NHTSA data · free2008 Kia OptimaProblems: Top Complaints, Recalls & Failures (NHTSA)
Every owner complaint and safety recall the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has on file for the 2008 Kia Optima, ranked by the component that failed most.
Complaints on file
143
Recalls issued
3
Crashes reported
20
Fires reported
4
What breaks most
- Air Bags57 complaints · 39.9%
- Power Train18 complaints · 12.6%
- Engine18 complaints · 12.6%
- Electrical System15 complaints · 10.5%
- Exterior Lighting8 complaints · 5.6%
Recalls on this model year
- Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights › Switch
Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 201
Campaign 13V114000 · reported 01/04/2013 · recall work is free at any franchised dealer
- Air Bags › Frontal
KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC. (KIA) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2008 KIA OPTIMA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 29, 2005, THROUGH JANUARY 29, 2008, AND MODEL YEAR 2007 AND 2008 KIA RONDO VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 13, 2006, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2008. THE CLOCK SPRING CONTACT ASSEMBL
Campaign 12V014000 · reported 17/01/2012 · recall work is free at any franchised dealer
- Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Lever And Linkage › Column Shift
KIA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2008 OPTIMA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 29, 2005, THROUGH JUNE 13, 2007. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE SHIFT CABLE MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED INCORRECTLY, CAUSING TENSION IN THE CABLE. IF PRESENT, THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE CABLE TO DETACH FROM
Campaign 11V153000 · reported 09/03/2011 · recall work is free at any franchised dealer
What owners report
Air Bags
- Occupant airbag sensor doesn't recognize whether someone is sitting or not. The occupant airbag sensor light goes on and off whether there is a passenger sitting on the seat or not. Kia has extended w
- Power train: at low idle or while slowing down, the car will lose power for a minute until you get on the accelerator and it all comes back on. Alternator had been replaced. And is going to be replace
- Air bag line came on, dealer states is clock spring.
Power Train
- Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2008 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle'
- Power train: at low idle or while slowing down, the car will lose power for a minute until you get on the accelerator and it all comes back on. Alternator had been replaced. And is going to be replace
- I went to back out of my driveway and ended up in the middle of the road and not able to shift into drive. The dash shows that I am currently stuck in neutral and am not able to change gears. I look
Engine
- Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2008 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle'
- I bought my car in 2008 a Kia optima lx I stored it till 2021. But in 2013 i took my car to El Paso tx. And I felt that beer to the side and stored it again in a garage toil this it's only got 600
- WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR BURST INTO FLAMES
Electrical System
- Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2008 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle'
- WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR BURST INTO FLAMES
- WHEN PLACING THE CAR IN PARK THE CAR ISN'T RECOGNIZING THAT THE CAR IS PARKED CAUSING IT TO CONTINUE TO ROLL. ONCE THE IGNITION HAS BEEN TURNED OFF THE CAR WILL NOT RESTART AND THE GEARS WILL NOT SHIF
Exterior Lighting
- Power train: at low idle or while slowing down, the car will lose power for a minute until you get on the accelerator and it all comes back on. Alternator had been replaced. And is going to be replace
- I WAS DRIVING SOUTHBOUND ON SEPULVEDA BLVD ON SEP 6 AT 0800AM AND I WAS OVER HALFWAY THROUGH THE GREEN LIGHT WHEN I WAS STRUCK BY A TOYOTA MAKING A LEFT TURN ON A GREEN LIGHT WHO DID NOT YIELD. THE D
- I TOOK MY CAR IN ON 4 SEP 2014 I GOT THIS CAR IN GOOD FAITH FROM [XXX] I HAVE HAD MY CAR BACK AT LEAST 3 TIME ALREADY AND I WILL BE TAKING IT BACK ON NOVEMBER 3, 2014 WHERE MY LIGHT HAVE BEEN FLASHING
Excerpts are anonymized owner complaints as filed with NHTSA, trimmed to 200 characters.
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