Kia Optima Complaints

7,843 consumer complaints on file.

#11547733October 2, 2023
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shuddering. The contact's husband was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with DTC Code: P0304 “Cylinder # 4 misfire). The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547817October 2, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? ******Speed Control- Vehicle will stall while on road/ highway causing rear vehicles to brake. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? *****Several times I was forced to pull over to side lanes to avoid being rear ended. *****Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? I have called dealership several times in regards to this issue, all I was told was to do not use A/C or heater as that will make the vehicle lose power. Refused to conduct was full inspection of vehicle. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? *****No, no it has not been inspected Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? *****No warning lamps not symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547547October 1, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY
Three of the four windows stoped rolling up at the same time. One or two days apart to each other, the 4th one I’m not going to rolling down, it may stop working too.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547549October 1, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The fuel gasoline hose line was leaking, so I changed it. Because of that I changed the high pressure pump twice
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547573October 1, 2023
ENGINE
Complete engine failure while driving 70mph down the freeway. No lights came on before engine started shaking, knocking, and failed. We were stranded at a gas station. We checked oil and there was none. (This was shocking because we changed oil regularly and car had just received complete oil change several weeks prior) We bought enough oil to drive it to nearest auto mechanic shop. He inspected the car and said complete engine failure and that we needed to contact KIA immediately. Spark plugs were burnt and melted more than he had ever seen. He said this is a recurring problem with their engines. (A few months prior to this incident, check engine light came on and car had a slight sputter during acceleration. We took the car to local repair shop. Car received complete tune up weeks prior to incident and check engine light was resolved.) Car was taken to Kia dealership in Little Rock, AR. Diagnosis: Major oil consumption caused engine to overheat and lose pressure/fail. Engine is non-repairable. New engine will cost $10,000. Kia will not back their product. After investigating further, I have found a Facebook group with tens of thousands of people with similar incidents in their Hyundai/Kia cars. This is a dangerous problem and KIA needs to be held accountable. The most recent class action settlement DOES NOT cover engine failure due to major oil consumption, only rod bearing failure. Where is the oil going? There were no leaks detected, no oil light to warn me. Where does the oil go? Burning up through exhaust? Surely that violates some sort of environmental standard that car manufactures should be abiding by. These cars are dangerous to consumers, and bad for the environment. I’m stuck with a car that I still owe money on that is worthless. If I spend $10,000 to repair, they will put the same engine back in the car and I will repeat the cycle of engine failure and loss.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547580October 1, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
My vehicle has 82000 miles and was due for new brakes. I an a retired former dealership technician so I decided to replace the brakes myself. When I removed the front brake calipers, I saw an unusual amount of rust of the steel caliper pistons. I've done thousands of "brake jobs" in my 30 years and I've never seen a caliper piston this bad. I plan on buying and replacing them soon. My concern is that these pistons look like they would rust completely through causing a failure of the brakes. This shouldn't happen on a 2015 MY vehicle or any vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547614October 1, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, STEERING, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While driving my car an Alan went off telling me to pull over and turn off the vehicle. Unfortunately, I had no steering, brakes or acceleration and me and my two little boys were almost hit. I checked and my car year, make and model had a recall for the exact issue and module but mine wasn’t listed in the recall and I think it should be!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547443September 30, 2023
ENGINE
I brought the car may 13 2023 and July 11th the car caught fire on the eway around 9-10am. I was trapped in the car due to the doors not unlocking and had to get help by others around. The car didn't have any problems. No check engine light no nothing. Happened unexpected
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11547489September 30, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was driving down the street when car caught on fire out of no where.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547540September 30, 2023
ENGINE
My engine is failing as of right now . It has yet to completely fail , but I was told by KIA today that it’s failing and they don’t know how long it has left . I just thought I would try and get a re call on it to get it fixed instead of putting myself or others at danger if/when the engine does fail .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547377September 29, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
I was told by me dealership recently that the Kia Optima is not designed for high mileage. It’s been consuming oil and my dealership was aware of the issue. Yesterday smoke came out from under the hood and the engine and front half of the car was engulfed in flames.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547141September 28, 2023
ENGINE
I bought my car in 2016 brand new. It now has 47,000 miles on it. I took it in in 2018 to address a recall. I took it in 2019 when it had 19, 776 miles on it because of lack of power and they determined the VCMA motor was faulty. The car is now rattling and consuming oil extremely fast. An oil change is only lasting 2 weeks before I have to top it off. I’ve had my spark plugs replaced. My mechanic (not Kia) has told me there may be an issue with the piston rings. The cost of repairing a car with less than 50,000 miles on it is getting ridiculous.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547143September 28, 2023
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving after a stop, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that an unstated hose had failed, causing the engine to seize. The contact called an unknown local dealer and was informed that the warranty on the vehicle was under another person's name. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547211September 28, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Breaks locked or failed and was forced off road into a ditch, car totalled
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547027September 28, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Headlights will randomly turn on and off throughout while driving. Radio has the same issue
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547102September 28, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
All four windows stopped working within two months of each other. The motors still work, but the plastics parts inside broke. The trunk latch also stopped working and the trunk won’t stay shut. There are recalls on the 2016 Optima for the trunk latch, but the dealer says my VIN isn’t involved. There are also tech notices for the windows on the 2016 Kia optima, but no recalls yet. There is a class action lawsuit for the windows also for safety reasons. No one would be able to get out of the windows or trunk if the car were in an accident because none of them work. Kia is useless to fix their junky cars. The mileage is 70,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11546783September 27, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Oil burning faster. After an oil change I go about a month before I have to add more oil again. There is no leak as every time I get an oil change I make sure they check. But around the month period I have to check to see if I am low on oil again. Very frustrating and starting to become costly
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11546833September 27, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, POWER TRAIN
My car is dragging/hesitant to pick up speed. While on the highway, it takes a while to reach minimal speed. No warning lights are on, but one mechanic advised code, under turbo boost. My steering wheel vibrates at speeds above 40 mph (unsure if it's related to turbo), but no one seems to be able to find the core of the problem for repair, Kia dealership included. I've been trying to seek repair for close to a year, without satisfaction.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11546867September 27, 2023
ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION
My engine is under a million mile warranty because it burns 1qt oil/1,000 miles. My engine burns just under 2 quarts of oil about 800 miles. For long trips, this is very unsafe because my engine is going seize or burnout on the highway at some point. This will put my life and possibly that of other drivers at significant risk.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11546963September 27, 2023
ENGINE
The engine is malfunctioning,! and is available for inspection. Within one month of owning(leasing) the vehicle, While driving on the highway, the engine light started flashing, and the car immediately decelerated. Gas pedal was to the floor, and couldn’t get over 40mph. Safely got it to my mechanic who put it on the computer, and read knock sensor. The car was 2 quarts short, and we had 800 miles to go until next oil change was due. The vehicle is BURNING oil. Not one zero leak! We are subjected to continually checking and replenishing the oil to prevent the engine to go back into safe mode. I have 3 small children. Car still under warranty, dealership can’t get car in for months and no shop can get their hands on a motor. Please help!!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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