Kia Optima Complaints

7,843 consumer complaints on file.

#11459030March 30, 2022
ENGINE
While driving my car felt as though it was running differently and upon looking at my dash board I saw 4 different indicator lights. The charging system warning light, engine oil pressure light, immobilizer indicator light with smart key, and malfunction indicator light. I brought my car to a stop and because I did not know exactly what was wrong I turned my vehicle off. Upon trying to restart my car is when the brake would not press in and the car would not turn over. I had the car towed to my mechanic who contacted me the next day to let me know that the engine was locked up due to the HECU and that I needed to contact a Kia dealer close to my home because there was actually a recall on this from the manufacture. I then had the car towed to a Kia dealer near my home and was then informed that because I did not have the KSDS Product Improvement done back in 2018 this would mean that the HECU recall would not be covered and they directed me to contact Kia Corporate and see if they would give the approval to have this repaired. After numerous emails I was finally contacted by someone at Kia Corporate and they once again informed me that they refused to fix my vehicle. I am reaching out for assistance with this before I move forward with contacting legal council.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11458764March 29, 2022
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle decelerated with the "check hybrid battery and check engine" warning lights displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 122,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11458824March 29, 2022
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 20-25 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently in the middle of the highway. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to push the vehicle to the side of the road with the assistance of the Police Officers. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 248,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11458875March 29, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V363000 (Air Bags) and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer. The contact was then informed that the VIN was also included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). Upon inspecting the vehicle, the dealer informed the contact that there was bearing wear and the vehicle would remain at their location for two months for the repair. 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. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11458568March 28, 2022
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
1. The O2 Sensor malfunctioned causing check engine light to come on. The Catalytic Converter failed or malfunctioned, an it is available for inspection upon request. 1wk after replacement of O2 Sensor installment, check engine light illuminated once again. [Official diagnosis was the catalytic converter was faulty but no mention of replacing 02 once catalytic converter was fixed]. 2. My safety as well as my children's safety was put at risk because there was and still is (even after repairs made from dealership where car was purchased) an issue with broken exhaust system and leak. A broken exhaust system poses extreme danger because it releases carbon monoxide (CO)- an odorless ,tasteless, highly toxic gas, which can travel in passenger area and cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Overexposure to this odorless and colorless gas can cause death. Even in mild cases of exposure to CO can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and fatigue. I need not mention that the extreme or excessive temperatures caused severe discoloration where the three- way catalyst is located. The pistons could have melted as well could have caught the car on fire .My safety as well as every occupant that ever traveled in the vehicle thus far, was at risk. The exhaust leak was big enough to affect the oxygen levels, to spring that code. Another safety risk was when owner of car was falling asleep at wheel of car while driving, not knowing there's a leak. This put the owner and the vehicles occupants at risk which is the greatest threat by far. 3. The problem has been confirmed by Rivard Buick GMC. 4. The vehicle has NOT been physically inspected by the manufacturer or police but has been insoected by insurance representatives. Yes there warning lampsthat appeared as the check engine light came on each time the exhaust system was malfunctioning. There was/ are other symptoms prior to the failure 1st appeared 11/01/21 o2 Sensor, 11/15/21 catalytic converter, 01/28/21 symptoms wo
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11458652March 28, 2022
ENGINE
Starting around 57,000 miles the engine started consuming excessive oil and occasionally experienced some knocking upon acceleration. I took it to the dealership and they put me on an oil consumption check every 1000 miles. After 3 rounds of checks they determined it was an issue with the GDI fuel system needing to be flushed which was performed by the dealership service department. The engine appeared to no longer consume excessive oil after I checked at about 1000 miles. After approximately 2000 miles, before my wife left for a long trip, I checked oil and it was down 1 quart. I topped off the oil and after about 750 miles, I checked the oil level and it was about 1 quart low again. The car is currently at the dealership and I'm told I will have to start the whole 1000 mile consumption check AGAIN! Based on other reports of engine seizing and fires I consider this a very possible hazard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11458485March 27, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The electrical components connected to the headlights seem to be faulty. When lights are set to AUTO, the lights will turn off completely when switching on turn signal. At times the light will not come on at all when set to AUTO or On without cycle back to off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11458448March 26, 2022
ENGINE
We own 2 2019 Kia optimas, one my 20yr old daughter drives. On her way to school she smelled a burning smell. On her way home at a dangerous intersection she smelled a strong burning smell & the car just stopped. I told her to get out of the car quickly, she had to climb to the right side as it was too unsafe to exit from the left. Thankfully she wasn’t on a 55 mile/hr road bc it just stopped abruptly & surely would have been hit as brake lights would not have warned. The car was towed to the dealership where it was purchased & under warranty on Friday 3/18/22. Saturday 3/19/22 I went to inquire what happened & was told by the service advisor that it started once, there was a burning smell coming from the engine & the engine was only running on 2 cylinders & stopped. He said they created a ticket, which I came to know that they were conferring with Kia engineers by Kia consumer affairs & I also created a case with. We did research & found a class action suit that was settled describing the exact problem that we experienced, however bc it was settled, Kia was never had to issue a broad recall, so if your 2019 optima experienced this very serious problem of engine failure & fires after 11/30/2021, they say Kia will be handling the cases on a rolling basis, however we just got the run around & the car remains there today 3/26/22 unfixed & the dealership is trying to say it’s just a fuel pump & if that was the case, they wouldn’t need 8 days waiting for Kia engineers to be fixed. In the settlement, Kia was also noted to be denying proper fixes for this serious issue with cars still under warranty. We were denied a rental car & they will not call us. This is my daughter’s life, please help us. The other 2019 Kia Optima that I drive was brought to the same dealership under warranty complaining of the engine sputtering & jumping, they did nothing & said it should be fine however it’s still doing it & my daughter is now driving this potentially dangerous car to school. This vehicle has been there since 03/18/22 & it’s 0
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11458274March 25, 2022
ENGINE
So I have a 2014 Kia optima got out the dealer at 70,000 miles was the second owner next thing u know I got a recall letter, Stating that I need to inspect after I took it, my Kia start to go down hill , I was stranded on limp mode pay off 4500 then couple moths later did the same thing now is at 190000 I tried fixing being honest but I just gave up so hope u guys could help install a new one
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11458384March 25, 2022
ENGINE
Over the last year I’ve noticed my car burning a lot of oil, around 1qt every 1000 miles. I’ve also noticed the transmission slipping some. I’ve checked thoroughly for leaks and have found none and the place that changes my oil has said they see no leaks also.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11458238March 24, 2022
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My car keeps running out of oil. I've taken it to kia and my mechanic. Both said I need a new engine. My car is hard to drive. I'm putting oil in my car after 200 miles because it's almost empty after having oil changes. I use 8 quarts of oil every time . My car drives horrible. I'm afraid it's gonna shut off on me when I'm driving and it's gonna cause an accident. I'm scared to drive it anymore and I owe 2 yrs left on it. I need a new engine and it's all been happening to my car after 1 yr of having it
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11458085March 23, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
Paint is chipping everywhere. Snow White pearl
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11457956March 23, 2022
ENGINE
The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at the residence, she attempted to start the vehicle and noticed smoke coming from the hood near the battery compartment. The vehicle then caught on fire. The fire department came to extinguish the fire. A fire report was filed. The cause of the fire was a faulty engine component. The vehicle remained at the residence and was not repaired. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11458026March 23, 2022
ENGINE
Engine locked up exactly like it is described in NHTSA ID Number 1147025. The manufacturer refuses to honor the civil suit judgement on this vehicle due to the previous owner and a Kia dealer not performing 1 recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11457916March 22, 2022
STEERING
Stirring wheel column is loose when turning left or right
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11457598March 21, 2022
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil without warning. The contact stated that after receiving an oil change, the oil reservoir was empty within less than a week. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the oil change was performed and the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The contact then took the vehicle to the dealer where she was informed that since she was the second owner of the vehicle, they could not offer any assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11457510March 20, 2022
ENGINE
Just purchase this vehicle about a couple a months ago and the engine is knocking,engine needs to be replace , fuel low pressure tool recall on 2013 Kia Optima and recall on the Engine Long Block recall NHTSA recall #17V224, This car was NOT IN A ACCIDENT, ITS WAS TOOK TO KIA DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AND THEY REFUSE TO REPLACE IT AND TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO PAY HIM $11,000 TO FIX THIS VECHILE ON 7050 OGDEN AVE BERWYN, IL 60402 KIA DEALERSHIP
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11457535March 20, 2022
ENGINE
The car engine suddenly started making a lot of noises, so we immediately pulled over and stopped the car. The engine wouldn't start back up, and started smoking. We had it towed to an independent service center, where they confirmed that the engine had a crack in it and would need to be replaced. There was still oil (we had just topped it off 1 week prior as it used a large amount of oil). There weren't any warning lights on until the same minute it started making noises, at which time the oil and engine light came on.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11457095March 17, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
Paint chipping off on various spots of the vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11457129March 17, 2022
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid. The vehicle had previously been serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power, causing the wheels to seize and the vehicle came to a complete stop in a ditch. The passenger's side fender was damaged from the failure. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who advised the contact to tow the vehicle to a dealer. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with bearing damage to the bottom of the engine. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced however, the extended warranty only covered the top of the engine and not the bottom of the engine, where the failure had occurred. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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