Kia Optima Complaints

7,843 consumer complaints on file.

#11688052September 18, 2025
ENGINE
I was driving on the highway with my children and the engine started to knock and lock up. I had to swerve onto an exit and roll into a gas station. My check engine light was on. I had it serviced in 2023 at a kia dealership. I had electrical issues to my battery that I opted to get fixed elsewhere. The dealership was aware of the recall on my engine, when I had it towed to them in 2025. Dealership said I opted out of a recall on my engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688053September 18, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to tow the vehicle to a local dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not repaired. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688155September 18, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owned a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact was flagged down by a nearby driver. The contact was informed that fire was coming from underneath the hood. In addition, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact and the contact's dog exited the vehicle. No injuries were sustained. The fire department and Police were called to the scene. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The fire report was unavailable. The vehicle had not been inspected. The contact had received a recall notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687783September 17, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
Lost power while in the middle of a turn while driving happened intermittently power steering and traction control lights come up on dashboard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687988September 17, 2025
ENGINE
Car would convulse and shake very wildly metal parts spread around engine. It has very rough idle. 4th cylinder went out and car only has about 99060 miles. The valve went out. My safety was very bad as car was not driving safely and shaking like a person having a seizeure each time it would stop. Vehicle has been inspected by a Kia dealer. This problem I had seems to get an issue many other people with Kia Optima have.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687516September 16, 2025
ENGINE
Ive had a recall once before got it fix . Few months later it started smoking from exhaust pipes smoke was white . Took it to kia shop they had told me it was a gasket . Ever since then it has been sitting and ive been paying payments for something i can not drive and for a car i keep having recalls and problems with and I need fix . Kia should have a recall on all motors for 2015 as well . But something needs to be done . Been nothing but issue after issue .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687355September 15, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
White paint on roof and around door is flaking off in large sections. No accident. Not covered under warranty. Appears to be a known issue with Snow White Pearl paint on Kia vehicle - widespread paint failure can affect visibility, resale value, and long-term corrosion.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687108September 13, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Car was in park at our home and not running. I was outside and noticed the car rolling backward. I thought my wife was leaving at first, but then noticed no one was in the driver's seat. I ran after the car got the door open and was pulling on it to stop it when it became stuck in a ditch between my driveway and the neighbor's driveway. After getting the keys and trying to start the car, it would not. The shifter was all the way in the park position but the reverse light was lit up. I used the shift release so I could move the shifter. I moved it out of park down to drive and back into park. I could then start the car, but I could not get the car out of park. There is an active recall on Telluride for a similar issue, and I have found other reports of 2013 kia optimas doing the same thing. This is a major safety issue as the vehicle could start rolling at any time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687022September 12, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE
The car just shut off
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686901September 12, 2025
ENGINE
Bearing wear resulted in the engine seizing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686553September 11, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2019 Kia Optima. The contact stated that it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 51,000. It was later discovered that the mileage was 82,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686675September 11, 2025
ENGINE
Engine completely shut down when driving it. Had it replaced among many other things then found out it was part of a class action lawsuit. I have spent two years trying to recoup the money I lost in repairs and the cash I paid for the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686228September 10, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 70-75 MPH, the contact accelerated to 80 MPH to pass another vehicle; however, after releasing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The battery and the low oil pressure warning lights and two other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686317September 10, 2025
STEERING
I had the car inspected by an independent service center because of extreme shaking from the steering wheel and steering wheel being unstable when going over bumps and making clanking noises all while driving. The steering wheel began to feel very loose and dangerous to drive so I took it in and they had to replace the steering coupling Assembly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686340September 10, 2025
AIR BAGS
Driving on [XXX] to Eureka, Ca. Just outside of Laytonville, CA. the vehicle in front of me swerved into oncoming traffic lane (no vehicle in his way) to go around rock, then rock was there, I swerved to the right, but hit the rock, went up on embankment, flipped over and slid to a stop. There is an upcoming California Highway Patrol report from Mendocino County, with support witness (PG&E employee) statement given to California Highway Patrol. No airbags deployed throughout the car. Pictures attached of inside and outside vehicle. No deployment of airbags was written into the report from auto wreak retriever. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11685646September 8, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
Pearl white paint peeling prematurely
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685734September 8, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owned a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after her daughter had parked the vehicle and shut off the engine, a fire had started under the hood as she exited. No warning lights illuminated. There was no odor or strange sound during the failure. The local fire department had arrived on scene to extinguish the fire. The local fire department deemed that the cause of the fire was started with the HECU. It was unknown if a Police report was filed. The vehicle was left at the contact's relative's residence, where it remains for further investigation. The vehicle was deemed a total loss since it was consumed by the fire. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was sought. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685738September 8, 2025
ENGINE
My 2018 Kia Optima has a cracked oil pan, which caused an excessive oil leak —up to 5 quarts in a matter of hours. This eventually led to my engine going out.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685787September 8, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact's son was driving at 35 MPH when smoke was emitting from under the hood. The contact's son pulled over to the side of the road and immediately exited the vehicle. The contact's son opened the hood, and smoke was emitting from the engine. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact's son did not sustain any injuries. The police or fire department was not called. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that an electrical fire had started in the engine and damaged the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the fire. The contact stated that the engine was replaced in 2018 or 2019 due to an unknown recall. The contact did not notify her insurance company. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685224September 5, 2025
ENGINE
After picking up my 2013 Kia Optima from a Kia dealership for an engine recall repair, I was told that no issues were found with the vehicle. The following morning, while driving on the freeway, the vehicle suddenly stalled without warning and lost power in the middle of traffic. This created a dangerous situation, as the driver was left stranded in an active lane with vehicles traveling at high speeds. Prior to dropping off the car, multiple independent mechanics and a body shop had advised that the vehicle was unsafe to drive due to engine concerns. The dealer stated they could not reproduce the issue and cleared the car for use. However, within hours of getting the car back, the stall occurred. The vehicle is currently available for inspection. The problem has not yet been confirmed by the dealer, but the symptoms are consistent with known Kia engine failures related to connecting-rod bearing wear. Before the stall, the check engine light had intermittently illuminated, but the dealer reported “no issues found.” This failure put the driver and surrounding motorists at serious risk of a collision and highlights that the recall remedy may not have addressed the underlying safety defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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