10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
56,682 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #17

Jul 012023

Optima

  • miles
Unknown

- Weldon , CA, USA

problem #16

Feb 252021

Optima

  • miles
2 flat tires getting off work

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #15

Jan 022018

Optima

  • 70,000 miles
All the paint on the outside of my 2013 Kia Optima is bubbling and peeling off the chrome on my wheels is chipping and coming off

- Vicksburg, MS, USA

problem #14

Aug 082020

Optima

  • 181,000 miles
Turner Kia diagnosis my vehicle of overheating condition revealed combustion gasses getting into coolant. Internal issue allowing combustion pressure to get into cooling system which is hampering cooling efficiency as well as causing areaction off coolant. When I drove the car half way on the highway it started to smoke after I just got it back from turner Kia after fixing what they said was the problem after that I took it back to turner Kia and they diagnosis it as needing a new engine.

- Harrisburg, PA, USA

problem #13

Sep 222020

Optima

  • 164,000 miles
We were traveling at around 55-60 miles an hour and were T-bones by a Chevy Avalanche on the passenger side of the vehicle. I was in the front passenger seat and my husband swerved so the truck luckily started at my door and completely ripped and smashed in the back passenger door and back/ trunk of our Optima. Back wheel is completely turned out. Hit so hard it completely turned us in 2 circles and busted my front license plate and it hit absolutely nothing. I busted my head open and received 3 staples and knee shoved in dash but not 1 air bag in this vehicle deployed!! I have always owned a Kia!! I will no longer purchase a Kia because I do not feel safe!!

- Baxtet, TN, USA

problem #12

Mar 062020

Optima 4-cyl

  • 50,000 miles
When I'm driving at any speed and on any surface driving over the slightest bump the steering wheel makes a clanking sound also the car is pulling to the right my front tires are wearing out on the upperoutside of the tire the part of tire that touches the road. I have looked on web to see if anyone else has had a issue with this what I found was that it may be the steering coupler. It's getting worse I'm afraid it's not going to turn one of these days because of what's going on.

- Council Bluffs, IA, USA

problem #11

Mar 302020

Optima

  • 110,000 miles
When I am driving more than 65 mph, my steering wheel shakes for 3 seconds, stops, and then continues until I go under 65 mph. When I drive over a bump or object, it shakes as well. There is a loud clicking when turn the wheel left or right.

- Norman, OK, USA

problem #10

Nov 012019

Optima

  • 125,000 miles
Steering wheel slips while turning left or right

- Bethlehem, PA, USA

problem #9

Oct 052019

Optima

  • 89,000 miles
My car keeps having some kind of an electrical glitch where it seems my battery is dead completely wipes the memory from the car then it'll start 1 minute later, tires keep getting eating from the inside just above the rim, motor has been making a ticking noise since I got the car it was looked at as one of the recalls and said it was fine, I feel this car is unsafe for me and my family, the has even shut off as I was driving down the road acted like it was the battery was dead and it started a couple minutes later

- Rocksprings, WY, USA

problem #8

Oct 072016

Optima

  • 82,000 miles
The chrome on the wheels is separating from the wheel/rim. All around the lug nuts area the chrome is pealing off.

- Manvel, TX, USA

problem #7

Mar 262013

Optima

  • miles
First, the tires were worn/dry rot with only 3000 miles on the vehicle. Second, vehicle stalls when there is any moisture on the roadway causing safety hazard because the car will not move. Third, back up camera is not working. Fourth, recall notice for underbody rust. Fifth, recall notice for engine seizure while the car is driving at high speed

- Minooka, IL, USA

problem #6

May 262017

Optima

  • 14,972 miles
Nexen CP671 tires, P215/55R17 - tires are oem on my Kia Optima, which I purchased new. At 14,972 miles, my car's handling changed. The dealership advised both front tires have developed sidewall bulges, as well as excessive tread wear. (tires had been rotated.) I was advised to purchase new tires immediately as present ones were extremely unsafe. I read that this is a common complaint for these tires, so I called nexen directly to see if they would offer a replacement, but was shocked to hear they take no responsibility on oem tires, nor do they even offer a discount on the purchase of new tires. Needless to say, I won't be replacing them with new nexens which, by the way, their agent told me they do warrant at no additional change.

- Ekins Park, PA, USA

problem #5

Feb 132015

Optima 4-cyl

  • 25,100 miles
My wife was driving the vehicle on darby road in haverford, pa going about 30 mph. She heard a loud noise and lost control of the vehicle. After safely stopping she inspected the car and found that the right front tire was no longer straight up and down but was tilted. The haverford police responded and asked if she had hit anything. She replied "no". the police looked down the road and could not find any potholes or anything that had been struck. We had the vehicle towed to West chester, pa Kia dealership. They are insisting that something had to have hit the vehicle. They say that there is evidence of scrapes on the underside of the vehicle. I told them that was probably due to the car being dragged by the tow truck to get in on to the flatbed when it was towed to our house. When it was removed from the tow truck it was again dragged on the ground. The same thing happened this morning when another tow truck came to take it to Kia of West chester. They are now going to tow it from there to gran sport auto in West chester, pa and I am sure more damage will occur. I feel that since there was no accident, no pothole and no collision with anything that this could be a manufacturer defect. Kia is saying it had to have occurred because of impact.

- Avondale, PA, USA

problem #4

Feb 102015

Optima 4-cyl

  • 26,500 miles
We got a new Kia Optima sxl 2013. The tyres are fill with nitrogen gas. On our last state inspection we were told the there was 25% left on the tread of each tyre & will require changing soon. Started to check out prices in the area at all the tyre merchants. Only to find in my horror that only two places in a 30 mile + radius can do nitrogen fill & the prices are horrendous. It should not be this difficult to simply change tyres on a car. Kia as well as a lot of other new cars don't come with a spare tyre, but instead supply you with a small compressor unit. Because of this difficulty, it looks like we are going to be forced to change over to air filled types, and buy a new spare wheel & tyre for the trunk. At a great deal more expense, than should be required. Kia usa are being of little or no help whatsoever. Very angry. I am now in the stage of making a formal complaint to the office of the attorney general, as we it is also a serious safety issue. Anyone else in the same boat"??"

- Manassas, VA, USA

problem #3

Mar 172014

Optima 4-cyl

  • 25,000 miles
Dear nexen & southwest Kia 39650 lyndon B. johnson fwy, dallas, tx. 75237 (972) 283-9797: I am reaching out to your company in hopes of gaining resolution on a recent safety issue I experienced with your tires. On June 28th 2013 I purchased a motor vehicle from your dealership VIN# [xxx], Kia SUV. Unfortunately, the vehicle has not been satisfactory because on 3/14/14 I was driving in to work traveling at about 70 mph on the highway and the rear tire on the SUV completely came apart to my dismay, leaving me driving on three good tires and a bare rim. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #2

Feb 092013

Optima 4-cyl

  • 22 miles
I've owned this vehicle for about one week. Within the first two days I noticed a slight drifting of the vehicle while driving above 40 mph, but dismissed it as being caused by the high winds that were occurring during that time. Over the next few days, these drifting experiences lingered. The worst experience occurred 02/14/13, between 5:30pm and 6:15pm, a high traffic period, on a freeway which is currently under construction. After making a left turn from a traffic light onto the freeway, I proceeded into the left lane. Within a few feet, or acceleration to 50 mph or so, the front wheels, began to pull toward the right. Both of my hands were on the steering wheel the entire time, but I had to steer slightly left to correct to avoid going into the right lane. A few seconds later, the same scenario occurred as above. I next changed to the right lane as my exit was nearing. Within 3/4 mile there is a slight curve left, which the car had issues cornering and again led to my having to steer to correct. This is safety concern, a serious one. This is not a random, every so often occurrence. It is daily, frequent, if I travel on a freeway or anytime speed limits are above 35 mph. There are other instances of what appear to be cornering issues. Left turns are awkward if you follow proper procedure for turning into the lane closest to you. Most turns end up wide, as if you're driving a wider chassis vehicle, I.e. a pick-up or SUV. The steering defect even appears noticeable upon parking, as the steering wheel is always a hair off center when you park straight in a stall or space. In the city I reside in the state of Nevada, constant road construction, lanes that change from horizontal to zig-zag every few feet, the last thing needed is a car that has any hint of a fault with steering or suspension.

- North Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #1

Oct 012012

Optima

  • 1,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that two months after purchasing the vehicle, the tire pressure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised that the tire would need replacing. The vehicle did not come equipped with a spare tire, only a tire mobility kit that included an inflation device. The dealer advised that the failed tire could not be inflated and needed to be completely replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000. The current mileage was approximately 3,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Syracuse, NY, USA