2002 Kia Optima Service and Repair Manual

FEB. 14, 2003, DRIVING A 2002 OPTIMA KIA AND APPLIED BRAKES HARD ABOUT 70 MPH AND CAR WAS COMPLETLY UNCONTROLLABLE SENDING ME OFF THE ROAD INTO VARIOUS TREES EVENTUALLY HITTING A TREE HEAD ON. CAR CAUGHT FIRE AND COMPLETELY BURNT DOWN. I WAS SENT TO A TRAUMA UNIT AT FOREST GENERAL IN HATTIESBURG MS WITH A PUNCTURED LUNG , SPLEEN REMOVED AND EXTREME DAMAGE TO THE RIBS WHICH I AM PRESENTLY IN PAIN MANAGEMENT FOR AND ON LTD. *AK

JAN. 10TH- BRAKED TO AVOID ACCIDENT ON I-59 AT 70 MPH AND CAR WAS COMPLETELY UNCONTROLLABLE-RAN OFF I-59 AND COLLIDED WITH TREE FEB. 14- BRAKED AGAIN AT HIGH SPEED TO AVOID ACCIDENT AND CAR WAS UNCONTROLLABLE. HIT TREE AND ALMOST LOST LIFE. WOULD HAVE LOST LIFE HAD NOT SOMEONE PULLED ME FROM VEHICLE, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED DOWN COMPLETELY. *NLM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE TWO ACCIDENTS WITH THE VEHICLE WHERE THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. IN THE FIRST ACCIDENT, IN 2003, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. IN THE SECOND OF THESE ACCIDENTS WHICH WAS MORE SEVERE, THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED, AND NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED EITHER. IN THE BOTH ACCIDENTS, THE OCCUPANT WERE WEARING THEIR SEATBELTS HOWEVER THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THERE MUST BE A PROBLEM AIR BAG SENSOR OF THE VEHICLE.

MY 2002 KIA OPTIMA WAS IN AN ACCIDENT ON AUGUST 30TH 2004. MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING WEST BOUND, A SCHOOL BUS DRIVING EAST BOUND MADE A LEFT TURN IN FRONT OF MY DAUGHTER. SHE HIT THE BUS AT ABOUT 50 MPH. NO AIR BAG DEPLOYED. I AM INTERESTED IN KNOWING IF THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. IT WAS A FULL FRONTAL IMPACT. THANK GOD FOR SEAT BELTS. *AK

DT: 2002 KIA OPTIMA LX. THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THE LIGHTS WILL START TO FLICKER, AND THEN THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE POWER AND SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE WAS AROUND 80-90 DEGREES AND AT LONG DISTANCES THIS PROBLEM WILL HAPPEN. THE DEALERSHIP CHANGED THE BATTERY TWICE, THE ALTERNATOR TWICE, THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS, AND THE MAIN COMPUTER FOR THE VEHICLE. THIS STILL DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN THE POWER WE

WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO EXIT OFF MASS PIKE, I WAS DOING ABOUT 30-35 AND SO WERE THE OTHER CARS, I BRAKED TO CONTINUE TO SLOW - THE CAR DID NOT STOP AND APPLIED THE BRAKES ALL THE WAY DOWN AND THE CAR STILL DID NOT STOP AND I PANICKED KNOWING THE CAR WAS NOT STOPPING AND FINALLY MADE IMPACT INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. *JB

WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP BECAUSE OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION, THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 40 MPH. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. ALSO, DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BACK RECLINED BACKWARDS ONTO THE REAR SEAT. DRIVER SUSTAINED SEVERE BRUISES TO CHEST/BREAST BONE/LUNGS/HEART/LOWER ABDOMINAL, AND LEFT LEG. *AK *LA

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*JB....*AK

PURCHASED CAR BRAND NEW ON APRIL 30, 2003 - INCIDENT #1: JULY 15, 2003, I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 30-35 MILES PER HOUR EXITING THE MASS PIKE EXIT AT ROUTE 30. ALL TRAFFIC WAS SLOWING TO EXIT - I APPLIED THE BRAKES - WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN - REALIZED THAT THE BREAKS WERE NOT WORKING - PANICKED - IMPACTED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT WORK. INCIDENT #2: AUGUST 8, 2003, WHEN VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE OWNER OF BUCCI'S AUTO BODY TOOK THE CAR IN THE PARKING LOT FOR A TEST DRIVE. AT ABO

PROBLEMS WITH AIR BAG EQUIPMENT ON 2002 KIA OPTIMA. *MR A LARGE PIECE OF RUBBER HAD COME OFF THE TIRE OF A SEMI-TRUCK AND WHEN THE CONSUMER TRIED TO AVOID HITTING IT, HE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A WALL DIVIDER. *SCC *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANED AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 219,000.

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON 7 TIMES WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT THAT CONTAINED THE SIDE AIR BAG BECAUSE IT WAS FAULTY, AND INSTALLED A NEW AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE. ALSO, THEY REPROGRAMMED THE AIR BAG SENSOR SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE LIGHT STILL CAME BACK ON. VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN 2 FRONTAL COLLISIONS IN WHICH THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING 35MPH. THE DRIVER SEAT BELT WAS IN USE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND THE BRAKES WERE NOT BEING APPLIED. THE SUDDEN DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG STARTLED THE CONTACT AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS JERKED IN REACTION TO THE AIRBAG. THE VEHICLE LEFT THE ROADWAY AND STRUCK A CURB, THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THE OIL PAN WAS RUPTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER WHO DETERMINED

WHILE DRIVING AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE FLIPPED AFTER HITTING A POLE. UPON IMPACT, THE FRONTAL/SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK *SC THE CONSUMER HAD A DIABETIC EMERGENCY AND COLLAPSED AT THE WEHEL. *JB

MY 2002 KIA OPTIMA, VEERED OF THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE DUE TO A FLAT TIRE. THE TIRES HAD BEEN REPLACED THAT MORNING AND WITHIN 130 MILES ON THE HIGHWAY THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE POPPED. AS I TOOK A CLOSER LOOK I NOTICED MY WHEEL WAS SLANTED IN. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST REPAIR SHOP WHO INFORMED ME THE ENGINE CRADLE WAS RUSTED AND CORRODED. WHEN I CONTACTED KIA ABOUT THE ISSUE THEY BASICALLY SAID SORRY ABOUT YOUR LUCK. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED. NO ACTION