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.
Headlights are too dim. Using low beam lights at night does not illuminate the road at all. Have replaced the headlight bulbs 3 times and it does not fix the problem.
The low beam headlights are so dim they're barely visible at night. The reflective coating inside the light housing flakes from getting hot. This should be recalled
My college student daughter drives the vehicle and is unable to see sufficiently at night while driving. The lights are too dim to safely see at night. The car was taken to the local Kia dealership and we were told it would be $1,000 to repair the wiring problem that is well known to the dealership. We were unable to afford to make the repair and the dealership told her to drive with her bright lights on while driving at night which could cause other drivers issues.
Headlights are so dim you can barely see using low beam lights and high beams are barely brighter than regular beams on other cars. Have replaced the headlight bulbs 4 times and it has never changed the problem. Engine seized up with no warning or mechanical signs when driving down the road.
My electronic stability control light came on after pressing the brake on a wet street while my vehicle was in motion. The next day I went to get a oil change and noticed that my tail lights did not work when I pressed the brakes. My tail lights work but the tail lights did not. I changed the bulbs and the problem still persisted. I also changed the brake light pedal switch but that did not fix the problem. My turn signal lights fail to work all the time.
I have 2011 Kia Optima sx with hid headlights and they have been dim for a long time. They became noticeably dim in 2015 and have ever since been dim and have had a noticeable change in the light pattern. This is not caused by foggy or yellowing plastic as the headlights have been protected by a clear plastic protective "sticker bra" ever since the care was purchased new in July 2011. The headlights are experience the same issue as other owners of the car, deterioration of the internal reflector for the hid headlight. As a result the light pattern becomes altered or dim. It is dangerous to drive at night with this car. The headlight have been replaced with no improvement in the lighting output or pattern. This is similar consistent with many owners of the same models. Kia has issued a warranty extension but the dealer needs to provide a video that shows flaking of the reflector between the space where the bulb is and the clear lens cap. This is not the reflector behind the bulb that would affect the light pattern. Dealers do not look at the light pattern as it is not part of the diagnostic steps. They only look for flaking of the reflector between the space where the bulb is and the clear lens cap which would seem to be more cosmetic then functional.
Right low beam needed constant changing (1 every 4-6 months). Within the last 6 months, I had changed the bulb, 2 weeks later, the low beam light was not working again. Noticed a white film on inside of light assembly. Upon investigation, I discovered the wiring caught fire and melted the connector for the light bulb. I purchased a new assembly, only to have the exact same thing happen. This is a huge safety concern. Firstly, the low beam lighting is absolutely horrible in this car to begin with, now I'm running off of one light. After looking into complaints online, I see this problem is prevalent across the board with this car. Kia is a multi million dollar company, you need to stand behind your product and have the mindset of putting your customers safety as a priority. I work as a firefighter/emt and I'd hate to arrive on scene of someone that was killed due to Kia's faulty unsafe product. Especially of one that could be prevented by fixing these problems that you know is a manufacturer defect. Shame on you Kia for putting people at risk.
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the low beam headlights illuminated too low at night. The contact replaced the bulbs; however, the failure recurred. The contact read that the housing for the low beam headlights were burning out due to the receptive strip melting when the front beams were being used. The contact took the vehicle to hagerstown Kia (located at 10307 auto place, hagerstown, md 21740, 866-404-6114) where it was currently being diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.
The battery indicator light came on then while driving down the road, the battery discharge kept popping up on the display then went out. About 10 minutes further, I lost power steering. I managed to get to base even though I ran a red light and stop sign because the car started spurttering and feeling like it was getting ready to stall. Once I managed to get to a parking lot, my headlights went out but I still had dash lights. All the error lights came across my dashboard. I took the battery to advance, they said it was low. They charged it and said it needed replaced. The battery indicator was still lit so I took it and they checked the alternator and said it was dead. I took it and had it rebuilt. Everything seemed to work ok.
I have continued to replace my headlight and taillight over a 5 month period. I was stopped the other day because my brake light and tail light weren't working. I replaced the lights and the brake light wasnt effectively working but the turn signal was working. Now today the brake light and turn signal are working but my light that makes the car visible at night isn't and my yellow lights on the headlights only work when I press the brake.
Low beam lights are very dull while driving at night (lens covers are still clear). Kia sent an extended warranty about the lights and the dealer replaced a wiring harness for the lights, the letter also stated they will check the headlight assembly and replace if this is the problem. Kia will not do this replacement for the headlight assembly. The wiring harness for the lights did not solve the problem of very dull low beam lights while driving at night and Kia will not honor what's in their warranty letter.
The wiring in the headlamp assembly is faulty.this is a known issue across dealers and aftermarket shops. Headlights appear very dim and give out low or no light. It's not the bulbs. The whole headlamp needs to be recalled for wiring issues.
Sometime toward the end of 2017, I noticed that my dome light no longer illuminated when the doors were opened. I can still use the interior lights manually, though this usually leads to forgetting and leaving them on. I live in wa, it is often dark around 4 pm and grey throughout the day. I feel this is a huge safety issue, as I cannot see who is in my car before entering when in a parking lot. Also, my 5-year-old has a hard time buckling her own car seat belt since she cannot see the buckle. This is an inconvenience and with crime rates rising, it makes me feel uncomfortable going out alone, knowing that nobody can see what is going on while I am buckling her in. The chances of being mugged or worse go up, my safety is worth the $400, however, I should not have to pay to have a malfunction in the vehicle fixed. The reason I feel this should be a recall is because of the 3 Kia's we own, 2 of them have this same issue of the interior lights only working manually and not activated with opening the door. My wife's 2014 Kia sorento dome light stopped working when the doors were opened around December of 2018. Both of us have over 60,000 miles on our vehicle at the time of the malfunction. I was quoted over $400 to have this repaired. When looking at forums, it looks as though it is a connection that wiggles loose. I am sure that if 2 of our Kia's have this issue, it is highly likely many more Kia owners have the same issue. Kia should be responsible to fix this safety issue.
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. The contact received an unknown recall letter from the manufacturer regarding the headlight assembly. The contact took the vehicle to Kia of new bern (1715A us-70, new bern, nc 28560, (252) 638-6161) and they stated that the recall would not be honored because the vehicle was not under warranty. The manufacturer stated that they were not trained on this issue and the recall would not be valid. The contact had not experienced a failure.
"takata recall" I have a 2011 Kia Optima. We recently had an issue with the front light (low beam) on the left driver's side. The bulb was replaced, as we thought it was a bulb issue. However, when the bulb didn't work we took the vehicle to Kia. Kia stated there was possibly something wrong with the wiring and they would have to replace the whole light assembly. I've heard of bulbs going out, but never the whole assembly, in which the whole front bumper would have to be removed. I've owned many other cars and have never had an issue with the light assembly. I believe this issue should be recalled by Kia as it presents a safety issue for drivers.
2011 Kia Optima headlights became extremely dim creating visibility and safety concerns during night travel. I changed the lid bulbs hoping to rectify the problem but same issue still remained. High beams work as they should and fog lights puts out more illumination than low beam. Took the vehicle to local Kia dealership (fred anderson Kia raleigh nc) for diagnostic. Diagnostic revealed that the headlight assemblies had to be replaced. Price to replace assembly is unacceptable for what appears to be a ongoing problem with same year and model vehicle.
The low beams on my car are dangerously dim. I've replaced the light bulbs with factory recommended to no avail. I can so no more than 5 feet in front of me while driving - I have to limit my night time driving, which is tough when driving home from work on a daily basis. Please take notice and issue a recall as I know I am not the only one experiencing this issue
Headlights have not worked since the last recall for engine replacement, done in August 2017. High beams are insufficient, and the normal beams are very dangerous -- doesn't appear that headlights are on at all.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Naperville, IL, USA