Owners' Stories

My wife and I both have 2009 KIA Optimas, The only issue that we have had we had it with both cars. If you have the headlights on and park and turn off the ignition swith and exit the car 99% of the time all the lights will go off. The other 1% of the time the parking lights will stay on. This is most inconvinent since sometimes you do not notice the parking lights still being on. The dealer has no idea why this is happening. Anyone else have this issue with their KIA Optima?

i bought a so called life time kia (they really push the ideal of lifetime but its a croack) i have 47,000 miles on my car and a rod or piston is knocking in it and since i missed three oil changes they wanted me to pay like a thousand dollars to tear the engine apart and see if local rep. will ok to replace engine and i dont get my money back, but the dealership said that i would end up paying for intire engine and labor which is bs someone needs to stop them for advertizing lifetime kia because that is bs lifetime warranty means if it tires up they fix it. i will never own another kia and when i get it fixed, out of my own pocket i will excerise my right on the lemon law and put a lemon sign in the back glass take my advise stay away from lifetime kia if they will not stand behind there product better than that i dont need one, they tried to tell me that ford and chevy reguired a complete service history too but i call a chevy dealership and they said they have never asked for a service history kia needs to wake up and stand behind there product because i meet poeple every week that tell me they will never own another one, im going back a chevy

Love the look and feel of this car; purchased in March of this year. But, two major inconveniences: I noticed within one day of driving off the lot that the car pulled to the left. Brought it back, dealer realigned it; etc, but it still has a pull to the left. This appears to be a common problem with this vehicle. Now, the ESC light is staying on and on top of it my gear shift locks up from time to time, and I need to use the shift lock release button behind the shift handle to engage it. With only 7k miles on it and 6 months into it, this has been a headache. I take it into the Dealer tomorrow for repair of the last two issues. Aside from these issues, which are not minor, I love everything else about the car. Would I purchase again, knowing all this? No.

I have a 2011 Kia Optima EX. Since the first day the car is pulling to the left. The dealer cannot fix as well as the KIA tech. I understaood that a lot of 2011 Kia Optima have the same problem.

My Mom and I had the same Kia Optima 2005 purchased with in a year or so mine new hers used with about 13,000 miles. I had trouble with the headlights blowing-in the 3 years I had the car I changed 2 every 6 months or so. My moms did the same thing. We started carrying an extra bulb due to being pulled over with a head light out!! We were fortunate enough to hear of the time belt issue before it became a tragic event and had them replaced. I did have to have a sensor replaced (I have forgotten which one) Break pads and rotars were changed regularly, the repair shop had to beat them off with a hammer once after only 8 months of being on the car. The breaking point for me was last winter, my back tires would seize up and not turn, the first few times we were able to break them free by driving forward then reversing to release the break, took it to the shop a couple times no reason could be found. Then both tires seized I could not even move the car, they removed the Emergency brake and I did not have the issue again. My Mom in the past week has been having the same issue, today she had to have the car loaded on a ramp truck due to the tire being seized. I traded my car, not for a Kia. I liked it in the beginning but began to feel like things were going wrong...in a BIG way...and no small shops in our area know about the car to fix them. The dealer is not a reasonable distance for repairs, or to have it towed there. I loved it when I got it, reasonably priced and great gas mileage. But in the end the issues were so much of a hassle and beginning to get expensive.

We've had our '09 Kia Optima for almost a year and a half now and are very happy with it. Only 16k city miles in, but it runs/looks/feels pretty much brand new. Would love to upgrade to the nice, new '11 model...but this one is working out so well. I'll be happy with this '09 for another 2 years and 20k+ miles. Kia has got to be the most improved auto manufacturer since, well....Hyundai.

Started out loving everything about this car! Bought it off the showroom floor in March of 09 with only 11 miles on it and it drove amazing! Not even 2 years later and the car acts like it is 10 or even 20 years old. The suspension that I loved so much brand new is now incredibly rough on even the smoothest of roads and the handling is very sloppy like a huge floating Buick or something. The newest disappointment is that while slowing down for a stop sign or corner and braking the automatic transmission downshifts extremely hard from 2nd to 1st gear; feels like I am driving into a brick wall the shift is so rough, it even activates the ABS system when the road is snowy! It is insane, but the rest of the car, the not so important parts, work and look great.

My Kia Optima motor is now gone!! Unfortunatly I had no knowledge to get the timing belt replaced after 70K miles, at 108K miles with no problems prior, I have to replace the motor! The only other problem is the air condition broke after 70K miles. I hear this problem with most Kia owners! They need to fix this problem as well. I will never purchase another Kia! 2006 Not a good model year for Kia!

I'm at 57,000 miles and my engine is blown. Because I didn't get my vehicle maintenanced at a KIA dealership and my oil filter is not a KIA part, my warrenty is void. someone help!

I traded my 04 Sorento in for my 2006.5 optima when gas prices soared. I thought I was settling, boy was I ever wrong! I love everything about this car, totally loaded with an infinity sound system that will blow your mind. I have over 75k miles and have enjoyed driving every one of them. I haven't had any problems whatsoever with either KIA. Mt optima drives and almost looks just like it did the day I drove it off the lot. It's also the first car that has made me stop looking forward to getting a new car, I want this one to last forever. I have yet to need brakes. I've always taken it to the dealer for services and oil changes. I've found that KIA dealerships are cheaper than the jiffylubes and if anything happens I have the peace of mind that I'm covered. The only minor aggravation was my headlights burning out. Figured that problem out, I was buying the best Advance Auto carried, well my car didn't like those. The last set I replaced came from the dealership, genuine KIA headlights, they're still burning bright! And a lot cheaper!! I had the window vents installed from KIA on the day of purchase, guess what, they're covered under the warranty too. That's right, any KIA option you add will be under warranty. And lastly, safety is a big deal in my book so the standard side airbags, while the other makers had them as an option, put KIA number one on my list.

Love my Kia but 30,000 mile service is high from dealer. Gotta love the car though.

I will never purchase a KIA again This car will go out of park if the e brake is not set I have met three other owners with this problem If you hit a bump the rear end bottoms out One cannot read the indicator lights when the sun is out Prices for replacement parts are a joke when you can find them Factory tires are worn out in least the 20k miles Ones has to take off the fender to replace the headlights Even with an appointment, the free oil changes will take 3hours and more

great all around car

Recently had to have my crank shaft sensor replaced. The car would cut off while driving it. Finally took it to a Kia dealership and they found the problem. However, this is a time consuming repair. They had to take out the engine and while they were there they replaced some belts. The crank chaft sensor was covered by the warranty but I still paid with new belts, etc around $700 including labor. This is the most expensive repair I've paid for and I've had the car for at least 2 years. I did have to have the gas tank replaced last year. It was rotted and was leaking gas. Not sure if I would buy another Kia.

I've owned my 2004 Kia Optima LX (4cyl) for a few years now and have put about 45K miles on it). Outstanding car, great value for the money. No major problems on mine, but I am religious about preventative maintenance. With the Optima make sure you replace the timing belt every 50K-60K miles, as they have an 'interference' motor, so if your belt breaks on you, it'll be cheaper to buy an entirely new engine rather than fix your broken one. Experienced one minor annoyance with the car when replacing the headlight bulbs, the clip that holds the bulb in place is very difficult to get at so I actually had to go to my dealer to have the bulbs put in so that was annoying. I have tracked my gas mileage on each and every tank of gas since I bought this car and have averaged 27mpg mixed city and hwy driving. Have been as high as 33mpg on highway driving on long trips. Brakes are not the strongest feature of this car, but they're not necessarily bad either, just average at best. Would definitely recommend this car to someone who is considering buying one, just remember the warning about the timing belt as these units do have a bad reputation for the OEM belts breaking at about 60K miles. So, spend the $400 or so to get a new belt put in as a preventative measure rather than risk a $1K-$2k repair bill to fix one after it's broken.

This is my first car and my first time driving a Kia. It certanly wont be my last. My car is the 2004 Kia Optima LX Four Cylnder. It has many features that other cars in its class dont offer on the base modes such as: Power everything, Semi-Automatic, Air conditioning, CD player, Front Driver and Passenger SRS Airbags, and much more. I love my car to death and I will always be a loyal Kia buyer.