Kia Optima Complaints

7,843 consumer complaints on file.

#11476459July 29, 2022
ENGINE, STEERING
Vehicle suddenly cut off and lost power. Upon cutting back off check engine was blinking as well as oil light. Was left to sit over night as it wasn’t safe to drive home and would not restart. The following morning the car started but was hesitant driven less than 20 miles home which struggled to accelerate and check engine light was illuminated along with oil light coming on . Oil was in the car at the time. Parked in front of home additional oil added oil light then oil light cut off until ac is turned on . Car was turned on and sitting and a knocking noise began . Left to sit the next day then taken to jiffy lube where a reading came on the scanner that it was the crank shaft was then ordered to go to a repair shop where it was diagnosed the engine is blown and that oil was basically being burned even with a maintain of oil changes therefore this caused metal to metal contact . The engine is now seized up and the vehicle is sitting outside of home. Vehicle is unsafe to drive upon further research cars 2011-2019 with the same engine have caught fire or failed . Due to this there is now a class act suit theta ii with Kia .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476484July 29, 2022
ENGINE, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact also stated that she smelled an abnormal gasoline odor. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that an engine cylinder had failed. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V907000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine) unless the engine was knocking. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the engine was misfiring while driving and the vehicle would not exceed 40 MPH. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine was misfiring and oil was leaking onto the spark plugs. The dealer informed the contact that she had to pay a repair fee for spark plug replacements, and then the dealer would determine whether the engine should be replaced under the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476258July 28, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
My (pearl) white 2013 KIA Optima is peeling paint from its front hood and A-pillars. This has been happening since I first bought it in 2018. My car had 55K miles on it and has never been in an accident. I have taken it to the KIA dealership of Fishers with no success. THEY LIED TO ME! Each time, I was told that my car had been previously painted by someone else, and that business did a bad paint job. I have been to KIA of Fishers 3 different times about this concern. There are MANY, MANY sites and now several class action suites pending against KIA for this problem. I want my car repainted. https://m.facebook.com/DefectiveKiaPaint/photos/a.112101813622800/147796620053319/?type=3#
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476054July 27, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
My paint has been peeling off over the years and it just really got bad to the point I could not take it any more. So I finally look to see if the was other vehicles within that year make and model had the same problems and this is why I am doing this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476098July 27, 2022
ENGINE
Driving down the highway and lost power. check engine light came on the engine shut down and had to coast a mile down hill no shoulder to pull off to. came to a spot to pull over and tried starting it and it started but made a heck of a noise. took it to the dealership and it needs a new engine 60,234 miles on it no warning at all. just paid it off and received the title to it. in the mail the day before in the mail. lost power steering braking had too put it in neutral and coast down hill for a mile. this is mechanical engine failure and a safety issue. 2.4 liter GDI engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475993July 26, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving on the freeway and NO vehicles around me, the sunroof shattered, I am reaching out to consumers to see if they have encountered the same problem. As I reached out to KIA consumers affairs and after waiting 2 months I was told to reported it to my insurance and they will cover my deductible but it will take 90 days for my deductible to be processed and issued to me. A total of 5 months to wait for my sunroof to be fixed is unacceptable. FYI - KIA Dept. of consumers affairs (800) 333-4542 you will be on hold for hours before someone can help you, so annoying… Any suggestions or help will be greatly appreciate.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475723July 25, 2022
ENGINE
This vehicle only has 112000 miles on it and has had all maintenance as required yet the rod bearings have failed resulting in a knocking rod. There is a product improvement going on at the moment leading to repairs of these issues and a lifetime warranty on the rod bearings that I was not notified of resulting in a rod knock and a car that cannot be driven. Kia has refused to look further into the issue or repair it. Thankfully I was not on the highway when my car broke down as it couldn’t even make it up a small hill and I came very close to a collision because of it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475800July 25, 2022
ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The Kia optima 2020 2.4 every 3000 to 4000 miles oil change is metal shavings in the old oil. The clicking noise stared it around the 10000 miles mark and now is getting worse with 60000 miles ,everytime I hit the gas and goes over 30 miles loose a lot of power and a clicking noise come out ,now is getting worse. Is a new car. Already change a ABS pump and I keep my oil change to the date. I m afraid the car is breaking . Help.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475811July 25, 2022
ENGINE
Car ran perfectly. No indications on the dash cluster until the check engine light started flashing and car went into limp mode. Got to safety off freeway to a gas station lot. Parked car. Took video of the car running while recording the dashboard. Pushed the gas while in park to hear Rod knock. It was 10pm. Had car towed home. 2 days later towed to dealer. Between time it broke down and I had towed to them. I found out about the knock sensor. I also joined a group on Facebook with hundreds of people getting screwed over. There I learned about class action and oil consumption issues. Not on any oil change was I made aware of low oil. I check my oil levels and have a high class mechanic change my oil. So first the dealer calls me and says. Technician states no oil in engine. I ask. Well why was there no oil light on? I said if there was. I’d had had my car checked. I said only thing in was flashing check engine light at the moment of failure. He advised. No the engine lights not on but oil light is. I emailed him my dash cluster video. He calls me and says. Oh you’re right. Sorry miscommunication with technician. I also sent picture of oil dipstick that showed there was oil filled to The top indicator. Advisors Response was basically a shrug. They asked for most recent 6 oil change receipts. I furnished 8. They said sludge in engine. I asked for pics. After 6 requests I received 2 pics that do not match up with pics I took of same part. So at this point per at least 200 people and myself. Kia and Hyundai are voiding warranties and not backing up their crappy engines. WE NEED HELP URGENTLY. I have not paid car payment since breakdown. I am $3700 in the hole paying for rental that I was told would be reimbursed once engine replacement was approved. Well they SUCK. Many more in my position or worse now. This is criminal and fraudulent
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475535July 24, 2022
ENGINE
We purchased car used on 11/27/19. Within 3 days it was chugging, engine light started blinking, and we were broke down on side of the road. Federico Kia in Wood River IL had us tow car to service and told us then that there was an issue with these engines and they would be “replacing a part, and if it does this again, we would qualify for new engine. Would have been nice to know about issue with fires in engine prior to buying an 18000 car. After paying $400 for rental car they said it was fixed. Drove ok for another 9 months and then same thing happened yet this time we could smell something burning under hood. We were by dealership when this happened and due to it chugging and engine light, we took and dropped off again. We were then told spark plugs and needed oil change again after we had just changed ourselves 2 months prior. Said they were “flushing out engine” . Total cost was over $200 for us for oil change and flush. They said technically we were over our warranty time. SMH. It hasn’t been right since we bought it. We can’t afford to make their service dept rich, so we were told they would have to charge from them. We have had to replace same spark plugs 6 times as of today. We were just driving it after oil changes every 3 months even if miles driven were under 2000, and it’s chugging again and smoke and smell from under hood again. This engine is going to catch fire i fear. I won’t drive past 10 miles from my home because I have engine that chugs and overheats. Oil is not cheap and we put 2 qts in every 2 weeks or so. Dealership said there were no oil leaks they could see and yet puddle under car many times. Can someone please help us?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475573July 24, 2022
ENGINE
While driving on Highway 77 N in North Carolina (Marker 22) and in the middle lane my Kia shut off. I almost was hit by a semi-truck behind me. Traffic had slowed due to an accent so I was doing 50 mph. The engine fluttered and instantly the car was off!!! I coasted off to the side and was unable to restart the car. 911 was called. When the car was towed on my own dollar the mechanics were unable to get the engine to turn. The engine in the Kia "locked itself" and the mechanic said it was on the manufacturer. I called Kia as per the mechanics request. The Kia rep wanted ME to pay to tow it to a local dealership. I don't the funds to do so. I'm not from this state and now stranded. I referred the Kia rep to the mechanic that has the vehicle. I was the rep would reach out to the mechanic. Kia did not reach out to the mechanic who I followed up with before they closed. I'm stranded in another state with little money, no car, and children. It's been 24 hours with no word from Kia. I saw recalls for my vin number NONE mention engine locking while driving! This could have killed my entire family.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475608July 24, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Heard noise, while driving, hitting car. Fin cover for antenna broke off. Pulled over and luckily found it. Looks like it broke loose at connecting screws. Thankful no one was behind me at time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475401July 22, 2022
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Driving on the highway of about 65 mph, a semitruck was moving into the shoulder. I accelerator to pass it. The car pulled forward, then all power was off. I coasted pass the truck heading for the shoulder also. The semi was stilling moving on the shoulder. The driver blowing the horn but there was nothing I could do. The semi was able to get back on the highway without crashing into us. An appt. has been made but the dealership says the part necessary to repair the recall service is unavailable. When the car died all service lights were on. After a 15 min. wait, I started it up and the check engine light was on and a slight smell of gasoline.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475111July 21, 2022
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, an abnormal burning odor was detected. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and declined the engine replacement. Upon investigation, the contact was made aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the contact had not yet received the recall notification. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475153July 21, 2022
AIR BAGS, SEAT BELTS
My son owned a Kia Optima built in June of 2013. He was in a motor vehicle accident where he was put in a pit maneuver and Then was T boned on the passengers side causing his body to lay across the front seats and died at the scene. His black box download showed that the seat belt pretensioner was off and both airbags in the front did not go off. I know there is a recall for optimas built before aug 31 of 2012. I believe there was an issue with this vehicle as well. I would hate for there to be anymore deaths or injuries with the later models of these vehicles. I do hope this is looked into further.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
1
#11475212July 21, 2022
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Headlights will randomly turn off when set on automatic lights. Turn signal might be part of the issue. Headlights will turn off when driving on winding road or randomly when you turn on the turning signal. I was driving rounding on the hillside when my headlights randomly turned off. So scary because I could have driven off the cliff. No specific dates because it happens consistently. I will enter the most recent but it goes back about 2years. I should add for safety sake, that it also happened when I was driving on a relatively straight-smooth road
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11474859July 20, 2022
STEERING
The City of memphis has seen a massive spike in motor vehicle thefts. Which i have been one of the Kia vehicles stolen & damage that cant be fixed quick with the steering column. The Memphis Police Department has described the situation as a car theft “epidemic.” The car thieves’ main targets are Hyundais and Kias, which account for approximately 66% of all thefts across all vehicles. Kia and Hyundai, as well as their joint design center, Hyundai Kia America Technical Center (“HATCI”). As the Complaint details, these car thieves figured out what an entire team of Hyundai and Kia engineers seemingly missed: the companies’ vehicles are designed and manufactured with subpar security measures, thereby making them incredibly easy to steal. These design flaws pose significant safety risks and create a substantial financial burden for consumers. the Complaint alleges that many Kia and Hyundai vehicles are equipped with a defect that makes them incredibly easy to steal. Although local media outlets have reported as much, the Complaint describes in detail the nature of the common defect present in these vehicles, including how the thieves are stealing these cars. Given the incredible public safety threat this has created, we did not want to exacerbate this problem by providing aspiring car thieves, a playbook on how to steal these vehicles. Something has to be done.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11474958July 20, 2022
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My vehicle has been smelling like fuel inside of the vehicle and cannot take it to a kia dealership due to them being backed up. There are no visible leaks inside or outside of the vehicle but it is unsafe to inhale fuel and every time i fill it up, the smell gets stronger.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475020July 20, 2022
Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness
Chest clips melted got all over car seat and my child
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11474792July 19, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
My name is E........ M........ and I'm writing this email/complaint in hopes it can be resolved or you can pass this email along to the appropriate person or persons to have this matter looked into. We purchased a used 2016 Kia Optima a few years back and have had nothing but trouble, from electrical issues, recalls, transmission issues, oil consumption, and smoke coming through the air vents!!!! and there's more, the last time we had an issue and took it to a dealer for problems shifting, hard shifts, loss of power, and smoking, we were told the dealer could not duplicate the problems while driving it and that was that, not a damn thing fixed because apparently everyone is stupid or blind and I was more than pissed. On 7/13/22 the car has been at the dealer again (for almost two weeks now, but they were so busy they just got to it today) so the car is there for the same exact things listed before only this time they state the turbo turbine is bad and it's gonna be $4000.00 to fix it. First off NO, and secondly NO, I will not let this happen! BTW, please pay close attention to the part of smoke coming through the air vents!!!! Currently, the car is at a KIA dealer still, the general manager was to call me on the 14th and NEVER DID today is the 19th, I called today and they are acting like they don't even know me. NO warning lamps, the car can be completely out of oil, and still no engine or oil light will come on. The fact that this car has smoke coming through the air vents is of most concern, I need help dealing with this issue and will contact a lawyer if needed or if you advise me to. BTW I emailed all head people at Kia corporate and NO response from them as well. Thank you The consumer stated the general manager has the approval to move forward with the repairs and would like to rescind the complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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