2009 Kia Optima Electrical Problems

Your headlights have needed to be replaced multiple times (6 times total). This suggests they're failing prematurely rather than lasting as long as they should. You may need to have the headlight bulbs or the entire headlight assembly checked to see if there's an underlying electrical issue causing them to burn out repeatedly.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, ANOTHER MOTORIST NOTIFIED THE CONTACT THAT THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE CONTACT COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED SMOKE AND FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

THE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE THE MIDDLE OF 2013 AND THE DEALERSHIP WHEN ASKED DURING EACH OIL CHANGE IS WE WILL CHECK IT OUT. EVER SINCE I HAVE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE THERE HAS BEEN PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE.

AFTER A BATTERY REPLACEMENT, THE BATTERY SPARKED WHEN THE CAR FIRST TURNED ON, BUT THE CAR IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON. FROM THAT POINT FORWARD WE HAD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, THE BRAKE LIGHT ON AND TWO OTHER LIGHTS ON THE DASH ON CONSTANTLY. WE TOOK IT IN AND SPENT $4000+ ON OIL CHANGES, FRONT END REPLACEMENT AND SEVERAL OTHER ITEMS THAT TOOK ALMOST A MONTH AND A MASTER MECHANIC FROM KIA TO FIND OUT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A WIRING HARNESS ISSUE. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND THAT BECAUSE OF THAT IT WASN'T GOING TO GET REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE CAR WAS NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT, AND THE WIRING HARNESS STILL SHOWS FOUR LIGHTS ON THE DASH. IF A SIMPLE BATTERY REPLACEMENT CAN CAUSE THE WIRING HARNESS TO FRY THERE MUST BE A PROBLEM, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S THE BATTERY. *TR

KIA OPTIMA IGNITION SWITCH ISSUES, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND COULDN'T TURN CAR ON AND WHEELS LOCKED. HAD TO HAVE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH SO SOMEONE CAN NOT STEAL THE CAR. THEY ALSO SAID IF THE IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR THE FRONT WHEELS COULD HAVE LOCKED CAUSING A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. I WENT ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE AND TO MY SURPRISE THERE WERE MANY THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. I ALSO LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE IGNITION SWITCH AND I COULDN'T FIND ANY AT THE TIME. *TR

THE KEY WILL NOT TURN TO START THE VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY. *JS

THE BATTERY DIED IN MY 2009 KIA OPTIMA AND UPON REPLACING BATTERY THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. IT WAS TAKEN TO A KIA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS BECAUSE WE CHANGED THE BATTERY. THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS RESET. ABOUT A WEEK LATER IT CAME ON AGAIN AND WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND RESET AGAIN. IT CAME BACK ON THE NEXT DAY AND WAS AGAIN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AT WHAT TIME WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS THE B1382 & B1481 AIRBAG PROBLEMS AND THAT IT WAS GOING TO COST OVER $1200.00 TO FIX. WHY WOULD CHANGING THE BATTERY CAUSE THESE PROBLEMS? I HAD ONLY PURCHASED THE CAR 18 MONTHS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. *TR

PER NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 13V114 I TOOK MY 2009 KIA OPTIMA TO KOONS KIA IN WOODBRIDGE ON 11/21/2013 TO REPLACE MY VEHICLE'S STOP LAMP SWITCH. THE NEXT DAY I NOTICED THAT AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES FOR THE FIRST TIME THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED AND REMAIN ILLUMINATED AFTER I HAVE SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND THE IGNITION SWITCH IS IN THE OFF POSITION. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON. BOTH OF THE ABOVE PROBLEMS AROSE AFTER THE 11/21/2013 STOP LAMP SWITCH REPLACEMENT. *TR

THE VEHICLE LURCHES WHEN SLOWING DOWN BETWEEN 2ND GEAR AND 1ST GEAR. THE LURCH IS STRONG ENOUGH TO JERK PASSENGERS FORWARD IN THEIR SEATS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN STAMFORD, CT ON APRIL 27, 2012. THEY REPLACED THE STOP LAMP SWITCH. THE FIX LASTED UNTIL 63,000 MILES, ALMOST 9 MONTHS LATER. IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP IN PLANO, TX. THEY SAID IT WAS A COMPUTER UPGRADE ISSUE. THE UPGRADE DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. KIA IS NOW TELLING ME THERE IS NO REFUND, NO FIX, AND THAT I'M NOT PART OF THE RECALL FOR THIS SAME PART ON LATER YEAR MODELS. *TR

AFTER RETURNING FROM WORK AND PARKING MY VEHICLE AT HOME, THE CAR SAT IN MY DRIVEWAY IN 40 DEGREE WEATHER FOR APPROXIMATELY 12 HRS. I WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING AND FOUND MY CAR ON FIRE AND IS A TOTAL LOSS. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE CALLED AND DISPATCHED TO MY HOME. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND DETERMINED IT WAS PROBABLY AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THERE IS NO REMOTE STARTER INSTALLED OR ANY OTHER ACCESSORIES INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE AFTER PURCHASE. THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND STARTED SPONTANEOUSLY, PERHAPS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I WAS ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY FROM LEAVING WITH THIS CAR TO RETURN TO MY OFFICE AND I AM CONCERNED IT COULD OF STARTED WHILE I WAS IN IT, PERHAPS CAUSING INJURIES OR DEATH. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT IF THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ME, THAT THERE ARE OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME FAULTY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND IT COULD HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. I BELIEVE KIA HAS A HIDDEN MANUFACTURING DEFECT AS WAS DESCRIBED IN MY INCIDENT, AND ITS VERY POSSIBLE IT EXISTS ON OTHER KIA VEHICLES. PLEASE TAKE MY CONCERNS SERIOUSLY AND I THINK KIA NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER ASAP. ALTHOUGH THE CAR IS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR, I WELCOME AND ENCOURAGE KIA TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO ASSURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN TO ANYONE ELSE. *TR UPDATED 03/12/13

MY CONCERN INVOLVES ILLUMINATION OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. WHEN DRIVING ON A BRIGHT DAY, THE PANEL ILLUMINATION IS SO DIM THAT THE ODOMETER CANNOT BE SEEN WITHOUT MOVING MY HEAD ALMOST NEXT TO THE STEERING WHEEL. THE SPEEDOMETER, AND OTHER GAUGES, ARE ALSO DIMLY ILLUMINATED. AT NIGHT AND ON OVERCAST DAYS, THE PROBLEM IS LESS SEVERE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH DURING THE DAY THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO READ DUE TO THE LIGHTS. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO READ THE SPEEDOMETER, THE CLOCK, OR THE RADIO WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WORKED BETTER AT NIGHT SINCE THE BACK LIGHT WAS EASIER TO READ. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM WITH INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD CAUSE A TRAFFIC FAILURE IN THE EVENT SHE WAS UNAWARE OF THE SPEED THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT THE TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,300.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RED WARNING LIGHTS, FUEL LEVEL INDICATOR, RADIO CONTROLS, CLOCK, OIL GAUGE, AND TEMPERATURE COMMUNICATION LIGHTS WERE DIFFICULT TO READ IN DAY LIGHT. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE ISSUE AND WAS ADVISED THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED IN THAT MANNER AND WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE CONTACT STATED AT TIMES, THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000.