10.0

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

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problem #433

Sep 232022

Optima 4-cyl

  • miles
The system that failed was my engine. I sent my car to One Stop Collision Auto Repair in Chicago Ridge Illinois. Once the mechanic did his diagnostic, I was told i had -??no oil-?? in my car which caused my engine to fail. However I had gotten an oil change July 12th, 2022. There is a sticker on my windshield in the top left corner by the drivers side stating when my oil was changed. My oil notification became to come on July 9th which let me know i needed an oil change.For this specific problem with my vehicle, the mechanic told me -??you won-??t get an oil notification because it has nothing to do with your oil. It is a known problem with these types of cars.-?? I then began to question if there was a recall. I then look onto the My Car max app which lets me know if there was any recalls. There were 2 recalls with MY SAME VIN NUMBER. I don-??t know if it is available for inspection.My safety was at risk because I was not aware of any issues on my dashboard or any recalls as i was buying the car. My car began jerking with my inside of it driving which almost caused an accident. My car was sent to a auto repair shop to find out the problem. Once he let me know what the problem was, My car was then sent to International Kia for their own diagnostic and a repair when they find out the problem. The car should be going under inspection now that it is at the manufacture (International Kia). There were NO warning lamps, messages, or any symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. I-??ve had this car only since March 17, 2022 (6 months).

- Chicago , IL, USA

problem #432

Oct 062022

Optima

  • miles
Started with oil light flashing, then the other lights came on. Started losing speed, then lost all power to the engine, will not start back up with the engine, when trying to start it, the engine started smoking.

- Ramseur, NC, USA

problem #431

Aug 102022

Optima

  • miles
While driving the vehicle on a two lane highway passing an eighteen wheeler the car engine suddenly died prior to overtaking the truck. Very difficult and dangerous especially since the vehicle behind me followed to overtake the truck at the same time. This was a very uncomfortable situation especially since in the meantime there was oncoming traffic heading in the opposite direction that had to drive on the grass shoulder to avoid a head on collision since I had difficulty merging into now much faster moving traffic that was stacked up behind the eighteen wheeler. The reason the engine died was because it locked up due to oil starvation due to a known manufacturing defect that should have been covered by the extended warranty that was put into place from to a lawsuit from NHTSA. The vehicle is a 2013 Kia Optima with 60k miles. According to Kia customer care the extended warranty wont be honored because the car was previously involved in a collision to the right rear corner of the vehicle that took place years ago and thousands of miles ago. The service advisor advised against purchasing a used engine because they are all bad and they will all fail sooner or later and wants almost $6000 to replace the engine.

- Spring, TX, USA

problem #430

Aug 192022

Optima

  • miles
I was driving on the highway, and knocking noise came out form the engine. The engine began to lose power, and I had to immediately to pull over the car. This car has a theta II engine, and had gone bad due excessive connecting rod bearing damage. I brought the car to a dealership, and confirmed this is the case. The engine only has 77k on it, and will need replacement. These engines are not safe, and should be replaced by dealerships.

- El Paso, TX, USA

problem #429

Aug 022022

Optima

  • miles
The car stops in middle of road and turns off if I go over 20 MPH. It's happened twice in the middle of highway and I've had to get towed home. The engine light is on and blinking and I hear knocking sounds. My boyfriend has a code reader and he said when he hooked code reader up to car it showed the exact same code as the other kia optimas engine problems. This needs to be a recall!!

- Lilburn, GA, USA

problem #428

Jul 282020

Optima

  • miles
I was driving my 2013 Kia Optima when all of a sudden, the car stalled while on a highway. Luckily I was able to pull to the side, narrowly missing a tractor-trailer. After it wouldn-??t start, I had it towed to my mechanic. He then diagnosed it as a seized engine. I had it towed to my local Kia dealer, and it-??s been sitting there for 4 months, and i was told it can take another 6 MORE MONTHS to get the engine replaced, AND they -??may not cover the cost-??. They are giving me the run-around. This is ridiculous. There-??s even a recall on the engine. What should I do? Thank you D.H.

- Schenectady, NY, USA

problem #427

May 282022

Optima

  • miles
Driving our car om a road trip on a busy canyon highway, check engine started blinking and car died. Was able to get off on the shoulder and contact a tow. Towed to local mechanic, engine was blown. Towed it to local KIA Dealership. Dealership had our car almost 4 months. KIA approved engine, it was finally replaced. Got car back and the next day check engine light came on and car shut down again. Towed to KIA dealership.

- Kearns, UT, USA

problem #426

Aug 122022

Optima

  • 88,524 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact's boyfriend had retrieved an error code on the vehicle for engine failure. The local dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was 88,524.

- Lilburn, GA, USA

problem #425

Aug 102022

Optima

  • 155,000 miles
The contact's son owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while his son was driving approximately at 50 MPH and accelerating to highway speed, the vehicle shuddered, jerked and finally stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's son veered to the side of the road. The contact's son was able to restart the vehicle and drove to his residence. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an abnormal loud knocking sound coming from the engine. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was experiencing bearing wear that could damage the engine and could cause the engine replacement. However, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

- Springville, IA, USA

problem #424

Aug 042020

Optima

  • miles
I was driving my 2013 Kia Optima on the highway when all of a sudden the car stalled. I was nearly hit by a semi truck and several cars. I was finally able to coast to the shoulder of the road. I tried starting it and it would not. I had it towed to my mechanic and he diagnosed it as a -??seized engine-??, for no reason. I take good care of my car I change the oil every 3000 miles. Currently, I am trying to get it fixed through KIA, but they are giving me a hard time.

- Schenectady , NY, USA

problem #423

Jul 152022

Optima

  • miles
I was driving down the road and my car started smoking. I pulled over and got out of my vehicle and within 5 minutes my engine was in flames

- Eureka , CA, USA

problem #422

Jul 082022

Optima

  • miles
Unknown, car was fine then stopped out of no where yesterday, I was scheduled with Kia dealership to have recalled fixed next month but they called and canceled my recall this is now the 2nd attempt and they still have yet to fix recall and now car isn-??t working properly!

- Lawrenceville , GA, USA

problem #421

Jul 042022

Optima

  • miles
When we start the car Yellow colour Engine symbol pos up on the dashboard. It-??s a engine related issue.

- Superior , CO, USA

problem #420

Jul 062022

Optima

  • miles
Engine failure

- Westerly, RI, USA

problem #419

Jun 302022

Optima

  • miles
When the fuel smell occurred i contacted my dealer and was told about a recall i have been complaining about the smell before i received my second recall paper the car was smoking and stopped working eventually and i've been without a car and unable to use my vehicle while having to maintain payments on it im am not sure why i have to pay for a problem that was spotted early on but due to neglect and unclear solutions i have wasted money on rentals and been left with no answers my check engine light was flashing i was unable to get a inspection sticker and was told it was due to the gas smell

- Buffalo, NY, USA

problem #418

Jun 282022

Optima

  • miles
My car stopped working, i towed it to my Mechanic they said the engine quit working.

- Watauga, TX, USA

problem #417

Jun 082022

Optima

  • 160,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 71 MPH, she heard abnormal loud knocking sounds coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rod bearing had failed. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist until the vehicle was diagnosed. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which she associated with the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

- North Hero, VT, USA

problem #416

May 192022

Optima

  • miles
On May 19, 2022, I was driving North on I-225... The engine stalled out on my 2013 Kia Optima EX, while I was driving. All dash indicator lights came on. There was no warning light came on to alert me of the problem. It smelled like something was burning. No dealership or anyone has confirmed the maintenance needed on the vehicle. I will have my car tolled to a nearby Kia dealership due to the 2013 recall...

- Aurora, CO, USA

problem #415

Jun 102021

Optima

  • miles
I was driving on the highway and all of my dash lights came on and my car just cutt off. My engine light had never been on before that. After letting my car sit for awhile it turned back on but kept losing power and my engine would make a knocking noise. Took it to a car shop they told me they contacted the kia dealership and they said i had a recall on my engine and it would be replaced when i got there they said they dont know who i talked to but that wasnt true. The car shop said that my engine was eating oil. I would run out of oil quickly but it wasnt an oil leak.

- Monroe , NC, USA

problem #414

May 292022

Optima

  • 180,000 miles
The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while his brother was attempting to accelerate from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's brother then saw flames underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact's brother immediately exited the vehicle. The contact stated that the fire expanded significantly. The contact's brother was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the fire department. A fire department report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

- Elk Grove, CA, USA

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