KnownCarProblems2007 Kia Optima Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 167 complaints with NHTSA about the 2007 Kia Optima, most often about the air bags (39% of complaints, typically around 75,000 miles). It is 11th of 20 Optima model years by number of complaints and has 2 recalls.
Most common 2007 Kia Optima problems
Air bags
65 complaints · 39%Half of these problems showed up before 75,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, on-off switch assembly, side/window.
Purchased my Kia Optima new in 07.. For the past 5 months the dashboard air bag sensor has been on. I called the dealership, they said there is nothing they can do for it and that more than likely its just the sensor and the air bags should deploy when they are suppose to.. I also was told that if the light is on that…
While driving on hywy 80 west, hit black ice, lost control of vehicle. Vehicle spun and then flipped end over end causing extensive impact to front and rear of vehicle. Vehicle is equipped with 6 air bags. Not one of them deployed!!!! By the grace of god no one was killed. The two occupants were injured and had to…
Visibility and wipers
33 complaints · 20%Half of these problems showed up before 67,000 miles.
Passenger air bag does not activate when passenger is in seat. Brought in to dealer, while still under warranty, could not find anything wrong. Passenger visor broke and hangs in line of vision. Researched and found this to be a common problem with this vehicle on both visors. There is a defective piece used in the…
The visor on the driver side all of a sudden does not stay in the upright position. It just hangs obstructing my view. This should be recalled because I have read that this is a known problem for Kia Optima's. The dealership is going to charge me over $200 to replace it and I did nothing to break it. I just use the…
Lights
27 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 111,000 miles. Parts named most often: headlights.
The visor on the driver side of the car fails to stay upright limiting visibility. The headlights are so poor that it's almost impossible to see when driving on a dark road at night. It's to the point where I don't drive the vehicle at night because the road leading out provides little to no light and I would…
I bougjt this car in 2014. I have replaced both low-beam headlights, twice, a brake light, both rear blinkers, a front blinker, as well as both highbeams. I have never replaced even half the number of lights in the entire lifetime of ownership of any vehicle I have owned in the past. This is an obvious recall issue…
Engine
20 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 97,500 miles.
I came to a complete stop and proceeded to turn left when I noticed the check engine light came on and as I pulled over there I noticed a thick cloud of blue smoke out of my rear view mirror. I opened the hood and saw flames at the back of the engine around the transmission and airconditioner area of the car. Flames…
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…
Electrical
14 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 89,500 miles. Parts named most often: ignition.
The contact owns a 2007 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the key would not turn when placed in the ignition switch and the steering wheel unexpectedly seized. After numerous attempts, the ignition key began to turn and the steering wheel unlocked. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle had not been…
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…
Transmission
13 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 72,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
Tl 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 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…
Brakes
8 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 59,000 miles. Parts named most often: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip.
Parking brake indicator light, exterior lighting, brake lights. The rear stop lamp and tail lamp bulb have a definite malfunction. When pressing on the brake the lights blink and certain interior and exterior lights are affected. This is very dangerous and must be covered in the recall.
While backing out of a parking space, my car suddenly accelerated while in reverse gear. I put the brakes on but to no avail. I had no control of the speed. This is all happening going in reverse. I crashed into the building next to the parking lot. The floor mat was seated properly and yes my foot was on the brake…
Speed control
5 complaints · 3%I have had intermittent issues with acceleration while driving my 2007 Kia Optima. When accelerating with the pedal depressed moderately the car will begin to accelerate and then will all of a sudden loose all power. Essentially it seems as though the pedal were completely released. When this happens however, I will…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2007 Kia Optima recalls
Air bags: frontal
Risk: If the clock spring develops high resistance, in the event of a crash, the drivers air bag will not deploy and will not be able to properly protect the driver, increasing the risk of injuries.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vehicle's air bag clock spring contact assembly, free of charge. The safety recall began on july 11, 2012. Owners may contact kia customer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.
Full defect summary
Kia motors america, inc. (kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 kia optima vehicles manufactured from september 29, 2005, through january 29, 2008, and model year 2007 and 2008 kia rondo vehicles manufactured from september 13, 2006, through march 21, 2008. The clock spring contact assembly for the driver's side air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) may become damaged through usage over time. If the clock spring contact assembly becomes damaged, the driver's air bag electrical circuit will experience a high resistance condition potentially causing the driver's air bag to not deploy.
Transmission: column shift
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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Loss of motive power
Summary
The national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated july 13, 2022, petitioning the agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain hyundai motor america, inc. And kia america, inc. Vehicles spanning model years (my) 2005-2021. The petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) of the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated october 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (etc) system on certain kia vehicles resulting in the opening of dp21-003. Accordingly, model year (my) 2005-2016 kia optima/k5, my 2006-2015 kia sorento, my 2007-2016 hyundai elantra, my 2007-2016 hyundai santa fe, my 2006-2015 hyundai sonatas are all part of the subject population. The petition was originally filed as a vehicle owner questionnaire that can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under reference (odi) number 11439675.on november 12, 2021, odi opened defec
Transmission shift cable detachment
Summary
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
Questions about the 2007 Kia Optima
- What are the most common problems with the 2007 Kia Optima?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (65 complaints, typically around 75,000 miles); visibility and wipers (33 complaints, typically around 67,000 miles); lights (27 complaints, typically around 111,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2007 Kia Optima have?
- 2 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from January 17, 2012 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2007 a bad year for the Kia Optima?
- It is 11th of 20 Optima model years by number of complaints, with 167 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.