3.2

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
41,889 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2002 Kia Optima brakes problems

brakes problem

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2002 Kia Optima Owner Comments

problem #3

Oct 102004

Optima 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 47,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When braking vehicle vibrated severely. Vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the consumer that the front brake rotors and pads needed to be replaced due to excessive wear.

- Bay Shore, NY, USA

problem #2

Jul 192004

Optima 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 55,000 miles
Rotors warped, not worn out, warped completely around 55,000 miles. Car has a 60,000 mileage/5 year bumper to bumper warranty and Kia will not honor it. Contacted langhorne Kia service dept. And was told that I was lucky that they lasted so long. I was informed that Kia changed the way they make the rotors and that the new rotors heat quickly causing them to warp when the milage is usually under 30,000 miles.

- Levittown, PA, USA

problem #1

Feb 162003

Optima 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 23,668 miles
I bought a used Kia Optima 2002 in January of 2003. It had about 23000 miles on it. We took a trip to lake Tahoe in Feb.2003 and on the ride home every time I braked comming down the mountain the car would jerk and shake violently. When we got home I took the car into the dealer and they repaired it for me after I pleaded and argued with them. Less than 8 months later the same poblem started happening again so I took my in and they automaticaly placed the blame on me. They told me that I must be driving my car way to hard and don't know how to properly apply the brakes. That came from the service department manager. They then told me that thay are not reasponsible for repaires that are caused by bad driving. We'll here it is less than four months later and I'm about to pay another $700 for a problem that is not my fault and my brakes are the worst yet. Oh and by the way the last time that I had my car fixed they refused to show me the parts that they took off my car. Said that it is unusual to show the parts to the owner. I find that strange. Someone needs to refresh them on the laws. When I purchased my car I also purchased a 5 yr bumper to bumper warrenty which is good until 82000 miles and my car know has 47000 and about to go through its third complete brake job.

- Hayward , CA, USA

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