Kia Optima Complaints

7,843 consumer complaints on file.

#11652349April 2, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Unknown Oil consumption Spark plugs need replacement about every 500-1000 miles. Also needs oil every 500-1000
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11652078April 1, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
The antenna fin flew off while I was driving on the highway.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11652179April 1, 2025
AIR BAGS
I brought my Kia Optima into the dealership in October 0f 2024, because my airbag light came on. It has not been there over 6 months because my passenger airbag module is not operable and rending all my airbags useless; it is also on backorder with no ETA. The dealership wouldn't help with my escalation it has taken me 6 months to get to the escalations department and now they will not offer additional support with payments or a buy back "due to warranty". I feel helpless and like my investment has been thrown in the trash and lit on fire as my car is sitting in the parking lot in the AZ sun, not being moved and not protected from the elements. They continue to offer no real resolutions and tell me to wait for a piece that has absolutely no ETA.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651716March 31, 2025
STEERING
-
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651683March 31, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Oil is getting into cylinders causing spark plugs to misfire. Very high oil consumption so I have to put oil in it every other day in between oil changes. I’ve been to Kia Service department several times in the past 2 months.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651623March 30, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
Hi, thank you for taking the time to look over my complaint. On Saturday march 22 while driving down the highway going about 75 mph, my car died. The check engine light was flashing and so was the oil light. I pulled over to the shoulder and when I tried cranking the car it sounded like a rumming noise and the car would not stay on. I had the vehicle towed to Texas Star Auto Shop. On monday march 24th i spoke with the mechanic and he said there is an internal engine problem . Since I am a 2nd owner and the car has 105,736 miles kia will not honor their extended warranty and I am left to pay out of pocket for repairs est cost 10,000+. I am now without a reliable transportation. This has left me annoyed and unhappy with the assistance from Kia.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651431March 29, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I am leasing the 2013 Kia Optima LX through a 3rd party dealership that apparently stated in their terms and conditions that they are not responsible for doing maintenance on the car before being sold. I was on the road after getting gas when all of the sudden, the car started to slow down and my emergency check oil, engine, battery lights all came on. I was able to safely pull into a parking lot but after that, the car wouldn’t turn on. After trying to jump start the battery with another car, the engine started to smoke. We thought the alternator died. The third party dealership has their own maintenance shop and said it was alternator one day, then said it was engine the next and it manually can’t be turned over. That’s when they said because I didn’t get a software update, I didn’t have a warranty and I need to pay for the engine myself. Kia won’t help and the dealership won’t lend a loaner car for this inconvenience. I was never made aware that there were recalls on the car or a software update that needed to happen.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651376March 28, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving on the highway at 65 MPH, the vehicle began to jerk excessively, and the contact was forced to pull over to the side of the road. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the fuel injectors and valve cover gasket were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 112,260.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651026March 27, 2025
ENGINE
I came in to Oil Changers in Fremont California on 4088 Thornton Avenue on 1/8/25 to come in and get an oil change prior to my road trip to Virginia with my dad on [XXX]. I talked to the worker about getting my oil changed and was even asked whether or not I wanted a regular or synthetic oil change in which I said synthetic because it was the best option for my car's long term health. During my service of the car I was also told my car needed a coolant refill soon and oil air filter and was asked if I would like to get that as well which i said yes. When my service was done I was given my receipt of the things done as well as given my oil service sticker that I put on my windshield. After my service I continued with my life as usual the next two days before taking my trip. While on my trip I got to approximately 150 miles from Fremont California before I started to feel an unusual feeling in the gas pedal which went away for a little before eventually turning into a clicking noise around 150 miles after which immediately turned to a complete stoppage on [XXX] about 10 miles Keene. We were in the middle of nowhere in pitch black darkness waiting for my AAA insurance tow truck to come pick us up. My car engine seized up and now it need a completely new engine. I was already paying a monthly car note of 247.69 every 10th and still have a remaining balance of $5,000 left. I now couldn't drive to Virginia with my car because of an error that was not of my doing i've always tried my best to mainta0in the car to the best of my ability. The car's error forced me and my dad to get last second plane tickets to Virginia the day after [XXX] for 611.94 so I could make it to my college on time. This has caused me so much hassle and now i cant even have a vehicle for school because of something out of my control. l still have the receipt from Oil Changers that states i paid for an Synthetic oil change as well all of this information can and will be sent over to you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION A
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651035March 27, 2025
ENGINE
Dealing with sudden excessive oil consumption at 130,000 miles. Had an oil change about 2,000 miles ago and oil sensor has been going off after 1,500-2,000 miles driven. Mechanic put 3 more quarts in and a week and a half later oil sensor is going off again indicating low oil. Mechanic confined this has been a frequent problem with this engine and insists piston rings are faulty & will eventually need engine replacement.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651080March 27, 2025
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. After a visual inspection, the contact observed an excessive amount of oil leaking from underneath the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with engine failure, observing a hole on the side of the engine block. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer however, the diagnosis was not yet confirmed. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V907000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 112,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651112March 27, 2025
STEERING
Steering sticks in the center position. Makes it difficult to maintain a straight line.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651118March 27, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the contact noticed an abnormal oil consumption. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a spark plug misfire. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to a local independent service center, and the spark plugs were replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was repaired several times; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to a second local independent mechanic, where the spark plugs and other unknown repairs were made. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651140March 27, 2025
ENGINE
1. Burning Oil Issue: I began noticing excessive oil consumption in my vehicle at approximately [130,000], with the need for frequent oil top-offs. I made multiple visits to my local dealership and reported the issue, but no lasting solution was offered. This burning issue is a known issue due to position ring failure. 2.Catalytic Converter Failure: Due to the excessive oil burning, the oil eventually began to damage the catalytic converter. This caused significant issues with the performance of my vehicle, including [specific symptoms such as loss of power, poor acceleration, engine misfire, etc.]. 3.Engine Failure: As the oil-burning issue continued, the damage to the catalytic converter worsened, leading to a total engine failure. I am left with a car that is no longer operational, and I believe that these issues are the result of a persistent defect in the engine that should have been addressed under warranty or a recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651159March 27, 2025
ENGINE
I was driving on 295 and my engine light came on. My car started shaking when I was accelerating and when I don’t accelerate it stops. When I come to a complete stop the car jerks back and forth acting like it wants to stall… I’m waiting on a call back from my mechanic on their diagnostic results
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11650841March 26, 2025
ENGINE
My 2019 Kia Optima purchased brand new. Kia released a service bulletin on 3/1/22 citing “excessive oil consumption for 2011-2021 Optima's”. I took it in for the "updates" for said service bulletin for the engine and was told that my engine is good and covered now for the life of the engine even past the 100k miles (mind you no one mentioned doing an excessive oil consumption test at this time). On 3/22/24 car had 104k miles on it and the oil light came on. I had an oil change just 2500 miles or so prior. Pulled into an autozone and it was almost bone dry. I put oil in it and the light went off. I took it to Evans Kia and was told that they couldn't do anything because it was past 100k warranty and that they couldn't run the DX test to determine if it was excessively consuming oil as per the recall. Apparently during the recall they did the DX tests if the consumer stated it was burning oil fast or something to that extent. Mine did not get said test, only the upgrade. They should have done the test, but they just did an "upgrade" which clearly did not work. They said since I had the "upgrade", if the engine fails, then Kia would fix it under warranty. Since then, this happened at least 4 more times with the oil light coming on and engine oil practically gone. Each time took less and less miles. I showed up to Kia 2 of those times in 2024 to show them the the oil change date, mileage, and check oil light on. Also physically showed them the oil being almost empty, yet they did nothing but say when the engine dies or "knocks" they can fix it under warranty. One of those times I had it towed but they determined it was the fuel pump, never mentioned anything else. Fast forward 3/15/25 the engine starts knocking and engine light comes on. I managed to drive it to Evans Kia without any accidents. After my car sat for 9 days, they call me on 3/25/25 and tell me there is a "burnt valve on cylinder 4 and the engine will need to be replaced and it is not covered. How? Help!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11650912March 26, 2025
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while attempting to make a right turn, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear driver’s side window. The contact discovered that the glass had shattered. The contact stated that the Police Department advised her to contact the dealer where the vehicle was purchased, not the Insurance Company. The contact was informed that the failure was caused by a manufacturing defect. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be inspected or repaired. diagnoses. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 58,009.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11650920March 26, 2025
ENGINE
I purchased a 2015 Kia Optima Hybrid on [XXX], from Nissan of Grapevine, TX. The vehicle had an open safety recall issued in 2021 (PI2104) related to engine failure, but neither Kia nor Nissan informed me of this recall before my purchase, nor was the recall repair ever performed. On [XXX], my engine suddenly seized while driving, leaving me stranded. I had the vehicle towed to Meineke in Pflugerville, where they confirmed the engine failure but declined to perform an official diagnostic due to liability concerns. In 2024—over a year after my engine had already failed—Kia America finally mailed me a recall notice. By this time, the damage was irreversible. I took the car to Kia of Round Rock on April 2, 2024, where I was charged a diagnostic fee despite the engine failure being caused by the known recall issue. Kia then denied me warranty coverage, claiming I was ineligible because the recall repair had not been performed prior to the failure—even though I was never informed of it in time. Now, my vehicle has been impounded at AusTex Towing since March 6, 2025, because it is inoperable and cannot be registered. If I cannot afford the impound fees, my car will be auctioned off, leaving me responsible for payments on a vehicle I can no longer use. Safety Concerns: -Sudden engine failure while driving poses a serious crash risk. -Failure of recall notification system—I was only informed AFTER my engine had already failed. -Negligence by the manufacturer and dealership—Neither Nissan (the seller) nor Kia (the manufacturer) addressed the recall prior to the failure. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate Kia America and Nissan of Grapevine’s handling of this recall to determine whether their actions constitute negligence in notifying owners about critical safety defects. Kia should be held responsible for either covering the cost of repairs, offering a buyout, or reimbursing me for my financial losses (towing, impound fees, and loan payments). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FO
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11650922March 26, 2025
ENGINE, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
UNKNOWN. Vehicle is burning through oil every 1,000 miles or so. Excessive oil consumption which i am aware there is a recall. However Kia states my VIN # is not included. While at the dealer service department for failed A/C system, we questioned the excessive oil consumption and engine replacement. We were told they found nothing wrong. Having to top off oil every 1,000 miles or so. It does not make it to the next oil change before the light comes on. No oil leaks. Mechanic said known problem with this engine. Most recently the starter went bad, alternator, and battery. Replaced with a second brand new battery and car won't start again. Dash is lighting up erratically, new battery dead. As if something is drawing all power and draining brand new batteries. This car has a little over 86,000 miles and one thing after another is failing. The car lost power and power steering in a curve leaving us in a dangerous situation after replacing the starter. Dash lighting up erratically with front end collision warning message on the display. We had it towed to our residence which our auto insurance reimbursed us for. Replaced alternator and battery yesterday, and the car lost all power again turning back onto our street, again with the Dash lighting up erratically.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11650676March 26, 2025
ENGINE
I was driving on the highway and randomly my car started to shake very badly and i couldn’t go faster than about 30 mph. My engine light didn’t turn on until i turned the car off and back on after finally making it home after almost getting hit by cars trying to make it back home. I sent it to get looked at and they said that it’s misfiring pretty severely and that kia had a recall on an engine/motor awhile back for my car and to take it to a dealership. I contacted KIA customer care but the only recall I see when I look up my VIN # is for the trunk recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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