Kia Optima with a mileage of 500,000 km: the secrets of survival
- March 28, 2023
- 0
If the car has done private transport, then this fact is carefully hidden when selling. It is believed that such copies are simply “killed”, so it is more
If the car has done private transport, then this fact is carefully hidden when selling. It is believed that such copies are simply “killed”, so it is more expensive for yourself to buy them. The correspondent of the portal “AvtoVzglyad” just came across a four-door “taxi”. We investigated it in the service and came to some very unexpected conclusions.
Korean business class for taxi companies is one of the best options. And on the secondary car is in great demand. Especially if the price is attractive. That is why we drew attention to this specimen. The 2017 Optima counter shows 494,167 km. At the same time, the “Asian” has not yet collapsed. In addition, he continues to earn money. Already interesting.
It has not had any serious accidents, so the body geometry is OK. True, the front bumper – consumables. The owner says he changes the “front” every month. In order not to go bankrupt, he buys Chinese counterparts for 3,000 rubles. They are crooked and fit unevenly in the grooves, but this is not critical for a taxi. Head optics also need frequent updating.
As for the chrome on the body, it faded, but it did not swell or peel off. Rust regrets the metal. The only place where red spots appeared is on the roof: where the “cap” fasteners are (see photo). The rubber seal of the rear door suffers from iron “legs”: the edge is simply cut off.
On the “belly” the focus is on the felt aerodynamic shields that cover the fuel lines. The “protection” material turned out to be very short-lived. In winter it gets wet, and then it is enough to drive through melted snow, so that the felt begins to fall into pieces.
Now it’s time to take a look at the salon. It is roomy, with plenty of head and shoulder room. And both front and back. The leather of the steering wheel is badly worn and the leatherette of the driver’s seat has long since given up. A little more – and there will be gaps. By the way, the front seats have a weak metal frame. Over time, it loosens and there are no ways to fix it. So the owners pull to the last, and then they change the chair to a new one. The rear seat is in much better condition.
The trunk opens with a button, which is often impossible due to the waterproof cover. The latter loses its tightness and begins to let moisture through.
I look under the hood. Everything is very dirty there, because since 2017 the engine has not been washed. Under a layer of sewage, a 2-liter gasoline engine with a capacity of 150 forces is guessed, combined with an “automatic”. Surprisingly, it was not “capitalized” and the timing chain withstood such an impressive mileage. All because the oil was changed every 8,000-10,000 km.
But the problems persisted. Once I had to sort out the generator, and later turn off the inverter to prevent scratches from appearing in the cylinder-piston group. As a result, epileptic seizures nevertheless appeared, as evidenced by the consumption of lubricant. The unit requires one liter per 9,000 – 10,000 kilometers.
In the six-speed automatic, the lubricant was changed every 70,000 km. For years he has endured steadfastly, but lately there have been shocks in the transition. Most likely the oil temperature sensor is junk or the couplings are already worn out.
But the cooling radiator literally dangles. The fact is that a blow fell on the plastic frame on which this radiator is mounted. Since the part costs 12,000 rubles, the owner decided to save it with little bloodshed and pulled the “TV” with plastic straps. While the design holds, but it looks flimsy.
In the suspension, the consumables turned out to be struts and stabilizer bushings. The anthers of the CV joints also got it, one of which was pulled loose with a string. The solution is dangerous, because the “fasteners” can come loose and then water and dirt will quickly condemn the expensive assembly to replacement. It’s time to update the brake discs. Especially the rear. You can see from the grooves on their surface that they are already doing their job poorly. But shock absorbers and springs still work faithfully and show amazing reliability.
To summarize. In general, Optima, despite its solid mileage, turned out to be quite “alive”. But if you buy it for yourself, you have to invest a lot. First of all, in the power unit, which may soon have problems. And it is also necessary to replace the radiator frame, as it can crumble at the most inopportune moment. Nevertheless, the operational experience of the taxi driver shows that the “Korean” is very reliable, and if you are looking for a car in the secondary market, then this model is worth looking at.
Photo: “AutoVzglyad”
Photo: “AutoVzglyad”
The engine has never been washed.
Photo: “AutoVzglyad”
Korean business class for taxi companies is one of the best options. And on the secondary car is in great demand. Especially if the price is attractive. That is why we drew attention to this specimen. The 2017 Optima counter shows 494,167 km. At the same time, the “Asian” has not yet collapsed. In addition, he continues to earn money. Already interesting.
It has not had any serious accidents, so the body geometry is OK. True, the front bumper – consumables. The owner says he changes the “front” every month. In order not to go bankrupt, he buys Chinese counterparts for 3,000 rubles. They are crooked and fit unevenly in the grooves, but this is not critical for a taxi. Head optics also need frequent updating.
As for the chrome on the body, it faded, but it did not swell or peel off. Rust regrets the metal. The only place where red spots appeared is on the roof: where the “cap” fasteners are (see photo). The rubber seal of the rear door suffers from iron “legs”: the edge is simply cut off.
On the “belly” the focus is on the felt aerodynamic shields that cover the fuel lines. The “protection” material turned out to be very short-lived. In winter it gets wet, and then it is enough to drive through melted snow, so that the felt begins to fall into pieces.
Now it’s time to take a look at the salon. It is roomy, with plenty of head and shoulder room. And both front and rear. The leather of the steering wheel is badly worn and the leatherette of the driver’s seat has long since given up. A little more – and there will be gaps. By the way, the front seats have a weak metal frame. Over time, it loosens and there are no ways to fix it. So the owners pull to the last, and then they change the chair to a new one. The rear seat is in much better condition.
The trunk opens with a button, which often fails due to the waterproof cover. The latter loses its tightness and begins to let moisture through.
I look under the hood. Everything is very dirty there, because since 2017 the engine has not been washed. Under a layer of sewage, a 2-liter gasoline engine with a capacity of 150 forces is guessed, combined with an “automatic”. Surprisingly, it was not “capitalized” and the timing chain withstood such an impressive mileage. All because the oil was changed every 8,000-10,000 km.
But the problems persisted. Once I had to sort out the generator, and later turn off the inverter to prevent scratches from appearing in the cylinder-piston group. As a result, epileptic seizures nevertheless appeared, as evidenced by the consumption of lubricant. The unit requires one liter per 9,000 – 10,000 kilometers.
In the six-speed automatic, the lubricant was changed every 70,000 km. For years he has endured steadfastly, but lately there have been shocks in the transition. Most likely the oil temperature sensor is junk or the couplings are already worn out.
But the cooling radiator literally dangles. The fact is that a blow fell on the plastic frame on which this radiator is mounted. Since the part costs 12,000 rubles, the owner decided to save it with little bloodshed and pulled the “TV” with plastic straps. While the design holds, but it looks flimsy.
In the suspension, the consumables turned out to be struts and stabilizer bushings. The anthers of the CV joints also got it, one of which was pulled loose with a string. The solution is dangerous, because the “fasteners” can come loose and then water and dirt will quickly condemn the expensive assembly to replacement. It’s time to update the brake discs. Especially the rear. You can see from the grooves on their surface that they are already doing their job poorly. But shock absorbers and springs still work faithfully and show amazing reliability.
To summarize. In general, Optima, despite its solid mileage, turned out to be quite “alive”. But if you buy it for yourself, you have to invest a lot. First of all, in the power unit, which may soon have problems. And it is also necessary to replace the radiator frame, as it can crumble at the most inopportune moment. Nevertheless, the operational experience of the taxi driver shows that the “Korean” is very reliable, and if you are looking for a car in the secondary market, then this model is worth looking at.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.
