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Steering Column Issues In The 2020 Kia Optima: A Comprehensive Guide

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The common steering column issues in the 2020 Kia Optima include column

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  • Strange noises
  • Trouble steering
  • Mechanical failure
  • Vibration
  • Troubles with the ignition switch

The 2020 Kia Optima has many great features and an amazing design that attracts customers every year. Despite the amazing upgrades and the new safety features that this vehicle included, the vehicles are not problems free like any other car.

One of the most reported issues about the vehicle for this particular year is the steering column issues. These issues raised many concerns, especially when it's impacted safety, and that's why it's critical for you as a car owner to understand the main causes of the steering column issues and how to resolve them.

This article provides a comprehensive guide about the steering column issues in the 2020 Kia Optima. And highlights the main causes and potential solutions that could help you resolve the problem easily without spending much money.

Five common steering column issues in the 2020 Kia Optima

Before we dive into the details about the solutions for the common steering column issues in the 2020 Kia Optima, it is critical for you as a driver to understand what are the common issues that you might deal with and whether you can handle them or not so you get an idea about how critical these issues are.


In general, the most reported steering column issues in the 2020 Kia Optima included the following five:

1-    Strange noises

Most complaints indicated a weird noise whenever they tried to engage the 2020 Kia Optima steering wheel. This noise mostly comes from the steering column, indicating that the steering column is the root of the issue.

According to a report of the complaints, the noise is more like squeaking or popping and sometimes clunking in some instances. This noise gets louder and louder the more they wait on the problem without addressing it at a mechanic.

As a car owner, it is very important never to ignore any noises from your vehicle, whether related to the steering wheel or the steering system. The more you wait on these problems, the easier it gets for them to evolve, impacting other components and costing you a lot of money.

Steering Column Issues In The 2020 Kia Optima

2-    Trouble steering

In addition to reported noises about the steering column in the 2020 Kia Optima, some complaints indicated that they're having issues steering and engaging the steering wheel in general. This critical problem could indicate that you cannot control your car when you want to avoid any safety-related situation.

In general, the way they describe the problem is that the steering is very stiff, and they have a hard time and need to put more effort into engagingging it than before. This is reported more during turning and at lower speeds.

3-    Mechanical failure

Some specific problems indicated about the 2020 Kia Optima steering column have to do with some failures in the tilt mechanism. They mentioned that the way the wheel was angled was uncomfortable and not how it should be as the vehicle was designed.

Of course, if you don't have the right experience and if you bought a used 2020 Kia Optima, you might not realize that there is an issue with the tilt mechanism, and that might be a risk for you, and that's why when you're planning to purchase any used 2020 Kia Optima, you have to have a mechanic to take a look at the vehicle and confirm that you're not dealing with any issues related to the steering column.

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4-    Vibration

Another comment report issue about the column in the 2020 Kia Optima is related to vibration. Many car owners mentioned that this vibration happens excessively whenever they try to engage the steering wheel; this causes lots of stress to drivers who don't have experience considering that it might be related to safety.

In general, sometimes it can be hard to tell whether the vibration is related to the steering column or something else related to the tires or the wheels. In that case, your mechanic will be the best person to help you narrow the list of potential culprits and pinpoint the problem.

5-    Troubles with the ignition switch

Interestingly, many of the people who complained about the steering system issue in the 2020 Kia Optima also indicated an issue related to the ignition switch. They mentioned that the vehicle stalls immediately after trying to turn the key in the ignition switch.

It might not be a closely related problem to the steering column where you have a vehicle stalling once you turn the ignition key. Still, there might be some related issues with how these components communicate.

Steering Column Issues In The 2020 Kia Optima

How to diagnose the most common steering column issues in the 2020 Kia Optima?

If you're concerned about any steering column issues in the 2020 Kia Optima, one of the things you could do is diagnose the problem and look for potential symptoms indicating that this column is having a problem.

Learning to diagnose the issues in the 2020 Kia Optima steering column helps you prevent and avoid purchasing a used vehicle with steering column problems. It also helps you highlight potential problems as early as possible to help you go to the mechanic and resolve the issue as quickly as possible to avoid costly repairs.

In general, automotive experts put together this list to help you diagnose your steering column issues in the 2020 Kia Optima:

·         Listening carefully

As we mentioned before, when you're 2020 Kia Optima has a steering column issue, you'll notice some weird noises coming every time you engage this column. Therefore, one of the ways that could help you diagnose the problem is to listen carefully for any weird noises and see the timing of these noises when it happens to help you narrow down the potential problem.

Suppose you feel that the vehicle is making some weird noises and is unrelated to the steering column. In that case, it doesn't mean you must ignore the problem because it could be related to an even more complicated issue that you must address immediately.

·         Performing a physical inspection

If you didn't notice any weird notice coming out of the steering column, the next thing you could do is perform a physical inspection. Look at the Steering column and see if it's misaligned or has some clear physical damages that you could pinpoint to help determine whether this vehicle needs repairs.

If you identified some potential damages in the steering system, it is never a good idea to ignore the issue because it's a serious thing that you must address immediately. After all, it could prevent you from controlling the vehicle in safety situations.

·         Checking the steering fluid

While we didn't discuss the steering fluid when we talked about the main comment issues about the steering column in your 2020 Kia Optima, it is still important to check off your box by looking at the steering fluid and confirming it's at the optimal level.

Plenty of available resources could help you learn how to check the steering fluid level in your vehicle and how much fluid should be there to determine whether this steering column is functioning properly or not because of something related to the steering fluid.

·         Consult a professional help

Whether you can identify some minor problems or not, it is very important if you feel that your 2020 Key Optima is not operating properly. There might be some hidden issue with the steering column talk to our mechanic.

Your mechanic should have the right tools and experience to help him identify the problem as soon as possible and help you resolve it without needing to install major components that could cost you thousands of dollars on your repair.

Steering Column Issues In The 2020 Kia Optima

Steering column issues in the 2020 Kia Optima: Final Thoughts

The 2020 Kia Optima has many new upgrades that make the driving experience as amazing as possible. However, there were some reported complaints about the steering column issues in the 2020 Kia Optima.

This article highlighted the main problems you could face in your 2020 Kia Optima steering column and walked you through some diagnoses to help you identify any potential early signs of problems in this steering column.

As we mentioned in this article, it is very critical for you as a car owner to be proactive about the problem; whenever you notice any minor problems, consult your mechanic and have him fix the issue as soon as possible.

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