Kia Optima Complaints
7,843 consumer complaints on file.
- #11562340December 28, 2023SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the ABS and check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the exhaust manifold needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and case number was provided. The failure mileage was 150,370.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11562034December 27, 2023SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11562062December 27, 2023UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Passenger door handle fell off in my hand. Worried the orhers will do the same. When I called the dealership in Cocoa FL they said that was the 5th call for door handles falling off this week. There was a recall for kia door handles in Canada. 5 calls to one dealership in a week! Multiply that by all the dealerships in the USA and add the ones that don't go through the dealerships. I believe it is worth an investigation into a recall.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11562122December 27, 2023SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11562131December 27, 2023ENGINE
After my last oil change that was done at Lokey KIa in Clearwater, FL. I had my oil changed on July 27,2023. From the date of my oil change till mid Oct 2023 I used 5 qts. of oil. The first appointment that I could get was 11/24/23. A engine diagnosis was done and the conclusion was the engine was burning oil. I opened a claim with KIA and was told that the car was out of warranty by six months but was still under the mileage. I asked the KIA representative if they could do a good will gesture to replace the engine and was denied.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11562185December 27, 2023ENGINE
I bought a 2015 Kia optima in February of 2023. In October the engine completely seized with zero warning. The vehicle was always properly serviced while in my possession. The engine seized and the car went into limp mode during the first snow storm of the year on one of the deadliest mountain passes of North Idaho. I, a young woman, was stranded almost an hour outside of town on the side of a freeway on a mountain during a snow storm. The power in my car shut off so I was unable to use the heat system. I waited approximately 3 hours in these conditions for a family member to arrive. I then had the vehicle towed 40 miles back to town and have been without a vehicle since. Kia USA has only offered $40 a day in rental reimbursement to assist with the situation. However, due to my age I am unable to rent a vehicle. My personal dealership where I purchased the vehicle from has denied letting me rent a vehicle from them. The Local Kia dealership has not provided me with a loaner vehicle despite being on the list for over two months. Since dealing with all of this, I have learned that there is not only 1 but 2 recalls on my vehicle and one is not even going to be fixed due to Kia not having the replacement parts ready, meaning my vehicle can explode at any given time.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11561850December 26, 2023SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owned a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 50-60 MPH with someone in the front passenger seat, she noticed smoke, and then fire coming from underneath the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact immediately veered to the side of the road. Both the contact and her passenger exited the vehicle. The contact stated that the fire extended significantly and the vehicle burned from the front end to the rear seats. The fire department extinguished the fire. The contact could not confirm whether a fire department report and a police report were filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) that she related to the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- Yes
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11561855December 26, 2023ENGINE
Excessive Oil Consumption: Could cause Engine failure, Engine Seizure due to lack of oil. I have a 2017 Optima with Excessive Oil Consumption issue. I noticed the car is consuming excessive oil, for the third time. Many people had reported this issue, leaving customers with expensive repairs. This issue could cause Engine failure, Engine Seizure due to lack of oil. I took the vehicle to the dealer, (Kia) recommended additional services and kept the vehicle overnight for testing. These additional services were outside the normal maintenance interval and are expensive. Quick History: -As of 12/26/2023 Vehicle was dropped off due to excessive oil consumption, this time before the service interval was due. -2017 Optima/ 83,200 Mi -All Oil changes and scheduled maintenance performance at normal interval, sometimes sooner due to the Excessive oil consumption. -Car is for personal use/ normal driving - No Leaks detected in the Car
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11561944December 26, 2023ENGINE
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low-pressure engine oil warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked and almost lost motive power however, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal and continued driving. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on two occasions. The contact stated that the vehicle received an engine oil change; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11561969December 26, 2023EXTERIOR LIGHTING, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Check engine has failed. Glow relay stuck on or knock sensor or engine warranty. I don't know. Kia service will find out what's wrong with my car.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11561718December 24, 2023ENGINE
Loss of power. Was driving across a 4 lane intersection and the vehicle lost power. The engine light came on. I stopped and check the oil and it was 2 quarts low. We had just changed oil less than 2,000 mikes ago. I tool the car to parts store and they said it was a p0309 code. That #4 cylinder misfire. It was either coil or spark plug. I replaced both coil and spark plugs 15,000 miles ago. The plug was covered in oil had black oiley substance covered on the spark area. I had similar loss of power due to oil burning 15,000 miles ago. The car has 97,720. This is an ongoing safety issue.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11561615December 23, 2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Unknown
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11561521December 22, 2023ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and was jerking. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted, and the vehicle was able to continue driving; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 35-40 MPH. The contact stated that she turned on the hazard lights and drove to the residence, where the vehicle remained parked. The contact stated she connected an OBD reader to the vehicle and read a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) for knock sensor failure. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11561537December 22, 2023ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine and low engine oil warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that an unknown fluid had leak and damaged the electrical components in the engine compartment, causing the engine to seize. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 81,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11561543December 22, 2023SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated after pulling up to her residence and exiting the vehicle, the contact observed that there was smoke coming from the passenger’s side headlight. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the dealer could not determine the cause of the smoke. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11561561December 22, 2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
When driving the vehicle the engine light is on & under the hood is smoking . It smells like burnt rubber or just burning something. This started happening right after the engine light came on. It’s not safe to drive my vehicle at this point
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11561578December 22, 2023SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11561379December 21, 2023ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
There seems to be some oil burning off when I drive. But none leaking on the ground. My car is consuming oil. Also if I press the gas to speed up, my car will stall a bit and then some black smoke will exit my exhaust.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11561411December 21, 2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I received a safety call notice my car was still working fine I’m waiting for the next notice according to this notice and my car breaks down still no notice said to call the number on it I did nothing, THE CAR STOPPED IN MIDDLE OF THE FREAKIN TRAFFIC ON A GREEN LIGHT ALL CARS GOING FAST BEEPING AT ME AND MY CAR WONT TURN ON ITS RAINING AND MY HUSBAND IS PASSENGER THANK GOD MY BABY WASNT W ME BUT WHAT IF SHE WAS , I expect Kia to answer and NOT CHARGE ME TO COME GET ME WHEN ITS THEIR FAULT THE CAR DOESNT WORK WHAT IF WE GOT HIT MY CHILD WOULD OF LOSTVHER PARENTS WE COULD OF REALLY BEEN HIRT SMOKE EVRYWHERE CAR STINKS LIKE ITS BURNING UP I REALLY THOUGH WE WHERE ABOUT TO EXPLODE THE WAY IT SMOKED UP AND SMELLED SO BAD CARS PASSING BY JUST THINKING YOU CANT GWT OFF AN HAVE TO STAY PUT UNTIL THEY STOP I COULD HAVE DIED
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11561101December 20, 2023SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0