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Kia Optima Recalls

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Recall Date Problem Area Recall Text
05/03/18 Kia motors america (kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 kia optima hybrid vehicles. these vehicles are equipped with a voltage protection device (vpd), designed to protect the high voltage battery module, that may activate inadvertently.

If the vpd activates while the vehicle is being operated in electric vehicle (ev) mode, there may be a loss of power, increasing the risk of a crash.

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will remove the vpd switch and install two newly designed battery management systems (bms) that contain overvoltage protection devices (opds), free of charge. the recall is expected to begin may 2018. owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. kia's number for this recall is sc162.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
01/10/17 Kia motors america (kia) has recalled one 2016 optima vehicle. in this vehicle, the end seal for the driver's frontal air bag inflator may not have been properly installed, possibly resulting in reduced inflation of the frontal air bag in the event of a crash.

In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not inflate fully increases the risk of injury.

The affected vehicle was remedied on january 10, 2017. owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. kia's number for this recall is sc143.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
04/19/13 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 2013, kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 rondo and sportage, model year 2007-2011 sorento, model year 2007 sedona, model year 2010-2011 soul, and model year 2011 optima vehicles. in september 2013, kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. the total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. in the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the park position and cause the electronic stability control (esc) malfunction light to illuminate.

Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. additionally, when the ignition is in the 'on' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of park without first applying the brake. this may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

Kia will send an interim notification to owners in may 2013. when parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. owners may conta

04/19/13 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 2013, kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 rondo and sportage, model year 2007-2011 sorento, model year 2007 sedona, model year 2010-2011 soul, and model year 2011 optima vehicles. in september 2013, kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. the total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. in the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the park position and cause the electronic stability control (esc) malfunction light to illuminate.

Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. additionally, when the ignition is in the 'on' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of park without first applying the brake. this may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

Kia will send an interim notification to owners in may 2013. when parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. owners may contac

03/23/11 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 the shifter assembly's dowel pin preventing the transmission from being shifted. the shift lever can then be moved into the park (p) position while the vehicle's transmission is still in the last used gear before detachment.

If the driver leaves the vehicle without engaging the parking brake, there is a possibility that the vehicle can roll injure a person in its path or cause a crash.

Dealers will inspect the shift cable and reinstall if necessary free of charge. the safety recall began on march 23, 2011. owner may contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.

Kia's safety recall campaign number is sc088.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
06/25/04 Some passenger vehicles may contain a fuel tank assembly valve that may not close properly. if a vehicle with a fuel tank assembly valve that is not properly closed were to roll over, fuel spillage may occur.

Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.

Dealers will install an additional fuel tank assembly valve. owner notification began june 25, 2004. owners should contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.

Kia recall no. sco38.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
12/31/69 Kia motors america (kia) is recalling certain 2010-2013 kia forte, forte koup, 2011-2013 kia optima and 2011-2012 kia optima hybrid and sedona vehicles. in the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (acu) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners from deploying.

If the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.

The remedy for this recall is still under development. the recall is planned to begin on july 27, 2018. owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. kia's number for this recall is sc165.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
06/20/17 Engine Kia motor company (kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 optima, 2012-2014 sorento and 2011-2013 sportage vehicles. machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.

Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. the recall began june 20, 2017. owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. kia's number for this recall is sc147.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
11/30/16 Transmission and Drivetrain Kia motors america (kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 kia optima vehicles manufactured november 13, 2015, to april 23, 2016 and equipped with a 2.4l engine. the right front axle driveshaft may crack and fail.

If the driveshaft cracks and separates from the vehicle, it will not be able to move forward. additionally, if the parking brake is not applied upon exiting the vehicle, the vehicle may roll. either scenario can increase the risk of a crash.

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front axle driveshaft, free of charge. the recall began november 2016. owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. kia's number for this recall is sc139.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
06/16/09 Suspension and Steering Kia motors corporation (kmc) is recalling 36,538 model year 2001-2004 optima vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. road salt applied in these states during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the front subframe. over time, such subframe corrosion near the connection to the lower control arm can lead to wheel misalignment and/or other noticeable stress in steering, or accelerated abnormal tire wear.

Corrosion of the front subframe could lead to separation, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.

Kmc will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. the safety recall began on june 15, 2009. owners may contact kia's consumer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.

Kmc's recall campaign no. sc075.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
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05/06/16 Electrical and Air Conditioning Kia motors america (kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 kia optima vehicles manufactured november 10, 2015, to february 12, 2016. in these vehicles, a chemical enhancer required for the for the second stage deployment of the driver's frontal air bag was not loaded, resulting in the second stage not deploying in necessitating crashes.

If the second stage air bag does not deploy it increases the risk of injury or death.

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. the recall began on may 6, 2016. owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. kia's number for this recall is sc131.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
04/19/13 Electrical and Air Conditioning 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 2013, kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 rondo and sportage, model year 2007-2011 sorento, model year 2007 sedona, model year 2010-2011 soul, and model year 2011 optima vehicles. in september 2013, kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. the total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. in the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the park position and cause the electronic stability control (esc) malfunction light to illuminate.

Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. additionally, when the ignition is in the 'on' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of park without first applying the brake. this may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

Kia will send an interim notification to owners in may 2013. when parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. owners may contact kia at

07/11/12 Electrical and Air Conditioning 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 assembly for the driver's side air bag supplemental restraint system (srs) may become damaged through usage over time. if the clock spring contact assembly becomes damaged, the driver's air bag electrical circuit will experience a high resistance condition potentially causing the driver's air bag to not deploy.

If the clock spring develops high resistance, in the event of a crash, the drivers air bag will not deploy and will not be able to properly protect the driver, increasing the risk of injuries.

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vehicle's air bag clock spring contact assembly, free of charge. the safety recall began on july 11, 2012. owners may contact kia customer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.

Kia's recall campaign number is sc094.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
03/28/03 Electrical and Air Conditioning On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.5 and 2.7 liter v6 engines, the crankshaft position sensor (ckp) cases did not meet dimensional specifications.

Internal gaps within the cases allowed epoxy to contact the printed circuit board, which resulted in cracking of the circuit board capacitor. a damaged ckp capacitor could result in engine stalling.

Dealers will replace the ckp. owner notification began march 28, 2003. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.

Kia's recall number is sc021.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
05/11/01 Electrical and Air Conditioning Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. the side air bag wire harness for the driver position could be mis-routed, which could result in it being pinched or cut by the seat cushion tilt mechanism.

Damage to the wire harness could result in the side air bag not deploying in an accident.

Dealers will check for proper routing of the side air bag wire harness and secure it in place with a plastic tie-wrap. if the wire harness is damaged, it will be replaced. owner notification is expected to begin during may 2001. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.

Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

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Kia Optima Recalls

Some things are often misunderstood about recalls and technical service bulletins (TSBs). Plus a disclaimer.

  1. Recalls do not have to be issued only because something is prone to failure. NHTSA (a government agency) can only require a recall if a failure will affect safety, emissions, fuel economy, or compliance with some other regulation or law. Manufacturers can voluntarily recall cars for problems that do not affect these, though.
  2. Recalls often apply to only some cars of a specific model year, rather than all of them. You should receive a letter from the manufacturer if your car has been recalled. You can also check with the dealer, which will know which (if any) recalls pertain to your car.
  3. The primary purpose of TSBs is to inform dealers about known problems with a car and how to fix them. They are not the same as recalls. As with recalls, TSBs often only apply to some cars, not the entire model year.
  4. Dealers often will not provide a preventive repair just because a problem described in a TSB might happen to your car. They'll usually want to observe symptoms that the problem is already affecting your car.
  5. Even if there are symptoms, a manufacturer doesn't have to pick up the cost of a TSB repair if the car is out of warranty, though sometimes they do.

We provide the text of recalls and TSBs as provided by NHTSA. There can be errors in the text. If you sign up for notifications in My Garage, we will try to get these to do, but for various reasons (some beyond our control) cannot guarantee you will receive them. When in doubt about a recall or TSB, contact the dealer.