2008 Kia Optima Consumer Reviews

Stay away from Kia

Vehicle

2008 Kia Optima EX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

1 BAD EXPERIENCE , I will never buy another , motor locked up with only 46,688 miles , they piece together another new engine because kia was to cheap to send a complete motor it runs for 10,00 miles and the oil light starts coming on at ideal. I ended up letting the dealer buy the car back and bought a Toyota camry, almost forgot car was out of service for 47 days the first time and the next time well its been 3 weeks today and its still not fixed 1/11/12 VERY BAD EXPERIENCE
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one thing after another

Vehicle

2008 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

iv had my car for just over a year, i bought it off my dad and he got it new in 08! in the last year i have had nothing but problems with it, first it was struts and sway bar links and bushings, then wheel bearing, and now the newest thing is my headlights like to burn out, replaced the passenger one 4 times now, at $25 a bulb for h11b its getting expensive, had it to the dealership and they want me to spend a bunch of $ to replace the headlamp assembly! iv been reading up on this and it seems it was a real issue in some of the older optimas, 02 especially! oh yeah, when i had it in there to look at headlight they told me the shift module had to be replaced, at $700 i passed, NOT IMPRESSED!!
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A fair car for the price

Vehicle

2008 Kia Optima EX 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 5A)

Review

We've had our car for 3 1/2 years now, For the last few months our car has really bad road noise like a wheel bearing is going out or somethings wrong with the new tires we just put on the car. tom. we're going to get it checked out a kia dealership maybe they can fix it.
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Awesome Optima LX

Vehicle

2008 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

I've had my '08 Kia Optima LX for nearly 3 years, I bought it new when gas went to $4/gal back in '08. I got rid of my Hemi Ram and bought the Kia thinking I'd keep it for a little while and trade up later. It now has 107,000 miles on it and has proven itself an EXTREMELY reliable little car. I've done nothing to it except change the oil and filter religiously every 5k miles, had one brake job done at 75k miles, replaced the battery at about 60k miles, put on a set of new tires at 72k miles (I put on Kumho KH16's since that's what it came with), and flush/fill the radiator every 45k miles. I did almost all the maintenance myself. IT'S THE MOST RELIABLE CAR I'VE EVER OWNED and I love it!
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Good with Flaw

Vehicle

2008 Kia Optima EX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

I've really enjoyed my Kia Optima. However there is a major issue with the car stalling and power cutting out, upon starting the car up and when driving.
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My Kia

Vehicle

2008 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

I have nothing bad to say about my Kia Optima. The only thing I don't like is the headlights. They are pointed too low. It's like 20 ft in front of you is bright, then it drops off to total darkness.
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Best new car yet

Vehicle

2008 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

I own a '08 optima. Was skeptical at first, but after a shake down Cruise of 500 miles, I was hooked. Got 31 mpg new. Only after market addition was a k&n air filter. Got 50.000 out of the original tires and believe it or not the brakes! Have had no major problems and it only left sit once a dead battery! I remember the earlier models and all the problems associated with them. Night and day! Way to go! Would recommend Kia to anybody looking for an inexpensive durable car. BTW mine has over 75,000 on it.
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Great car, so far: SAFE

Vehicle

2008 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

I wanted to get a safer, more reliable car for my kids. Got a great deal, and the car still has 3 years/30,000 miles on original warranty, then a lifetime dealership kicks in. Rated safest car I could find, next to Subaru Legacy, which would have cost $10,000 more. Happy so far; I'll check back in 6 months.
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Outstanding!

Vehicle

2008 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

I bought this car instead of the Ford Fusion and Chevy Impala. I could see the quality in the car. The lower price sealed the deal. The engine was clean and sounded good. I like the dual auto/manual shifting. I had 2 Toyota Corollas and this is much better. Better comfort than my Crown Victoria. A/C system is stronger than the Crown Vic. The increased MPG from my Chevy S10 will take me one month without fill ups or 512 miles. That's great for a long trip. The 2.4 liter is surprising nice and can handle almost anything. I think this car is a winner for the price. I thank God i live in America where we can chose our best values. Kia Optima definitely is a good car. With 42K it looks like new.
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Not bad

Vehicle

2008 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

My first imported car. Very well thought out packaging and overall design. Efficient with great safety features. At 27,000 miles the car feels and looks the same as it did when new. Reliability has been excellent and performance is on par with competition. Cheap to maintain and insure. At a $14,500 out-the-door price in 2008, it is a bargain.
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