2013 Kia Optima Complaint Log

2013 OPTIMA ENGINE SEIZED DUE TO MANUFACTURING ERRORS AND KIA WONT REPLACE STATING IT DIDNT HAVE THE KSDS UPDATE. THE UPDATE DOESNT STOP THE ENGINE FROM SEIXZING ONLY LETS YOU KNOW. WHEN SEARCHING RECALLS AND COMPLAINTS NOTHING SHOWS UP ABOUT THE KSDS UPDATE.BASICALLY TOLD ME THATS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BUY USED VEHICHLES, IN THAT CUSTOMERS MAY NOT BE CONTACTED DUE TO RECALLS AND UPDATES

Was driving down the highway with no indication of any problems with my car. It just shuts off completely had to coast to the side of the road get someone to tow me home. While on side of the road opened the hood and saw white smoke come from the engine. Just had an oil change and coolant is fine.

The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle, the contact became aware of black smoke coming from the floorboard with a burning plastic odor, and the battery warning light illuminated. The contact called her husband and was informed to exit the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and seconds later the vehicle exploded. The front of the vehicle blew up onto the windshield and the steering wheel detached and struck the driver’s side seat. The fire was extinguished by the Fulton County Fire Department. A Fire Report and Police Report were filed; however, the reports were not yet provided to the vehicle owner. The contact experienced severe emotional distress. The contact stated due to the emotional distress of the fire, she suffered a miscarriage from the stress and had scratches from having to jump out of the window. There was no medical assistance sought. Several personal items inside the vehicle were also lost due to the fire and additionally, the contact lost employment due to the fire. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the vehicle had not been repaired prior to the fire. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard then to a Kia dealer. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 193,876.

Kia has identified an issue with the steering wheel coupler. The coupler wears and erodes and causes the steering wheel to shake violently while braking. My 2013 Kia Optima has recently experienced this issue. Kia has extended their warranty from 5 years to 10 years for this issue but did not offer any notices to vehicle owners. Kia does not currently have a resolution for vehicle owners who were not notified and are beyond the warranty period.

Engine failure while driving. Engine seized in the middle of the road. Contacted Kia, towed car to dealership and claim was denied. Recall has not been taken care of. No symptoms or any indication that the engine was about to give out.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, smoke was coming from the hood of the vehicle, and the entire front of the vehicle caught on fire. The origin of the fire was unknown. The vehicle was occupied; however, the contact and her daughter were able to exit the vehicle safely before the flames spread. There were no injuries sustained and no medical attention was sought. There entire front of the vehicle was damaged including the windshield and everything lined up with the dashboard. The fire department was involved and had to come to extinguish the fire. A fire department report was not filed. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not destroyed. The contact did research and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V100 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the contact was not notified before the failure. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable and remained at a friend of the contact's place of residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

Engine failure after a pass sc147 safety recall. Vehicle has a rebuilt title and does not qualify for manufacture warranty. Does this engine not still qualify for the sc147 recall,

My car's paint began chipping and peeling about a year ago, it continues to get worse day by day and exposed areas show a bare metal with some areas rusting. This is happening very rapidly and appears the whole car may lose its paint quickly. Please help!

Bushing related to steering wheel was a safety issue that causes steering wheel play and possible loss of control. I was never informed of the issue and Kia said it would not repair it since the warranty expired.

After engine replacement from previous recall, engine is making loud revving sound. Since recall repair/replacement the engine has an increasingly high rev with a loud engine noise while idling.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, there was significant play in the steering wheel and the steering wheel made abnormal sounds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering column coupler had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the repair was not covered under TSB Number: CHA060. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

My 2013 Kia optima, 80,000 miles has had a manufacturer paint defect problem for years now. Paint from my car is flying off in large chunks. I’ve seen THOUSANDS of other Kia Hyundai and other like cars with the pearl white color having the EXACT same issue. Google search “Kia pearl white paint defect” and you can see for yourself what everyone else has posted online about the exact same issue I am having. All it takes is the right person to read this message and google search what is happening to thousands of Kia and Hyundai cars to understand the situation for something to be done about it. I’m not looking for a free paint job, I’m looking for the manufacturer to be held accountable for their poor quality workmanship. I’ve called Kia consumer affairs and they are aware of the situation but “are not considering any sort of recourse at this time” If you’re reading this message, do the google search… help out thousands of people who paid EXTRA for this style paint and were given a trainwreck instead.

On 7/31, we had the HECU Fuse recall fixed at the Federico Kia Dealership. In 8/1, one day later, when driving the vehicle all of the car emergency lights came on, the engine started smoking and eventually caught fire. Fire department and police were called. Vehicle was toed to Kia Dealership. The next morning 8/2 we spoke with the service manager at the dealership, who was no help and gave us a 1-800 number to call Kia directly. Since this fire directly pertains to the part they “fixed” the day before during the recall, we believe the dealership did not fix the issue and believe something they “fixed” caused the issue as we have never had any prior issues with the engine.

The car as a fire hazard

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

KIA, in Clay New York, refuses to fix the recall on the bearing that caused my engine to cease, i did not know that my car had a recall because i was never notified! My car broke down as i was driving it, i had it towed to Kia, found out there were recalls, but the dealership will not honor the recall and fix my car.

Ran out of gas ,and added gas for it to start up again only for it to not run after adding fuel .

There is an hybrid warning coming on which causes the brakes to loose it’s ability to stop for some reason. It also slows the car to a hault while the engine is in full rev. It’s a huge safety issue as this occurs intermittently with no warning. Last time I was on the freeway, luckily I was able to pull over to the curb without incident. I hit the bumper a little bit but was able to stop safely.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after the vehicle was repaired under recall, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly while depressing the accelerator pedal and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from under the hood, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated the vehicle was repaired under an unidentified recall; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact received notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V100000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) in 2022; however, the recall repair was not completed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

On [XXX] @ approx. 9:30pm while driving south on [XXX] between Pullman, WA and Lewiston, ID. my 2013 Kia Optima SXL turn off with warning, the engine turned off and never started again. no lights, smoke, smells or leaks. there were no noises of any kind come from the car, nothing to alert me there was a problem. at the time there was no music playing. My daughter was sleeping so the only noise was the car, if there were any noises from the engine they were not muffled by conversation or music. I called my wife who came up and I tried to jump it, thinking perhaps the alternator failed. Due to the location, we were not able to fully exit the highway, the car was a half tire width over the white line. This is a rural location not an elevated interstate, as such traffic though moving fast was not bumper to bumper. Next day I drove up and pushed the car about 100yards behind where it was, on the opposite side of the road. Then called a roll back to haul the car to a local shop. They were able to best guess the diagnosis as a seized engine. as the engine was not turning over, and manually turning the crank was not possible. I trailered it to my house, removed the serp. belt and was able to very slightly turn the crank with a 2.5ft long breaker bar. it is currently in my garage. Oil was changed recently; it was not low. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

We took our 2013 KIA Optima 4D EX to the local Kia dealership for diagnosis of what we perceived to be a knock engine sensor issue. We delivered the vehicle at 0920, 5 July 2024. The vehicle sat at the dealership for 4 weeks waiting for the diagnosis which was ultimately that the engine needed to be replaced...under warranty. On 16 August 2024, after so many calls to the dealership (Spradley Kia, Pueblo) and Kia Customer Support, we were informed that the service ticket was closed. No reason for it to be closed...just closed. Warranty work not complete. No offer to complete any of the other recalls on the vehicle. Not only would we like all recalls to be complete we would really like that to be completed in a timely manner.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 98,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the knock sensor and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the vehicle had a Salvage Title and no coverage under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000.

The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list because he no longer owns the vehicle. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine seized. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while the contact was driving into the driveway at the residence. In addition, the contact attempted to start the vehicle; however, the vehicle did not start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the engine had seized. The contact was advised to have the vehicle towed to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was confirmed that the engine had seized. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the contact was informed that due to missing maintenance documents, the repair was not eligible to be performed under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

I haven't had any accidents yet but the problem is that there is noise in the engine of my car and my car runs like a diesel vehicle making noise like a diesel engine, that's all just that, I would simply like to have your help on this. All my best regards, thank you

Car stopped accelerating on the highway. Check engine lights and other lights went on. Dealership is refusing to inspect the car without the CEL staying on. My family's life is at risk as long as Kia deems this car safe to drive. The dealer and corporate refuse to inspect it without a check engine light staying on when starting up again.

The oil feedline is gusting out oil but no where I could find a recall on this but I remember there was a recall. Could you send me the copy of the recall? Thank you.

While driving on the freeway I noticed my car wasnt going as I was pushing the gas and noticed all my dash lights were on like I was in accessory mode. I coasted to the edge of the freeway and decided to pop my hood and see if it was my battery cable that came loose. While waiting for traffic to break I noticed my hood looked alittle hazy like it was hot. When I was able to get out of my car I noticed black smoke coming from under the hood so I backed off and called 911.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle, but the failure recurred while the transmission was shifted into drive(D). After several attempts, the vehicle restarted and went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where error code P1326 was retrieved. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The dealer contacted the manufacturer, who determined that the brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

We took the car in for the recalls. ASC245 Headliner plates - they state they still don’t have the part. BSC2484QF HECU fuse. After they replaced the fuse, the car started losing power when driving, as well as the traction control lights were on, and the brake lights were on. I have read on the KIA forum this is happening to multiple people following the fuse replacement. We took the car back to KIA the same day and they told us it was nothing to do with what they did. We have now taken it to another non KIA mechanic. This is extremely dangerous and clearly related.

The white paint on the car is peeling off in many areas of the car.

Airbag warning light continuously on, a 2018 recall that was repaired by KIA dealership and seemingly recurring.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), and 22V560000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle experienced reduced engine power and the engine started overheating. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact parked and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall because the product improvement campaign for knock sensor software update had not been performed on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they were not legally required to complete the recall repairs. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was not provided. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

I have maintained my car well since i first bought it. I was randomly cruising [XXX] 2024 at [XXX] and my car stopped and nothing worked. No ignition, my wheel locked, my brakes locked and all i could see was black smoke coming out of engine. I had recently changed the oil on 11th May 2024 so I know that wasnt the oil that messed my car up and on internet it shows the recalls for fire in engine. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

In May 2024, I took my 2013 Kia Optima (2.0L T-GDI) to my local dealership to have several recalls completed, including SC284QF (Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit). The dealership completed the recalls and I have a receipt showing all three recalls were completed. On Sep 12 2024 I received a recall notice stating the recall SC284QF had NOT been completed and to contact my dealership to schedule this recall repair. I looked up the Kia Safety Recall Campain instruction, detailing the repair step-by-step. I then went to my vehicle fuse panel (where the recall repair was to be performed) and was able to verify the recall has NOT been completed, despite the Kia dealership claiming (and documenting) the recall as being complete. This recall states that the risk of not competing this recall is potential engine fire while being driven or parked. I park this vehicle inside my garage (attached to my house) and this could have caused a fire which could have endangered the lives of my family. I have attached the Kia Safety Recall Campain instructions as well as a photo of the affected fuse.

Dealership states I need a new coupling device. They told me this has been a problem in 2013 Optima.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated that an oil change was recently performed; however, two weeks later, the oil level was extremely low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed turbo charger. The contact was informed that the turbo charger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the turbo charger and the engine were replaced two years ago by the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

Car paint started peeling on the whole car and according to dealers it's a common problem with the pear paint and I need it fixed

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while her husband was driving at approximately 65 MPH on a hill, the vehicle started losing automotive power and suddenly stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not able to be restarted and smoke was noticed emanating from the front area, near the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to the contact residence. The contact indicated that while an independent mechanic tried to start the vehicle, he became aware that the vehicle was being overloaded and subsequently fire flames began to be noticed. The mechanic disconnected the alternator and informed the contact it was a manufacturing failure. The local dealer was contacted, however; they stated that it would not be repaired since it was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and attempting to enter it, she became aware of a strong unknown smell. The contact re-exited the vehicle, and immediately noticed smoke coming from the front side. After this, the vehicle caught on fire. The fire was emanating from the underneath of the vehicle. The fire department was notified and extinguished the fire. The contact was unaware of a police report or a fire department report being filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The paint on my car is peeling. It’s pearl white.

Flexible steering coupling was faulty and replaced on 02-22-23 under recall. The same part became faulty again on 02-22-24, but Ewald Kia of Oconomowoc refused to replace the defective part without charge. The HECU is under recall so I scheduled a service appointment for recall and when I arrived at Ewald Kia of Oconomowoc, I was advised by service manager that they did no have parts to fix recall.

Paint on driver side rear door is delamination from the car body. This is the Pearl white color

See attached document for complaint

A few months ago I started hearing a clicking noise while moving my steering wheel from side to side I went to the shop and had my steering column replaced thinking that would solve the issue but the noise is still there. I heard there was a replacement for customers I purchased my call after that bulletin was issued

KIA notified me via letter on 23 April 2024 that Central Kia, Plano TX was able to complete repairs for the recall on the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit. I made an appointment in May to have the repair done. After waiting over two hours to have the repair completed, the Dealer said they did not have the part to fix the recall and they would contact me when it was available. Almost three months have elapsed with no word from Central Kia

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.