Kia Optima Complaints (2020)

155 consumer complaints on file.

#11644708February 25, 2025
ENGINE
Vehicle Check engine light started flashing on and off, Code thrown is a P1326 and vehicle went into limp mode, shutting down power essentially going down the highway. Oil burning is excessive, and replacement of oil is at 1-2 quarts every 2 weeks. Engine is not running smoothly. No warning signs of oil burn present until oil pressure light flickers on when taking a curve or sitting on a major incline. Kia Dealership is aware of an issue with the P1326 codes and bearing wear, however, year of vehicle seems to not be included in the original lawsuit and recall/safety notice from all indications. Engine was manufactured and is the same as the 2019 engine that is included. Engine seizure is potential at highway speeds which could cause major harm or death during travel without warning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643407February 18, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the vehicle was connected to a diagnostic machine. The DTC indicated a glow relay failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11641058February 6, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Code P1326 and oil pressure light keeps flashing
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11640770February 5, 2025
ENGINE
Oil pan developed stress crack below and along both sides of the oil pan drain plug All components are in place and there are no signs of road damage or damage do to obstacles being hit Leak started slowly and progressively became worse Returned car to have plug checked but no report back of any problem and it was documented on service order
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11640448February 3, 2025
POWER TRAIN
At gas, the vehicle jumps/judders as if it’s not getting enough gas to get up and go, and then at higher speeds it goes fine. Was reported to Horne Kia while under warranty. They never found the issues. Months later issue was found by a new mechanic, now the vehicle is no longer under warranty and the TRA codes are posted online. [XXX] Reported August 2021 [XXX] Reported December 2020 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11639763January 30, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
I got a CEL (code P1326), three different times. Each time has been after a hard rain or a car wash. I have had to pay to have the knock sensor replaced each time, twice by a mechanic and once by a Kia dealership. There’s a recall for this issue on model years older than my 2020. I was told that Kia is aware but that there aren’t enough people having the issue to warrant them to investigate.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11635121January 9, 2025
ENGINE
The engine is burning through oil. I have already had the car checked for an oil leak. It is the engine. It's a 2020 however it does not have high mileage for the year that it is.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632860December 28, 2024
POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ENGINE
I was driving on the high way and the car loose power completely have to do change oil every two weeks and can’t find a solution
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629853December 10, 2024
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that oil changes needed to be performed more frequently than normal. The contact stated that the oil light remained illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629142December 6, 2024
ENGINE
Driving at highway speed of 65 mph, the vehicle abruptly lost power. The check engine light started flashing. I was almost rear ended due to the loss of power, I was able to coast to the emergency shoulder and stop. The car was towed to the nearest Kia dealership. Diagnostics show code P1326, the engine has failed and needs to be replaced at a cost of over $10000. This the same engine that was included in a class action lawsuit for model years up to 2019, the 2020 was not included. Kia is offering no assistance to me as the second owner of the vehicle even thought the car only has 98,000 miles, the powertrain warranty is reduced to 60,000 for a second owner. The cost of repairs is more than the value of the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11622702October 30, 2024
AIR BAGS, SEAT BELTS
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of New Vehicle Limited Warranty Extension (Illumination of Air Bag Warning Light); however, the part to do the repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The seat belt alarm chimed while the front driver seat belt was buckled. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 42,860.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11619551October 13, 2024
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Was on highway going 65, check engine light started flashing loss power. Couldn't go over 2000 rpms car would struggle to accelerate, car had been using up oil like crazy the week before. Stopped at an autozone car read code P1326.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11618726October 8, 2024
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, and depressing the accelerator pedal, the check engine light was flashing. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was being depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact pulled over, turned off the vehicle, and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic retrieved DTC code: P1326; and notified the contact that the vehicle had experienced engine failure. The contact stated that prior to the engine failure, one quart of engine oil was being added weekly. The contact called a dealer however, the Service Manager did not return the call. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11614957September 16, 2024
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
I started having clicking sound in engine around 50k miles . Then my check engine light came on and my engine has been using so much oil. I have to get an additional 3 quarts in between oil changes. The clicking sound is getting louder and my car is now having issues accelerating. . My engine is failing and I bought this car brand new and have regularly maintained it .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11611267August 27, 2024
ENGINE
Car has been excessively consuming oil for the past year. Black smoke blowing out of exhaust pipe. Engine siezed up which almost caused an accident, had to veer off the road to keep from causing myself and the other party harm. Kia is stating no recall but there is tons of motors having this same issue. The actual motor in car is a 2019 model engine.inspected by Kia dealership with no help stating out of warranty even though this has been going on for over a year.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11606467August 5, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:CALIPER
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's front caliper bolt fractured. The contact stated that the vehicle was undriveable. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that the OEM bolt had fractured while the brake pads were being replaced. The OEM bolt was replaced with an aftermarket bolt that was purchased from Auto Zone. The aftermarket replacement bolt was manufactured by Carquest; Part Number: H803. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11605440July 30, 2024
ENGINE
I purchased my car used in 2022. It had a metal clanking noise in the engine. I took it to KIA they said there was no recall open for them to check it. The sound is getting worse and the engine is now burning oil but KIA won’t do anything unless I pay them $1,200 to clean the heads and another $187 an hour to scope the engine. This has been a problem since I purchased the car and I am sure it has to do with the engine recall but they refuse to fix it or look at it. I have had regular oil changes and maintenance done at appropriate intervals.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11605296July 29, 2024
ENGINE
I was driving in the freeway to my girlfriends house and suddenly my check engine light came on and started flashing, I got off the freeway as soon as I could and parked to check what was wrong and while driving to park I noticed I couldn’t accelerate past 2000 RPM and when shifting my car was skipping and it felt like gas wasn’t getting to the engine. I checked my oil levels and they were at normal levels, the battery was fine, and the car was turning on without a problem. I ran a diagnostics code and it came up with the P13-26 Code
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11601812July 13, 2024
ENGINE
Oil leaking at drain pan and won’t come out.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11600443July 9, 2024
ENGINE
While traveling on the highway at the stated rate of speed between 65-75 mph, my vehicle experienced what I described as a downward surge causing the vehicle to suddenly lose speed immediately followed by a consistent blinking engine light. Fortunately, I was in the slow lane and there wasn't a vehicle behind me, or I could have been rear ended. I tried to accelerate; however, the engine acted as if it was choking. I backed off acceleration and allowed the engine to pick up speed on its own. Fortunately, I was almost home and stopped by the Auto Zone in my neighborhood and they attached the device that will generate the code. The code generated P1326 which points toward the knock sensor. KIA need to address this issue and be made to correct these dangerous issues before someone is in a major accident where they may find themselves in a lot of traffic. In my research, I have found numerous complaints regarding this issue and consumers not receiving restitution or taking 3-4 months waiting for their vehicle to be repaired. We hope you will be able to assist in getting KIA to review these motor issues. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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