— A class action lawsuit alleges a Kia window regulator recall should have been announced long ago for 2016-2017 Optima and 2017 Kia Sportage vehicles.
The lawsuit says the Kia vehicles are defective and dangerous because the power window regulators fail and cause the windows to fail.
A power window and regulator will allegedly fail when the regulator drum gear separates or breaks.
"The defect is the result of both the power window system being comprised of inadequate materials and improper workmanship in the production of the window system and window regulator such that normal operation of the automatic windows causes the window regulator to break and otherwise fail." — Kia class action lawsuit
According to the Kia window regulator lawsuit, a recall should be issued because Optima and Sportage owners are forced to pay for regulator replacements and repairs.
Dealerships allegedly tell owners Kia knows about the regulator problem but there is no recall or fix for the power window failures.
Kia Optima and Sportage owners and lessees are allegedly charged hundreds of dollars for just one window repair, a problem that gets expensive when multiple window regulators fail around the same time.
Louisiana plaintiffs Michael and Phillis Le Beau say they paid nearly $2,000 to repair four window regulators on their 2017 Kia Sportage. And South Carolina plaintiff David Griesemer says he paid about $400 for window regulator replacements on his 2016 Kia Optima.
The three plaintiffs also claim the Kia window regulator replacements will fail just like the originals.
The Kia class action lawsuit asserts the automaker knows about the window regulator problem because two technical service bulletins were issued to Kia dealerships about the window failures.
The Kia window regulator class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Southern Division): Le Beau, et al., v. Kia America, Inc.
The plaintiffs are represented by Ahdoot & Wolfson, PC, and Barnow and Associates, P.C.
