10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
8 / 38
Injuries / Deaths:
7 / 0
Average Mileage:
48,684 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.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2015 Kia Optima:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #488

Mar 132024

Optima

  • miles
Loss of power to engine when trying to increase speed to turn into traffic/getting onto the highway and constant severe engine knocking noise. I have to use hazards when turning into traffic/merging onto highway because the vehicle takes too long to catch up with the speed of traffic. It also has a problem with excess oil consumption, needs to be refilled every week and a half to two weeks. Bremerton Transmission has provided an inspection and a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P1326 (Knock Signal Range/Performance). The oil consumption has been an ongoing issue since I bought the car in February of 2022, only getting worse. The rest of the issues have been escalating problems.

- Vaughn, WA, USA

problem #487

Mar 232024

Optima

  • 63,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated that an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the engine oil level was checked. The contact was informed that the oil level was sufficient, however the oil needed to be changed. The engine oil was changed. The contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed of an open recall repair for the engine. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

- Eutaw, AL, USA

problem #486

Mar 012024

Optima

  • miles
I need remedy compensation in regards of my recalls my engine warranty was gone after being replaced due to engine seized 01/01/2023 I had engine warranty since 2020 and now my car was being rejected refused rejected excluded iam being discredited I own my 2015 Kia Optima I lived sleep in my car iam hoing through financial hardship since 2021 I need legal advice help assistance please

- El Cajon, CA, USA

problem #485

Jan 012024

Optima

  • miles
Oils going some where no oil puddles but very low on oil

- Snellville, GA, USA

problem #484

Nov 152023

Optima

  • miles
The contact's sister owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, she noticed a burning odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, she noticed that there was a fluid leak under the hood. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred, and the vehicle failed to restart immediately. The contact stated that she was able to restart the vehicle after some time. The vehicle was driven to the residence of the contact's mother. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer was contacted and had declined to cover the repair because the contact had failed to complete an unknown software update on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Alexandria, LA, USA

problem #483

Mar 042024

Optima

  • miles
This owner has a 2015 Kia Optima. Car started tapping without warning. Checked the oil level and it was out of oil. No warning at all. Had maintenance on car when due. Motor is completely gone. I have had this car 3 years and it only has a little over 60,000 miles on it. This vehicle needs to be repaired @ no expense to me because the 10 year or 100,00-mile factory warranty still remains.

- Mccomb, MS, USA

problem #482

Dec 222023

Optima

  • miles
The last recall that was fixed is occuring again. Car loosing power warning signal popping up Sometimes smells like matches after parked.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #481

Mar 052024

Optima

  • miles
HI, I own a 2015 KIA OPTIMA. Sometimes when I drive it, I get a burning smell from the dashboard/engine after driving it after a while. I received A KIA recall notice regarding an electrical short circuit in November 2023. The notice said that the electrical short circuit could cause a fire, which I think is the cause of the burning smell. When I called KIA to bring the car in, they said there is no remedy to fix it yet. So I receive the notices in November 2023 and at the time of writing it is March 5th 2024, five months after and KIA does still does not have a remedy to fix the problem. I think this is a major safety issue that is not solved in a timely manner as there is potential risk of fire every time I drive my car. I hope NHTSA can step in and have KIA expedite a remedy to fix this hazard that can lead to potential injury and/or death. Thank you Concerned KIA owner

- Pacifica, CA, USA

problem #480

Feb 292024

Optima

  • miles
While driving on the busy interstate my husbands 2015 kia optima stopped working while driving. This could had gotten him killed!!!! It was taken to a auto shop where they said his engine seized and it was going to be $8000!!! There was nothing wrong with his car prior, it just started making noises and he was on his way to get it checked when it stopped. The car was up to date on all oil changes/etc.

- Florence, KY, USA

problem #479

Feb 222024

Optima

  • miles
Our. Vehicle is under 90,000 miles and the engine is going out on it This is under 10 years on the vehicle and an engine shouldn-??t be going out so soon.

- Punta Gorda , FL, USA

problem #478

Feb 072022

Optima

  • 115,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle jerked and then stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle failed to accelerate over 60 MPH. The contact stated that the failure had occurred four times within the past two years. The contact stated that the vehicle had been repaired twice by another Kia dealer and the last two failures the vehicle was repaired by Freddy Kia. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed knock sensor. The contact was informed that the knock sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The knock sensor had been replaced four times. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

- Rosharon, TX, USA

problem #477

Feb 022024

Optima

  • miles
I got my engine replaced, after using 100 miles on the car I checked my oil there was no oil in the car, every time I try to go over 45 miles the car hesitates to speed up. I am constantly checking the oil weekly, the engine still makes the knocking noise, never again will I buy a KIA vehicle again

- Paxtang, PA, USA

problem #476

Jan 112024

Optima

  • 101,650 miles
3 months prior to my car going into limp mode I had an incident where I was on the highway and had to come to a stop of major traffic and suddenly my car cut off out of nowhere. I got it to crank after putting it in park, but it was very scary being on the highway thank God it was traffic to where cars wasn't going so fast. Fast-forward to my recent incident to now my car's now in limp mode (MIL) same situation different times was getting on the highway and started to pick up speed to accelerate to 60mph my engine light started to blink Non-Stop and here I am again in a terrifying situation to where I have to get back off of the freeway and I also was on my way to work now having to call in and praying and hoping nothing happens to me while trying to get my car home now I've called I'm certain dealerships decided to go with a dealership to get my recalls done and the dealer basically told me he told his mechanics to hurry up and do my recalls that he could do and get my car out of their shop and also told me to get rid of my car basically refusing to do what he's supposed to do regardless but I truly believe I need a new engine and that's why the dealer rushed me out I just want to know how can I get my vehicle fixed with no problems and also without dealerships denying me. I would love to hear back from you all to know my next step in getting my vehicle recall done please and thank you

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #475

Dec 012023

Optima

  • miles
Engine failure I am writing to express my serious concern regarding the defective and unsafe vehicle that I purchased from Kia Motors. It has come to my attention that Kia Motors is selling vehicles with known defects that can potentially cause harm or even death to its customers. I demand immediate action to rectify this situation and ensure the safety of all Kia vehicle owners. On [XXX], I visited a Kia Motors dealership to address a recall for the ksds engine on my vehicle. I was told the service was complete and I retrieved my vehicle. However, in December 2023, my vehicle suddenly stopped working in a busy intersection without any warning. I had my vehicle towed to a Kia Motors service center, where I was informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. A month later, I discovered that the ksds recall repair had never been performed on my vehicle. I ask so what happened with the recall they said at the time they didn-??t have an engine available they were on back order.but the failed to inform me of this and I was driving around in a safety hazard. They messed up and want me to be responsible for there mistakes. An apology is not enough Kia Motors is still selling vehicles with this dangerous defect and denying customers replacements. I demand that Kia Motors fixes the engine of my vehicle at no cost to me. Failure to do so will result in legal action. I implore Kia Motors to prioritize customer safety by taking immediate action. It is crucial that Kia Motors either fix my vehicle I expect a prompt response outlining the steps Kia Motors will take to rectify this situation and ensure customer safety. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Homestead, FL, USA

problem #474

Apr 232023

Optima

  • miles
I heard a noise and pulled over to take a look at it and noticed fluid was leaking. Then the engine wouldn't start. I had the vehicle for about 2 weeks before this happened I had a mechanic diagnosis why it wouldn't start and he said he found a crack in the lower end of the engine crankshaft gridle and now yhw engine needs to be replaced.

- Bowie, TX, USA

problem #473

Nov 142023

Optima

  • miles
Only 77k miles, all recalls addressed. Engine stopped going about 45 mph, was able to coast into a gas station luckily. Towed to a Kia dealer where it's been for 3 months waiting to be diagnosed. Kia won't reimburse towing or rental until it's diagnosed. I paid $350 to get it diagnosed. They are saying it'll be another couple weeks before that even happens. I can't afford constant rental car. This has been a nightmare.

- Winder, GA, USA

problem #472

Nov 132023

Optima

  • 189,436 miles
I have experienced several issues with my Kia. I have replaced catalytic converter (direct fit), and the valve covering gasket. However, the engine reports issues every other month. The dealership dismissed everything stating that the engine is fine. But wherever I take the car to get an oil change, they say I need to contact the dealership. I have been consistently managing my car maintenance but it does not help.

- Nashville , TN, USA

problem #471

Jan 122024

Optima

  • miles
The engine had less than 40K miles on it and a total engine failure occurred due to blown head gasket. They replaced the engine with another used engine and this one started smoking and nearly caught on fire, resulting in another total engine failure. They are now trying to install an engine with an unknown amount of mileage on it as the replacement engine.

- Scottsdale, AZ, USA

problem #470

Dec 132023

Optima

  • miles
When i was in the highway, the car starts shaking and the engine light turned on. Parked car in the nearest rest stop and I immediately smell smoke coming from engine

- Belleville, NJ, USA

problem #469

Jan 132024

Optima

  • miles
I purchased my car in 2015 at 23k miles, now we're at 86k miles and I'm experiencing issues. How is there a recall for this car but no remedy yet when there is a high risk of fire" Shouldn't there be a resolution for this safety concern" I noticed my car in 2022 would smoke here and there when driving, and I would smell burning. I took it to my mechanic and he changed the head gasket, and the smoking stopped. There is residue on my engine from a leak from the oil. My mechanic at the time told me I might still smell burning oil just due to that. As time went on things were fine but a year later, the oil smell came back stronger. I notice it only on longer drives, so I do believe my car is leaking oil. Also, the amount of time I've changed my break lights this year and head lights. They dim so fast over time and eventually go out to where I have to replace them. There is 100% an electrical issue going on.

- Coral Springs, FL, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »