UNKNOWN but I got my car in February, it’s always been sounding rough from the start but was told it’s normal, lately the past few months I noticed a little vibration and a change of sound in the motor but had no lights come up on dashboard so assumed it wasn’t a problem. Well to this day my engine is shaking very rough that my car vibrates extremely and making a clicking sound best way to describe it and my engine light as well as oil topper light came on just a few days ago which I’ve gotta an oil change roughly about 2 months ago and added oil as well recently. So not sure if I have a leak of some sort or what. My breaks are also bad but when I purchased the car one tire was missing two bolts cause they broke off. Lately a lot of problems have all come at once. But I don’t feel safe driving my car cause I feel it doesn’t accelerate as it should and it’s not running normally. It’s a 2015 kia optima. Says no safety recall but all the problems I’ve been having seem very relatable to what’s showing on the recall list for kias of my year.
2015 Kia Optima complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2015 record →
My engine has died while driving on two occasions. The first time the engine died I pulled over to the side of the road and I turned the ignition off and it cranked right up. No more issues for approximately two months. The next time I was driving and the engine died I pulled over to the side of the road, turned the ignition off and tried to crank it but nothing happened. All the lights were on but the engine wouldn't turn over at all, no clicking noise, absolutely nothing. I was so confused because all lights were on but nothing happened when I turned the key. I had it towed to Pep Boys who said I had complete engine failure. What? No warning, no check engine lights, no running hot, I maintained my car religiously. I heard there was a recall on the Theta engines but I can't find anything on 2015 engines. If the engines have a recall up to 2014 and my engine did the same exact thing then my engine repair and/or replacement should be covered under a warranty also. This is dangerous. I was traveling at speeds between 75 -80mph when the engine died. This needs to be addressed but I can't seem to find anyone that cares enough to help me.
REAR LED TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES filling with water ! which could cause a short or electrical fire that could effect the driving of vehicle
While driving vehicle it started making noise and then loss of power
Engine rod bearings are now making a knocking sound. It is available for inspection when driving down the high my car lost power engine light started to flash and then a loud knocking noise started.I was in the highway with my three children when the car lost power cause me and my family to be out in harms way of being hit from behind. The vehicle has been inspected by a mechanic who stated the engine will need to be repairs due to the rod bearings. No warning lights were on until the car all the sudden lost power and started knocking. I then had to have it towed 150 miles just to get it home
The engine stopped running while driving down the Hwy. this could have caused a major accident. This has not been inspected by the manufacturer yet. There were warnings or indications that anything was wrong.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized with knocking sounds coming from the vehicle. The contact’s wife pulled over, and the contact arrived on the scene to inspect the vehicle and check the engine oil. The contact restarted the vehicle and the failure recurred with knocking sounds coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the main bearing had fractured and the engine needed to be replaced; however, the manufacturer declined the engine replacement due to an unrepaired Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) recall. The contact had not yet received the recall notification. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the dealer offered to buy back the vehicle from the contact. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and declined the engine replacement. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
As I was driving on the Interstate, my car lost power and I was unable to push on my gas or use my brakes to slow down to pull off the interstate. Lights begin flashing with a warning that read “ Check Hybrid system. Stop vehicle and turn off engine. This is the second time this has happened but before my car shut off and didn’t turn back on. I was going to be hit by a semi truck had he not swerved around. Also, this the 5th time this week it has happened.
May 28,2022 car stalled no warning, car towed to service center found out engine trouble, claim denied by warranty because it was related to a Kia recall,Knock Sensor Detection System, car was towed to Kia Dealership on June 7,2022, where it was confirmed that engine seized do to the recall, had engine replaced and car returned July 9,2022, on July 10,2922 returned car to dealership for engine knocking noise, car repaired tensioner pulley and alternator m, picked car up July15,2022. On August 7,2022 car stalled while driving and smoke coming out of hood, engine was on fire and engulfed entire vehicle.
I was driving down the freeway and my car engine shut off and lost all power. Pulled off to the side of the road and the car started back up and was running fine. About 10 miles later the engine started clicking and continued to get worse as I tried to get off the highway and into a Kia Dealership. When I was about a tenth of a mile away from a Kia Dealer, my engine made a loud bang noise, and started smoking immediately as my car completely shut down. I had cars behind, alongside, and in front of me that were put in obvious danger as my engine blew up and smoke filled the air around the area. Making visibility poor for others as well as my speed dropping without brake lights due to the engine failing. The problem cannot be reproduced as the engine will not start but the Kai Dealership the car is currently at stated that the engine needs to be completely rebuilt. Vehicle was inspected when I lived in North Carolina in 2018 and 2019, nothing was stated as a danger at that time. There were no warning lights when the vehicle first shut down. The check engine light did not come on until about 20 minutes after the engine started clicking.
I was driving my 2015 kia optima lx 2.4L which i recently got i am currently the second owner and did not receive no mail containing any open recalls to my car and the engine seized up and now the Kia dealership does not want to help me out , what can i do?
My car started smoking while I was driving! From under hood and into vents in car bad! Got pulled over and some yelled my car was on fire, get out! There were no lights on for car! I had ran one of those diagnostic checks that morning ( have it set for once a month) Nothing came back on it at all, car seemed to be great! Left house and 15 mins later car caught fire in the engine! I could of died and my dog! Fire looks to have burned through the fire wall!
My Kia had been using oil at an abnormal rate. Could not identify anything wrong. The car would sometimes unexpectedly stall out and the oil would be a little low, even relatively soon after an oil change. I would top it off and it would operate fine. This month the engine seized up completely. When we had a mechanic disassemble the engine and examine it, he found abnormal damage to the engine, including carbon deposits from burned off oil that had escaped and not returned for lubrication, as well as metal shavings in the oil pan.
Driving one day and I hear a knocking sound coming from the engine. It locked on me on the way home and isn’t drivable. Took it to the dealership and they said it had a recall and the engine needs to be replaced. Kia denied the engine replacement saying I took to long to come in. I bought it used and never received a letter in the mail about it.
2015 Kia Optima began to not accelerate on freeway when trying to reach 2 rpms. Took for diagnostic it was stated solenoid needed replaced. However, the engine was knocking and I was informed that I needed a new engine. Mechanic did not want me to invest money into vehicle. I pulled up vehicle and see this as an issue for 2015 Kia Optimas. That current issues have been reported by numerous people. My car had no lights or warning sensors regarding these issues. Now the engine is inoperable and I have no vehicle w a car payment.
The vehicles paint started peeling on one of the rear columns. I have noticed very many different Kia optimas with the same issue when it came to the same color paint. The paint is snow white pearl. I’ve had no success working with Kia and it is clearly a defective paint issue. I own several cars older and they never had issues. They are unwilling to help.
Vehicle lost power steering completely. Has been inspected. Steering wheel sensor needs to be replaced. ABS light active as well as steering wheel light. No reason as to why this happen but it seems to be and ongoing issue for Kia Optima owners after reading other reports online.
Have a white pearl paint that is completely chipping off by the pillars, windshield sides, top of the trunk, roof, around the gas tank and some car door edges. Have read an excessive amount of kias with MAJOR white paint job problems. It is also obvious the paint is thin as water which is contributing to this issue.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH, smoke was coming inside the vehicle. The contact had to stop the vehicle and turn off the vehicle, when the contact restarted the vehicle, he saw flames coming from the windshield wipers. While opening the hood of the vehicle to see where the flames were coming from, the contact burned his hands. Medical attention was not required. The vehicle burst into flames. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to a repair facility. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000. The VIN was not available.
While driving on the freeway vehicle began to knock. Pulled off the freeway into a dealership. Dealer said there was little oil in the engine despite having an oil change less than 1000 miles prior. Engine burned through 5 quarts in less than 1000 miles. No oil lights or check engine lights on causing engine failure and need for a new engine. Told vin does not fall under the endings oil consumption recall of similar model/year.
2015 Kia Optima Hybrid HEV system. Months after purchasing the vehicle two different lights would come on the engine. One is the HEV warning light and the other is a flashing “Turn off engine and check HEV system”. The first time it happened the vehicle turned off. It was towed to Kia, 02/2020. They change some sensor and sent me on my way. 3 weeks later the HEV warning light came on again so it was towed to Kia for the 2nd time, 03/2020. This time they said they could not recreate the issue. A month later the light came on again and again but since the light never stayed on, I kept getting told by Kia that I’d have to take it in when the light stayed on. 01/2021 the light came on again, with the flashing warning and the vehicle turned off, mid-drive. It was towed to a mechanic shop near me, where they replaced the wiring harness completely, but a month later the same light came on again. Over the course of the year, the warnings kept turning up and time and time I kept getting told they needed the light on at the dealer so they could determine with the codes, what is wrong. 07/2022, light came on as I was merging on to the freeway and the car shut off. I was able to make it turn on and make it home safe. The next day I towed it to the shop where they replaced the wiring harness and they stated they could not touch it further since the codes they got where “High voltage battery” codes and a specific tech is the only one when could work on it. I took it to Kia where it stayed
Sunroof spontaneously shattered while driving down the road. The glass is pushing outward like it was broken from the inside of the car. Nothing hit the care at the time, there was a loud explosion sound and then cracking sounds after that.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while her mother was driving approximately 45-50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's mother depressed the brake pedal and veered to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts and emitted abnormal loud knocking sounds. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then towed the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the contact stated that an oil change was completed on the vehicle approximately one month earlier. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
2015 KIA OPTIMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ENGINE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED THEY WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANY RECALLS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT HAD NOT OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE.
1. The paint on my car has been pealing off. I can make myself available for the car to be inspected. 2. No 3. I have the problem on multiple vehicles of the same make and model 4. Yes 5. No This is problem that the manufacturer should be responsible for. It causes monetary damages to the owners. Upon resale of the vehicle they will be out thousands of dollars towards the value of the car.
I purchased a 2015 Kia Optima SXL Turbo in Snow White Pearl color on Dec 11,2020. In Mid 2021 I started to notice little chip marks in different places throughout the exterior of the car. On April 16,2022 i was washing my car to prepare for vacation and as i was washing a large patch of paint flew off. I attempted to rinse the car to prevent further chipping only to my surprise more paint flew off in another area. The more rinsed the worse it became. i havent washed my car since june in fear that paint would just keep peeling,
On January 12, 2022 I was informed by Danbury KIA (Danbury, CT) that my 2015 KIA Optima required a recall engine replacement. I left the vehicle with the dealer and the repair was completed on Jan 31, 2022. I picked up the car on February 1, 2022 and on February 3, 2022 the car was destroyed by an engine fire. My insurance company deemed the car a total loss and compensated me for the market value of the car. At the time the car was completely paid off and I was still in excellent condition. I had no reason to trade for a newer model - especially with the new engine. After the insurance payoff I still needed to finance $25000 for the purchase of a comparable replacement vehicle. To date neither the dealer nor the KIA corporation have contacted me or made any attempt to address my loss.
I BEEN REPORTED THE RECALL ABOUT MY CAR ENGINE AND OTHER PROBLEMS THATS GOING ON WITH IT BUT THE MANUFACTURER WON’T FIX IT SO WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO HAVE ALL THESE RECALLS FIXED
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, an abnormal knocking noise was coming from the engine. The vehicle then lost motive power and stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where she was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle would not be covered under warranty or recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
Brake Failure, Having to pump brakes in order to stop vehicle, driver rear tail light burning, causing short in wiring
For one my car is very sluggish when taking off and shifting gears Jerks badly. MY electrical is messing up on my radio and camera. Sometimes I smell rubber burning. When I have my cruise on it will speed up on its on and jerk when it does and when i press my brakesbto slow down it doesn'twant to slow down unless iash really hard. When taking off from a hill or a dead stop it doesn't want to shift and slags and rattles when it shifts. Bluetooth works sometimes and sometimes it doest it depends on when my backup camera works or not. I bought this car used in June of 2021 with a little over 92000 miles. I know when something doesn't sound right and when something is messed up, there is something wrong with my car. So far I haven't been in an accident but I don't want to be either.
While driving at 65 mph check engine light turned on and I lost all power. Very dangerous. This is the second time this has happened and the second time I have reported this emergency situation has occurred. The last time this happened in 2019, Kia replaced engine then wiring harness. Your assistance is needed to prevent this doesn’t happen to other drivers.
As the car was running on the intersection, all the emergency lights came on from the vehicle. The car completely stopped but I was able to move it to a safe space. When I attempted to turn on the car again smoke came out of the engine.
Clear coat or paint is peeling on the back passenger panel over the tire and on the trunk lid under the kia medallion.
Passenger side window would go down, but not up. Was unable to get an appointment with Dutchess Kia to bring vehicle in. Went to Knuckle Busters Tire & Auto in Highland, NY. I explained to them what was going on and Knuckle Busters stated that my car was the 5th Kia optima to come in with that same problem, which was replacing the motor or regulator and from some both. Per the mechanic Steve when he unscrewed the motor from the door it fell apart.
Engine Failure due to rod bearing issues-faulty manufacturing parts appears to have gotten into engine preventing or binding the engine so that it will not start.
Recently has a new engine installed at pitre Kia , due to a recall malfunction, they installed a new engine but didn’t fix the recall problem, now that I have my car back. My engine moves when I hit the brakes, my brakes go all the way down sometimes, doesn’t stop the car at all, I am in danger everyday I drive my car, I never know if my brakes will fail on me. Or my car will burst out into flames, and I can smell fuel in the cabin of the car really strong, I have really bad gas mileage and my steering wheel is a lot stiffer than normal
Kia cars lack an engine mobilizer or something and thieves are able to break in and bypass the cars alarm and break the steering column down and start the car with a simple usb and steal the car. Kia’s are being targeted because of this issue and are being stolen . This is a major safety problem and should be fixed . It has been all over the news and police departments are warning Kia owners about it .
Heard noise, while driving, hitting car. Fin cover for antenna broke off. Pulled over and luckily found it. Looks like it broke loose at connecting screws. Thankful no one was behind me at time.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, an abnormal burning odor was detected. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and declined the engine replacement. Upon investigation, the contact was made aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the contact had not yet received the recall notification. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
My car had started acting weird about 5 months after I got it, I believe Jan 2020. Only had it till Jan 2021 and they said my engine Barrings broke and it was going to cost me 10000. I didn’t have it. I was never informed about the recall. It messed up my whole credit and I still have not been able to get a car since. I moved and I was just now able to get the mail!
Paint is coming off vehicles has been since I purchased it
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 19,600.
Just bought the car. Drove it off lot & engine quit on me. Wont go over 25 mph. They won’t refund my money. So I’m on phone with Kia consumer affairs. If they don’t get it fixed/replaced/or buy the car back then I am contacting the lawyers who have the lawsuits against Kia & add my case to their lawsuit. This is ridiculous how many people on here that I see Kia is denying them for replacement of motor due to their company!! They need to get it together or just quit making cars! They suck! I bought it in good faith hoping it was a reliable car. Now I’m $9k out of pocket.
I buy the car 2 week ago and star turn on light slow I just get afraid because I didn't know that the car need to go back to Kia for the recall and is a used car I will like to see how soon I can get to the dealer to get fix is the only thing that I have for work . And is give me some issues to with the gas cap
5/17/22-Brought car in for a basic "what needs to be done for maintenance if I was to buy/sell this car". Thought it could be idling low so he suggested an oil change, spark plugs and a fuel injection service due to mileage. But no issues happening with the car. He did not have parts. Scheduled for June 20th. 6/20/22 Car serviced at Sun Mountain. Received call that on the test drive after service was completed that the car died mid drive. He got it back to the shop after jumping the battery. He ran a diagnostic and said everything besides the battery looked good. Battery was very low. He revved the engine and there was a rattling. I told him I had not heard that prior to bringing the car in. He brought up a recall that Kia had for Rod Bearing Failure. Paid and returned car home safely. 6/21/22 Car breaks down Called Kia to confirm the recall. Phoenix told me that there is a test that will take a few days to run and Kia will either replace engine or buy your car back. He said that the engine itself is on back order for months. He stated there was no loaner cars available and the next available time slot was Monday 6/27/22 for the test. I worked on securing a vehicle on my own and then called Kia back to schedule the test. While on the phone with Phoenix to schedule the test, the car started clanking and losing acceleration. I pulled over and turned it off. It would not turn back on. I got the car towed to Kia Tuesday afternoon. Large leak under car when towe 6/25/22 Phoenix ca
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle started to decelerate. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal almost to the floorboard; however, the vehicle was decelerating with an abnormally loud knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact managed to pull off the highway safely and stopped. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer nor independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Not really sure my car just started making a clicking noise out of no where & powered off & now it wont detect key or wont start up
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while performing a daily oil check, the contact noticed that the oil level was low. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that there was no oil in the engine after an oil change a month prior. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there were no recalls on the VIN regarding the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated before the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the catalytic converter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The catalytic converter was replaced however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 63,000.
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NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
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