Faults:

Electrical problem within the harness. Our biggest concern is with KIA customer service. We had problems getting a recurring problem handled by our service department at the local dealership - later had a different dealership fix the problem and then addressed the problem with Customer service. They would not even speak to us about the problem and made a determination that was inconsistent with facts.

General Comments:

We had a problem that spanned a long period of time while our car was under warranty. Three times the car quit when being driven, but our local dealer misdiagnosed the problem. When we attempted to address the problems we'd been having with KIA's Customer Service department, they refused to discuss it with us or to take responsibility. Our local dealer, likewise, refused to accept responsibility for their inadequate handling of the problem.

Faults:

After 6 months of ownership the mass solenoid had to be changed.

Not longer after that the airbags, steering column and a couple of other things had to be changed.

Just last week, the car continuously ran hot with the radiator being full.

General Comments:

It seems that the 10 year warranty is needed because there is always something broken.

On the same day that my car was towed in to the repair shop, the driver told me that this was the 3rd Optima he had towed in on that particular day.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

I owned the 4 cylinder Prism for 6 years and traded it at 100k for the 2002 Optima with its V-6 since I wanted more power this time around. The car handles really well overall and the performance is solid. I like the car's looks inside and outside plus it is very comfortable to drive in due to the seats and driver's position.

Faults:

I have had no problems with this car.

However, I have noted minor wear on the plastic door trim and where the trunk lid meet the bumper.

General Comments:

I bought this car because of price and warranty. My wife and I wanted a compact sedan with a manual trans. We tried out a new Protege', no power and long dashboard. We tried an '02 626 and didn't like the interior setup and the exterior styling.

The Optima looks very sexy (we got a silver one). And we liked the power with the manual, interior design, safety (side airbags), and low monthly payment. By the way, the headlights are awesome. You will not need the high-beams hardly ever!

Minor quibbles are: the lumbar for the driver's seat is not much help due to side airbags built into the seat, the plastic inside is easy to scratch with fingernails, and the dash lights are a little too bright even at their lowest setting. Gas mileage was a little disappointing too. We got 30-36mpg with our '90 626 with 240,000 miles on it. With the Optima we only could manage 33 at best on the highway, and got only 23 in the wintertime with lots of warming up time (we live in Maine).

Before the 626 we had, we were Honda Accord and Acura Legend people. I personally feel that Honda makes a good car and it is overpriced. You can still buy a decent car and feel good about what you pay for it each month.