3,390 of the
10,355 complaints filed about the KIA Optima
are about the engine —
33% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2013.
While driving at highway speeds on the freeway in San Diego, the engine of my 2016 Kia Optima catastrophically seized without warning. I instantly lost all power steering, brake assist, and electrical power, creating an immediate life-threatening emergency. The vehicle was towed to a Kia dealer. Corporate Techline and the dealership are refusing to perform the mandated settlement rod bearing test and are falsifying paperwork to deny the safety remedy.
NHTSA complaint #11758646 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Today as I was driving to work my car suddenly stopped while being idle at the stop light. It turned off. I was able to restart and drive to work safely and home. I googled the issue and saw many Kia optima owners having the same issues and they’re saying no codes or anything popping up. Should this be considered a recall.
NHTSA complaint #11758538 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was having trouble with my left driver tire. 2 mechanics went to test drive the car to see what the problem was. As they were driving, the car died. They got it started but it ran horrible back to the garage. When they pulled in the driveway of the garage, the car started on fire. It was an engine fire but undetermined what exactly was the cause. The vehicle was looked over by the insurance claims adjustor. I am not sure if sluggish driving had anything to do with the fire. The car is totaled.
NHTSA complaint #11758178 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving or while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was leaking fuel from the high-pressure pipe leading to the fuel pump. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V907000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine); however, VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because the VIN was not included in recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.
NHTSA complaint #11758174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that for over 8 years, the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact became aware that there was an oil leak on the ground underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions for the oil consumption failure; however, the dealer was unable to find a fault with the vehicle. The dealer had not yet provided a cause for the oil leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 123,000.
NHTSA complaint #11758211 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate and failed to exceed 52 MPH. The vehicle shut off. The contact stated that the engine was running rough while stationary and the vehicle shut off without warning. The vehicle was taken to an Auto Parts Store, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the vehicle was in LIMP Mode with knock sensor codes displayed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
NHTSA complaint #11758363 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On July 14, 2026, the vehicle's engine was replaced by an authorized dealership under an official Kia recall. On August 16, 2026, while driving on the highway, heavy smoke suddenly began emitting from the engine compartment. When attempting to slow down, the braking system suffered a total loss of power and failed completely. To stop the vehicle, it had to be steered into the highway median to intentionally scrape against it to force a stop. Immediately upon exiting the vehicle, heavy flames were observed under the engine compartment before completely engulfing the front of the car. The fire department extinguished the fire, and the vehicle is a total loss.
NHTSA complaint #11758049 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The engine in my vehicle failed while putting the car into reverse to back into my garage. I thank God I wasn't on the road when this happened. I took the car into a mechanic who confirmed that the engine was locked and that the car was very low on oil(even though I had my oil changed by him a few months prior). There was an undetected oil leak that led to the engine failure. The warning indicators didn't appear on my dash until after my engine failed.
NHTSA complaint #11758113 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
NHTSA complaint #11757680 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Loosing oil putting oil in every 3 to 4 days no leaks on ground or oil pan or drain plug.oil don't smell or looks burnt happened around did 2 oil changes in a week still the same. Car will sputer hesitation on acceleration every so often have all updateds and recalls.
NHTSA complaint #11757576 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH with the cruise control activated, there was smoke coming from underneath the passenger’s side of the hood before the vehicle decelerated. The contact stated that moments later there were flames coming from the underneath the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was parked on the side of the road and flames quickly engulfed the vehicle. The Fire Department was called to the scene and arrived and extinguished the fire. During the fire the vehicle was destroyed and was later towed to a nearby storage facility. While attempting to quickly exit the vehicle the contact fell to the ground and sustained an injured left leg and left side. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that the engine was recently installed related to a recall repair. No additional information was available. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
NHTSA complaint #11756709 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This is a formal vehicle safety complaint regarding a manufacturer's active refusal to remedy a known safety defect under an active recall campaign guidelines.My 2015 Kia Optima Turbo experienced an active internal mechanical engine knock, violent sputtering, and a complete engine seizure. The vehicle is currently sitting un-driveable at an authorized Kia dealership.The required Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software update was successfully completed on this vehicle prior to the incident, legally qualifying it for a 100% free long-block engine replacement under the manufacturer's active Lifetime Warranty extension. However, the dealership service department is actively withholding the safety warranty paperwork and refusing to submit the diagnostic photos and engine seizure data to corporate for warranty approval unless I agree to pay an additional $800 out of pocket for an external throttle body and O2 sensor.I have explicitly declined the retail accessory charges five separate times. I only authorize the replacement of my front sway bar links. Instead of separating the ticket and processing the free engine block safety remedy, the dealer is holding my safety warranty hostage to force a retail sale. Furthermore, a manufacturer consumer care representative recently refused to listen to my request on this matter and dropped the call.The manufacturer is using internal technical advice to block a court-ordered safety remedy and is allowing a dealership to use unauthorized retail accessory charges to deny me a safe, operating vehicle. I request immediate federal intervention to force the manufacturer to release the free engine block safety replacement order to the dealer and halt these predatory dealer practices.
NHTSA complaint #11756632 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am requesting urgent assistance regarding my 2017 Kia Optima EX, which is experiencing a serious oil consumption/burning issue. The vehicle is burning oil into the engine, causing the oil level to continually decrease and creating a significant concern for engine failure, overheating, or a potential vehicle fire. I am extremely concerned about my safety and the safety of others because I depend on this vehicle every day. This is also my only vehicle, and I am still making payments on the financing. I do not have the financial ability to simply purchase another vehicle or take on a new car payment. I am asking Kia to please take this matter seriously and investigate the vehicle as soon as possible. I am requesting that Kia review whether there is a known engine issue, applicable warranty or assistance, recall/campaign coverage, or any other program that could help with the necessary repairs or engine replacement. I cannot afford to lose my only means of transportation because of an engine problem that is beyond my ability to financially resolve. I am asking Kia to work with me toward a safe and reasonable solution as urgently as possible. Thank you [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11755571 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fuel Leak: I can smell heavy gas fumes inside the vehicle cabin. Fire Hazard: The vehicle is unsafe to drive due to an imminent risk of a fuel fire. Corporate Refusal: Kia Corporate refused to generate a case number and my local dealership refused to service the vehicle leaving a dangerous safety defect unrepaired on public roads. Mechanical Symptoms: The car is experiencing slow cranking, engine sputtering, and multiple dashboard warning lights.
NHTSA complaint #11755485 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The engine assembly completely seized and the vehicle is currently stored at an independent repair shop . While traveling at high speed on Interstate 4 on July 24, 2026, the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of power and stalled in live traffic, creating an immediate threat of a high speed rear end collision. An independent service center officially confirmed the engine seizure after a dealership failed to perform an inspection during an eight hour wait, and no law enforcement or insurance inspections have occurred. Prior symptoms included severe, recurring oil loss requiring constant manual additions of oil between regular service intervals (most recently serviced in June 2026 at a kia dealership), and eventually the car completely shutoff on July24.
NHTSA complaint #11754979 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The dealer is refusing to replace the engine under the previously completed Safety Recall Campaign SC147 (NHTSA Campaign 17V224000). The engine is currently exhibiting clear signs of connecting rod bearing failure—the exact mechanical hazard SC147 was issued to address. The dealership inspected the vehicle, confirmed internal engine failure, and verified that SC147 was completed on this VIN. However, they denied coverage citing an incomplete software update (Product Improvement Campaign PI1803) associated with a separate class-action lawsuit. The dealer is incorrectly conflating the requirements of the class-action warranty with the vehicle's independent eligibility under the safety recall. Independent of the class-action parameters, I am requesting a repair under the standalone 15-year/unlimited-mileage extended warranty provided specifically for vehicles that completed SC147 (detailed in the SC147 Safety Recall Campaign Q&A dated May 22, 2017, and Kia Warranty Bulletin 2017-09, both uploaded with this submission). The vehicle is well within this 15-year extended warranty period. Additionally, the PI1803 Knock Sensor Detection System update is a diagnostic detection tool, not a physical remedy for the underlying crankshaft machining defects identified in 17V224000. A manufacturer and its dealer network should not be permitted to use an unrelated class-action software prerequisite to invalidate a pre-existing, federally mandated safety recall warranty.
NHTSA complaint #11753513 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
engine failure, i was driving home from work and i went to accelerate from 0 to 20 miles and the car hesitated and didn't want to move. I took the car to the dealer three days later and it was confirmed that i needed a new engine. I was told by the dealership i was outside of my warranty but i just found out that i was covered up to 120k miles. No lights came on at the time and there wasn't any prior warnings to this happening. I had just put oil into the car two days earlier as i know in between oil changes that i have to put oil into the car and or check the oil to see if it is low.
NHTSA complaint #11753609 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle's engine had previously been replaced once under Kia's Theta II engine recall/warranty program approximately five years prior to this incident. On the date of failure, the replacement engine catastrophically failed while the vehicle was in operation, resulting in the engine developing a hole in the engine block and becoming inoperable. Prior to the failure, the vehicle exhibited a "check engine" warning and symptoms consistent with connecting rod bearing failure. Diagnostic trouble codes P1326 and P0303 were present upon inspection at an authorized Kia dealership. The failure occurred at approximately 198,000 miles. This is the second engine failure on this vehicle, both consistent with the known Theta II engine defect involving premature bearing wear and connecting rod failure that has been the subject of prior NHTSA recalls and a related class action settlement. The failure created a risk of sudden loss of engine power while driving, which can pose a safety hazard in traffic. The vehicle was inspected by the authorized Kia dealership, which confirmed the hole in the engine block and the diagnostic codes noted above. The engine and related repair estimate are available for inspection upon request. A warranty claim for repair coverage was submitted and denied by the manufacturer, citing insufficient maintenance documentation, despite this being the vehicle's second occurrence of the same underlying defect.
NHTSA complaint #11752542 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. During the failure, several unknown warning lights flashed on the instrument panel and there was smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle, and there were flames coming from underneath the hood. The Fire Department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the failure, the vehicle was destroyed. A Police report was filed, and the vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the original engine was previously replaced by the local dealer due to a previous recall. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 140,000.
NHTSA complaint #11752336 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.