# 2002 KIA OPTIMA — STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
> NHTSA complaint `547005` · 2005-08-01 · Kia America, Inc.
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 1
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** Yes
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** KIA
- **Model:** OPTIMA
- **Year:** 2002
- **Manufacturer:** Kia America, Inc.
- **Component:** STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
- **Miles at failure:** 44,185
## Narrative
DT: 2002 KIA OPTIMA LX.  THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE.  THE LIGHTS WILL START TO FLICKER, AND THEN THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE  POWER AND SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN.  WHEN THE TEMPERATURE WAS AROUND 80-90 DEGREES AND AT LONG DISTANCES THIS PROBLEM WILL HAPPEN.  THE DEALERSHIP CHANGED THE BATTERY TWICE, THE ALTERNATOR TWICE, THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS, AND THE MAIN COMPUTER FOR THE VEHICLE.  THIS STILL DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM.    CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE  BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN THE POWER WENTOUT  ON 7-14-05.  THIS CAUSED  CONSUMER'S  VEHICLE   TO RUN A STOP SIGN , AND  HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE, CAUSING BOTH VEHICLES TO BE TOTALED.  THE BRAKES WENT OUT AS A RESULT OF THE POWER OUTAGE, AND  COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE.  ALSO, THERE WAS NO STEERING.  THE VEHICLE WAS NOT OVERHEATING.  THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.  EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL FAILED WITH THE VEHICLE.  THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DISCONNECTED BOTH BATTERIES TO PREVENT FIRE FROM HAPPENING.  WHEN THEY DID THIS IT DELETED ALL THE CODES THAT WOULD HAVE TOLD  DEALER WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS.  THE MECHANIC  SAID THAT THERE WAS BATTERY ACID ALL OVER THE COMPUTER, THEY STILL WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM.  THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING SINCE PURCHASE.   CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE KIA MANUFACTURER AT LEAST TEN TIMES, COMPLAINT NUMBERS FOR THE FIRST WAS 24306, ON 7-18-03, AND THE LAST WAS ON 9-13-04, COMPLAINT . 56482.  WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURE AFTER THE ACCIDENT THEY SAID THEY WANTED A COPY OF THE POLICE 
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*