10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 7
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
46,729 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #60

Oct 012021

Optima

  • miles
Low pressure fuel tube leak. Gas leak through quick connect clamp, factory defect on part. Recall was done and still has same problem.

- Arleta, CA, USA

problem #59

Sep 232021

Optima

  • miles
My Optima has a crack in the low-pressure fuel line. I detected a very strong gas odor last week and immediately notified the dealer but due to needing the knock detection sensor from a recall being installed, I had to wait until one of the lead techs was available to inspect it yesterday. The dealer has ordered the part needed but they said that it might be weeks before they get the part in because it is on backorder and due to the safety risk, my car is undriveable. They will not release my vehicle to me without signing a waiver releasing them of liability. Kia recalled 2013-2014 Optimas with the same Turbo engine last year, for this exact reason but the dealer said my vehicle was not included in the recall and this repair will be nearly $600 out of pocket even though this is a known issue. I absolutely cannot and will not sign a waiver when I know my vehicle is dangerous to drive. I have systemic mastocytosis and that alone can cause anaphylaxis to be triggered by the gas odors. There were no warning lamps, no other signs or symptoms until I smelled gas last week.

- Tulsa, OK, USA

problem #58

Jul 062021

Optima

  • miles
My oil light has been coming on and blinking then disappearing. Current on oil change and oil level is full on dipstick. Noticed little oil stain on driveway but oil level remains good and full. A couple times now my car has lost acceleration. One time on the highway and once in my neighborhood. When I press the gas it does not accelerate. It will lose speed and after a few times of stepping on the gas will eventually get to speed.

- Fayetteville, NC, USA

problem #57

May 182021

Optima

  • miles
There is a strong gas smell from the car when I am driving. There is an open recall for certain cars of this year, make, and model, but my Vin specifically does not qualify for the recall. The recall is for a possible fuel line leak, which sounds exactly like what I have right now.

- Las Vegas , NV, USA

problem #56

Apr 292021

Optima

  • miles
The low pressure fuel hose from the gas tank to the fuel pump located under the engine cover is leaking fuel. The vehicle was inspected by a Kia Dealership to determine the cause of the fuel leak. My safety and the safety of others were put in jeopardy due to the possibility of a fire or explosion from the leaking fuel line. The smell of gasoline was detected prior to the inspection from the Kia dealership

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #55

Apr 172021

Optima

  • 71,000 miles
2013 Kia Optima ex with 71K miles. Car had a very slow start. Trouble light came on. Had left lights on for about 2 hours so thought that was the issue. Seemed okay so drove home. Notices slight gasoline smell in cabin. No more driving that day. Took to local shop. Code reader came back as fuel pump failure. Did some research and noticed many with same issue on this make/model/year and a recall or two as well. VIN check returned no outstanding recalls. Called Kia customer service. Was told my VIN was associated with a recall in 2018 (SC 147) but 'passed the test". SC 172 was issued later for a call back of those vehicles that had engines replaced under SC 147 for a high pressure fuel pipe issue. I honestly think my Optima is currently having whatever the issue was under SC 147 but since it tested okay in 2018 - oh well! since the fuel pump warranty expired in 2018, I guess I'm on my way to an almost $1,000 repair! seems like Kia should allow getting the original service call issue looked at again free of charge to see if it is now an issue. Disappointed.

- Ridgecrest, CA, USA

problem #54

Apr 092019

Optima

  • 88,000 miles
Gas got into my engine. Car keep losing oil. Seemed to affect a lot of other areas

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #53

Mar 092021

Optima

  • miles
My car is stalling when I accelerate and when I turn my car on to start it up it smells like gas

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #52

Sep 072020

Optima

  • 89,000 miles
Car smelled like gas when air was on and even with air off. Fixed March 2019 and I believe I see a recall for it now. We paid a pretty penny to get fixed. My paint on my car is coming off everywhere like bad nail polish. It is peeling off and continues to happen in new parts of the car. I'm trying to get this fixed now with Kia. This started happening around windshield first about a year and half ago and then the trunk last fall and now my door and other areas in the last few months.

- Murrieta, CA, USA

problem #51

Nov 162020

Optima

  • 76,000 miles
I was coming of the freeway when all of a sudden my car just turned itself off. Luckily I was able to manage to pull over to the side quickly enough to avoid any collision. I tried to change the starter because I was told that was bad. It hasn't been able to start up again since it first stopped on me.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #50

Aug 152015

Optima

  • 38,000 miles
The car made a loud noise an the stringl lock

- Lancaster, CA, USA

problem #49

Oct 272020

Optima

  • miles
Car has a bad gas fume smell that comes through the vent when driving check engine light came on motor has a loud tapping noise and burns gas quick

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #48

Aug 242020

Optima

  • miles
I went to start my car which was on August 24, 2020 and it was making a very very loud noise I couldn't move it so I had it towed over to a mechanic who discovered that the engine in fact has been blown are the block has been blown so the engine is no good and needs to be replaced I am way and there was no warning on my vehicle and with also no notification of oil was low or no oil in my car whatsoever there was a metal shavings in the oil pan the mechanic discovered and it there's no leaks in the car at all and so now I pay payments for a car and somebody else to take me around to work every day for months on months andpayments for a car that sits in my driveway broken down and the dealership here Kia will not they fix my car they refuse to because of a disagreement prior to this I am on anything about my car they will not do I am actually the one who discovered there was a recall in the vehicle since February and nobody has told me and everybody has failed to mention this or contact

- Saint Joseph, MO, USA

problem #47

Aug 312020

Optima

  • 119,000 miles
While driving on a road with my little cousin. All my function lights came on and and my car began to stall and slow down so started to press on the gas for acceleration a block down the way we started smelling smoke I panicked trying to get over and ran up on the curve and came off it pulled to a safe spot and me and my cousin both exit the vehicle quickly when we got out my it was smoking really bad my cousin noticed that it was on fire underneath the car so I looked and it was on fire something fell to the ground on fire underneath the car.

- St.Louis, MO, USA

problem #46

Jan 202020

Optima

  • 35 miles
Was driving and my car turned off on me randomly ? always am consistent with oil changes every 3000 miles and always make sure my take is full with good gas I've also had to replace the gas line once already, , mechanic said I might have to replace my fuel tank because something with car not getting enough gas or so, I've also see leaks looks like gas

- La Puente, CA, USA

problem #45

Aug 262020

Optima

  • miles
Hello I recently was filling up my vehicle and it flooded of gasoline.. I can't seem to fill my tank up fully and have the pump stop itself it over flows and pours all the gasoline this is extremely dangerous.. and I did see that there is a recall for due too the fuel area. Is this fixable through this recall? thank you

- North Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #44

Jun 232020

Optima 4-cyl

  • 85,000 miles
While driving on the turnpike the car completely shut off. Prior to shutting off, the battery, oil and transmission icon appeared on the dashboard. Thankfully I was able to merge over into the side lane safely because the breaks along with the steering suddenly became difficult to control. After placing the car into park and removing the keys from the ignition, I attempted to restart it. It started, so I continued heading home. Approximately driving another 12 miles, the same thing happened again. The only difference this time was upon restarting it, a weird knocking noise came from underneath the hood, so I shut the car off. I waited about 5 minutes to restart it and it started right up, so I continued heading home. Today, once again while driving, the car shut off. Same knocking, and dashboard lights. After waiting about 5 minutes, I restarted it, only to continuously hear a loud knocking noise and a vibration coming from under the hood. While accelerating, it barely moved and the noises became louder along with the vibration.this time the car was incapable of being driven. I had to get it towed directly to a Kia dealership. Good thing my car was still covered with easy care or else I wouldn't have been to get it towed. I don't even know how I am going to be able to afford whatever needs repaired. I did receive a recall notice and will attach it below.

- Hazleton, PA, USA

problem #43

May 212020

Optima 4-cyl

  • 5,000 miles
We went to start the vehicle and it sputtered and failed to start. Once it finally did it was "jumpy" and there was a lot of blackish smoke from the exhaust. The vehicle then had a check engine light come on so we got that tested at an automotive store with an error code of " P0087 fuel rail/system pressure- too low" I see multiple articles discussing recalls for this year and model, however when we called Kia they said there was no recall for our specific vehicle for this issue. We are now going to have it repaired and pay out of pocket.. I feel this is unsafe, and needs to be addressed as this could have caused a fire having gasoline leak out. As well now we are going to be out of pocket paying a little over $1,000.

- Battlefield, MO, USA

problem #42

Feb 092020

Optima

  • 105,000 miles
I have recently been experiencing some acceleration issues with my 2013 Kia Optima 4cyl 2.4L fl. About a two and a half months ago, I was driving on the freeway and switched lanes to pass a car; as I began accelerating my car felt like someone just pulled the plug on it. I lost most of my ability to accelerate and it felt like not enough fuel was getting supplied to the engine. My check engine light came on immediately. The next day I took it to O'reilly to check the code on my car and it came back with P0087, which is related to low fuel pressure. Looking into it further on NHTSA.gov, I found communications about this year, make, and model that state that there is a possible issue with the low pressure fuel line and how it may develop cracks or leaks due to excessive heat in the engine. This can increase the risk of a fire starting in the engine. I also found that Kia was going to begin notifying affected customers beginning on April 16th, 2020. I have waited this out to see if I would get a recall notice, but being 11 days later, I still have not received anything. I firmly believe that the issue I am experiencing is directly related to this issue with the fuel line. My car starts rough, runs rough, and has very poor acceleration; especially at higher rpms. It feels as if my car chugs at times. I have dealt with recall issues before with my vehicle (a complete engine block replacement due to excess metal shavings left in the engine during manufacturing) and my car died on the freeway. It was a nightmare to even get the dealer to admit that there was an issue and required my car dying a second time on the freeway and a tow that I had to pay for to get them to do anything. In short, I do not want to have to go through that mess again to fix, what so far appears to be (or will be), a recall that I should have been notified about. Thank you.

- Provo, UT, USA

problem #41

Apr 022020

Optima

  • miles
The engine blew up on car was driving normally when car stopped and didnt want to power on. Engine started making noises. Went to dealer to have engine replaced but wont make it valid since they mention engine is not the original engine and was replaced.

- El Centro, CA, USA

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