2001 Kia Optima Cruise Control Problems

Your car surged forward unexpectedly while stopped, requiring you to apply hard brake pressure to stop it. You also experienced intermittent rear brake seizure, where one rear brake would jam and apply pressure unevenly, causing one brake pad to wear down to metal while the other side remained barely worn. The dealer was unable to diagnose either problem, and neither issue was repaired.

I HAVE SAFETY CONCERNS REGARDING THIS VEHICLE. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN ENGINE DROPPED INTO 3RD GEAR AND WOULDN'T GET OUT OF IT. I HAD IT DIAGNOSED AT THE AUTO PARTS STORE AND THE SPEED SENSORS WERE SHOT. IF I KEEP DRIVING IT LIKE THIS I AM GOING TO BLOW THE TRANSMISSION, IF IT IS NOT ALREADY BLOWN! I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT, ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THEY WERE SHUT DOWN. I CALLED ANOTHER DEALER TO LOOK UP MY WARRANTY INFORMATION ONLY TO FIND THAT THE WARRANTY EXPIRED 1 MONTH BEFORE THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP FROM WHERE I PURCHASED IT TOLD ME THAT I WOULD BE COVERED WITH A 10 YEAR OR 100,000 MILE WARRANTY. I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR 6 MONTHS. I BOUGHT IT USED, AND IT HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE! THEY SOLD ME THIS CAR UNDER FALSE PRETENCES, AND APPARENTLY, IT IS GOING TO COST ME $180.00 TO REPLACE THIS DEFECTIVE PART. I HAVE 36,000 MILES ON THIS CAR, AND THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING THEY CAN DO. I HAVE HAD BETTER CARS THAT HAVE RUN BETTER THAN THIS! I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER KIA AGAIN!*AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT WARNING CONSUMER'S VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 75 MPH OR MORE, RESULTING IN A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, WAS NOT TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE NOR WAS THERE ANY FATALITY. *AK

DURING SPRING/2002 NOTICED HESITATION OF CAR DURING ATTEMPTS TO PASS OTHER CARS ON THE HIGHWAY. HESITATION/DELAY WORSENED OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. IT THEN DEVELOPED HESITATION AFTER STARTING THE CAR AND WOULD AT TIMES STALL OR SUDDENLY "LUNGE" AS ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED. THIS BECAME A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE WHEN COLD. AFTER A FEW MINUTES WITH THE ENGINE WARMED-UP IT SEEMS TO RUN FAIRLY WELL WITH EXCEPTION OF THE HESITATION/STALLING SENSATION WHEN PASSING. THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER TO FIX THE PROBLEM ON JULY 18. INITIALLY, THEY BELIEVED IT WAS THE COMPUTER, AN AIR SENSOR OR FUEL DELIVERY PROBLEM. HOWEVER, KIA NOW STATES THE PROBLEM IS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM LINKED TO SPRING/SUMMER GAS FORMULATION. THEIR SOLUTION IS TO MAKE SURE THE CAR WARMS UP SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE DRIVING AND THAT THE PROBLEM WILL GO AWAY IN THE FALL. OBVIOUSLY, IT WILL RECUR NEXT SPRING. THE DEALERSHIP HAS PROVIDED US A RENTAL CAR AT NO CHARGE D/T THE WARRANTY. THEY HAVE BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY POLITE. KIA HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT SLOW ON THEIR END COMMUNICATING WITH US BUT POLITE AND CORDIAL. HOWEVER, THE CONCERN REMAINS WITH THE PROBLEM OF KNOWING HOW LONG TO WAIT TO WARM THE ENGINE AND THEN WHEN YOU DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR ADAPTING TO THE SPEED THAT IS SOMEWHAT ERRATIC. THE CAR IS OFTEN PARKED IN PARKING GARAGE AND THIS ERRATIC BEHAVIOR REPRESENTS SOME CONCERN WITH PEDESTRIANS AND OTHER VEHICLES MOVING IN A CONFINED SPACE.*AK

WHEN CAR IS STARTED AFTER IT HAS SAT FOR EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME AND PUT IN DRIVE CAR HESITATES AND DOES NOT MOVE WHEN ACCLERATOR IS PRESSED. HAVE TAKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT KIA DEALERSHIPS AND BOTH SAY NOTHING IS WRONG.*AK