The car is as solid as when it was new
Nothing.
Best new car I ever had. Just replaced tires after 81,000 miles.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 8th August, 2006
Great car... that is if you don't ever plan on trading it in on another!!!
Very reliable car overall.
The only time the vehicle was in the shop (outside of normal maintenance) was to replace an O2 sensor. The vehicle was in the shop twice in one week; however, that was because the dealer failed to replace the O2 sensor the first time.
Only other issue was with the tires and wheels. Two sets of tires on the vehicle and all lost air; however, the none of the tire shops we visited could find a source of the leak??? Suspected it was leaking air from bad seal where the tire and the wheel met???
When we purchased the car we were told by the dealer that we should get between 25 miles to the gallon in the city and 30 miles per gallon on the highway. Our average MPG was 23.5 (even on long highway trips) which was very disappointing considering I have a 1995 Ford Taurus with 173,000 miles on it and I still average 26 miles per gallon.
We were also VERY disappointed last month when we traded in the vehicle. We had kept the car in very good condition. When we went to trade in the vehicle, we owed $8000 dollars and the first dealership offered us $4000 and would not budge. Fortunately the second dealer was able to work out a deal and give us payoff for the vehicle.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 10th July, 2006
Very impressive, solid car
It's early, but nothing yet.
Car gets great gas mileage and is a good travel car. The engine vibrates, but nothing to be done about that.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 11th October, 2005
Care is fine, but warranty is useless!
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.
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.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 9th June, 2005
Good value for the money
Call it driver error, but the bumpers have become scuffed and I really have been a careful driver. It seems the paint on the plastic bumpers is only as adhesive as the plastic allows. It's a shame since the overall cosmetics are appealing on the car.
The car is smooth as more expensive sedans. It handles nicely with good acceleration. One can speed unexpectedly because of the smooth and responsive handling. Although body roll does seem a bit much on turns, the car is stable and seems heavier than it may be.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 1st March, 2005
Would never buy another one
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.
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.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 21st July, 2004
I would have to agree with the comments on the Optima. Worst car I have ever had. 2001 is the year, when I bought it the first thing to go was the alternator, then the fuel pump. After that we had something wrong with spark plugs, power steering and then guess what, the alternator went out again. The guy in service told us that they had a problem with the Kia alternators and they just don't run well in the heat. I live in Vegas and that's a problem!
Currently the power windows are broken and I can't get my window up. Perfect timing we have the monsoons! I can get it to the shop, but they are backed up for days!!!
Great warranty just did not realize I would need it every 3000 miles or less. No joke!
14th Oct 2005, 09:08
WE have a 2001 Optima SE/V6 that keeps stalling or losing power while we are driving it. Could you please tell me what they diagnosed your problem to be? Our service department keeps telling use that it is caused by a loose gas cap.