My vehicle speed up and slow down all that itself. It will not maintain speed even with my foot steady on the gas. It will not accelerate, but the major problem is my seatbelt gets stuck all the time I’m afraid to get buckled. I am unable to remove my seatbelt multiple times so now I have buckled my seatbelt behind me so I can start getting tickets. I’ve gotten like four tickets because I’m scared to be buckled that it’s not gonna come on down when I need it to be I’ve got 40 bought tickets. I was going about 20 mph when I went to the brakes for my vehicle accelerated by itself crashing into a pillar at the mall. I did call the police.
2007 Kia Optima transmission problems
13 complaints (8% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 73,000. 3 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 13
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical mileage
- 73,000
- crashes
- 3
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Automatic transmission2
- Automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Kia Optima transmission problems in other years
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 11V153000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Transmission Shift Cable Detachment
During manufacture the automatic transmission shift cables in certain subject vehicles were installed incorrectly causing extra tension on the cable.This condition can cause the shift cable to detach from the gear shifter assembly's dowel pin preventing the transmission from being shifted.The shift lever can be moved into the Park (P) position while the vehicle transmission is still in the last used gear before detachment.If this were to occur, and if the driver leaves the vehicle without engaging the parking brake, the vehicle may inadvertently roll away thus creating the risk of a crash.Kia is conducting a safety recall (11V‑153) to correct the subject problem in approximately 70,115 model year (MY) 2006 through 2008 Kia Optima vehicles produced from 9/29/2005 to 6/13/2007.Kia has stated that the early MY 2006 Optima vehicles built before 9/29/2005 had different automatic transmission shift cables and shift levers than the subsequent MY 2006 through early MY 2008 Optima vehicles built up to 6/13/2007.Beginning 6/14/2007, Kia changed the assembly process for the shift cables to ensure correct installation.As for the recall remedy, Kia dealers will inspect the shift cables for correct installation, and re-install them, if necessary.For more details on the recall, see the federal safety agency recall 11V‑153.This investigation is closed.
PE10046
What 2007 Kia Optima owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I've seen in other forums about engine recalls. I was never notified and the engine in my car disintegrated. It was replaced with an engine from a wrecking yard. This should be covered by manufacturer. I had issues with the brake lines rusting out. This should not have happened either. Not being able to service the transmission and arguing with the dealership about this should be replaced by manufacturer!
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 kia optima. The contact stated that the transmission shift lever became stuck in neutral. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the automatic transmission shift cable detached and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 71,000. Updated 09/10/15*lj updated 09/14/15
I was in a crash and I have to say that this is a problem. After I received my car back from the body shop the car has been malfunctioning ! The 2.7l has stumble on and at acceleration the failure is the throttle position switch this is a safety problem for all driver's that drive a 2007 kia optima. The malfunction occurs five times in one day. This problem may cause severe or fatal injuries to the occupants in the vehicle. Nothing was done to correct the failure and the old throttle position switch is available! I really thank that this is found to have a defect that affects safety and the automakers need voluntarily announce a recalls on all the 2007 kia optima that have the same throttle position switch as this vehicle.
I was in a crash and I have to say that this is a problem. After I received my car back from the body shop the car has been malfunctioning ! The 2.7l has stumble on and at acceleration the failure is the throttle position switch this is a safety problem for all driver's that drive a 2007 kia optima. The malfunction occurs five time's in one day. This problem may cause severe or fatal injuries to the occupants in the vehicle. Nothing was done to correct the failure and the old throttle position switch is available! I really thank that this is found to have a defect that affects safety and the automakers need voluntarily announce a recalls on all the 2007 kia optima that have the same throttle position switch as this vehicle.
As I was driving on the freeway today the car suddenly went from a speed pf 65 to 20 MPH in the passing lane. I suddenly turned on the emergency lights to let the cars behind me know that their was a problem. Thank god I was hit and was able to pull the car over on the ramp. I called to have the car towed but in houston (this labor day) no one is able to look at the car so I was able to get it towed to auto zone. They ran a diagnostic and the tps (throttle position sensor) codes appeared. I was told only kia carries the part. I was so scared for my life and I don't want to ever be in that position again because my kids were in the car. I was reading complaints on several websites and it seems that this has been an ongoing problem for a while. It's sad that kia hasn't of yet issued a recall to fix this problem. Something has to be done about this as this was wake up call for me I can honestly say I thought I was going to lose my life when my car dropped dawn from speeds of 65 to 20. I have had problems with the car losing power but it would quickly regain power but nothing of this instance. Very scary situation for not only me but for the sake of my children that were present in the vehicle. Http://repairpal.com/faulty-throttle-position-switch-355 I just researched and found out they released a better performing part but others are still continuing to have the same problem even after the replacement part. Kia could of at least notified its customers of the problem rather than many of us finding out the hard way. There needs to be a recall immediately. The next person might not be so lucky.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 kia optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was in park when the vehicle proceeded to roll away. The failure recurred twice. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the manufacturer was contacted who advised that the VIN did not qualify for repairs under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 11v153000(power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift). The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 2,000 and the current mileage was 50,000.
While parking 2007 optima I was unable to put the vehicle in park or take out the key. The shifter linkage and cable had broken. I used the emergency brake to keep the vehicle from rolling. I took vehicle to dealer (summit kia, waterford, mi) they replaced the vehicle shifting linkage at a cost of $750.00. The dealer stated the cable broke and when I asked if the part was defective they stated that it was not unusual to have to replace this on the 2007 kia optima. The vehicle has 108,000 miles. In 40 years and many vehicles I have never had this go on any other vehicle I owned.
On two occasions (to date) my kia optima has become inoperable - unable to put the car in drive or reverse. The first occurred during the winter in february 2010. After one of many snowstorms this season I was driving on a plowed road then encountered an area where there was only room enough for one car to pass. When I pulled over to allow an approaching vehicle to pass my car was in about 8-inches of snow. While moving the transmission selector between reverse to get out of loosely packed snow I found I could no longer get the car into a drive gear ' forward or reverse. The car had to be towed because it was no longer operable and was causing a road hazard for other vehicles. The dealer claimed snow caused the shifting cable to detach from the gear selector. The dealer, holly kia, reported the problem was repaired by reattaching the cable to the selector. More recently my son was operating my vehicle on or about july 6th, 2010 ' a 100+ degree day. He reported that he was in reverse to move the car to another parking spot in a car dealership and the car could no longer be shifted into any gear' again. During this instance the car was on a steep incline and my son was fortunate to be able to maneuver the car around other parked cars but the car had to be coasted to the bottom of the grade in order to be safely parked. After the second instance, the car was again towed back to holly kia for repair - holly kia is now replacing the shifting cable. The holly kia service department claims this problem with the 2007 kia optima as a manufacturing flaw. My concern is, after the repair can the car be trusted and operated safely ' both incidents left the car in a very compromised state and a hazard to other vehicles (moving and parked).
Tl*the contact owns 2007 kia optima ls. When the vehicle was parked the shifter cable disconnected and would not go into park. The keys were not in the ignition when the vehicle started rolling out of the parking space. When she got back into the vehicle the brakes and the emergency brake were engaged to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the cable was attached at no charge to the contact. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there were no recalls or warranties related to the failure. The failure and current mileages were 73,000.
Questions about the 2007 Kia Optima transmission
Does the 2007 Kia Optima have transmission problems?
Owners have filed 13 complaints about the transmission of the 2007 Kia Optima, 8% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2007 Kia Optima transmission problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 73,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2007 Kia Optima transmission?
Yes, 1 recall: 11V153000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Kia Optima have bad transmission?
The Kia Optima model years with the most transmission complaints are 2016 (74 complaints), 2013 (64 complaints) and 2012 (54 complaints).
Other 2007 Kia Optima problems
Airbags 65Visibility 33Lights 27Engine 20Electrical 14Brakes 8Acceleration 5Body 4Fuel system 3Seat belts 3Suspension 3Locks 2Steering 2Tires 2Driver assistance 1Seats 1
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