10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
12 / 75
Injuries / Deaths:
14 / 1
Average Mileage:
65,032 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #513

Sep 252023

Optima

  • miles
Manufacturer hasn't provided a remedy to recall notice issued in September 2023. For something that has a chance of catching on fire driving or Parked this should've been taken care of along time ago instead of risking peoples lives dragging this out.

- Mohawk, TN, USA

problem #512

Aug 142023

Optima

  • 150,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that there was a recall for the engine replacement. The vehicle was repaired; however, the vehicle failed to start after the recall repair was completed. The vehicle has remained with the dealer since August 2023. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

- Dunsmuir, CA, USA

problem #511

Mar 012024

Optima

  • miles
Electrical issue then engine leading to car going up in flames

- Menifee, CA, USA

problem #510

Dec 012023

Optima

  • 166,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 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 contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was later towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 166,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #509

Jan 152024

Optima

  • miles
I was driving up the [XXX] north and where [XXX] merges to [XXX] I'm going 65mph on the far left side, and my dash starts beeping and reads WARNING STOP VEHICLE CHECK BRAKES. MY brakes go out, pedal to the floor sounding like grinding gears and doing some major damage, my acceleration stopped working. The [XXX] is merging on the left side so i had to avoid major traffic. I am a driver with skill as i dodge slowed and stopped vehicles, and get to the shoulder before [XXX]. I call for roadside assistance because kia says its free and its not. I was looking around the engine to see what the heck and unplugged the hybrid fuse and battery from back and suddenly it worked again and drive it home and right before I park I made a right turn, and it started beeping again, and this time it stayed this way. I almost lost my life, and I did lose my job because of it. GLENDALE'S CARSPRO KIA SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS THE WORST DEPARTMENT EVER!, they would not help me get a tow, I paid for the tow. THEY CHARGED CLOSE TO 5 GRAND FOR A REPAIR, Hydraulic brake booster module, AND A COUPLE HUNDRED FOR THERE HIGHEST SERVICE OPTION (Changing fluids, wipers, wash, detail, etc) this was a huge mistake and took nearly two months! My car had dust on it THEY DID NOT EVEN CHECK THE PRESSURE I HAD IN MY ALL 4 TIRES (EMPTIED UNTIL 25PSI) I started the vehicle and it started to hiccup as I idle I asked for the manager (a tall husky middle eastern guy with long hair and glasses). He replied "DOES YOUR CAR HAVE A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON" I said "no" he said "comeback when it does." I have received paper work from KIA corp stating that i could be reimbursed. I sent that document in and never herd from them again. I call customer service i even went to the Service dept and THEY ERASED MY SERVICE RECORD! Finally happened, with my car still Hiccuping, Rare ShutoffAlarm. I exit fw on green Light, made left; Alarm, No brakes, No gas, Hit curb, Near PEDESTRIANS, Trans Leaks, Part Recalled, No Results, New problem! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE

- North Hollywood, CA, USA

problem #508

Nov 142023

Optima

  • miles
We are afraid to drive this car and have lost use for over 4 months now. Received Safety Recall Notice dated Nov 14, 2023. We have made numerous calls to Doug Smith dealership in American Fork, Ut, and also to KIA Customer Care Center. No information is forthcoming to resolve the issue in getting our car repaired. It is necessary that we park in our garage, so we faithfully unhook the battery cable every single time after driving and parking to be assured that it is safe. This has been going on for 4 months now and is not a comfortable situation for myself and my elderly wife. We would like some answers with respect to a timely repair to make our car safe again.

- Mona, UT, USA

problem #507

Feb 222024

Optima

  • 216,401 miles
The contact owns a 2013 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 while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact became aware of a burning odor inside the vehicle while driving. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 216,401. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #506

Feb 142024

Optima

  • miles
Kia will not replace engine that has failed. They say combustion issue led to valve meltdown. Engine is my responsibility though part of settlement. Kia corporations case manager says Engine is only good for 100,000 miles

- Ottawa, KS, USA

problem #505

Sep 252023

Optima

  • miles
My complaint does not immediately involve an additional incident but rather I am concerned with the time it is taking to find a solution for the Recall Number 23V652000. It has been 5 months since the initial notification, and I have not heard of any solution to date. Apparently, KIA Motors is still in the process of developing a part to address the fire issue, but given the nature and inconvenience of the Recall, I am hoping the NHTSA has an update regarding this matter. While I have contacted my Congressional Representative, they in turn gave me your information, so I am following up with you. Sincerely, [XXX] Owner of 2013 KIA Optima09 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Santa Barbara, CA, USA

problem #504

Feb 092024

Optima

  • miles
the engine stop ruanning i got the code P1B96, P1B74, POA4C

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

problem #503

Dec 102023

Optima

  • miles
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!

- Santa Rosa Beach, FL, USA

problem #502

Jan 042024

Optima

  • miles
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.

- Marseilles, IL, USA

problem #501

Feb 052024

Optima

  • miles
Rod bearing making a knocking noise. Car a month since i bought it.

- Kerman, CA, USA

problem #500

Dec 122023

Optima

  • miles
Since the recalls my check engine light keeps popping on and off and I can smell a burning smell sometimes

- Stockton, CA, USA

problem #499

Oct 052023

Optima

  • miles
car stopped mid freeway 3 times engine light turned on engine started smoking took too dealer per the recall notice and they took 3 months could not fix and wanted to charge me 600 for changing a battery but car still will not run so they want payment for a car I must tow and has had over 5 recall notices..at this point the car is unsafe I need remedy

- Ontario, CA, USA

problem #498

Jan 172024

Optima

  • miles
I bought my 2013 Kia optima ex from a private seller about half a year ago. I've had a few problems here and there that we're easily diagnosed and fixed. The radiator, alternator, starter, battery, serpentine belt, headlights, tail lights, licence plate light, tires, cabin air filter, and keyless start key fob have all been replaced. I just recently got my key fob(OEM) programmed by a licensed mechanic. The next day the car was perfectly fine. Ran smoothly and had no problems at all. I parked it and went to bed. Next day I get up early and start the car to warm up before I take my kids to the bus stop for school. It was between 5-7 minutes later and I went outside to the car and smelled an overwhelmingly strong plastic/chemical burning type smell coming from the car. I got in and saw that the air conditioning was on low and i turned it off, thinking the smell was because it was cold and the air needed to be off to stop the smell... I drove my son to the bus stop one block away and there was no dash light on but the smell was still there so I turned the car off and we got out of the car. After the bus got my son, I got in the car and could still smell the burning smell but tried to start it to take it home and the dash lights came on like normal then all turned off except the check engine light, oil light, battery light, key light, eps light. The car made one click noise under the hood and did not start or make any noises indicating an attempt to start. The key light the turned off but the oil, battery, engine lights remained. I turned the car back off and downloaded an app called justask to ask a mechanic about the problem and he said to call the master lube where I had gotten an oil change a few weeks prior and ask them what to do because of the oil light being on and the possibility that they overfilled it which could cause problems.i called. the oil was fine, no leaks, he has no idea why it isn't starting. So I call the mechanic. No idea what is wrong still....

- Carlsbad, NM, USA

problem #497

Jan 222024

Optima

  • 184,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 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 stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure mileage was 184,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Galesburg, IL, USA

problem #496

Dec 072023

Optima

  • miles
On [XXX] at approx. 4 PM I was driving on [XXX] between Columbus and Nashville in Brown County Indiana. Weather was clear I noticed what appeared to be smoke coming through the car vents I was able to pull to the shoulder of the road, but the breaks were not working well There were no warning lights on the dash about any possible issues After grabbing 2 bags from the car, I was walking away and the car went up in flames and started to make sounds of an explosion. I called 911 and moved to the other side of the road away from the fire. Police and fire arrived on the scene and stopped all traffic The fire was put out and AJ's Paint and Body Shop came to tow the vehicle and clean up debris. We have not yet received the cost of this. We have reported this information to Kia and have spoken to them a couple of times. We have sent all of the details and information on the location of the car. We have sent multiple follow up e-mails and have not received any response since [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Morgantown, IN, USA

problem #495

Jan 092024

Optima

  • 30,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stationary outside in the driveway, the contact saw that there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact went outside to inspect the vehicle opened the hood and saw smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact disconnected the battery and left the hood slightly open to allow airflow. The contact stated that the smoke was eventually dissipated by the wind. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact made the manufacturer aware of the failure, however, the contact was disconnected after providing information to the manufacturer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Columbia, SC, USA

problem #494

Jan 112023

Optima

  • miles
The car dealership i bought my kia from is fully aware of this safety recall, Should he have sold me the car with out telling me" Can I take this car back and get my money back"

- Tucson, AZ, USA

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