the oil.

    A few months ago, Kia recalled 618,000 vehicles with Theta II engines that shipped with metal shavings due to a faulty manufacturing process. The recall only covered certain vehicles up to the 2014 model year.…

    keep reading article "Lawsuit Says Connecting Rod Bearing Create Even More Metal Shavings for the Theta II Engine"

  7. Another day, another manufacturer getting sued for using soy-based wire coating.

    Plaintiff Campbell claims her 2014 Kia Optima was damaged in December 2016 when rodents chewed the wire harness and wiring. Campbell asked Kia to cover the repairs under warranty but after allegedly making her wait almost a month with the Kia Optima sitting at the dealership, Kia denied her claim for coverage.

    This is not a Kia-only problem. Other automakers have made the switch to a soy-based wire coatings and are facing similar lawsuits including Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and Subaru.

    The lawsuit covers owners or lessees in California, Texas, and NJ with most of the 2012-2017 Kia lineup.

    keep reading article "Kia Sued for Using A Soy-Based Wire Coating"

  8. Safety regulators are looking into how Kia and Hyundai handled their Theta II engine recalls, specifically if the companies acted fast enough.

    They want to know if Hyundai and Kia did enough and fast enough concerning the recalls of nearly 1.7 million vehicles with Theta engines prone to a lot of noise and finally locking up.

    At this point, we know the widespread engine problems are caused by metallic debris left behind during mechanical deburring on the assembly line. Those tiny bits of metal are carried through the engine by oil, wreaking havoc on the way.…

    keep reading article "Why Did it Take So Long to Recall the Theta II Engine?"

  9. A lawsuit thinks it has enough evidence to prove fault in an incredibly sad crash that killed 7-year-old twins and an 83-year-old driver last year.

    According to the lawsuit, Parks had enough time to not only repeatedly hit the brakes, but she also turned on the hazard lights and flashed her headlights to warn other drivers. The lawsuit also alleges Parks tried to shift the Optima into NEUTRAL but on top of that not working, she couldn't turn off the ignition.

    Parks’ car was going 90mph at the time of the crash. Even the parents of the two young boys think unintended acceleration is to blame.…

    keep reading article "Kia Sued for Not Installing a Brake-Throttle Override System"

  10. The Theta II recall that so many Kia owners have been waiting for is finally here.

    Kia is recalling more than 618,000 model year 2011-2014 Kia Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles because the engine bearings can wear out too early and cause the engines to seize. The automaker says machining problems occurred during manufacturing, something dealers will need to fix by replacing the engine assemblies.

    We’ve been tracking Theta II engine problems for a while and let’s just say … they’re not good.…

    keep reading article "Kia is Recalling the Notoriously Defective Theta II Engine"

  12. The Theta II Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engine is earning a reputation for stalling and eventually seizing, leading to a class-action lawsuit.

    The [lawsuit] targets the Theta 2-liter and 2.4-liter gasoline direct injection engines, also known as GDI engines. According to the plaintiffs, the engines contain defects that cause a restriction of oil flow through the connecting rod bearings and other parts of the engines.

    Hyundai is facing a similar lawsuit that is currently awaiting final class-action approval.

    keep reading article "Theta II Engine Lawsuit Says the GDI Engines Have Oil Flow Problems"

  13. Kia's Theta 2-liter and 2.4-liter gasoline direct injection engines, also known as GDI engines, are giving owners a ton of headaches by stalling or failing at just about any time.

    According to a new lawsuit, these engines contain defects that cause a restriction of oil flow through the connecting rod bearings and other parts of the engines. In turn, the engines can stall without warning.

    The plaintiffs say Kia knows about the Theta engine problems, but refuses to freely repair the engines or order a recall. Another Theta II engine case with Sonata owners is awaiting final settlement approval.

    keep reading article "Lawsuit Says Kia Theta Engines Are Defective"

  14. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is being asked to investigate if possible mechanical malfunctions led to a deadly crash on New Year’s Eve.

    NHTSA has been asked to investigate a crash that killed twin 7-year-old boys and an 83-year-old woman. The 11:30 a.m. New Year's Eve crash in Winchester, Tennessee, occurred when a 2008 Kia Optima traveling 90 mph slammed into the rear-end of a minivan.

    The whole story is just sad. The Optima driver told authorities it felt like the gas pedal was stuck and she couldn’t get it to move. She died the next day of injuries sustained in the crash.

    keep reading article "Government Asked to Investigate a Fatal Optima Crash"

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