| Issue ID | 1381340 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10992322 |
| Manufacurer | Kia Motors America |
| Brand | KIA |
| Model | OPTIMA |
| Model Year | 2011 |
| File date | 30/11/15 |
| Component | EXTERIOR LIGHTING |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | Bought 2011 kia optima used with 75k miles on it. Did not realize immediately that there was an issue with the passenger side headlight being really dim. I bought the extended warranty and called the kia dealer and mentioned my issue and the service advisor said it was probably a wiring issue or a ground issue and that it probably would not be covered by the warranty. The car is not safe to drive at night without the high beams on. When driving at night visibility is good with high beams on, when switching to low beams for oncoming car, you are driving blind, holding the wheel steady and hoping you stay on the road until the oncoming car passes and you are able to turn your high beams back on again. Took the car to a mechanic and he tested the electrical, ground and bulb and there were no issues. Upon putting a scope inside the headlight assembly where the bulb goes, he found a pile of chrome shavings so the headlight reflective housing deteriorated. Only way to repair is to replace whole headlight unit assembly. After searching online, realized there are many complaints for this same issue on this model of car for multiple years now. Owners beware of this safety issue and don't let people rip you off by charging you to go down the wrong/electrical path to fix. Potential buyers beware: if you have to pay to have this fixed at a dealer it can cost between $500 and $800 and it may only be a matter of time before it is an issue again. Seems like this should be a safety recall by kia. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 75000 |
| Number of Occurences | |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | NEWBERG, OR |
| VIN pattern | XXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | N |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | |
| No. of fatalities | |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | |
| Drive train type | |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 55 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |