Kia Optima Complaints

7,843 consumer complaints on file.

#11570582February 7, 2024
ENGINE
I was driving home Sunday night, Dec. 10, 2023 when the car started to smell like it was on fire and the Malfunction symbol came on. I pulled over on the side of the road, but car was still blocking the road, so after a few minutes, I decided to try to make it home as it was only about 1/2 mile. I was able to get a ride to work for 3 weeks. On Jan. 2, I had to go buy another car so I could get to work. On Jan. 3rd, I called dealership and they just said they did not have parts and did not know when they would. I also called Kia headquarters and got no help. My car has been sitting in my driveway for over 2 months as I have no where else to put it and it is not safe to drive anyway. Kia says to park car away from everything as it could catch on fire. This is ridiculous!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570243February 6, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
In touch with 2 local dealers, one so far does not have the replacement part to resolve the recall on the hydraulic electronic control unit, one has yet to call me back to schedule for service. I am experiencing a burning/melting smell through my vents when the vehicle is not in motion.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570353February 6, 2024
ENGINE
Constantly burning oil every 500 - 1,000 miles. There is a huge issue with these engines there needs to be a recall to replace or fix these engines.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570391February 6, 2024
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I was getting on the freeway and my car suddenly just stopped accelerating. I even tried pushing the pedal to the floor and all power was gone. I was almost ran down by a 18 wheeler who must not have noticed my hazards had been switched on. A warning came on “check hybrid system. Turn off engine” When the car lost its momentum as I was pulling over and eventually came to a stop I followed the warnings directions and shut the car off since I couldn’t get any further anyways. I tried turning the car back on and then all lights and power instantly started flickering on and off and going crazy and then the warning came back on and then the whole car shut off by itself. I have been too scared to drive it since and I just got it back in October and I need a car to get to work and school and I don’t know what to do but the amount of danger this issue put me in is unsettling and cannot be overlooked. Not sure what caused the malfunction because so many different things happened at once that it was hard to tell It is available for inspection upon request A service center confirmed that there is a problem and they believe it is related to the coolant pump and hybrid battery There was one other time that a warning came up and it just said “check hybrid battery” but it went away only like a minute later and then a couple days after that I came outside to go to work and the car was dead but then I jumped it and it was fine up until the issue I first mentioned happened where I was put in danger A warning light that said !HEV and the check engine light both appeared
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570395February 6, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
My vehicles check engine light came on and I started feeling a lack of power in my car. Sluggish to accelerate. When the car was plugged in and diagnosed, it came up as the knock sensors. We had those replaced and the car ran fine for a few days but then it died out of nowhere. Check engine light came on again and it came up as knock sensors again. We had those replaced again and also had an oil change. Again… it was fine for a few days than started to knock… as I was driving the vehicle is completely seized on me. I almost went off a bridge because it didn’t allow me to press the breaks or anything. Brough it to the shop and they are saying the knock sensor popped up again but the engine is seized/blown. I was told this was not the first vehicle with my year make and model to do this and in this order.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11569900February 5, 2024
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I’m having oil consumption problems. I had this car since 2022 every time I get an oil change and drive 1000 or less miles my oil light comes on when braking or turning vehicle. As well as a knocking sound and the car runs very rough. I put more oil in every time even getting oil change done before I’m supposed to spending extra money and time just to ride in this car. I took it to serval shops no leak was spotted in fact they said my drain plug may need to be replaced. I changed the drain plug twice as that’s not the issue but I’m still having a low to no oil in vehicle. I also was told that i have a cloud of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe when I hit the gas another problem. More recently after an oil change I’ve noticed a small oil leak spots on the ground. This should be a recall as a lot of Kia owners are dealing with this issue. Help
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11569960February 5, 2024
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle began sputtering. The check engine warning light was flashing. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over and heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed her that the code P1326 (Knock Sensor Failure) was retrieved. The mechanic informed the contact that an engine replacement was needed. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570004February 5, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY:MANAGEMENT SYSTEM/ENERGY CONTROL MODULE (BMS/BECM)
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle lost power and the check engine light was illuminated. The vehicle was parked at the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that a handheld diagnostic machine provided code: P1326 where the knock sensor needed to be replaced. On another occasion, while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact attempted to start the vehicle again but observed smoke and flames emanating from the engine compartment and exited the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the knock sensor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 152,451.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570033February 5, 2024
SERVICE 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 local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not 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
#11570148February 5, 2024
ENGINE
Rod bearing making a knocking noise. Car a month since i bought it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570154February 5, 2024
ENGINE, STEERING, POWER TRAIN
This is my 3rd or 4th complaint on here with NO RESPONSE, HELP, OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT! My 2020 finally got engine put in and car does not drive the same. Steering wheel acts weird, the engine has a sound, the anti collision lights went off twice, but could be due to weather. Kia told me that it's my responsibility since my yr is not on recall. I'm surrendering this car asap to give me piece of mind before another engine is due. I met several people at kia that are on their 2nd and 3rd engine and the mechanics told me they know I will be back for another engine! This is wrong and now I'm out of alot of money and surrendering this will add more negative factors. I have my receipts but im not posting publicly
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11569772February 4, 2024
ENGINE
Since the recalls my check engine light keeps popping on and off and I can smell a burning smell sometimes
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11569790February 4, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I was driving and tried to brake but my car did not stop and ended up hitting guardrail. A couple weeks later I was driving and there was nothing in front of me but the car abruptly stopped in the middle of road
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11569803February 4, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Earlier this week, I went to the grocery store and noticed that the antenna cover had fallen off my car during the drive. Nothing unusual had happened on the way. In fact, the only thing unusual over the last few weeks was some rather cold temperatures for Georgia. I did look up recalls and saw that there was a recall for this item for Kia Optimas from 2016, but a service technician said that the recall did not include my vehicle. Is it possible that the recall is not inclusive of all vehicles with a problem? This is a surprisingly expensive repair for me otherwise. Thanks for your consideration and I appreciate any guidance you can give me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11569815February 4, 2024
ENGINE
I see there is recall on some Kia Optima with the oil being loss and knocking of the engine. I keep up the maintenance on my car and this particular issue is happening with my car. Why is there only some optimas recall for this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11569665February 3, 2024
ENGINE
Engine failure I am writing to express my serious concern regarding the defective and unsafe vehicle that I purchased from Kia Motors. It has come to my attention that Kia Motors is selling vehicles with known defects that can potentially cause harm or even death to its customers. I demand immediate action to rectify this situation and ensure the safety of all Kia vehicle owners. On [XXX], I visited a Kia Motors dealership to address a recall for the ksds engine on my vehicle. I was told the service was complete and I retrieved my vehicle. However, in December 2023, my vehicle suddenly stopped working in a busy intersection without any warning. I had my vehicle towed to a Kia Motors service center, where I was informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. A month later, I discovered that the ksds recall repair had never been performed on my vehicle. I ask so what happened with the recall they said at the time they didn’t have an engine available they were on back order .but the failed to inform me of this and I was driving around in a safety hazard. They messed up and want me to be responsible for there mistakes. An apology is not enough Kia Motors is still selling vehicles with this dangerous defect and denying customers replacements. I demand that Kia Motors fixes the engine of my vehicle at no cost to me. Failure to do so will result in legal action. I implore Kia Motors to prioritize customer safety by taking immediate action. It is crucial that Kia Motors either fix my vehicle I expect a prompt response outlining the steps Kia Motors will take to rectify this situation and ensure customer safety. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11569412February 2, 2024
ENGINE
I heard a noise and pulled over to take a look at it and noticed fluid was leaking. Then the engine wouldn't start. I had the vehicle for about 2 weeks before this happened I had a mechanic diagnosis why it wouldn't start and he said he found a crack in the lower end of the engine crankshaft gridle and now yhw engine needs to be replaced.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11569464February 2, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2015 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 contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed the vehicle was smoking and on fire. The contact stated the vehicle was equipped with tinted windows, and when he opened the driver's front door, the contact noticed smoke and fire in the interior of the vehicle. The contact called the fire department. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. The contact was treated for smoke inhalation. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact was informed by the dealer that there were no recalls for the vehicle. The contact stated that the dealer inspected the vehicle but did not provide the contact with a report. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a claim was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11569496February 2, 2024
SERVICE 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 dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11569532February 2, 2024
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the oil pressure switch. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 237. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 45,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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