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.
The low beam headlights are very dim even with new bulb replacements. Found that the reflective material inside the headlights melted. Not safe to drive at night need to use the high beams all the time.
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. While driving at an unknown speed in the rain, the flood lights did not turn on without warning. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
(dimmed headlight) I have owned my 2011 Optima since 2013 and summer of 2016 notice my headlights were really dimmed to the point where you cant see past 10-20 feet in front of you. Replaced 2 headlight bulbs w/ sylvania silverstar bulbs and headlights are still very dimmed. Looks like they reflectors inside the beams are burnt/melted causing the lights to look dim. I would definitely consider this a safety hazard since I cant really see anything on the road. It would be nice if Kia launched a warranty enhancement for headlight problem since I would consider this a design/engineering flaw since it was factory bulbs were originally in the headlight assemblies. Unsafe headlight visibility.
My wife told me she couldn't see going to work in the early morning. I took her car out in the evening to find you could only see a few feet in front of the car. I am an electrician and ran a couple of tests only to find everything checked out. I read in a Kia car forum about the reflective paint melting inside the low beam cup. I ordered an aftermarket replacement and things worked great. I took apart the original and sending a photo of the melted paint. Here is a website with others having the same issues. www.carcomplaints.com/Kia/Optima/2011/lights/exterior_lighting.shtml
- Kimberly, WI, USA
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This 2011 Kia headlight bulb was replaced, however the light quit working. Was informed that lightbulb melted and entire headlight needed to be replaced. Also have to drive with high beams at night for better lighting
2011 Kia Optima. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle projector headlights visibility issues at night. Consumer uses high beam lights at night. The vehicle identification number, the consumer provided is invalid.
The low beam headlights look like flashlights with weak batteries, you can only see about 6 feet in front of car. The lens on the headlights are clear like new ones, but the heat from the bulbs destroy the reflective material inside the headlight. The only way to drive at night is with the bright lights on. The only fix is to replace both headlights. When you google this problem many people have the same complaint.
Low beams are not illuminating.. the refelective paint inside has burned off and I cannot drive at night with out my high beams due to the fact that I can't see more than 2 feet in front of my car. The steering on my car started this clicking noise when turning and the steering wheel rattles when I go over the smallest bump on the road. It is also wearing out my tires and causing my car to pull slightly to the left or right.
Steering wheel has a clicking sound when turning. Bought it into a collision center, the technician said that it was a service recall on Optima. He knew that sound before I described it to him. Brake light bulb blows as soon as you put them in. The tech said there was a problem with the electrical system.
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. While the vehicle was parked, the stop lamps failed which caused the brake warning light to illuminate. In addition, the transmission shifter would not move out of the park position. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 13V114000 (exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the brake warning light would illuminate intermittently. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,000.
My headlights have gone completely dim. I can't see more than 4 ft in front of my car so no longer drive at night. I have taken it to the Kia dealership here in orlando and they stated this has happened because the heat of the bulb cause the paint in the unit to peel away. I have not had any accidents yet, but have had a few occasions where a car cut me off and another almost ran me off the road because my light to not illuminate. The dealership said since I am no longer under warranty it would cost me $1200 to fix. I have researched and found some forums where other drivers have complained of the same issue for years and nothing has been done. There is also an issue with the steering. There is a clicking noise and rattling when I drive and hit a small bump. I was told by the same dealership that it would cost $400 to fix that $3 piece of plastic that holds that together. If it not fixed in time that the steering would be gone completely. I don't think consumers should have to pay for the manufacturer taking short cuts and using cheap products that cost us tons of money to fix.
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, the headlights were activated however, the illumination was extremely dim. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who informed that both head lamps overheated which caused the reflector to melt. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 62,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Police officer pointed out my car's tail lights were out wed night (while headlights were on). Thurs, checked all fuses, all ok. Did web search to find fuse for tail lights. Found instead description of kludge fix of removing memory fuse for several minutes. Removed memory fuse for several minutes, put it back in, tail lights then came on when headlights were on.
This Kia has a push button start option. The vehicle would not start and the brake lights were not turning on when the brake pedal was depressed. The computer looks for a signal from the brake light switch before it starts the engine. I disconnected and reconnected the brake light switch and the problem was temporarily corrected. Two days later, the vehicle would not start again and the brake lights were not turning on. We used the procedure to bypass the brake signal (hold start button for 12+ seconds) to start the engine. Vehicle was now driving down the road with no brake lights. There was also a warning light illuminated on the instrument cluster indicating an issue with the ESC system. Dealership stated they have seen a few cars with this issue.
Tail lights, dash back lighting became inoperative. This is a safety hazard. This model does not have a smart key system solution found on-line 1.open in-dash fuse box 2.pull yellow memory fuse 3.wait a few minutes 4.replace fuse 5.check to see if things are working right (if not, repeat previous steps with a longer wait before replacing the fuse).
The interior overhead lights periodically come on and go off while operating our 2011 Optima. This occurs with the switch in both on and off position and the lightbulbs tend to become overheated.they do not respond to manual operation, but go off on their own and this malfunction repeats several times in a ten minute drive. Best-case scenario results in the bulbs burning out prematurely, but I believe there is a real chance of a more serious short-circuit and potential interior fire.
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. While attempting to make a left turn, the contact inadvertently deactivated the headlights when the turn signal lever was pushed down. The contact stated that the end point of the turn signal lever included a knob that controlled the headlights, which easily rotated to deactivate the headlights while making a turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technicians advised that there was not a remedy available for the issue and the design of the vehicle could not be compromised. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 1,300. Updated 02/15/12 the dealer informed the consumer, there was no fix for the problem. Updated 02/29/12
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Oswego, IL, USA