2011 Kia Optima: stuck in gear or won't shift

Filed Jun 30, 2023 · Engine · MI

Merging onto the highway & the car had rod kncok & went into limp mode very dangerous & a good thing we weren't hit by traffic. This is the SECOND engine kia has installed after allegedly "FIXING" thier issues the first time!!

Filed Mar 10, 2021 · Engine · 98,700 miles · WV

Code showing is p1326 - ksds - rod bearing wear. Engine light is flashing and vehicle has went into limp mode/loss of power.

Filed Oct 6, 2020 · Engine · 118,000 miles · MI · crash

Tl* the contact owned a 2011 kia optima. The contact stated that while driving in the neighborhood, the vehicle would not accelerate. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer (glassman kia 28000 telegraph rd, southfield, mi 48034 (888) 451-0949) and they said the vehicle was stuck in limp mode. The dealer said that they reprogrammed engine with a code for a recall repair. The failure recurred again while the contact was driving at 40 MPH the vehicle sputtered. The contact tried to pull off the road and the vehicle spun around and crashed into the curve and into a telephone pole. There were no injuries and no police report was filed. The contact left the crash scene and the vehicle was towed to a salvage yard. The manufacturer was called and gave the contact a claim number but said there was nothing they could do. The dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 118,000.*dt

Filed Sep 19, 2020 · Acceleration, Electrical · 95,000 miles · AR

My car loses power when I use the horn. It happens while parked with the engine on and in traffic. Initially, I thought it was faulty electrical problem because there were 3 active recalls needing to be fixed. I recently took my vehicle to a certified kia service center to get the recalls taken care of and additonally, had the A/C compressor, struts, and a belt replaced. I also described the issue of engine power loss when I use the horn with service tech and attempted to demonstrate. However, my car didn't duplicate the issue. I'm not sure if the techs tested it thoroughly during the days it was being serviced. The final detailed bill states that the car wouldn't duplicate the issue. I'm currently satisfied with the fixed recalls, A/C, belt, and other minor repairs. I'm highly concerned and frustrated that I'm still experiencing engine, acceleration, RPM, and A/C failure whenever I need to use my horn. A couple of days ago while in traffic, I had to blow the horn because a distracted driver nearly side swiped me. As a result, my car loss power. I couldn't accelerate and the transmission wouldn't shift. I ended up doing around 30mph until I made it to a safe destination. I called for help, but after I turned the car off and back on, it was as if it never happened. I'm furious about it because the distracted driver proceeded to tailgate and intimidate me out of anger. Lastly, it was not professional or caring to be laughed at when I voiced this problem at the service center. I need help and answers before something more terrible happens. The number of engine and electrical complaints are startling. I'm hoping that my issue will be taken seriously and looked into. I'm not comfortable driving my car.

Filed Jun 27, 2012 · Transmission · 11,000 miles · GA

Sometime around june 4, on an expressway at 70 MPH, it felt like I had hit something. There was a violent slam in the front of the car. I pulled the car to the side of the expressway to see if I had hit something. After seeing that I had not hit anything, I got back in the car to get back on the expressway. I put the car in gear and tried to accelerate and the car would hardly move as though it were starting off in a high gear. I drove toward the next exit at 55 MPH at around 3500 RPM and it felt as though the vehicle never shifted gears. When I got off the next exit to return home, the vehicle did not shift into low, it stayed in a high gear. I drove home in one gear and got home to back into the garage, and when I shifted the car into reverse, it slammed into gear. I parked and went inside for the evening intent on getting the dealer to send a wrecker for the vehicle in the morning. I got up the next morning to see if the car was still acting the same way. I started the car up and it drove perfect, shifting through all of the gears as it was supposed to behave. We took it to the dealer and they supposedly found the problem and we left with our "repaired" vehicle. On june 26, while driving the car at 50 MPH on a surface street, the same "slam" happened in the front of the car, frightening my wife. She then pulled to the side of the road, stopped the car, and shut it off. She restarted the car and it shift as it was supposed to. She came back home, parked the car in the garage and called the dealer. She started the car on june 27 to go to the dealer, went down the road approximately 3 miles and the same event occurred. She pulled over, restarted the car and drove to the dealer. They now have the car and say they are going to replace the transmission at 12000 miles.

Filed Apr 19, 2011 · Transmission · 3,600 miles · IL

On 4/11/11, we were driving to work and had gone four miles from our house, when we thought we had hit a deer! The car made a very loud sound and lurched violently, at highway speed, frightening us both. The lurching was so violent that it may well have caused other damage. We were extremely fortunate not to have crashed. We then found that the car would not shift gear. The transmission had gone out of our 2011 kia optima ex. We bought the kia new at o'brien auto park in champaign, illinois, on 1/8/11. The car had 3600 miles on it at the time of the catastrophic failure. This was our first kia purchase, and we are very disappointed. Needless to say, we were shocked by this dangerous occurrence! We very easily could have had tragic consequences for us and our fellow commuters. We are no longer confident in this vehicle. We find this totally unsatisfactory and asked kia to replace our vehicle with an identical one. Kia refused, basically saying 'we don't own it anymore'. They did replace the transmission.