Kia Optima Complaints (2015)

1,022 consumer complaints on file.

#11434903September 29, 2021
ENGINE
There has never been any problems with the vehicle. No clicking no lights . I took it before time for an oil change and tune up. The car just stopped at the red light . I had it towed to Kia. It’s been there now a week shy of 2 months. I have to call for updates no one would call me back. I called kia recall department. A lady told me car has 2 recalls on it but they will NOT FIX IT due the time me no having warranty!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11434325September 25, 2021
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving my car and was hearing a clicking/thumping sound, until I turned left into a street where the motor just started shaking and making a louder noise. I started to press on the brakes because the sound and feeling of the car was very unusual. I came to a complete stop and put my car in park and waited where finally the engine just cut off even though the lights stayed on. I turned my key back to turn of the car and tried to turn it back on but my motor would just shake and my car would not turn on. i stepped outside and noticed there was oil spilling from under my car. I got it towed to a mechanic where they informed me my rod bearing came lose and punctured a hole in my engine. I called the KIA assistance center and said this was due to the recall SC212, but when i called a KIA dealership they said they could not cover the damage. Turns out this issue was part of a product improvement campaign which KIA would update the ECU in my vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11434111September 23, 2021
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact had initially taken his vehicle to a local dealer to be serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). Upon return of the vehicle, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up after multiple attempts. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the alternator was replaced. The independent mechanic also informed him that the battery would charge to full capacity and referred him back to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the dealer could not find a failure after an inspection. After a few weeks, the contact stated that the failure returned as the ABS warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that while his son was driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled while on the highway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and had the battery checked by another independent mechanic. The contact’s son was informed that the battery was not linked to the failure. The contact’s wife had called the manufacturer and filed a complaint. The vehicle has been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. The VIN was not available. Consumer would like to withdraw the complaint since it has been repaired.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11433550September 19, 2021
ENGINE
I was driving on the highway going about 55 miles per hour when suddenly the dashboard lights illuminated and car seemed to power down quickly. I barely had time to pull over to the shoulder of the road when the car completely shut down. I could not get the car to start backup and I had to call a towing company to the scene to tow the car to the Kia dealership. My safety and the other occupants safety were put in grave danger, especially driving on a highway where the speed limit is minimum 55 miles per hour. The car dealership confirmed the problem with me, but there is a significant wait time of 2 weeks or more before they can begin performing necessary repairs to the vehicle. Their excuse was an abnormally high number of other Kia Optimas ahead of my vehicle, waiting on parts from Korea, and the warehouse being backup due to the parts shortage. There were no warning lamps or noises prior to the car completely shutting down while driving 55 miles per hour on the highway. It was sudden and caught me off guard and I tried not to panic during the entire dangerous and scary situation. I have been without a replacement vehicle for over two weeks because you cannot get the rental/loaner coverage until the car has been formally diagnosed by a technician. I am paying out-of-pocket until I get the rental car coverage that Kia told me I would qualify for once the car is officially diagnosed and a timeframe is given for estimated date of full repair and pick up of the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11433289September 16, 2021
ENGINE
While traveling on a city street at approximately 40 miles per hour, the engine seized and stalled. After coasting to the shoulder without power, the engine would not restart. Vehicle was towed to local dealership and I was informed it has complete engine failure. Dealership stating Kia corporate refusing to repair vehicle despite multiple complaints of engine failure in this model.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11433105September 15, 2021
ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at 15-20 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled and she saw smoke coming out from underneath of the hood of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated she was able to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence, then it was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine had ceased. The dealer informed the contact that she would be responsible for the cost of the repair. The vehicle was towed to a second dealer (Kia of Riverdale 1 Windbeam Rd, Riverdale, NJ 07457). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not provide any assistance due to the fact that the previous owner of the vehicle had not completed the software update of the vehicle. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 76,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11431765September 4, 2021
STRUCTURE:BODY
My Pearl White paint is chipping off
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11431609September 3, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My Kia Optima needs/needed to have a software update to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to installed. The Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) protects the engine from excessive connecting rod bearing damage. There was/is nothing to detect the onset of excessive connecting rod bearing wear and alert the driver at an early stage of bearing wear before the occurrence of severe engine damage, including engine failure. There is no indicative code to alert the driver and minimize the risk of a more severe engine failure. My car has experienced this inadequacy and is need of a full engine replacement because of it. There has been recalls on other years of the Kia Optima but, not the 2015. This is an increasing problem amongst Kia Optima 2015 owners and should not be treated separately from the other years that have experienced the same problem. My car jerked suddenly in traffic and came to a sudden stop almost causing me and my granddaughter to be in a collision with oncoming traffic, with no warning. Kia did a safety recall campaign for other models with this problem SC200**1 (Rev 1, 03/25/2021) but did not include the Kia Optima 2015.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11431663September 3, 2021
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately at 40 mph when the vehicle lost motor functionality. The contact was able to pull over and smelled a burning odor coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that they spoke to a local dealer and was advised to not bring the vehicle in for a diagnosis. The manufacturer was informed of failure and told the contact they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 96,127.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11431506September 2, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated their daughter was driving at 55 mph, the vehicle in front of the driver slammed on their brakes for a complete stop which caused the contact to depressed on the brake pedal however the vehicle did not stop or slow down causing the driver to crash into the rear of the vehicle in front. The driver-side air bag did deploy. The front end and hood were bent. No one was injured. There was no medical treatment at the scene. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximate 180,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11430699August 27, 2021
ENGINE
Driving on the freeway at 60-65. car started slowing down. bumper to bumper traffic. car stops. KIDS in car. most terrifying moment in life. get towed finally they took to KIA dealer Cleveland Ohio.. engine locked. $4K to repair. KIA would not warranty any of it. 102K miles on engine. frequent oil changes. 2015 was not covered on the recall. This is un acceptable they know its a problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11430300August 24, 2021
AIR BAGS
No incident occurred. My airbag light has been on for the past 2 months but no impact occurred to my vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11429647August 18, 2021
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to coast the vehicle off to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact mentioned that the battery was drained from the engine not turning off. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but not diagnosed nor repaired. The vehicle was undrivable. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11428321August 9, 2021
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I received a Safety Recall notice dated 7/5/2021. When I contacted the dealership, the next available appointment was December 6, 2021. Because of the seriousness of this recall, I feel I should be given a service appointment sooner than December 2021.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11428231August 8, 2021
STRUCTURE:BODY
Extreme paint chipping
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11428172August 7, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On Monday, August 02, 2021, I was driving home from work and suddenly, when I stepped on the gas pedal, the car didn’t move but the RPMs were reveving very high and all the lights, accessories continued to work. The car had to be pushed out of the street and into a parking lot, until it was towed the following morning to my local mechanic. Upon inspection, it was determined that the engine had seized. I was informed that this is a well-established problem of similar models, years of Kia and Hyundai vehicles that occurred as result of an issue during the manufacturing process and that Kia was aware of the problem but refused to issue a recall. Due to Kia’s reluctance to reimburse owners for the repairs, there is a class-action lawsuit against Kia. My vehicle was towed on August 5, 2021 to Bob Rohrman’s Kia dealership on Golf Rd, Schaumburg IL.As a result, I am without a vehicle that I am still making payments on until December 2021.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11427080July 29, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I started driving to work drove a mile went to accelerate to get on the highway, all my dash lights came on and and i pulled over, my break was stiff so i figured it died, it started to smoke, at first the door wouldn’t open for me to get out, i had to manually unlock it which is weird because if my car is put into park the door automatically unlock normally, when i got out i saw the smoke getting thicker, so i backed up within minutes the car was in flames. I called 911 right away. There was really no warning at all!
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11425620July 20, 2021
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I have owned my kia optima for several years and I've had issues with the windshield wipers not going fast enough. I work from home so I do not travel that often but just recently went on a trip & was on the interstate when it started raining very hard. I could not see the car in front of me at all, not even their tail lights. I understand visibility is always worse when it rains but all the other cars were still going at a steady pace & passing me. I had to pull over on the side of the interstate until the rain slowed down to just a sprinkle before I could see well enough to drive. This caused me a great amount of anxiety because i didn't know if I was going to run into someone or if I was even in the right lane. I have several friends that also have the kia optima 2015 & 2016 models and they have said the same thing. The speed on the windshield wipers is extremely slow compared to other cars we tested this on & I feel this is a major safety concern. I pulled up google reviews on this issue & there are a lot of people complaining about the speed not being fast enough.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11424413July 12, 2021
ENGINE
So we have a 2015 Kia Optima. On June 10 2021 our car was completely fine just did our normal oil change, tune up, etc. it was running and starting just fine. The next day June 11th, 2021 my husband was on the highway and getting off at his exit and the car suddenly went into “limp mode” it’s a safety mechanism on the car to stop it from completely blowing the engine and destroying other things. He was able to get the car home but was only able to go 25 miles a hour. The car is now currently sitting in our drive way throwing a whole bunch of different codes. First it was a rod in the engine and then now a misfire when the car hasn’t moved in over a month. From what I hearing from the dealership and other people this is common with the GDI engines. We are now out of a car and don’t even know what’s completely wrong with it. We’ve barely had a year of that.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11423982July 8, 2021
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owned a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while stationary with the engine on, the check engine warning light illuminated. After pulling into a parking lot, the vehicle stalled and was unable to be restarted. With the assistance of a nearby police officer, the contact placed the vehicle into neutral and backed into a parking spot. While waiting for her boyfriend to arrive at the scene, she noticed that dark grayish smoke was coming from the engine. The contact and her daughter immediately exited the vehicle as another police officer showed up at the scene. The officer attempted to extinguish the fire with an extinguisher but failed to do so. The fire department arrived at the scene and was able to extinguish the fire. The contact was uncertain if a fire or police report was filed. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard where it remained. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. Upon speaking with her insurance adjuster, the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the contact never received the notification letter about the recall. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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