March 15, 2023 I Ania Covington as well as my mother Ramona Allen went to the Kia dealership in Southern Pines, NC at 10am to get a recall fixed on my car (fuel line), an oil change, air filters changed, as well as a valve gasket replacement (recall was free, everything else paid out of pocket). I received my car back at 4pm the same day, when I pulled off the lot not even a mile away my car was smoking from the exhaust pipes. I went back to ask them was it going to continue to do that, the mechanic as well as the advisor told me it-??s just the old oil burning off. As I was driving home I began seeing smoke come from my engine as and still from the pipes I was still thinking it was the old oil burning off hence that-??s what I was told. I decided to go to the gas station to get gas for the remaining of the week, and my car burst into flames while I was pumping gas. The fire had originated from my engine. I went back to the dealership the following day to show them pictures, the service manager(Thomas) told us to reach out to Kia corporate. It-??s almost one month later, no one has been answering calls from me nor my mother. We went back to the dealership 3/31 the service manager took our information again and told us he-??d reach out and still haven-??t been informed on anything.

- Laurinburg, NC, USA

The Pearl White paint has begun to peel and flake off. This vehicle has been well cared for and has 96k miles. It appears a defect in the paint has resulted in a lot of paint issues for Kia and Hyundai vehicles. This needs to be investigated and a resolution is warranted.

- Montclair, CA, USA

The paint is bubbling and peeling from the hood, pillars, and the roof. So. Enough that will start to settle in. Kia refuses to acknowledge it is a manufacturer defect.

- Temecula, CA, USA

The paint is bubbling and peeling after i wash the car and it rust after a while

- Longview , TX, USA

Paint started peeling/flaking on passenger and driver pillars. Trunk paint is now peeling and sure the rest will peel over time

- Victorville, CA, USA

While driving around hand 35 miles per hour, I felt like the vehicles emergency brake came on. I had warning lights for AUTO HOLD, CHECK BRAKES, STABILITY CONTROL, E- BRALE, vehicle self diagshows electronic brake system Check ABS/ESC condition. Breaks feel tighter and car doesn't brake as before plus you could feel the stability system not working. This has occurred 6 times in the last 2 weeks

- Los Alamitos, CA, USA

I have paint issues my paint. It-??s actually peeling off my car it has been for a few years already, Kia refuses to do anything about

- Otherchula Vista , CA, USA

The paint is defective/chipping. Now, rusting has occurred.

- Walker, LA, USA

My partner was driving my car and the engine seized. We never miss an oil change and use full synthetic since I got it. We did notice little changes in the engine over time that were concerning. Out of nowhere my check engine and oil light came on at the same time and the engine seized. That-??s the first time I ever seen my oil light come on. He was on the express driving, lucky he is still here.

- Toledo, OH, USA

I-??ve been smelling smoke inside the vehicle coming from the engine compartment while driving the vehicle this is a Kia Optima lx. I don-??t know what causing it but worries me a whole lot. What should I do in this case

- Belle Glade, FL, USA

Vehicle check engine light came on at 164000mi. Diagnostics confirmed trouble codes P2562 (Power train system) and C2130, C1611, C1612 (Anti-lock brake sytem). The begins to shake at 40mph and the turbo fails to run properly causing the car to accelerate poorly and make steering an issue.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the electric power steering (EPS) warning light was illuminated, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact was able to drive to his residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,750.

- Newton Grove, NC, USA

Car cut off whilst driving without warning

- Houston , TX, USA

The engine seized up at 83,000 miles with all regular maintenance done. There is no specific cause of what caused that, as dismantling the engine would cost me more $. I have already spent $200 on the dealership and independents mechanic. I was merging on to the interstate and I lost all power, it was a narrow one lane, no shoulder section of the road, as it was also an interchange for a state hwy and the interstate. I had to limp over to the shoulder as traffic behind me began blaring horns. The shoulder I did find was a narrow gore, and I was very uncomfortable while getting a tow and ride setup. I was terrified I was going to be sideswiped at any moment. I was told by my trusted mechanic it was the Hybrid battery. The Dealership said the engine seized up, which also damaged the battery. In either case, my car does not travel forward under its own power. I had no warning until the event happened, I just lost power.

- Omaha, NE, USA

I dont know if is the motor or what is it buet I was driving the car on the freeway when all of the sudden the car shut down N it doesnt want to start back up again

- Adelanto , CA, USA

Brakes tend to lock up suddenly when applying minimal pressure to the pedal then jerks out of complete lock and then normal brakes. Engine HVAC system and AC suddenly stopped working and I have taken it to a shop for electrical testing with no luck.

- Pawnee City, NE, USA

Traction control light has recently started coming on all the time and stays on. When you turn car off and it cools off then the light is off again. Another issue is when I place foot on brake the passenger side parking light comes on and the passenger brake light has had to be replaced 7 times since i bought car in February 2021

- Brunswick, MO, USA

05/03/2021 I drove my vehicle to the local grocery store and upon leaving the store, I came to stop and the vehicle stalled and wouldn't start. I knew that it was not the battery, because all lights and dash board system was on. I tried starting the vehicle again and it would not start. My safety was put at risk because I had to figure out how to get the vehicle towed. The problem (PI 1803) with the engine is the problem and KIA Consumer Affairs verified that the previous owner never brought the vehicle in to get repaired. I was never notified to bring vehicle in. KIA Consumer Affairs verified that I did not have a profile and I was not notified because I was not in their system. It is my problem to get a rebuilt engine for $6000 to update software and extend the "Lifetime Warranty." It was inspected by Olathe KIA in Olathe, KS. They were not given any authority to repair this issue with the original engine failure. My insurance agent verified that they could not cover mechanical problems, only accidents. There were no warnings, no knocking (read other peoples statements on the PI 1803 KIA Forum testaments), no leaking, no smoke, or other signs. I had an oil change a week prior before this happen and there was no signs of any problems. My engine just gave out and never started again. KIA has ruined My Family's Life. We have no car to get to work. Losing my Job because I live 15-20 miles from my job. We only have 1 car. We are getting Evicted from our apartment. Domino affect with My Life. I still have a car payment and car insurance I have to pay for. Why, won't they fix their engines? It's there problem when the vehicle was manufactured. I see why they are trying to sell all kinds of KIA's even though there is a car shortage. So sad how many people are in my shoe's and many of lives are affected by this problem.

- Desoto, KS, USA

On 5/23/2021, while driving my Optima on US94 in Indiana, I noticed a clicking sound. Uncertain if it was my car, or somerhing else, I turned off my media, and realized it was my car. I decided I would exit the next available exit, when I saw black smoke behind me. I realized I wouldn't make it the one mile to the exit, so I decided to pull off unto the shoulder of the highway. The instrumentation panel showed the coolant on normal, right in the middle of H and C. The Electrical Panel indicator was no longer in the middle as normal, which is right in the middle of H & L. Instead, it was berween the middle and Low. As I began to slow down, the panel showed a message of "Turn off Hybrid Now", then the red engine light appeared. I wasn't stopped yet, slowed to about 40 mph when I suddenly lost power. I coasted and brake to the shoulder, when I began to see smoke coming up from the hood. Mostly from the passenger side of the hood. I popped the hood of the car, then went out and opened the hood. I saw flames under the engine, more towards the passenger side of car. I grabbed my purse and ran to the field away from the car. The car burned up completely within about 5 to 8 minutes.

- Canadian Lakes, MI, USA

A clicking noise in the front end started when the wheel was turned to the right. This was about 2 years ago. The dealership replaced a joint and said it was fixed. A couple of weeks later the noise started again, became worse and the steering felt looser. The front left wheel also felt loose when going over bumps. They replaced the steering column and some other related parts. This time the steering was looser, they had to replace a bolt and said it was fixed. As soon as I left the lot I heard the same noise but very faint. The dealership said it wasn't an issue but it got worse over the next few weeks. The right wheel had the loose feeling when going over bumps again. By this time the noise happened when turning left or right. The dealership replaced the steering column and the same parts as before again. That same day I could hear the faint noise again, dealership said it was fine again. The clicking noise became worse just as before and nothing is being done. The service department said they didn't think it was a safety issue but they obviously don't really know what the problem is or they would have been able to repair it. It has been several months since their last attempt and it keeps getting worse. When going over the slightest bump the front wheels have a loose feeling which is also getting worse. This loose feeling in the front wheels happens when turning and going straight. Speed doesn't seem to be a factor in any of the problems.

- South Charleston, WV, USA