NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE10-046: Transmission Shift Cable Detachment

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE10-046 on November 22, 2010 and closed it on April 5, 2011. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2006–2008 Kia Optima for it and links recall 11V-153 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE10-046 (also written PE10046)
Investigation type: Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
Status: Closed April 5, 2011
Opened: November 22, 2010
Closed: April 5, 2011
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Components: Power Train — Automatic Transmission; Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Gear Position Indication (PRNDL); Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Lever and Linkage — Floor Shift
Recall linked by NHTSA: 11V-153: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE INSPECTION, reported March 9, 2011
Vehicles and equipment: 2006–2008 Kia Optima

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-046.

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 year (MY) 2006 through 2008 Kia Optima vehicles produced from 9/29/2005 to 6/13/2007.

Kia has stated that the early MY 2006 Optima vehicles built before 9/29/2005 had different automatic transmission shift cables and shift levers than the subsequent MY 2006 through early MY 2008 Optima vehicles built up to 6/13/2007.

Beginning 6/14/2007, Kia changed the assembly process for the shift cables to ensure correct installation.

As for the recall remedy, Kia dealers will inspect the shift cables for correct installation, and re-install them, if necessary.

For more details on the recall, see NHTSA recall 11V-153.

This investigation is closed.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-046. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.

Kia

Kia Optima
- 2006, 2007, 2008

All Kia recalls

What an NHTSA investigation is

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.

An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Kia VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE10-046

Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.