I have a knocking sound in my steering wheel. The noise happens when I turn the wheel back and forth. Also, I have noticed an odd grinding/slipping sensation in the front left wheel when I accelerate on a right turn from different elevations. Pulling out of a parking lot on a "decline" while accelerating to the right to enter traffic is a good example. 73,000 miles currently but I've noticed the grind/slip a lower mileage.
2012 Kia Optima steering complaints
Page 6 of 7: complaints 131 to 160 of 188, newest first, as owners wrote them.
When turning the steering wheel there is a knocking noise in the steering column and appears very loose where I have to turn the wheel almost an extra 1/8-1/4 turn. The steering wheel is loose and then seems to lock up at speeds of 55-60. I first noticed this about a year ago but after today the knocking noise became worse.
While driving at highway speeds with steering wheel at 12 o'clock position, the steering wheel feels like it is stuck or locked when trying to make minor steering corrections. I have to somewhat jerk the wheel at which time the steering appears to wake up and respond. It feels as if the electronic power steering module shuts down giving the feeling of a locked/stuck steering wheel. By jerking the wheel to "wake up" the steering it creates an over compensated steering correction issue and a concern for safety at highway speeds.
The steering wheel sticks!!! Hard to stay in your lane and over correcting happens every day. Just like everyone elses. Wheres the recall???? I've got bids from $450-$650 to fix this crap. Kia will cost people their lives.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 kia optima. The contact stated that the steering wheel column was defective. The steering wheel emitted a loud clicking noise and vibrated while turning. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
The steering wheel is loose when I hit a bump feels like the car just wants to turn. Seems like if the wheel could just lock up or will just completely not turn at some point
Motor driven power steering coupler replacement needed
Takata recall
Urgent: steering wheel constantly sticks while driving. This is a safety hazard!!!!!!!!!! I see there are dozens and dozens of similar complaints from other optima owners!!! Does someone have to have a fatal accident for this to become a recall item ????
I've been driving my car for some time now when it reach 60,000 + miles, I notice the car steering would stick when slightly turn or a full turn. It also drifts and there is a clicking noise when the steering wheel is turning left and right . I had front end line meant done. That did not stop the noise or sticking steering column. This happens while driving or sitting.
The steering wheel sticks, and it makes it hard to keep the car straight. There's no smoothness when turning the wheel. It's like the steering wheel turns in increments.
Urgent: from when I purchased it new, steering wheel constantly sticks while driving. This is a safety hazard!!!!!!!!!! I filed a report with the federal safety agency when I bought it, but never heard back from anyone. I see there are dozens and dozens of similar complaints from other optima owners!!! [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).' *jb
Unsafe loose steering. I first noticed this issue while driving on i75 shortly after purchasing my car in june of 2012. The car pulls to the left, when corrected, it then pulls to the right or viceversa. It's almost impossible to keep this car in a straight line. I reported this issue to my local kia dealer about 4 times (during ever service visit) their response is always the same: "the car is performing according to manufacturer's specifications, we couldn't find anything wrong with it" I disagree but couldn't do anything about it. Today, 3 years later, it's worse, I hear a loud clicking noise coming from the steering column when I turn the wheel. This situation has escalated to severe. I fear for my life when driving this car. Please help!
Wanders off center, either right or left. Will not stay straight. Wears you out continually correcting the drift or wandering.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 kia optima. While reversing out of the residential driveway, an abnormally loud clicking sound emitted from the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the steering wheel was malfunctioning and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 29,000. The VIN was not available.
Noticed in october 2014 the car started drifting and the steering wheel began to lock up. It has become progressively worse and now I'm hearing a knocking noise in the steering wheel. I was told by my coworker who has a 2011 optima that he has the same problem and he was told by the dealership that it was a plastic gear in the steering column and would cost roughly $300 to fix. Upon research with this issue I have come across several owners that seem to have the same problem which kia knows about. I feel that kia should correct this problem at their expense before this issue kills someone.
I have noticed a lot of play in the steering of my 2012 optima in the last few months. I took the car into the dealer for new tires,alignment and balance while the mechanic was putting on the tires ,I asked him about the play in the steering wheel and he said it was because of a fiber gear in the steering motor that is on the steering column and that it was a warrenty problem and would be repaired free of charge there is a small fiber gear about the size of a quarter that the teeth break off of and will cause a clicking that I had herd and could cause the steering to lockup. When the unit was taken apart, the gear had a lot of teeth broken off and after it was replace the steering wheel was fine again with no play in the wheel I saw no recall or warnings but it seems that this happens at about 25000 mile give or take. Thought I would share this with other owners it can be repaired at no cost on a warrenty bases
I noticed when I was driving in the freeway I had to keep over correcting the steering wheel. It would get stuck and you needed to kind of jerk it to unstick.
Vehicle has trouble maintaining proper steering at highway speeds. The steering needs to almost constantly be turned right to left to try to maintain straight driving. The steering will also occasional lock when turning and you have to manually turn the wheel back straight. The constant need to over correct the steering makes the vehicle unsafe to drive. I could see it easily causing an accident in the correct conditions.
We purchased the car on 4/3/15 hendrick chevrolet in cary nc drove 5 miles home back to dealer ship next morning for paperwork to finish. Left dealership headed to main highway interstate 40 noticeable as soon as you get at highway speed the steering was tight had to hold on with both hand the car was weaving lane to lane as the was no center for you to drive straight. Immediately called dealer we took the car back left it. Today is a few weeks out 4/23/15 the have reset steering code, align and rebalanced tires a few times and yesterday replaced the whole steering column and we today still does the same thing. They said today they will replaces the tires and see his this goes. From the start they said no one has reported this issues but I showed them online of the hundreds of complaints. Kia is involved but I think they just want us to take the car and go. Its not safe and I am not driving it. It will sit there till tires rot. They are suppose to call kia foe more things to they but they didn't act lime they are in a hurry. If I would have known this car had complaints l. Would have never purchased it. Did research the car before purchase did not see any issue until I googled the problem and man the internet went crazy. I want it fixed and safe or kia to offer me a similar car with no issues...............
While taking a curve on the interstate, the steering wheel would hold itself in position as if it were almost in the locked position. Had been driving the car for almost 2 hours when this occurred. Took next exit to check power steering fluid and tires. Everything checked ok. Got back on the interstate and it continued to happen until the car was shut off and parked overnight. Very dangerous, especially for someone new to driving. The steering g wheel would hold itself into any position I left it in. It would never try to re-center itself while driving. May be coincidence, but the cruise control would not maintain the set speed at the same time this was occurring. Dealership stated no error codes were stored on the cars computer.
The steering wheel sticks at hwy speeds. I have to pull the wheel hard to be able to change lanes. It drifts from left to right with out even turning the steering wheel. This is a major safety concern for me and everybody else on the road. It would be a real bad situation if I could not turn in the event of something in my way. I have also notified kia of this problem. I have seen post dating as early as 2012 about this problem and still kia has not notified me that this could be a real concern. I am posting along with alot of other people in hopes that this will become public not only for my car but for everybody else who does not know about this situation before its to late for somebody else.
Unable to steer the vehicle in a straight line at highway speeds. Car consistently drifts from left to right and right to left. Steering wheels feels as though it becomes locked in position. As you attempt to correct the steering, the steering wheel randomly breaks free causing over correcting which could very easily result in a crash. Has been taken to the dealers and they say the car is within specs and you don't have any warning lights on so therefore there is no problem with it. This is going to result in someone losing their life.
Electric power steering intermittently malfunctions at highway speed causing a snapping sensation in the steering wheel and inability to hold a a steady heading. Steering becomes sticky requiring g constant adjustments as the car drifts from one sticky heading to another. Dealer repeatedly unable to diagnose.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 kia optima. While driving between 60-65 MPH, the vehicle swerved independently towards the left and without warning. The dealer stated that there was no failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 23,682. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 kia optima. The contact stated that while driving 40-45 MPH, the steering wheel seized causing the vehicle to sway abnormally. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,000.
The vehicle is very hard to steer when you go over 45/55 miles per hour. It becomes so uncontrollable that I have to drive it with both hands as I continue to try to control the vehicle from either going into another lane or hitting the one coming traffic. The steering wheel gets soooo tight /stiff that the car cannot travel down the highway without me constantly shifting steering wheel from left to right. Any slight over pull / correction of the wheel is going to cause someone there life or a horrible accident .I pray that kia corrects this before someone or cause someone to lose their life. Hope this will be recalled before it's to late. I was on the highway fighting to stay in my lane and crossed over into the oncoming traffic (which could've caused me my life)and it was a sheriff deputy. He immediately turned around to stop me. He thought I was dui. This was very embarrassing .I explained to him that I had the txt the dealership where I had got the car from and they tried to put it on the highway/ tires but they suggested I take it to kia dealership closer to me. The officer suggested I get it checked asap and didn't charge me . Not only am I afraid to drive the car but I'm exhausted and body extremely tired from driving it. No one should feel this way. Kia please listen to your customers because they can make you or break you. Please don't be like that other car company and someone had to lose their life first. Please listen!!!!!
Vehicle is hard to hold straight at higher speeds. The steering locks into a position and requires extra effort to turn the wheel causing over correction.
I have had this vehicle for over 2 years now and have about 30,000 miles on it. I took this car to the dealership within a week after I bought it for problems with steering and it's inability to stay straight on the road without having to continually adjust the steering wheel. I was told that there was nothing they could find wrong with it. But after finding this website, I now understand that I am not the first one to have this issue. Recently I have had an issue with the air conditioner. It works fine when the car is driving but when it is stopped or idling, the air suddenly blows warm air and doesn't start to blow cold until a few seconds after the car has started moving.
Vehicle is hard to hold straight at higher speeds. The steering locks into a position and requires extra effort to turn the wheel causing over correction. This causes mental and physical fatigue on longer trips and could cause an accident.
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