2015 Kia Optima complaints

On 6/5/2022 my vehicle broke down and had to be towed. On Monday 6/20/2022 I took my vehicle to the Colonial Kia dealership in Chester Virginia. On Wednesday 6/22/2022 I got a call from the dealership saying I would need a new engine and the problem with my vehicle was a part of the large Kia engine settlement. But that Kia denied my claim to get my car fixed and paid for by KIA because I did not get a previous recall fixed. (recall # 21V331). My car is not drivable and Kia is liable for it because of the KIA engine Settlement. I never received any information in the mail about the above stated recall on my vehicle so therefore I had no idea it had to be fixed.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing an excessive drop in the oil level. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the fuel injector needed to be cleaned; however, that service had not been completed. The failure persisted. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start-up. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and driving over a pothole, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving however, the failure reoccurred twice while driving over a speed bump. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that she needed to pay a diagnostic fee as the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000. The VIN was not available.

Rapid delamination of paint including severe chipping and paint bubbles. Car was inspected at an auto body shop who provided the final determination of this issue as well as provided clarity that this is a known Kia issue. Kia is refusing to handle this.

The long block detached while driving on access road The life of those around me including my daughter The vehicle was inspected by the dealership

Driving down Highway at 72 mph when vehicle shut down wheel got tight then vehicle restarted itself. Taken to dealership ran multiple test and cannot find an issue with the vehicle. There are no warning lights there was no symptoms or anything else like that that would have let me know the vehicle was would shutdown/restart while driving.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH the accelerator felt soft to her and as she depressed the accelerator the vehicle began to lose forward momentum. The contact stated the "check engine" warning was illuminated and the engine was still functioning but the contact stated there was no power. The contact safely coasted the vehicle off the side of highway. The contact shut the vehicle off and then restarted and was able to move forward, however the engine could only manage to move the vehicle at approximately 35 MPH and still had the "check engine" warning illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to her residence and later to an auto parts store who scanned the vehicle and determined that the "knock sensor (P1326) code was detected. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had taken the vehicle previously to a dealer to have a recall on the "knock sensor" repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

There was no accident. My paint keeps chipping. I’ve never had a car chip paint like this one. I’ve seen multiple other cars who have the same exact car in the color Snow White have this problem. Very frustrating.

Engine has seized Falls under engine recall they are refusing to fix because of because of a recall that wasn't fixed that I never received notice for

Malfunctions: hazard lights severe malfunction. All Steering wheel control buttons stopped working. Center control buttons stopped working. USB charging port/Auxiliary media port/ right side auxiliary power port lost power. Battery alternator and starter had acceptable readings via multimeter. Suspect ECM failure? Symptoms similar to misfires when A/C is running. Parking break doesn’t always engage despite proper method. Inconsistent gas consumption drastic fluctuations

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 116, 000.

Engine locked up

In 2020 a message saying “check hybrid system, stop vehicle and turn off engine appeared and the car stopped while I was driving. I brought it to the Kia Dealership and they “fixed the problem”. On Tuesday May 31st I was driving home on the expressway and my car stopped. I luckily was able to pull off to the side and then the same message popped up and the car would not drive anymore. I have had 5 recalls with this car and it is only 7 years old.

Engine. unknown

Hello, I have a 2015 Kia Optima with Snow White Pearl paint. The paint has started to bubble and chip off. I understand that this paint color is an issue for cars in South Florida which have had the same issue. I have included pictures of the areas and also the vin with paint code.

Sticking Steering. Steering Wheel seems to 'stick' at a 12 o'clock position causing an 'over steering' problem. You drift from left to right as the Electronic Steering tries to correct the drivers reactions to the Sticking. This is an obvious 'DEFECTIVE' part and can cause a loss of steering. Kia Consumer Assistance Center does not recognize this as a serious problem, maybe you will. This will be my 3rd Steering Column replacement. (1) Original, (2) Replaced at 7,500 miles, (3) replacing at 99,600 miles. Please look into this. Kia needs to 'Recall' their cars before people get killed.

To make a long story short on 5/16 my engine started to knock. Without any warning no prior warning lights came on no nothing my car started to stall on the highway I had my 3 year old daughter in the back seat and we barely made it to the side of the road. My engine, oil, and battery light started to flash and I lost power. I had my car towed to the dealership on 5/19 because I was made aware of a class action lawsuit for the exact same thing that was happening to my car. I bought the car 6 months ago from hickory hollow kia in Antioch Tn they made me aware that I had an extended warranty on my engine to have it towed in so I did that. I got a call from the dealership the next day telling me they needed approval first from kia to cover my vehicle. It would take them a week to do a diagnostic test which is what I’m waiting for now and will update asap

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that after stopping at a traffic light and then attempting to make a right turn while accelerating, the engine started revving however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and several warning lights flashed before the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The vehicle was towed. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the rod bearings had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer who confirmed the diagnosis. The contact became aware of an unknown recall however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 112,100.

My car had turned off and everything else in the car turns on but i called the safety recall and they told me i had to 2 recalls on the car and i just got the car didnt know nothing about the recalls until somebody told me they said the air bag control unit and my engine control unit and kia told me my ecu isnt update so they couldnt repair anything and that my motor was locked and they told me i had to pay $6,000

I was in a accident in December where I went to brake at a light and hydra planed forward. Into the car I front of me. Which my driving record I can’t understand how the is happened is this a reflection of the recall and Kia’s parts took since just a few weeks ago to come in to the collision center from being back ordered since mid December I have been in a out of pocket rental practically begging to get my 4000$ I paid to enterprise since So because of this lengthy time my inspection was up in march but I can’t get it inspected because the check engine light came in the very first day I brought it home. Went to turn on my ac being a warm day and no cool air I called the collision center they then decide to tell me they are waiting on three parts still the ac compressor a part for the bumper and the turbo sensor. Meanwhile since it is a insurance claim I cannot have them check the recall part. So I made a appointment with Fred beans Kia in langhorne pa for the recall and a oil change they had the car all day to tell me that I need the part and it will be ordered that was April 23. Meanwhile Iam still driving with expired inspection. I then noticed my car started to shake and make loud sound when started and is feeling like Iam going to stall out and it does. It feel safe me being a single woman I don’t want to get stuck I called bot the the collision center and the dealership inquiring about the parts ordered and now my car is running horribly one pointed the finger at the ot

The motor in my vehicle failed. It put myself, passengers, and others traveling on the highway at risk because the car shut down immediately in the road. The problem was identified by an independent service center. The vehicle was inspected by police and state troopers. There weren’t any warning lights prior to the failure.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. After stopping at a nearby service station and turning off the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The fire department was called to the scene and noticed a burning odor coming from the engine compartment. The contact indicated that there were no flames present during the incident. The vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine was damaged due to an electrical malfunction and needed to be replaced. No further information was available. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted and notified the contact that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The failure mileage was 110,000.

DEAN MCKRARY KIA HAD MY CAR FROM NOVEMBER TO DECEMBER 12, 2021 WITH THE AGREEMENT TO REPAIR ALL EXISTING SERVICE RECALLS. THERE YET REMAIN SERVICE RECALL 21V331. THE AGREEMENT WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT ALL RECALLS ISSUED WOULD BE REPAIRED. THEY DID NOT KEEP THEIR WORD.

Delamination of the Snow White Pearl Paint due to faulty factory primer appearing at multiple spots including front and rear pillars, hood and doors. Confirmed by 2 Auto Body Shops - Triangle Collision and Carolinas Collison. Rust has began appearing in said spots and the paint strips are getting worse overtime.

The vehicle was purchased from Carmax on or about 4/10/21. On or about 3/25/22, the vehicle broke down while being driven. It was towed to the Coral Springs Kia dealership for assessment. A representative from the dealership advised that the engine needs to be replaced due to "rod bearing failure". The representative further advised that the manufacturer is refusing to cover any of the costs associated with the repair, which the dealership estimates to be $6,289.50 (see uploaded repair estimate). I believe the manufacturer should be liable for the costs of repair, which fall within Product Improvement Campaign PI1802.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle overheated and shut down. The contact drove safely off the highway. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, after being impounded on the side of the highway. The dealer diagnosed the failure with rod bearing failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000.

Hi my wife was driving home from work when she heard a noise from under the hood her car then shut off for no reason on the highway, she started the car again started driving then the engine light came on and shut the car off again once again on a busy highway making it hard to pull over she made it home but engine was knocking checked the codes and it had codes for your rod bearing issues on the year before code p0014 and code p1326 not sure if anyone else had this problem but this is definitely not safe! For a vehicle to just shut off first no codes or anything making it dangerous for the driver and the people around the driver this matter really needs to be looked at, especially when someone almost gets into an accident bc the car just shuts off and is almost impossible to merge off the road and stop. Consumer's vehicle is the same model, up to the year, and had the same recall and defects that happened to his car.

2015 Kia Optima EX Steering column replaced under warranty at approx. 7,000 miles. Now at 99,500 I need a new Steering Column because of the same symptoms; STICKING STEERING. Steering wheel sticks when trying to maneuver towards the right. Then you over steer and need to pull back to the left. This goes on over and over at all speeds. The worst is at high speeds because the slight tug on the wheel makes you drift more because of your speed. Kia needs to recall all Optima's and re-engineer and replace their Steering Columns.

Engine/motor failed which disabled the car on highway. Traveling on 3/4 lane highway with heavy traffic. Safety was risked due to almost being hit from behind and cars swerving out the way. Problem was assessed and thought to be repaired but occurred again causing more possible damage to engine. Warning lamp illuminated seconds before the car shut off which was not enough time to pull over safely. Car had to be towed off highway.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate and then lost motive power. The oil warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer performed a Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software update and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

I have a 2015 Kia Optima and the paint (Pearl White) is starting to peel of. It started on the front left of the windshield last December (2021) There is now the back right of the vehicle, the top of the trunk and the hood. After research on line, it looks like it is common on this paint type on the Kia models. I am seeking out some help to resolve this problem for everyone. I talked to my car dealer about the problem and told me that the warranty for the paint stops at 36000 miles. My car has 96021 and is not covered anymore, even if it is a defect. My car is starting to rust, no recourse from the dealer, need some support from the NHTSA department to resolve this problem that is not isolated to my vehicle only but many more. Sincerely,

The motor is locked for a second time. The first time occurred in May of 2018, I had approximately 80,000 miles on the car. I was leaving from the gas station and as soon as I made it into the middle of the street, the car just cut off. I had a mechanic come look at it, and they told me that the motor was locked up. So I had it towed home, bought another motor and got it repaired. Now here it is 04/14/2022, and the motor is locked up again. This is ridiculous!!! I have had to replace multiple parts (the lower control arm for example) several times over 200 hundred dollars each time. I refuse to replace this motor for a second time and have never got reimbursed for nothing!! I used to love KIA but honestly, this is a crappy car and company.

Driving on highway 54 all of a sudden vehicle seized up on me at 75 mph in the dead of night, steering was difficult to control and hit an object while trying to stop off the highway IN A BLIND CURVE! Was stranded for 6 hours until local shop towed vehicle and replaced condenser-radiator-fan ( object was debris on side of highway) could not get car going and a smell of electrical short coming from under hood. Have not been able to fix problem and have spent 11 days in Carrizozo NM trying with bewildered mechanics to get me back on the road. They replaced starter -fan-radiator-condenser-changed fluids (motor & transmission) to find out motor unable to reset. I’ve spent over 6,000.00 dollars in motel-tows-parts -labor -due to this vehicle. I found out of recall when I was told to buy an engine. This car almost took my life due to sudden engine failure on the highway in the AM hours.

I was driving on the highway going about 60 an then all of a sudden the car loss acceleration and stopped. Lucky I was about to pull on the side of the highway.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

While driving my car felt as though it was running differently and upon looking at my dash board I saw 4 different indicator lights. The charging system warning light, engine oil pressure light, immobilizer indicator light with smart key, and malfunction indicator light. I brought my car to a stop and because I did not know exactly what was wrong I turned my vehicle off. Upon trying to restart my car is when the brake would not press in and the car would not turn over. I had the car towed to my mechanic who contacted me the next day to let me know that the engine was locked up due to the HECU and that I needed to contact a Kia dealer close to my home because there was actually a recall on this from the manufacture. I then had the car towed to a Kia dealer near my home and was then informed that because I did not have the KSDS Product Improvement done back in 2018 this would mean that the HECU recall would not be covered and they directed me to contact Kia Corporate and see if they would give the approval to have this repaired. After numerous emails I was finally contacted by someone at Kia Corporate and they once again informed me that they refused to fix my vehicle. I am reaching out for assistance with this before I move forward with contacting legal council.

1. The O2 Sensor malfunctioned causing check engine light to come on. The Catalytic Converter failed or malfunctioned, an it is available for inspection upon request. 1wk after replacement of O2 Sensor installment, check engine light illuminated once again. [Official diagnosis was the catalytic converter was faulty but no mention of replacing 02 once catalytic converter was fixed]. 2. My safety as well as my children's safety was put at risk because there was and still is (even after repairs made from dealership where car was purchased) an issue with broken exhaust system and leak. A broken exhaust system poses extreme danger because it releases carbon monoxide (CO)- an odorless ,tasteless, highly toxic gas, which can travel in passenger area and cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Overexposure to this odorless and colorless gas can cause death. Even in mild cases of exposure to CO can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and fatigue. I need not mention that the extreme or excessive temperatures caused severe discoloration where the three- way catalyst is located. The pistons could have melted as well could have caught the car on fire .My safety as well as every occupant that ever traveled in the vehicle thus far, was at risk. The exhaust leak was big enough to affect the oxygen levels, to spring that code. Another safety risk was when owner of car was falling asleep at wheel of car while driving, not knowing there's a leak. This put the owner and the vehicles occupants at risk wh

Engine locked up exactly like it is described in NHTSA ID Number 1147025. The manufacturer refuses to honor the civil suit judgement on this vehicle due to the previous owner and a Kia dealer not performing 1 recall.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine code P1326 (Knock Sensor Detection System) and failed the bearing test. 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 advised the contact to file a complaint with the FTC. The failure mileage was 129,272.

My 2015 Kia was one of many Kias stolen from the Milwaukee, WI area. It was stolen from a secure residential parking garage by thieves who know they simply have to break a window to gain entrance to the car, break open the ignition lock, start the car with a USB port, and drive away. The police helped me recover the car and it is currently sitting idle at the shop for the past month waiting for a new ignition lock which is on backorder nationwide because of the high demand.

2015 KIA Optima EX with snow white pearl paint delamination on the trunk and roof similar to several other reports on the KIA forum website.

DEAN MCCRARY OF MOBILE AGREED TO FIX ALL ACTIVE RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE ON 11/3/2021. THEY KEPT MY CAR UNTIL 12/4/2021 CAUSING HUNDREDS IN RENTAL FEES. MY CAR STILL HAS AN ACTIVE RECALL WHICH WAS ISSUED IN MAY, 2021. THE SERVICE MANAGER ASSURED ME ALL RECALLS WOULD BE REPAIRED.

Kia said they fixed recall on my car and lights are still on and I hydroplane and totaled my car

The morning of 3-1-2022, after driving for approximately 5 minutes, I noticed a ticking/knocking coming from the engine area. 10 minutes later, I stopped and opened the hood and it was definitely coming from the engine. This continued that evening when I went home. Sometimes it was quiet, but others times loud. I dropped it off at my mechanic the next morning, they later called saying it was an internal engine knock and they couldn't do anything with it. The next day I took it to another auto repair mechanic and was told the same thing, but they also said it needed a new motor, but to contact kia for any recalls. There are none for my 2015, but 2011-2014 DID have recalls and they were for the same problem I was having. I was given an appt for the following Tuesday, but by Friday afternoon the engine completely shut off while I was driving. Luckily, I was able to coast to a safe location. My check engine light NEVER came on for the 4 days I was having problems with it.

While driving on the highway, car suddenly lost power which was dangerous because there was no shoulder to pull over out of the way of other vehicles, & another car could have slammed into the back of mine, luckily was able to coast far enough exit highway. Had car towed to shop was told the engine had seized up. With no warning at all. Then I learned about the recall for this car, unfortunately a little too late in my case.

While driving the vehicle the engine shut off with no warning in heavy traffic. 10 seconds before the check engine light came on and then just seized. 3 police officers came to push the vehicle to the roadside out of traffic. I never Knew of a KSDS install on this vehicle and Kia admits that there is a defective engine but will not fix the car since this install was not complete. The police officers told us that we were extremely lucky to have not been injured in an accident as we sat in the middle of the highway. So we now have a vehicle that we are paying for with a seized motor that kia admittedly knows was defective but they refuse to fix. We never got a notice to have this installed. When I look on your site, there is a recall but for something completely different. How are we to know anything needs to be installed if we are not notified and it’s not listed under the VIN? Please help! There are thousands of us with this same issue!

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH the vehicle stalled. The vehicle lost power brake assist and power steering assist however, the vehicle was able to safely pull off the roadway. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a non-affiliated dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle immediately, causing the vehicle to crash into a curve that fractured the lower control arm and damaged the tire rims, fender, and bumper. Additionally, the vehicle later failed to start. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that either the alternator or battery was faulty. The mechanic replaced the lower control arm. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 129,403. Parts distribution disconnect.

I was driving my 2015 Kia Optima hybrid with around 77,000 miles on the interstate at 70 mph when the HCS, battery management system and other hybrid battery warnings flashed on the screen. The display said to pullover over immediately and turn off the engine. The hybrid battery charge display went from mid charge to zero charge. The car went into limp mode with very limited power. Fortunately, I was able to get off the highway as there was an exit ramp close by. After turning off the car, it would not start again. I disconnected the 12V battery hoping it would clear it out but that didn't work. Had to get car towed to the Kia dealership. They replaced the hybrid battery's high voltage 125 Amp fuse with a 150 Amp fuse and the problem was fixed (cost of $370). A search on the internet revealed that this is a common occurrence on 2011 to 2016 Kia hybrids and Kia knows about this faulty/inadequate fuse problem but refuses to issue a recall. Kia issued a TSB #PS-515 DTC P1B25/P1B77 – 125 AMP HV FUSE INSPECTION that states to inspect the resistance on the factory 125 A fuse and replace if less than 1 Ohm resistance with new 150 A fuse. This is a relatively simple fix for Kia that could prevent a dangerous situation if the car were to lose power on a crowded interstate.

I have my driver side tail light out, when I bought the car in 2019, they said I have 30 days to bring in my car so they can replace what needs fixing, well I hit day 32 and I’ve had to replace my tires, brakes, headlights and tail lights because they all went out on my own dime, now my brakes are making me nervous because sometimes it feels like my car isn’t slowing down to a stop and I have to slam them to stop sometimes.