Kia Optima Complaints

7,843 consumer complaints on file.

#11632860December 28, 2024
POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ENGINE
I was driving on the high way and the car loose power completely have to do change oil every two weeks and can’t find a solution
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632875December 28, 2024
ENGINE
As I was driving in the fwy I hear noise and exit to check what was wrong. No lights or warning of what the issue might be. Turned off the car open the hood of the car and saw nothing wrong with it I turned it back on and the noise went away. About 2 week after I was exiting the fwy and the engine light turned on. Engine start making noises
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632676December 27, 2024
FIRERELATED
The contact owned a 2015 Kia Optima SX Turbo. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light, smoke was emitting from under the hood and entered the vehicle through the A/C vents. The contact pulled over to the side and immediately exited the vehicle. The contact opened the hood and flames were visible. No warning lights were illuminated, and the temperature gauge was normal. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The contact pulled over in front of Robertson's Tire, the employees used a fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire and called the Fire department. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The manufacturer was notified of the fire and advised the contact to tow the vehicle to a KIA dealer. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer who inspected the vehicle, but the contact did not remember the cause of the fire. However, the dealer stated KIA was at fault. The manufacturer advised the contact that a field inspector would be sent to inspect the vehicle. The field inspector has inspected the vehicle. However, the contact was awaiting the results. The contact notified her insurance company and was waiting on KIA's decision. The failure mileage was 160,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632732December 27, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY
While driving on the highway, the roof antenna assembly flew off our car. Inspection of the area shows that the screws that were supposed to hold the antenna on had all become sheared off. It looks like there is a recall for this exact issue covering 2016 Kia Optimas produced through June 1, 2016 (SA272), but our Optima was produced on June 23, 2016 and is therefore not covered according to Kia.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632780December 27, 2024
ENGINE
Engine failure while driving. Engine seized in the middle of the road. Contacted Kia, towed car to dealership and claim was denied. Recall has not been taken care of. No symptoms or any indication that the engine was about to give out.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632502December 26, 2024
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over safely. The check engine warning light was illuminated upon restarting. The vehilce was towed to an unknown location. The vehilce was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized. The dealer declined to repair the vehilce under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer who requested receipts for previous oil changes. The vehilce was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 77,611.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632125December 23, 2024
ENGINE
Increased oil consumption with needing oil added and or changed half way before date or milage stated, oil changes performed by Kia dealer. Car staling and engine knocking while driving. Burnt smell while driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632148December 23, 2024
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine stalled. The engine would decrease in engine RPMs. The vehicle was able to restart however the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the residence, and then to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was provided manufacturer's recall number: PI1802A. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the caller the ECU Logic Upgrade should have been completed first before the engine could be repaired. The failure was recurring and the contact parked the vehicle to be not driven no longer as it was a safety concern. The failure mileage was 84,850.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11631816December 20, 2024
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11631665December 19, 2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
My 2012 Kia optima headlamps are extremely dim, even though I’ve replaced the lightbulbs with the highest possible lumens, multiple times, the headlamp assembly continues to dim. This requires that I ride with my high-beams on to drive at night. The lights have been dimming for more than 20,000 miles, but they are almost useless at this point.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11631347December 18, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY
Pearl white color paint chipping, and breaking due to water and air. Bad batch of primer and coating has caused the paint to chip and peel across the body of the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11631191December 17, 2024
ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after having a routine oil change and tire maintenance, the vehicle began making an abnormal clunking sound. The vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The message that the automatic brake was disabled was displayed. Additionally, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact called an independent mechanic and was referred to the dealer. The contact called the local dealer, and the vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis was made. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer declined to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 149,020.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11631244December 17, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY
The snow-white pearl paint is peeling off - this is a common problem, and the paint is flaking off - not adhering to the base material - seems like a factory defect. This will be a huge re-paint cost to be fixed, and it is just getting worse over time
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11631095December 16, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Hit dig mark in road caused by a plow about a half inch to a 1 inch deep by 5 to 7 inches wide while driving 15 mph down the road into work on November 19,2024 around 1:03/1:10 pm next thing I know I am upside down in my car in a ditch about four to five feet wide by 3-4 feet deep
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11630719December 14, 2024
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
When I was driving my car had stopped driving, the engine light had popped up. I put a new battery, and starter on to see if that was the problem, but it wasn’t. I then took the car to battleground Kia in Greensboro, NC. They confirm that the engine had stopped working due to being locked up and it had a recall on it. First they said they can’t fix the engine without my registration and license, I turned that in then They said they will not fix the recall if I don’t have enough evidence of oil changes which I’ve handed over to them multiple times. I thought a recall was suppose to be fixed without hassle. My Kia advisor is Matt Cates. Email:[email protected]
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11630554December 13, 2024
ENGINE
Oil light is flickering. Kia told me this is a serious issue but won't fix it. I did a research this is a common issue with 2013 Kia optimas. Please help
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11630663December 13, 2024
ENGINE
Since January 2024 I have had to replace the spark plugs more than 3 times. It has also had to have an oil change done at least every two months regardless of the miles that were put in it. BURNING OIL LIKE CRAZY Mid October 2024 a full tune up was done as well as oil change and less than two weeks later it started bucking like a bronco and all oil was gone out of it. Check engine light is on and oil light goes on and off. Cannot drive at all
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11630047December 11, 2024
ENGINE
I was driving on the interstate, going 80mph in the passing lane passing a semi. (speed limit in SD) my car died. No noises, no warning lights NOTHING. Just lost ALL power. I was able to coast to the side of the road. I towed it to Kia to find out my engine seized. It IS part of a Class Action Lawsuit but they should be recalling these engines BEFORE they go out. Imagine if an unexperienced driver was driving and lost all power, or if it was icy, or someone was behind me? This is unacceptable these engines are failing and putting lives in danger
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629816December 10, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated that while attempting to drive uphill and on gravel with the Electric Drive Mode activated, the vehicle failed to move forward. The contact pressed the button to deactivate the Electric Drive Mode, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact released the accelerator pedal until the vehicle responded as needed. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where the contact was informed that no cause for the failure was found. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), and a recall repair appointment was scheduled with the dealer. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway at 5 MPH, the message "Emergency - Pull Over - System Failure Warning" was displayed. The contact pulled back into the driveway and parked the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive and could not be driven to the dealer for the recall repair because the dealer was 2 hours away. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and denied towing assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629853December 10, 2024
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that oil changes needed to be performed more frequently than normal. The contact stated that the oil light remained illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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