2018 Kia Optima Complaint Log

Ever since I got my car I’ve had black oil since the start . Second my car breaks on its own at times 3rd my car system keep breaking down as the sparks leaking in some where has this issue since bought it 2 years ago low miles

Excessive oil consumption 1-1.5 months approx. 1,000 miles into new oils change. It is available for inspection. Safety was put at risk due to not knowing there was no oil in my vehicle while constantly driving it as it did not display the oil warning sign on the dash board. The oil change dealership has confirmed an oil consumption issue two separate times. I am familiar with multiple people having this same issue with Kia and hyuandia vehicles. The dealership is requiring multiple steps to be paid out of pocket prior to using the full warranty i purchased to cover the issue even though they know what the issue is and how to fix it.

-Knock Sensor Detection System - ECU Logic Improvement - I Was driving with my infant son in the backseat. I was going 70 mph when my car started rapidly losing speed. This happened again with just myself after receiving the car from mechanic. There was heavy traffic and I had to swerve to avoid being hit by an 18-wheeler. - I can see on the website where I received the car from, there is a recall for my exact make and model with the same code but they say there is no recall for my specific car. - The check engine light started flashing and Kia Systems starts talking.

I purchased this vehicle used in April 2023 with 3,000 to go prior to another oil change. I returned home from a trip and the oil light would come on only while turning or braking. When checking the oil there was no oil in the motor. The reservoir was filled and two weeks in the engine is low on oil again. There are no leaks. The car jerks at lights as if it wants to stall out. I feel unsafe driving this car.

High injector fuel pump top engine mount went out at 68000 miles. It caused the vehicle to stall and lose power and basically cut the car off while driving.

Burning oil prematurely causing engine to go and need replacement.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was sputtering while being started. The contact stated that the vehicle also sputtered while driving at various speeds, and while reversing. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that oil was getting onto the spark plugs and ignition coils. The spark plugs and ignition coils were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

The engine consumes all the oil within 1000 miles. The oil light comes on around 800 miles after oil change. The dealership did the 3 separate tests and they all failed. Dealership stated the engine is faulty however Kia corporate denied the claim. There is already a class action lawsuit in progress in California.

Unknown

My car engine burns oil EXCESSIVELY. After an oil change, 2 weeks later i had to put more oil in. The dealership is no help even with a warranty. The car burning oil is also causing other mechanical problems that are a hefty price that are only a temp fix. I have to put oil in every single week. 2-3 quarts a week. Due to the oil being burnt off, it has affected my spark plugs and has caused a misfire in the same exact cylinder for when it misfired for this same problem, a year prior. I took it to a kia dealership last year and they performed a combustion chamber cleaning ($650+) and it only worked for 3 months before my car was back to performing poorly due to power loss from misfiring again. This car has put me in a VERY TOUGH financial situation and the dealership and corporate are absolutely no help. a year apart, this car has misfired on the same cylinder twice. the dealership just tells me to do a combustion cleaning but due to it being very pricy and with how much oil i have to buy, it’s not an option for me due to my financial situation. right now i’m just hoping something will be done for the millions of people that are effected by this.

Headlights randomly turn off while driving. To get them back on you have to switch on and off before they turn back on. Very dangerous for my 17 yr old daughter driving down a highway at night. The lights will also turn on in the middle of the night and if we happen to notice, we have to go to the car and turn the lights on and off to get them fixed. There are numerous reports on this when Google. I am not the only one. Really dangerous!

My car had been consuming 2 quarts every 1,000 miles for the past 3-4 months and the kia dealership told me that the best thing i could do is keep getting an oil change. So one day i tried starting my car and it starting shaking and turned off so i turned it back on and it shut off again. I jump started it and it shut off again and i jump started it again but it never turned on. All of the problems that i have has been confirmed by the dealership (Open Road Automotive) My engine is all the way messed up, my fuel pump was messed up .My engine light came on after this and i just keep having problems with my car. I seen that kia keeps having these problems but i chose to get my car anyways because I love kias cars but I will have to switch if these problems are not solved with my car and i get new parts on my car because these are failing parts not because of me. I’m having So many problems with my car right now and it’s been costing me a lot of money .It’s at the shop right now and it’s been at the shop for maybe 2 weeks now. I can’t get a rental because they are only covering $40 a day and they are charging me $200 a day. So please help me with these problems and get these problems fixed.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after an oil change was performed on the vehicle, the oil pressure warning light illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact noticed there was no oil in the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who added oil to the engine. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,760.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and jerked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was purchased from. The contact was advised that the vehicle would be towed to a Kia dealer for service. The vehicle was towed to the Kia dealer and diagnosed with failed spark plugs. The contact was informed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the Kia dealer and the contact was informed that the spark plugs were corroded due to oil consumption and the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the engine needed a combustion cleaning. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The car caught on fire in our driveway

Engine failure just like all the other optima’s.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing abnormal oil consumption. The contact stated that on one occasion, 3 quarts of oil were added to the vehicle after less than 1,000 miles of driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who initiated an oil consumption test. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer twice after 1,000 miles; however, upon returning to the dealer the third time, the dealer informed the contact that they could not complete the oil consumption test because the vehicle had been driven 1,200 miles. The dealer initiated another oil consumption test. The contact stated that the local dealer was 45 miles away from his residence, which made it difficult to complete the oil consumption test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

Car smoking white , and driving slow after I hit a pothole when it was raining hard.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact inspected the dipstick and discovered that the engine oil level was low. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Front brake calipers seize and burning smell and smoke coming for front wheels. Have replaced the rotors, calipers and brake pads(twice) and it does not seem to fix the problem.

Normally, when the doors are open my car will tell me. The doors notify me that they're open but my trunk was not showing that it was open. It blinks when it is. Due to that I was driving and my trunk seemed closed and it just flew open. So the problems I'm having is that my trunk will not show its open but it also will not close AT ALL due to the latch. I literally had to bungee it closed. This is dangerous. I have seen many recalls in other kia's and hyundai's just like this. This is very dangerous and needs to be recalled and/or fixed.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the oil warning light illuminated. The contact checked the dip stick and there was no oil on the dip stick. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and an oil change was performed; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the engine was cleaned but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 77,000.

At around 40,000 miles my car started burning oil rapidly. No leaks were found and I would get an oil indicator light then the car would shut down while driving. I couldn’t get it to accelerate. Mechanic said Kia’s and Hyundais have been having those issues. I have needed oil changes every 3 weeks to keep in functioning.

Rough idle, chugged along before killing engine power. Has happened a couple of times. No check engine light has come on

My car is consuming 2 quarts of oil for every 1,000 miles. This falls under the oil consumption that needs a motor replaced and I am getting a run around from the dealership about getting it replaced. They are saying that Kia does not like to replace the motors and I'm better off trading it in. I bought this car intending on keeping it long term, not purchasing a new one. All of the regular maintenance has been done on the vehicle. I've been into the dealership a multitude of times a month due to issues with the car.

Just Started Having Problems On It’s On The Car Only Has 38,000 Miles

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle went into Limp Mode. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed as a faulty knock sensor that needed a software update. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that after receiving the vehicle from the dealer the vehicle was slow to accelerate and the vehicle was driving sluggishly. The contact stated that the vehicle needed to be taken back to the dealer to be diagnosed and repaired. The contact related the failure to the Kia Consent Order with NHTSA; however, the 2018 Kia Optima was not included. The contact stated that the remedy was not sufficient to remedy the vehicle failure. The manufacturer was notified and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 62,709.

When headlight switch is set to automatically come on, the light will sometimes randomly turn off. No warning or indicator on the dash appears showing that they are off. Technicians are unable to reproduce the issue in the shop. Have recommended replacing the entire headlight switch on the turn signal stick.

Excessive oil consumption. Dealer says it is normal to burn a quart every thousand miles. At that rate I would have no oil left before my next oil change. That is not normal and could cause overheating and engine lock up. The car only has 45,000 miles.

I got out of my car to talk to someone and my car was running With my purse and phone in the car and the trunk open.i was meeting someone to buy a vacuume from Facebook marketplace. I decided to put the vacuum in the back seat instead so closed the trunk. When I went to open the door all the doors were locked. I was locked out in the rain for an hour. The person I bought the vacuum from called kia and they sent someone out to unlock my car. Several people have said the car is supposed to recognize that the key is inside the car and not lock it. And that this is an issue. I do know it has only started doing this recently because I live 8n the country and never lock my car in my garage. And recently I have noticed it is licking itself now every time I get out. So I have been leaving the windows down at home but it was raining today when I got out and I didn't think about or remember that it is locking itself .... Also I have never gotten out of the car to get something with it running and the windows closed since this issue came up.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that when the vehicle's oil will be as low as half a tank or lower the engine would suddenly stall. The vehicle would immediately regain power and function as expected. The failure occurred at various speeds with the highest speed being 60 mph. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that there was fuel pressure pump failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact received a letter stating that the manufacturer was well aware of the failure and have also created an extended warranty, however, they did not have the remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 122,652.

The braking system "catches" at 13mph regularly. It feels like the brakes are being applied or the vehicle is downshifting when it is decelarating to around 13mph without any actual braking being manually applied. So far no safety risk, but if the brakes fail at any point for any reason, there will be potential for great risk. The local Kia dealer was able to reproduce this but had no explanation, no recommendation, and no further advice or assistance was offered. At this point, the Kia dealership is the only entity to inspect this issue. There are no warning lights or indicators of failure or problems, but this issue has been ongoing since the vehicle was purchased.

My car was stolen

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while her fiancé was driving at a slow speed, the vehicle inadvertently shifted into LIMP mode with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and DTC: P1326 (KSDS) was retrieved. The contact was informed that there was vibration caused by excessive connecting rod bearing wear. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall for the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000.

UNKNOWN When slowing to a stop, the vehicle spontaneously makes a sudden jolt, throwing passengers forward. It’s as if the the transmission malfunctions when down shifting and results in engine braking.

ECM telling fuel pump to put too much gas, causing exhaust into cabin, unnoticed while in car, but hair and cloth reak of exhaust and getting headaches. Reduced mileage by 20+mpg from 30+ to 11mpg. BSD- no lights or codes thrown by 3rd party, but dealer said there was a code on the BSD. BSD was not working and no codes appeared. NO LIGHTS OR CODES FOR FUEL ISSUE OR BSD, but dealer said there is a recall that I cannot find for fuel and said there was a code for BSD, but it didn’t pop up on my husband’s code reader previously.

Flashing engine light out of nowhere. Fault code is for faulty knock sensor Lacks power. Wants to stall when hitting the gas. Can cause engine compartment fire. As well as engine fire. Safety put at risk if stopped In the middle of traffic.

Hello, My Kia was stolen lastnight. The criminals apparently the “KIA BOYS” took my car, it wasn’t until after I spoke with my daughter she expressed to me that she saw a video on social media about Kia’s and another car, being stolen excessively. So after doing my research I was sent to this page to share my story. I am sure Kia is aware of the situation, so much so to where they are/have made a change in their 2022 model. But those of use who have a Kia model that is not a 2022, we are screwed. I make monthly payments on a vehicle engineered by adults, but what I’ve just found out is the criminals are mainly middle school age children who takes the cars for a joy ride. It is hard to process this oversight by Kia, I love my car, I’ve had 2 Kias. But this will be my last. Especially if they (Kia) doesn’t own this oversight. To have my car stolen hurts, I didn’t leave the key in, nor the door unlocked. I parked my car, activated my alarm, only to wake up and my car gone. I see there is a lawsuit in a state (I forgot the state) against Kia. I hope and pray the state of Georgia can start one as well. My car wasn’t the only Kia, taken lastnight. There were 3-4 others taken from this complex.

Me and my family just returned home from the laundry mat and took 2 children inside our house and turned around for our belongings and clothing/bedding for the family as the wheels spun out being followed by a silver hyundaii. Just a matter of seconds to 2 minutes. The keys were not in the vehicle. 2 childrens carseats and almost ALL of my family's belongings were stolen inside of the vehicle. 2018 kia optima dark slate grey in color with dark tinted windows and sun strip at the top of windshield, black rims. CR 21077 IL LICENSE PLATE This seems to be an ongoing issue with kia and hyundaii vehicles being stolen and somehow im still not being offered a loaner vehicle with full coverage insurance

Kia Optima headlights turn off randomly while on automatic. This dangerous issue has been investigated on other Kia models by the NTSB, which them prompted Kia to issue a recall. I have found many, many posts on car and Kia forums about headlights shutting off while driving at night with the Kia Optima (as well as other Kia items). It's very scary and very hazardous. This is a widespread issue.

When driving this vehicle in heavy rain Critical Error Code P1326 comes on limiting the speed to 62 MPH and slow acceleration. This has happened 6 times. Two of those times I took to a KIA Dealer. One said they replaced parts and fixed - but still have issue and one did nothing but download software to get ride of code. The other 4 Auto Store has reset code which they should not be doing and sometimes say no. This has happened 6 times since I have owned the vehicle.

FIRST INCIDENT OCCURED WHEN I WAS DRIVING TO WORK. THE ENGINE MADE A NOISE AND LOSS POWER WHICH ALMOST RESULTED IN A CRASH. I CONTACTED KIA, THEY EXPLAIN TO ME THAT A KNOCK SENSOR NEED TO BE INSTALLED AND SOFTWARE NEEDED TO BE UPDATED. THEY INSTALLED IT AND RETURN THE CAR TO ME. NOW AGAIN WHILE I AM ON THE HIGHWAY I HEAR A LOUD KNOCK, LIGHTS FLASHING IN THE CAR AND THE CAR HAS LOSS POWER. I ROLLED OFF THE EXIT PULL OVER AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. WHILE WAITING I CHECK THE OIL IN THE CAR THINKING MAYBE THE ENGINE IS LOCKING UP. THERE IS NO OIL IN THE CAR, WHICH IS STRANGE BECAUSE TWO MONTHS PRIOR KIA JUST DID AN OIL CHANGE. I HAVE DOCUMENTS TO PROVE EVERYTHING. KIA HAS BEEN THE ONLY DEALERSHIP THAT SERVICE THE CAR. THEY NOW BEEN IN POSSESSION OF MY VEHICLE FOR FOUR MONTHS NOW AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. I CONTACTED COOPERATE AND THEY HAVE FAILED TO GETTING BACK TO ME AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO GET ANSWERS. PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME. I HAVE CONGESTIVE HEART FALIURE WHICH I EXPLAIN TO THEM AND I REALLY NEED MY CAR BUT MOST OF ALL I NEED IT TO BE SAFE FOR ME.

2018 KIA OPTIMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ILLIMINATED OIL LIGHT. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CONSUMED OIL QUICKLY, BUT WITHOUT ANY LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE DEALER SUGGESTED DRIVING 1000 MILES AND THEN RETURN TO THE DEALER TO BE FURTHER INSPECTED. AFTER LEAVING THE DEALER, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING. THE DEALER STATED IT COULD BE DUE TO SPILLED OILED THAT OCCURED DURING THE OIL CHANGE. THE CONSUMER CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND IT CAUGHT FIRE AND EXPLODED.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH after leaving the dealer, the vehicle started to overheat. The contact stated that the high engine temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to safely pull over and turn the vehicle off. The contact restarted the vehicle and the engine temperature was still elevated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled in the middle of the roadway. The vehicle was left on the side of the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed; however, the contact was not provided the diagnostic result. The contact was informed by the mechanic of an unspecified engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,200.

Engine overhead and stopped working in addition to it consuming massive amounts of oil without physically putting oil in. I've went to 2 dealerships who refuse to provide me with a new engine even though I'm covered under the engine extension warranty due to me having the knock sensor update done. I am now involving my attorney and will go to the news channels to inform how kia manufacturer has become a disgrace with not providing quality engines in their vehicles and don't want to be responsible for it. there's already a settlement going on for kia optimas and other cars they've made because of faulty engines. They can better believe I'm coming for them next with a lawsuit.

Excessive oil consumption will burn through around 4qts of oil before 1k miles

The headlights on my 2018 Kia Optima have been turning off and on randomly by themselves while in motion. Each time it's happened has been in different areas at different times of the night. The headlight switch is kept in the auto position most of the time. When the headlights turn off, the screen in the dash for the headlight function switches from auto to off by itself. Sometimes if the turn signal switch is jiggled the lights will come back on. Other times the headlight switch, located on the end of the turn signal switch, has to be turned to the on position to get the lights to turn on. The car has been in for service but each time the technician is unable to reproduce the fault. It is occurring more frequently and becoming a safety issue.

My car has been at the dealership since February 10th. The dealer has been giving me the run around. Didn’t have any transportation for over two months and car hasn’t moved since the day I dropped it off. I’m really getting impatient, as I am making monthly payments on a car that I can’t even use. Nearing four months and I’m totally lost on what to do. Thank you for any assistance

2018 KIA OPTIMA EX A/T. MY WIFE DRIVE THIS CAR TO WORK EVERY DAY, 45-50 MILE ROUND TRIP FOR THE PAST COUPLE YEARS. WE HAVE NOTICED THAT OIL CONSUMPTION IS STARTING TO BECOME A PROBLEM. IM UNSURE THE EXACT AMOUNT IT GOES THROUGH BUT IT SEEMS TO BE ALMOST 3-4 QUARTS BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. EVERY NOW AND THEN IT WOULD RANDOMLY BE A QUART LOW, BUT NO LEAKS, NO NOTICEABLE SMOKING, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS. MY WIFE HAS HAD A FEW TIMES WHERE THE CAR WOULD RANDOMLY LOOSE ACCELERATION NAD SLOW WAY DOWN. THE CAR WOULD COME BACK UP TO ACCELERATION AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY WHEN IT HAPPENS. IM WONDERING IF IT MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE OIL CONSUMPTION, BUT NOT SURE. IT HAS THE RECAL FOR THE KNOCK SENSOR UPDATE WHICH WE ARE WAITING FOR FEB 28TH, THATS THE TIME THE DEALER CAN GET THE CAR IN FOR IT. OUR CLOSEST DEALER IS 150 MILES FROM HOME. WE HAVE OWNED IT SINCE NEW AND THIS IS THE ONLY PROBLEM WE'VE HAD WITH IT. I HOPE WE CAN GET THIS RESOLVED. NO NEW CAR SHOULD GO THROUGH THIS MUCH OIL AT ALMOST $6 A QUART OR MORE.

We would like to know what Kia is planning to do to address the fact that Kia built a car without the basic immobilizer circuit making it very easy to steal. Over the last few months, local and national news reports, as well as many social media sites, have reported on this security flaw which likely emboldens others to attempt a theft of a Kia and/or Hyundai. As I do not live in Milwaulkee, I would like to know how the company will fix this problem for the rest of us. It will not be restricted to just one city. There are numerous articles by victims that have detailed how their car theft cost them thousands of dollars in insurance deductibles, rental cars, and repairs. Many of the articles explain how thieves as young as 12 years old are able to still these cars in under a minute in broad daylight and driving recklessly creating a serious safety hazzard. Please advise what Kia will do to negate this serious security flaw.