2013 Kia Optima Complaint Log

I am terrified the car is going to catch fire. You can fully inspect if need be. Most of the electronics in my car malfunction, since the start of buying it, windows roll down but not up from front button, sometimes my sunroof will open randomly, or when going to close will just reopen, my seat buttons dont always work, etc. But the newest thing that is scaring me and doesnt seem to be just cosmetic like the other electronic things it my air bag light randomly coming on, my driver air bag light comes on and the moment it does my passenger air bag light turns OFF with nobody in the seat. So Driver airbag will NOT be deploying but my passenger one will, with nobody in the seat. On top of that it vibrates and rough idles so badly its actually randomly turned off in the morning when i first start it. I have had my engine replaced and upgraded, and my turbo replaced already. I'm scared its not safe. I have not taken it to the dealer, as when I call them they tell me they are booked out for MONTHS.

Was driving on a busy street. Went to accelerate, car wasn’t getting gas. Brakes seized and steering wheel seized. Had to drift off the road since the whole car died.

Paint was chipping from the top of the car. White pear white and I seen alot of people having the same problem.it is available for inspection upon request.

I have a 2013 Kia Optima with pearl white paint. My paint has significantly chipped away on multiple parts of the body including the roof, side of drivers side windshield, and the drivers side body. This chipping is due to a paint defect during the manufacturing process and the entire car needs to be repainted.

Engine seized up right after oil change. Went into limp mode on highway. Doesn't run

2013 Kia Optima EX 2.4L the issue continues to be problematic when driving at 40 miles an hour and above around turns. The steering wheel gets sticky making it difficult to correct the steering.

The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at the residence, she attempted to start the vehicle and noticed smoke coming from the hood near the battery compartment. The vehicle then caught on fire. The fire department came to extinguish the fire. A fire report was filed. The cause of the fire was a faulty engine component. The vehicle remained at the residence and was not repaired. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000.

Paint chipping off on various spots of the vehicle

Just purchase this vehicle about a couple a months ago and the engine is knocking,engine needs to be replace , fuel low pressure tool recall on 2013 Kia Optima and recall on the Engine Long Block recall NHTSA recall #17V224, This car was NOT IN A ACCIDENT, ITS WAS TOOK TO KIA DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AND THEY REFUSE TO REPLACE IT AND TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO PAY HIM $11,000 TO FIX THIS VECHILE ON 7050 OGDEN AVE BERWYN, IL 60402 KIA DEALERSHIP

The paint is peeling in multiple areas for no explained reason.

The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH the vehicle stalled as if someone had pulled the vehicle. Numerous warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact slowed down and pulled over safely then removed herself from the vehicle. Once exited the vehicle it became totally engulfed in flames and was destroyed; however, prior to exiting the vehicle noticed black smoke coming from the hood. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. There was a police report. There were no injuries sustained or medical reports. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

I was driving to work and smelled fuel. The loud Oder of fuel was coming from under the hood. Called kia and they had the car towed to the Kia place in mobile alabama. Was told that my vin number is not covered under the 3 recalls that they have for this same make and model. Kia place said it has a fuel leak from high pressure fuel pump.

The engine was just about to explode when me and family riding the car Kia Dealer does not want to fix the car despite that it has an engine recall The car was not inspected yet, but I am ready to get it inspected there were not any sign warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure

Driving on highway and car engine shut off without any notice or warning. Brakes still worked but car shut completely off. Was in car with younger child. Not a pleasant experience. Have to pay over $400 to get it towed to my house. Absolutely, not a car that I want to drive or ever buy Kia brand again!

Steering the vehicle is a struggle. Jerky, not smooth at all. I've had it repaired once over 2 years ago. Same issue has returned... It's like a hard workout for my upper arms. I have done my research, and other owners have complained about the same issue. LONG trips are a nightmare. Any/all help would be greatly appreciated. This has been going for at least the LAST 6 months!

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at 55 mph during rain, the windshield wiper where violently wiping and there was a burning odor coming from the steering wheel. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.

I had a recall on my car a little over a year ago I believe and they had to put new engines in a bunch of Kia cars. They said I would get a rental, but I never did and I ended up having to get my own out-of-pocket cause I had no way of getting around. I was never offered any type of reimbursement for this. Now, they have a recall for something that is related to previous complications I have had with the car and expect me to just drive around with it even though it could catch on fire. This is the same issue I had before. I need a car, have no money for a rental, and they still do not have the part to address this recall. I really want them to handle it this time in a timely manner and provide me with a rental free of charge if they cannot.

I was in the fast lane doing about 70 MPH an all of a sudden my car turned off no power at all no warning lights nothing thank God there was no cars on side of me I went over 3 lanes of traffic an got to side of road the engine light was blinking . I had to tow to dealership an they told me that it might be minimum 2 weeks till they can look at my car . So now I have no car an have to be at work in morning . But still making car payments with broken car . I bought car from kia thinking I would not have problem with car specially for the dealership to have for 2 weeks or more so I guess I have to rent a car on top of car payment.

Basically my paint just started peeling off in spots I have pictures and video showing the paint just come off as we blow on it

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V093000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V093000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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.

In 2013 we were driving to NC it was raining the steering just left the car completely un steerable thank God it had came back to be able to control the car ...told dealership about it they acted like I was crazy ....needless to say we don't drive it when it's raining ...if we get caught in rain we use extra caution and very slow speeds ..at this point it was a new car hadn't even had 150 miles on it

Smell like gas everyday I don’t want my car get in fire

The paint on my white 2013 Kia Optima is starting to flake off on the hood and the passenger side rear door.

I put gas in my car and my hand and mileage did not move and my brakes feel stuck after I release my foot and press the gas aldeco put a protective cap Over something when they change my oil and I keep having to have my brake fluid flushed and refilled

Low pressure fuel line began to give off a fuel odor over the last 10k miles, did not realize it was a fuel leak until recently when the car was parked and was leaking fuel under the mid section. The car has not been examined by any person yet. No cabin warning lights/indicators were present. Date given for date of incident is the first incident where a gasoline odor was detected.

3 years ago the paint on my car started peeling. I drove my car from rideshare and was unable to continue due to the visual condition of my car. After further research, it's a nationwide problem. I dont have the money to afford a full paint job and put a bad taste in my mouth when thinking about referring people buying a Kia or my next car purchase. I have lost thousands of dollars due to kid's negligence on their paint.

I purchased my vechile Dec 28 2021, after driving it exactly one month, as I was driving on the high way my vechile shut off it was the scariest thing that has happened to me the car couldn't brake turn on nor accelerate I had to pull over on the break from being in the middle lane i had to be cautious due to vechile passing fast. Once the car stopped. Had to pay for towing due a state police showing up regardless if I had it on my insurance. I lost my good paying job due to this due to working 45 min away. I had my recall appointment for March 10th already scheduled before hand and my car was parked for a Lil over a month then towed to the dealer. It's been 2 months and yet no vechile nor a temp vechile provided from the dealer told me there's nothing they can do. I called 3 days ago and they keep telling me nothing has been done yet anther month my vechile has to be there. It's crazy that the repairs has nothing to do with me nor my fault and I had to loose a 30 dollar paying job backed me up on rent car payment and everything else and still no consideration.

The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at 20 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle accelerated to a speed which caused the vehicle to go over a medium and crash into a tree. The air bags did deploy. No warning lights illuminated on the vehicle. The contact was the only person in the vehicle, and sustain injuries to their chest and lower back. There was medical treatment at the scene however the contact did not go to the hospital for further evaluation. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto body shop where it was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering column experienced excessive shaking and vibration making the vehicle difficult to steer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure and a service appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, an abnormal knocking sound began to emit from the engine as the vehicle began to sputter and hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The oil warning light illuminated the instrument panel as the engine stalled. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer for repair. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with an engine failure but later informed him that an investigation was launched by the manufacturer and the result found that there was not enough evidence that the bearing wear had caused the engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

PEARL WHITE PAINT FLAKING AND PEELING OFF EXPOSING BARE METAL TO ELEMENTS INCREASING THE RISK OF RUST AND CORROSION TO BODY. NUMEROUS AREA OF VEHICLE ARE AFFECTED.

Stirring wheel column is loose when turning left or right

When leaving work on 1/6/22, I didn't let my car warm up for more than 1 minute because I was in a hurry to get home. It was very cold - I think -10 if I remember right - and I had just passed through an intersection about 2 blocks from work where road construction closed the road to one lane. The car in front of me stopped because someone in front of him was turning. I had plenty of time to stop & hit my brakes but had no response, much like not having power brakes, but the pedal felt very firm. As cold as it was, there was no ice or snow & the road was dry. I had no traction control or ABS lights come on & ended up rear-ending the car in front of me. The police came & made a report & I came home & checked KIA forums to see if this had ever happened to anyone else but didn't find anything. I explained it to my KIA service advisor but they found nothing wrong & had no explanation. I thought I had maybe imagined it until it happened again, also on a very cold morning, about 2 weeks later in my own driveway. Just no response of the brakes. I couldn't push the pedal hard enough to stop the car. I also mentioned it to my insurance adjuster who just said to let them know if I found out anything further, which I didn't. I never thought to report it here until my husband had an issue with his car recently & was advised to do so. Even extreme cold should not affect a system as important as the brakes on a car & I believe this is a major safety concern. My accident was minor because I was not traveling at a high rate of speed & was at a safe distance, but the brake failure was still the cause of the accident. When the failure happened in my driveway, I had braked when pulling onto the road but didn't stop. If another car was coming or I was pulling out at the end of my street where there are 4 lanes of 45mph traffic, this could have been disastrous! Please notify me of any steps taken by KIA to remedy this issue. Thank you.

The paint has started to peel above the doors in all 4 corners and is now peeling on the passenger side of the hood.

Hello. Last week while driving on a motorway 80 mph engine in my 2013 optima SX 2.0 TGDI just stopped working. Due to fact this engines had problems and Kia recalled owners to replace seized engine, I would like to ask you here, how could I get help in this case. Thing is my car was imported to Europe (Poland) in 2014. Had 3 owners since new (first in US and two previous ones in Poland). Car ran smooth and without any problems till last Monday. Unfortunately engine just stopped on my way work, thanks God without any accident, just passed off motorway and waited for assistance. My mechanic said is impossible to turn an engine even manually, so it must be seized. Could you advise how I could get help from Kia to replace my engine? I’ve called Kia customer helpline, they redirected me to closest Kia dealer, and no one heard about these recalls on US market. Could you advise where I should report my case, to get any information how this recall could be done here with cooperation with Kia USA. Expecting yours [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

While driving my 2013 KIA Optima at 65+ mph steering wheel shakes & has a loud clicking noise. The problem has worsened. I have reported this prior. Now it has caused the need to have a frontend alignment.

Pearl white paint is pealing and chipping. Falling off going down the road. Car looks terrible and is making rust a possibly.

Engine stopped while driving. Would not start afterwards after researching I see it happens to those years and certain models were recalled wondering if mine possibly got missed in that recall, based off the recall seems exactly what happened to mine has plenty oil keep maintained well and only drive back and forth to work.

Our engine has been replaced twice. Engine stalled while driving 65mph. Transmission pulled hard almost causing accident. Twice. First engine was @ 60,000. Second @ 90,000. Now they want us to pay our $250 deductible again, to add transmission fluid because it’s completely almost empty. We told them that it has been pulling hard from the first replacement of engine. They did nothing. Engine has been heating up all other components like radiator causing it to over heat. We paid to replace it before it cause a fire. Fuel line. We payed to get it fixed before it cause a fire. Now they want us to pay again, to add fluid to transmission before it causes a pull and we crash. Please help us. They have had the car for 2 months at Garden Grove Kia in California.

Out of no where the paint began peeling in large flakes while going down the road. At first it was small pieces then progressively began to be larger pieces. When I washed it, even more came off on multiple locations on the vehicle. Noticed blistering all over after further review.

My son owned a Kia Optima built in June of 2013. He was in a motor vehicle accident where he was put in a pit maneuver and Then was T boned on the passengers side causing his body to lay across the front seats and died at the scene. His black box download showed that the seat belt pretensioner was off and both airbags in the front did not go off. I know there is a recall for optimas built before aug 31 of 2012. I believe there was an issue with this vehicle as well. I would hate for there to be anymore deaths or injuries with the later models of these vehicles. I do hope this is looked into further.

Vehicle started to make knocking noises from engine when stopped at an intersection and when I attempted to make a left turn, engines acceleration failed midway and incoming traffic almost collied with my vehicle. After a few second vehicle slowly regained acceleration but knocking noise persisted.

When driving without any warning regardless of speed a hybrid system failure message appears and then check brakes. It causes me to then lose all brake control in the ability to give it gas and I have to Coast to a stop it's almost caused a collision three times now. And the car no matter if it's off or on sitting in my driveway it always makes a crackling noise and it makes a crackling noise when I hit the brake as well

The contact's son owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal clicking sound was coming from the steering wheel while steering the vehicle in either direction without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed her that if the steering column was not replaced, the power steering would fail to operate as needed. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

About 2 weeks ago my Kia Optima I started noticing a burning smell coming from under the hood. I took it into an auto shop and they could not find anything wrong. Just recently, the burning smell accompanied smoke from under the hood.

Peeling paint

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at 40 - 45 mph, the "Safely Stop And Do Not Drive" warning message was displayed and the vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, a burning odor was detected. This was the third recurring failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with electrical system failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

Was driving the car up a hill and alarm starting dinging and gave a notice something to the effect of Stop Safely. The car died and I was unable to move the car out of the traffic lane. People behind were blowing their horn and I did not feel safe to get out of the car. Eventually someone stopped to block traffic and we were able to roll the car back out of traffic.

Engine recall completed. Two weeks after..Engine light on due to a Crack in the emissions system..