Problems with 2012 Kia Optima ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The interior overhead lights periodically come on and go off while operating our 2012 optima. this occurs with the switch in both on and off position and the lightbulbs tend to become overheated.they do not respond to manual operation, but go off on their own and this malfunction repeats several times in a ten minute drive. best-case scenario results in the bulbs burning out prematurely, but i believe there is a real chance of a more serious short-circuit and potential interior fire. *tr

2012 kia optima sx car went into auxiliary mode first, but upon pushing the button the push start button a second time the engine turned over and started. *mw the consumer had to replaced the tires, there was an issue with the turbo actuator and the radio was making a strange noise. the consumer stated the vehicle would not start. the vehicle went into auxiliary; where the ac, radio and lights were on. she turned them all off and pushed the start button again. the vehicle turned off, went out of auxiliary mode and she removed her foot from the brake. on the second attempt, she realized the pedal was still engaged, she tried pumping it, to release it, but it would not. she verified the gear was in park. upon pushing the start button again, the vehicle went into auxiliary mode again. after five attempts, she was able to start the vehicle. *jb

Key fob was placed on the roof of the car to enable female adult to place child into safety booster seat. key fob was left on roof by accident, but the car was still allowed to start. the car gave no audible warning that the key was still outside the car. the car was driven 10 miles. in the intervening time, the key fob flew off the top of the car and was lost. no audible warning was given to the driver that the key left the car's proximity. upon arriving at the destination, the female adult and her child were stranded. *tr

2012 kia optima sx. consumer writes in regards to engine failure. *ld the consumer stated the vehicle filled with smoke and the dashboard set on fire. the vehicle was a total loss. *js

My satellite radio has been cutting in and out ever since i bought the car. dealer says antennae was replaced. problem still exists. i have brought car back several times and they were not able to duplicate. *tr

At 20000 miles my fog lights would not work , the weird put the directional signal to turn right they would come on for a short time, replaced bulbs nothing they don't work. also had to replace brakes and the tires, tire brand are junk, poorly made they were beyond the limit for safty, then at 40000 miles both front wheel bearings had to be replaced, now at 78000 miles the struts are making a horrible clanking and the ac is blowing hot air even after 2 cans of the stuff the mechanic said to add. i travel on the highway to work 36 miles one way daily hense the milage but the high way is smooth as well. very disappointed kia owner, when called to ask about the fog lights was told your problem so im sure the struts will be and the ac will also be my problem . sadly thought they would back up there product

Was sitting at light and went to take off car felt like it didn't want to shift into gear and had a loud rough grinding noise, all lights on the dashboard came one. brake light, check engine light, coolant, etc and none of the gauges were working. i stopped at the store and went to leave the car would start up but wouldn't go into gear, it was stuck in park. i had to get it towed to the dealership to have it looked at. i had just had this same problem 1 week ago where all the lights were on and the gauges weren't working and the dealership had supposedly replaced the fuse panel box but that apparently didn't fix the problem. i think that it's a computer or engine issue. *tr

I have had this vehicle for over 2 years now and have about 30,000 miles on it. i took this car to the dealership within a week after i bought it for problems with steering and it's inability to stay straight on the road without having to continually adjust the steering wheel. i was told that there was nothing they could find wrong with it. but after finding this website, i now understand that i am not the first one to have this issue. recently i have had an issue with the air conditioner. it works fine when the car is driving but when it is stopped or idling, the air suddenly blows warm air and doesn't start to blow cold until a few seconds after the car has started moving. *tr

I bought this kia optima sx in may 2012 because it's a beautiful car, basically with no hesitation. my first day driving it, i thought the steering felt a little different, tight, and pulled to the left and right and very hard to keep it going straight. i thought to myself, well it's a brand new car and has to be broken in a little maybe. about 500 miles in, problem didn't go away, took it to the dealer, they inspected the alignment, said alignment was ok, but the psi in tires was a little off and that it should fix the issue. nothing has changed. week later i took it in again. was told everything is up to spec, and was told i am the first person to report this kind of issue with the car. i go home that night and google optima steering problem...the search engine goes nuts!!! this is a issue with the optima since 2011!!! i'm a truck driver and i can barely steer this car!!! how can this be safe on the roads??? there is thousands of complaints of this exact problem!! when my wife drives it she tells me she can't even take a drink of her soda because she has to pay so much attention to holding the wheel straight!! i feel the same way!! come on kia!!! come on d.o.t. it's only just a matter of time before this car causes a serious accident!! obviously the electronic power steering isn't safe!! so recall it!! *tr

While driving, the backup camera came on. all the functions on the stereo were not working. this is the second time where the stereo malfunction. i took it to the dealship and was told there is a recall. when asked if i would be notified, i was told no. to find out about he recall, i had to bring the vehicle in. i check all the online databases, there were no documentation or any information about a recall. i don't think this is fair. what if the electrical wiring caused other issues? also, what breaking slightly on a downhill, the abs locked up on me for a second causing my vehicle to lunge forward. luckily, there were no cars behind me. like i said, it was only for a sec but it was still not normal. *js

Steering is very unstable. extremely afraid of this car - i feel like i am not in control when driving, i constantly have to fight to stay straight. veers/pulls left and right as if im bouncing in between the lines on the interstate. my stomach stays in knots in fear i will hit another vehicle, or worse a concrete barrier in the construction on the interstate. it feels as if 3-5 seconds i am not in control, my arms are exhausted by the time i arrive to my work, home, or elsewhere. have complained several times to kia dealer when having oil changed & i am always told nothing is wrong or cannot duplicate problem. four mechanics have driven my car elsewhere and agree there is a safety issue and kia should recall and fix before it cost someone/a family their lives. my dash lights also surge to maximum brightness at any random moment while driving - all on their own. i recently started having issues with starting my car, i bought my car in march 2012 and currently have 14k miles (highway for work). recently, twice my car felt as if it was not going to start, sputtering, smell of exhaust inside car. i also have issues if i am at a red light/stopped and when i accelerate sometimes the car feels as if it dies out for a second - misfiring. i can not pass in traffic out of fear my car will not respond when i try to accelerate. my car constantly will not connect to my phone, or keeps a call display on the radio after the call has ended (freezes) until i restart my car. i feel there is something terribly wrong with the wiring/electrical/steering with my car and several others according to other complaints on here! toyota recalled only after a death, hyundai/nissan/dodge all just recalled immediately - what about us kia? i have a family in this sedan that is going to end up costing my life or worse, my entire family's lives! please address this problem!!!!! steering is not normal or safe!!!

I bought kia optima 2012 in month of january 2012. since i own vehicle i notice that car is steering to it's left side. i called dealer and reported this issue. dealer suggests issue is because of electronic control system. i noticed this problem since i own and dealer advise that it should go away after few thousand miles. in my opinion this is dangerous and must be adversely effecting to tires and other steering mechanism components. *tr

Upon the purchase of my 2012 kia optima sx i noticed a pull to the left in the steering wheel. the dealership is approx. 80 miles from my home, driving home i noticed the tug and the car's inclination to veer left. i felt a constant pressure on the wheel to veer. i took the car back within a week or two and had the service dept. check the veer. of course, i was told there is no veer. the car continues to stray, now at 3500 miles. the car will be going in for service next week for the same problem and for maintenance. i have spoken to another dealership's salesman who has confirmed for me there is a definite issue with the optima's steering and to date, they don't know what to do with it. i love this car, i absolutely love it, but the pull is a problem. by the time i drive the car at cruise speed on the highway and get back with it, i literally feel tired in the arm and shoulder from the pressure to keep it straight in the lanes. also, lately at approx. 3000 miles, i've noticed that in reverse, the backup camera doesn't always come on when shifting gears. it has a hesitation that has lasted as long as 30 - 40 seconds before i can see behind the car. anyone who has driven the optima knows, you can't see anything behind you in that car due to the low sitting seats and higher trunk - it has to be tall to see it behind you. i'm taking the car to a different dealership for service next time, from there, i'll decide as to what happens next as far as keeping this car. *js

The horn is under powered. it one of those "road runner" "meep-meep" sounding horns and cannot alert other drivers effectively. the 2013 optima sx vehicle has a regular "american" horrn sound. why not recall to change the horn type? *tr ## vin passed ## kia optima sx 2012 ##