Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2010 Kia Optima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 24 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
The car lurches or jerks when slowing down or stopping at about 20 mph . Lurch or jerking is enough to jerk to the driver . Has anyone got answer to why the Kia Optima 2010 does this.
Car has very hard downshift at low speed going from 2nd gear to 1st. Seems to be alot of these complaints and would be nice to know of a fix for this problem!
TAKATA RECALL - HARD DOWNSHIFT FROM 2ND TO 1ST, USUALLY AROUND THE 20MPH MARK! IT'S A SUDDEN JERK AS IF IT HAS BEEN SLAMMED INTO A A LOWER GEAR
VEHICLE JERKS WHEN DOWNSHIFTING AT ABOUT 20 MPH.
TAKATA RECALL TRANSMISSION HAS A GRINDING AND WHINING NOISE!! BUT TRANSMISSION SHIFT GEAR SMOOTHLY. THESE NOISE WORSE AT COLD CONDITION AND TURN TO THE LEFT, AND PASSING OVER SPEEDBUMP. AS I HEARD IN THE SOUTH KOREA, THIS IS COMMON OFTEN REPORTED BY DRIVERS WHO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE. I AM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON BUT ALL CAR MECHANIC COULD NOT FOUND IT. I AM VERY SCARY WHEN I DRIVING. I THINK IT COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE IN THE FUTURE.
THE CAR HAS A LURCHING ISSUE WHEN IT SLOWS DOWN TO 20MPH WHEN THE CAR LURCHES WITH A HARD DOWN SHIFT TO 1ST GEAR. THIS PHENOMENA IS ESPECIALLY ACUTE WHEN THE CAR IS COLD OR WHEN YOU FIRST START DRIVING IT.
WHILE DECELERATING, EITHER BRAKING OR COASTING, THE CAR WILL LURCH VIOLENTLY WHEN REACHING APPROXIMATELY 22 MPH. THE SEVERITY OF THE LURCH VARIES BUT IN MOST INSTANCES IT IS HARD ENOUGH TO SNAP MY NECK FORWARD. *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTED VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILED DUE TO THE A FAILED WIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.
HARD JERK WHEN DOWNSHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR AT 20-22 MPH. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT ON WET, ICY OR SNOW COVERED ROADS. WHEN I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, HE SAID HE HAD NOT HEARD OF IT. *TR
THE CAR BUCKLES WHEN REDUCING YOUR SPEED TO AROUND 20 MPH. ALSO THE REAR SEAT DOOR LOCK STOPPED WORKING AND MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND KIA WANTS TO CHARGE ME AROUND 700 DOLLARS TO FIX IT. *TR
VEHICLE KICKS FROM SECOND GEAR TO FIRST GEAR WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM 20MPH. *TR
VEHICLE KICKS FROM SECOND GEAR TO FIRST GEAR WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM 20MPH. *TR
VEHICLE KICKS FROM SECOND GEAR TO FIRST GEAR WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM 20MPH. *TR
VEHICLE KICKS FROM SECOND GEAR TO FIRST GEAR WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM 20MPH. *TR
VEHICLE KICKS FROM SECOND GEAR TO FIRST GEAR WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM 20MPH. *TR
VEHICLE KICKS FROM SECOND GEAR TO FIRST GEAR WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM 20MPH. *TR
VEHICLE KICKS FROM SECOND GEAR TO FIRST GEAR WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM 20MPH. *TR
VEHICLE KICKS FROM SECOND GEAR TO FIRST GEAR WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM 20MPH. *TR
WHEN BRAKING AT LOWER SPEEDS OF LESS THEN 20MPH THE CAR LURCHES OR JERKS LIKE THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ARE ENGAGING OR THE TRANSMISSION IS DOWNSHIFTING HARD. *TR
WHEN BRAKING OR NOT AROUND 20 MILES AN HOUR CAR JERKS FORWARD. *TR
THE CAR LURCHES WHEN DOWN SHIFTING FROM 18 TO 20 MILES AN HOUR. HARD DOWN SHIFT AT EVERY STOP. *TR
WHEN SLOWING DOWN WITHOUT THE ASSISTANCE OF USING THE BRAKES, THE CAR JERKS AS THE TRANSMISSION DOES A HARD DOWNSHIFT CAUSING ENOUGH JERK TO THE DRIVER. THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. *TR
WHEN SLOWING DOWN, EITHER WITH OR WITHOUT BRAKING ASSISTANCE, CAR JERKS AS THE TRANSMISSION DOES A HARD DOWNSHIFT FROM 2ND TO 1ST GEAR WHEN REACHING 20 MPH. THE FORCE OF THE DOWNSHIFT IS ENOUGH TO JOLT THE DRIVER. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING A RENTED 2010 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE WHILE THE GEAR WAS IN DRIVE, TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION, BUT IT WOULD NOT RELEASE. THE GEAR SHIFT HAD LOCK UP AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE GEAR INTO NEUTRAL OR THE PARK POSITION. SHE STATED THE MANUAL READ TO START CAR, THE GEAR SHIFT MUST BE IN THE PARK POSITION AND THE FOOT MUST BE ON THE BRAKE. THE CONSUMER STATED AS SHE SLIGHTLY MOVED THE KEY, THE VEHICLE STARTED WITH HIGH SPEED AND CRASHED HEAD ON INTO A BUILDING. THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED AND THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 1,750. UPDATED 12/01/10. *LJ
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .