Kia Optima Complaints (2013)
1,443 consumer complaints on file.
- #11298989January 13, 2020ENGINE
THE STARTER MELTED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO LOCK UP
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11298810January 12, 2020ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A SUDDEN KNOCKING IN THE ENGINE AND THEN THE ENGINE SEIZED LOSING PRESSURE THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD HAD TO PUSH IT OFF TO SIDE WOULD NOT START BACK UP THIS HAPPENED 300 MILES AFTER LAST OIL CHANGE CAR DISABLED DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11298640January 11, 2020STRUCTURE:BODY, ENGINE
ON 1/11/2020 MY 16 YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING THE 2013 KIA OPTIMA WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST ENGINE POWER. HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY AT WHICH TIME THE VEHICLE STALLED AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD NO PRIOR MECHANICAL ISSUES. THERE HAVE BEEN NO WARNING LIGHTS.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- Yes
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11298417January 10, 2020ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE LOST MOTIVE POWER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER WHERE THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED . THE CONTACT STATED THAT TWO YEARS LATER THE ENGINE CEASED AND WAS REPLACED BY THE SAME THE UNKNOWN DEALER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE SECOND ENGINE REPLACEMENT, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE ABNORMALLY WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE UNKNOWN DEALER FOR A THIRD TIME TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT OF A MISFIRE ON CYLINDER NUMBER 1. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION COIL IN CYLINDER 1 WAS REPLACED, THE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE WAS RESET AND THE VEHICLE WAS TEST DRIVEN. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11298152January 9, 2020ENGINE
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I STARTED HEARING A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. IT GOT REALLY LOUD, LOST POWER AND LOW VOLTAGE WARNING POPPED UP. PULLED OVER AND THE KNOCKING GOT LOUDER. WHILE SHIFTING LANES WITH NO POWER I ALMOST GOT IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. GOT TO THE SHOULDER AND KNOCKING GOT WORSE. AS I WAS ON THE SHOULDER WITH HAZARDS ON THE WHOLE CAR DIED OUT INCLUDING HAZARDS. WAS OUT UNTIL 1130PM WITH NO HAZARDS WAITING FOR A TOW. GOT IT TO KOA THE NEXT DAY AND THEY SAID ENGINE WAS SEIZED, THEY WANT ME TO PAY $1300 JUST TO TAKE THE ENGINE APART TO SEE WHAT PART IS DAMAGED. ON TOP OF THAT THEY SAID IT WOULD BE $7000-9000 FOR NEW ENGINE. THEY NEED TO RECALL THESE HYBRID ENGINES.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11292024December 30, 2019STEERING, WHEELS
STEERING WHEEL SLIPS WHILE TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11292078December 30, 2019STEERING
EVERY TIME HI TURN THE CAR LEFT OR RIGHT IT MAKES A SEVERE CLUNKING SOUND NOW VIBRATES GOING DOWN THE ROAD MY MOTHER'S CAR SAME TYPE DOES THE SAME THING.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11292117December 30, 2019FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET ON 75 WITH 67 MILES TO EMPTY WHEN ALL SUDDEN THE CAR START SLOWING SPEED I LOOKED CRUISE CONTROL HAD SHUT OFF CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE JUST WENT DEAD ON THE SIDE OF ROAD THE WILL TURN ON TURN OVER TO WANNA CRANK BUT WON'T CATCH TO CRANK I CALLED THE DEALER SHIP AND EXPLAINED HE SHE SAID SHE SURE IT'S FUEL PUMP BECAUSE THEY JUST INSTALLED 2 THIS WEEK ON THE SAME CAR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11291016December 24, 2019ENGINE
TOLD I NEED A NEW ENGINE BUT IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED. I CALLED KIA AND THEY SAID TO GET A SECOND OPINION. MY ENGINE IS GETTING WORSE IN THE MEANTIME AND IT CONCERNS ME TO DRIVE IT. FROM A QUART AFTER 800 MILES TO 2.5 QUARTS AFTER 950 MILES IN ONLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS. WAS TOLD PIL CONSUMPTION IS NOT PART OF THE CURRENT RECALL, THOUGH MANY MECHANICS HAVE TOLD ME OTHERWISE. I HAVE LESS THAN 100K MILES ON IT MY CAR SHOULD NOT BE DOING THIS!
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11290751December 22, 2019STEERING
THERE IS A LOUD CLANKING NOISE WHEN STEERING OR HITTING BUMPS. THIS HAPPENS OVER TIME AND HAS SIGNIFICANTLY GOTTEN WORSE. IT SEEMS TO BE UNSAFE NOW AND MY VEHICLE IS EVEN BELOW 100K MILES SO THIS SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE AT ALL.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11290450December 21, 2019ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
ON 12/11/2019 , I WAS DRIVING MY 2013 KIA OPTIMA SX TURBO WHEN SUDDENLY IT STARTED TO SPUTTER, AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PULL OVER THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF/ SEIZED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.. I WAS FORCED TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PUSH IT ONTO THE NEAREST SIDEWALK RAMP ONTO A STORAGE PARKING LOT.. AFTER THAT THE ENGINE WOULDNT TURN.. THE BATTERY WASNT DEAD BECAUSE THE RADIO, LIGHTS , DASHBOARD WOULD ALL TURN ON , BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER, IT WOULD NOT EVEN MAKE A SOUND AS IF IT WERE TRYING .. I TOWED IT TO THE NEAREST MECHANIC TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THEY SAID THE ENGINE FROZE/ SEIZED AND THEY FOUND METALLIC PARTICLES IN THE OIL... I DID SOME RESEARCH AND IT LOOKS LIKE SOME KIA OPTIMA ENGINES HAVE A CERTAIN RECALL FOR PREMATURE BEARING WEAR AND TEAR INSIDE OF THEM THAT CAUSES THE ENGINE TO SEIZE, THIS SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO MY KIA ... THE MECHANIC ALSO ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS A SHORTAGE THAT CAUSED MY COMPUTER TO BURN OUT... NOT SURE IF RELATED BUT THE ISSUE WITH MY ENGINE DEFINITELY SOUNDS LIKE A COMMON RECALL ISSUE WITH 2011-2014 KIA OPTIMAS ... I LOOKED UP MY VIN # NOTHING POPS UP BUT WHEN I SEARCH FOR GENERAL INFO ON KIA RECALLS , ENGINE SEIZING IS ONE OF THEM.. PLEASE ADVISE ON WHAT TO DO..
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11289401December 16, 2019STEERING
STERING WHEEL FEELS LIKE IS GETTING STUCK WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT.STERING WHEEL HAS A SIZEABLE PLAY.IT SEEMS THAT IS GETTING WORST BOTH PROBLEMS.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11289071December 14, 2019ENGINE
OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUES: I GOT AN OIL CHANGE ON 11/27/19 I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD TO PUT OIL IN IT SEVERAL TIMES IN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. THE PERSON AT KIA TOLD ME TO COME BACK IN 1000 FOR THEM TO CHECK IT (NOT TO ADD OIL) I CHECKED IT THE MORNING 12/8/19 AT 900 MILES - IT WAS UNDER THE LOW MARK AND I WAS 2 HOUR AWAY FROM HOME. I TOOK IT BACK TO KIA ON MONDAY EVENING 12/9/19 ALMOST 1200 MILES FROM THE LAST OIL CHANGE.). PERSON AT KIA STAID I WAS DOWN 2 LITERS (VERY LITTLE OIL ON THE END OF THE DIP STICK . THE OIL LIGHT DID NOT COME ON, BUT IT DID FLICKER A FEW LIGHT ON MY 2 HOUR DRIVE HOME ) ' KIA ADVISED I'M OVER MY 100,000 MILES AND THAT'S NOT PART OF THE ENGINE RECALL. I WENT HOME, CHECKED THE INTERNET AND THERE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BLOG ABOUT OIL CONSUMPTION. 1 DAY AGO THERE WAS A NEW STORY, WHERE KIA DENIED A PERSON CLAIM AFTER THE ENGINE SEIZED. AN INSPECTION FOUND A HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE MECHANIC WROTE IN A REPORT THAT IT WAS MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY A LACK OF LUBRICATION; THEREFORE KIA DID NOT PAY. KIA IS AWARE OF THE OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUES. MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP RECEIVED HUNDRED'S OF COMPLAINTS BUT I WAS TOLD THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THAT ISSUE. IF YOU GET IT CHECKED IT'LL READ FOR A DIFFERENT ISSUE OTHER THAT THE CURRENT ENGINE RECALL; IT WILL MISS UP YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING A NEW ENGINE WHEN IT SEIZES UP.) I DON'T FEEL LIKE I'M SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE AND KIA'S STILL PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH OUR LIVES.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11288712December 12, 2019ENGINE
I WAS LEAVING WORK AND MY CAR WOULDN'T CRANK, I THOUGHT IT WAS MY STARTER SO I REPLACED THE STARTER ONLY TO HEAR LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I WAS CONCERNED WITH THE WORK FROM FIRESTONE SO I TOOK MY CAR. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON A BUSY INTERSECTION MY CAR, A 2013 KIA OPTIMA JUST SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AFTER THE STARTER WAS REPLACED. I INITIALLY THOUGHT IT HAPPENED DURING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE STARTER BUT AN ADJUSTER CAME OUT AND RULED THE STARTER WAS BRAND NEW AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ENGINE. AS I CONTINUE TO READ ONLINE REVIEWS I SEE IT CAN BE A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINES ON KIA. I HAVE A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WITH METAL FLAKES IN THE OIL.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11288324December 11, 2019ENGINE
MY BATTERY INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING ON HUDSON BRIDGE RD. AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT THE CAR WOULD NOT TAKE OFF AFTER THE LIGHT CHANGE. I TRIED TO TURN THE CAR OFF TO RESTART, BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF OR MOVE. THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SOMEONE HELPED ME PUSH OUT THE STREET AND THE NEXT THINK WE NOTICE ARE FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CAR WAS ON FIRE AND A WORKER AT A NEARBY SHOP USED AN ENTIRE FIRE EXTINGUISHER BUT THE FLAMES CONTINUED UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO PUT OUT. THE FIRE BURNED THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND TIRES.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- Yes
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11288418December 11, 2019ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AT EVERGREEN KIA (LOCATED AT 9205 S WESTERN AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60643, (800) 211-3116). THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENGINE IN JANUARY OF 2019. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE IGNITION, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AS SMOKE APPEARED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE, OPENED THE HOOD, AND SAW FLAMES. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V907000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ENGINE). THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BERWYN KIA (LOCATED AT 7050 OGDEN AVE, BERWYN, IL 60402, (708) 797-0300) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE STARTER AND STARTER SYSTEM REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- Yes
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11287868December 9, 2019ENGINE
DRIVING THE CAR DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 60MPH ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MOTOR STARTING VIOLENTLY SHAKING AND IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11287562December 6, 2019FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
WHILE IN MOTION ON CITY STREET, VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. TRIED TO RESTART VEHICLE, ALL LIGHTS WOULD BLINK AND ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT SPUTTERED BUT DID NOT TURN ON.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11287109December 5, 2019ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
DRIVING AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THEN CAR JUST STOPPED RUNNING AND WOULD NOT START, ON A STATE ROAD
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11286777December 4, 2019STEERING
WHILE STEERING THE STEERING WHEEL MAKE A CLICKING SOUND ALMOST LIKE SOMETHING IS BROKEN. THIS STEERING ISSUE HAPPENS WHETHER STATIONARY OR MOVING. THE SOUND ONLY HAPPENS WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0