After being lowered, the driver's side sun visor no longer can be returned to the up position and hangs in such a position as to obstruct the driver's vision. The sun visor has been little used and handled with care. It appears that the components of the sun visors are too fragile. The dealership said the car now is not under warranty and wants $125.00 to fix it. This is the 2nd time this has happened. The first time was replaced under warranty.
2006 Kia Optima visibility problems
13 complaints (8% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 45,000.
- owner complaints
- 13
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical mileage
- 45,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Windshield wiper/washer1
- Sun/moon roof assembly1
- Rearview mirrors/devices: interior1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Kia Optima visibility problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2006 Kia Optima owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
After being lowered, the driver's side sun visor no longer can be returned to the up position and hangs in such a position as to obstruct the driver's vision. The sun visor has been little used and handled with care. It appears that the components of the sun visors are too fragile.
The visor on the passenger side won't stay up. This was fixed about 30,000 miles ago under warranty. It seems like a safety issue. I have driven a half million miles in my life and never had a problem with a visor. It must be defective. My passengers all hit their heads on it when entering and exiting the car. I have to remember to keep reminding them. It also blocks the visibility when making right turns. If I ever will have to stop short, I'm sure my passenger will hit his head on the visor. The company claims they are not responsible for anything after the warranty is up, even though it is a safety issue. There appear to be other similar complaints so maybe a recall should be issued.
On my 2006.5 kia optima, on three separate occasions my sun visor mechanisms have broken internally, and would no longer remain in the up position, which has been a safety concern for me the passenger sun visor has broken at least once, and the driver side has broken at least twice. The first 2 times, the sun visor was replaced entirely under warranty. However, on the 3rd time, I was out of warranty and had to purchase and install a new one myself. (purchased online for $80 shipped from a dealer.) this dealer offers the new sun visor replacement for a fair price, due to repeated requests, but many other parts vendors, including dealers and salvage yards, charge over $100 for the visor, even if used and taken off a wrecked car, as they know it is a frequently needed repair. Fortunately, it was not difficult to remove and replace, and I was able to do the work myself.
I've a 2006.5 kia optima. This issue that I'd like to report is that the sun visors are defective on this vehicle. After doing research on the internet this is a known issue with this year, and others. My driver side sun visor has broken. It won't fold up, and it impairs my vision and distracts me while driving. It's a constant distraction while driving. I've called the dealership to see if this was a defect since I've never has a sun visor ever go back on any car that I've ever owned. And even the dealership has had various customers that called in to state the same issue with that year's model sun visors. They stated I'd have to bring it in, and it's going to cost me from $200+ to have it fixed. This isn't something that I should be fixing in the first place. It should last the expected lifecycle of the car. I bought this car brand new in 2006.5 and I had no prior problems with the visor fold up. It just stopped one day about a month ago. Still each day is a constant distraction, and irritates me while driving. This is for a 2006.5 kia optima - the defect is the sun visors.
The sun visor does not stay up. The sun visor on the driver side is vision impairment. The switch for the both seats does not work. The wheel bearing is bad. The tire pressure wheel sensor and the transmission speed adjustment sensor are bad on this 2006 kia optima , constantly bulbs for taillight blow.
Door jam on right back door and sun visors on right passenger over view just drops down in the passenger or child view thats causes one to become fearful.
Both sun visors would fall down while in the "up" position. Dealer replaced both free of charge under warranty.
Both sun visors have failed working and will drop down in front of my face while I'm driving. I have never had an accident or misused them in any way. They just snapped upon opening. Many complains have been posted about this same problem on the internet and it's time someone steps up and reports this before an accident happens.
Driver's side seat electric switch does not work driver's side mirror electric switch does not work both keyless entry remotes keep losing their program.
Questions about the 2006 Kia Optima visibility
Does the 2006 Kia Optima have visibility problems?
Owners have filed 13 complaints about the visibility of the 2006 Kia Optima, 8% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2006 Kia Optima visibility problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 45,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Kia Optima visibility?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Kia Optima have the most visibility problems?
The Kia Optima model years with the most visibility complaints are 2016 (38 complaints), 2007 (33 complaints) and 2012 (28 complaints).
Other 2006 Kia Optima problems
Airbags 46Locks 27Electrical 23Engine 16Lights 16Transmission 14Body 12Fuel system 9Acceleration 7Suspension 6Tires 5Seats 4Steering 2Seat belts 1Wheels 1
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2006 Kia Optima?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history