Hard to Keep My Kia In its Lane
Q. I own a 2014 Kia Optima EX and since the day I have owned it I feel as though it “floats’’ at highway speeds, and it is an effort to keep the car in its lane and going straight. As you can imagine this gets very tiring when on long drives or even shorter ones. Is there anything that can be done to fix this?
A. The first place I would look is at tire pressure and wheel alignment. Wheel alignment that isn’t perfect combined with slightly under inflated tires could be part of the problem. As I recall from my last road test of the Optima the overall ride was slightly “floaty’’. The Optima with the sport suspension is an improvement but the tradeoff is a much firmer ride. At this point anything you try will be an expensive experiment that will involve an upgrade to the suspension and a wheel and tire change.
Q. Please can you help me about a car purchase? The car is a four-cylinder 2010 all-wheel-drive Toyota Venza with 54,000 miles on it with leather seat and sunroof. The vehicle history report show a minor body repair. I concluded the deal for $16050. My question; is it worth the price and is it a reliable car? Please give me your advice soon so I can conclude or cancel the deal.
A. The price according to NADA Guides is very good, about $2500 below the typical retail price. Regarding reliability nearly every Toyota product is quite reliable and I would expect no less from the Venza. That said the car is still four going on five years old and if I was buying the car I would want an independent repair shop to perform a used car inspection prior to purchase.
Q. I have a 2013 Scion IQ (don’t judge me) and it makes an odd knocking noise when the engine is cold. There are also other times it doesn’t idle very well; do you have any advice for my tiny car?
A. The problem is a result of excessive carbon build up in the engine. The repair is extensive with replacement of the pistons/rings. This requires removal of the engine. The good news is the repair is covered under the cars 60,000 powertrain warranty. With the exception of how the IQ shifts, I like this tiny Toyota much better than the Smart ForTwo.
Q. I have a 2012 Ford Focus and I really like the car with the exception of the horn. It takes all my strength to get it to work. What is the problem and can it be fixed?
A. The problem is in the design of the horn switch. The horn switch/button is built into the airbag cover and to get the horn to work it requires a firm direct push. I have checked with the technical database that I use-AllData and have found no updates for this issue.
Q. I am considering a new truck for this year and wanted to get your opinion. I’m looking at all of them: Toyota, Chevrolet, Nissan, Dodge and the all new Ford. What full sized truck do you like?
A. I have not driven the Ford F150-it has not been available in the pool of press cars that I have access to. Of the other full size truck choices I think the Chevrolet or GMC are slightly better than the rest. The ride is almost as quiet as a sedan, the engines are powerful and fairly fuel efficient and fit, finish and interior quality is very good.
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