I was driving my car and was hearing a clicking/thumping sound, until I turned left into a street where the motor just started shaking and making a louder noise. I started to press on the brakes because the sound and feeling of the car was very unusual. I came to a complete stop and put my car in park and waited where finally the engine just cut off even though the lights stayed on. I turned my key back to turn of the car and tried to turn it back on but my motor would just shake and my car would not turn on. i stepped outside and noticed there was oil spilling from under my car. I got it towed to a mechanic where they informed me my rod bearing came lose and punctured a hole in my engine. I called the KIA assistance center and said this was due to the recall SC212, but when i called a KIA dealership they said they could not cover the damage. Turns out this issue was part of a product improvement campaign which KIA would update the ECU in my vehicle.
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 →
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact had initially taken his vehicle to a local dealer to be serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). Upon return of the vehicle, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up after multiple attempts. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the alternator was replaced. The independent mechanic also informed him that the battery would charge to full capacity and referred him back to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the dealer could not find a failure after an inspection. After a few weeks, the contact stated that the failure returned as the ABS warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that while his son was driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled while on the highway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and had the battery checked by another independent mechanic. The contact’s son was informed that the battery was not linked to the failure. The contact’s wife had called the manufacturer and filed a complaint. The vehicle has been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. The VIN was not available. Consumer would like to withdraw the complaint since it has been repaired.
I was driving on the highway going about 55 miles per hour when suddenly the dashboard lights illuminated and car seemed to power down quickly. I barely had time to pull over to the shoulder of the road when the car completely shut down. I could not get the car to start backup and I had to call a towing company to the scene to tow the car to the Kia dealership. My safety and the other occupants safety were put in grave danger, especially driving on a highway where the speed limit is minimum 55 miles per hour. The car dealership confirmed the problem with me, but there is a significant wait time of 2 weeks or more before they can begin performing necessary repairs to the vehicle. Their excuse was an abnormally high number of other Kia Optimas ahead of my vehicle, waiting on parts from Korea, and the warehouse being backup due to the parts shortage. There were no warning lamps or noises prior to the car completely shutting down while driving 55 miles per hour on the highway. It was sudden and caught me off guard and I tried not to panic during the entire dangerous and scary situation. I have been without a replacement vehicle for over two weeks because you cannot get the rental/loaner coverage until the car has been formally diagnosed by a technician. I am paying out-of-pocket until I get the rental car coverage that Kia told me I would qualify for once the car is officially diagnosed and a timeframe is given for estimated date of full repair and pick up of the vehicle.
While traveling on a city street at approximately 40 miles per hour, the engine seized and stalled. After coasting to the shoulder without power, the engine would not restart. Vehicle was towed to local dealership and I was informed it has complete engine failure. Dealership stating Kia corporate refusing to repair vehicle despite multiple complaints of engine failure in this model.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at 15-20 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled and she saw smoke coming out from underneath of the hood of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated she was able to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence, then it was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine had ceased. The dealer informed the contact that she would be responsible for the cost of the repair. The vehicle was towed to a second dealer (Kia of Riverdale 1 Windbeam Rd, Riverdale, NJ 07457). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not provide any assistance due to the fact that the previous owner of the vehicle had not completed the software update of the vehicle. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 76,000.
My Pearl White paint is chipping off
My Kia Optima needs/needed to have a software update to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to installed. The Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) protects the engine from excessive connecting rod bearing damage. There was/is nothing to detect the onset of excessive connecting rod bearing wear and alert the driver at an early stage of bearing wear before the occurrence of severe engine damage, including engine failure. There is no indicative code to alert the driver and minimize the risk of a more severe engine failure. My car has experienced this inadequacy and is need of a full engine replacement because of it. There has been recalls on other years of the Kia Optima but, not the 2015. This is an increasing problem amongst Kia Optima 2015 owners and should not be treated separately from the other years that have experienced the same problem. My car jerked suddenly in traffic and came to a sudden stop almost causing me and my granddaughter to be in a collision with oncoming traffic, with no warning. Kia did a safety recall campaign for other models with this problem SC200**1 (Rev 1, 03/25/2021) but did not include the Kia Optima 2015.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately at 40 mph when the vehicle lost motor functionality. The contact was able to pull over and smelled a burning odor coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that they spoke to a local dealer and was advised to not bring the vehicle in for a diagnosis. The manufacturer was informed of failure and told the contact they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 96,127.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated their daughter was driving at 55 mph, the vehicle in front of the driver slammed on their brakes for a complete stop which caused the contact to depressed on the brake pedal however the vehicle did not stop or slow down causing the driver to crash into the rear of the vehicle in front. The driver-side air bag did deploy. The front end and hood were bent. No one was injured. There was no medical treatment at the scene. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximate 180,000.
Driving on the freeway at 60-65. car started slowing down. bumper to bumper traffic. car stops. KIDS in car. most terrifying moment in life. get towed finally they took to KIA dealer Cleveland Ohio.. engine locked. $4K to repair. KIA would not warranty any of it. 102K miles on engine. frequent oil changes. 2015 was not covered on the recall. This is un acceptable they know its a problem.
No incident occurred. My airbag light has been on for the past 2 months but no impact occurred to my vehicle
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 available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to coast the vehicle off to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact mentioned that the battery was drained from the engine not turning off. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but not diagnosed nor repaired. The vehicle was undrivable. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
I received a Safety Recall notice dated 7/5/2021. When I contacted the dealership, the next available appointment was December 6, 2021. Because of the seriousness of this recall, I feel I should be given a service appointment sooner than December 2021.
Extreme paint chipping
On Monday, August 02, 2021, I was driving home from work and suddenly, when I stepped on the gas pedal, the car didn’t move but the RPMs were reveving very high and all the lights, accessories continued to work. The car had to be pushed out of the street and into a parking lot, until it was towed the following morning to my local mechanic. Upon inspection, it was determined that the engine had seized. I was informed that this is a well-established problem of similar models, years of Kia and Hyundai vehicles that occurred as result of an issue during the manufacturing process and that Kia was aware of the problem but refused to issue a recall. Due to Kia’s reluctance to reimburse owners for the repairs, there is a class-action lawsuit against Kia. My vehicle was towed on August 5, 2021 to Bob Rohrman’s Kia dealership on Golf Rd, Schaumburg IL.As a result, I am without a vehicle that I am still making payments on until December 2021.
I started driving to work drove a mile went to accelerate to get on the highway, all my dash lights came on and and i pulled over, my break was stiff so i figured it died, it started to smoke, at first the door wouldn’t open for me to get out, i had to manually unlock it which is weird because if my car is put into park the door automatically unlock normally, when i got out i saw the smoke getting thicker, so i backed up within minutes the car was in flames. I called 911 right away. There was really no warning at all!
I have owned my kia optima for several years and I've had issues with the windshield wipers not going fast enough. I work from home so I do not travel that often but just recently went on a trip & was on the interstate when it started raining very hard. I could not see the car in front of me at all, not even their tail lights. I understand visibility is always worse when it rains but all the other cars were still going at a steady pace & passing me. I had to pull over on the side of the interstate until the rain slowed down to just a sprinkle before I could see well enough to drive. This caused me a great amount of anxiety because i didn't know if I was going to run into someone or if I was even in the right lane. I have several friends that also have the kia optima 2015 & 2016 models and they have said the same thing. The speed on the windshield wipers is extremely slow compared to other cars we tested this on & I feel this is a major safety concern. I pulled up google reviews on this issue & there are a lot of people complaining about the speed not being fast enough.
So we have a 2015 Kia Optima. On June 10 2021 our car was completely fine just did our normal oil change, tune up, etc. it was running and starting just fine. The next day June 11th, 2021 my husband was on the highway and getting off at his exit and the car suddenly went into “limp mode” it’s a safety mechanism on the car to stop it from completely blowing the engine and destroying other things. He was able to get the car home but was only able to go 25 miles a hour. The car is now currently sitting in our drive way throwing a whole bunch of different codes. First it was a rod in the engine and then now a misfire when the car hasn’t moved in over a month. From what I hearing from the dealership and other people this is common with the GDI engines. We are now out of a car and don’t even know what’s completely wrong with it. We’ve barely had a year of that.
The contact owned a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while stationary with the engine on, the check engine warning light illuminated. After pulling into a parking lot, the vehicle stalled and was unable to be restarted. With the assistance of a nearby police officer, the contact placed the vehicle into neutral and backed into a parking spot. While waiting for her boyfriend to arrive at the scene, she noticed that dark grayish smoke was coming from the engine. The contact and her daughter immediately exited the vehicle as another police officer showed up at the scene. The officer attempted to extinguish the fire with an extinguisher but failed to do so. The fire department arrived at the scene and was able to extinguish the fire. The contact was uncertain if a fire or police report was filed. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard where it remained. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. Upon speaking with her insurance adjuster, the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the contact never received the notification letter about the recall. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
Engine oil consumption is extremely high with no leaks and caused damage to the engine. Causing car to quit and lose power. I have been doing my oil changes correctly.
While driving 55MPH on highway vehicle suddenly stalled. I was able to coast to the shoulder on the right. I was not able to restart vehicle. Vehicle left on highway to be towed.
The contact owned a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled and failed to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed as an engine failure. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer and the dealer informed the contact that they needed the maintenance history receipts. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,978.
Electronic stability control activates (flashing light on dash) inappropriately; when not actually experiencing a traction issue. Most often occurs when accelerating from a stop at an intersection with any type of “dip” or unevenness between the roadways, such as lip from driveway to street. When it activates in these situations the engine power reduces significantly resulting in little to no torque and the vehicle is unable to properly accelerate. This becomes very dangerous when pulling onto roadways with through-traffic, as it is not possible to clear the intersection in the anticipated timeframe had the electronic stability control had not improperly engaged. My common reaction when this happens is to provide more acceleration, which the vehicle responds to once the roadway becomes even and results in an instant burst of engine power. This causes the tires to spin, reduced ability to control steering and a total loss if in a turn.
I was driving my car on the street going about 35-45 mph when all of a sudden with no warning my car stopped completely. It had to be towed.
Front low beams continue to be very dim. Cannot see a few feet in front of the car at night. Have replaced bulbs but nothing seems to work. Is consistent with other complaints of the same, noted with NHTSA.
When I drive my car it smells just like it is burning or melting in the motor, it comes thru the vents and smells awful. It has only smoked a couple of times when I have turned it off. I have had it looked at but at first they couldn't find the problem. The second time I had it checked out they said that the changed the HECU on my car but it still smells like it is burning. It has been doing it for about 3 months.
My vehicle pearl white paint started peeling on both sides of my front window and now is peeling on my hood. I have filed 2 complaints with my dealership that took pictures and the first one was expired they said cause of covid. It's been several months now and still haven't heard about my 2nd request. It's peeling really bad and it's ridiculous that Kia isn't trying to fix this problem. My hood is starting to get rust spots where the paint has peeled. I'm very upset and frustrated with this problem. I really need to get my car repainted.
I’ve completed the recall on Saturday it took them less then a few minutes even though the invoice said 0.00hrs. I showed that I had brake fluid leaking and the car smokes but was told to come back if things got worse. Saturday night I was driving to the house with my fiancée and the car started slowly if down, the check engine light came on. Then the car shut off in the middle of the highway after a while it just cut back on and smoke all the way to the house. If there was someone behind me I would have cause a accident but it not within my control. My car has randomly shut off while driving and a while later coming idling again, today making the 5th time with in 3days
2015 Kia Optima approximately 120xxx miles, daily driver Regular maintenance on vehicle. Engine failed as I was driving to doctor appointment. No warnings, no fluids leaking, no irregular gauge readings, no lights. Vehicle had to be towed to nearest dealership. Confirmed engine failure, failed bearing test. Contacted Kia Motors Consumer related to failed engine. No update on engine repair.
2015 Kia Optima, Snow White Pearl paint is peeling off hood, and rails around windshield.
I had 2 incidents with my cars engine not even a year apart! I got my car 8/1/2020 on 10/03/2020 I had a blinking engine light come on. I got it towed to the Kia dealership and they told me they were going to replace my engine because their is recall.. well they didn’t they ended up running a “test” and the engine light “came off” and they gave me my car back. Now we’re back again with another engine problem on 5/20/2021 my engine light, oil light and battery came on! Luckily I pulled over in time because shortly after my car seized and then didn’t start! My pap came to get me and checked my oil and there was none in there! I just got an oil change and every time I get an oil change I run out of oil and coolant and windshield fluid so fast and get it replaced in between oil changes it’s ridiculous! I definitely think it had something to do with the recall on my engine I’m still waiting for a diagnosis on my car and it’s been 5 days since I’ve had my car towed to Kia with no answers still!
My daughter was in a collision, going about 40 MPH, and the airbags did not deploy, she is very lucky that the windshield did not bust otherwise she would have been hurt.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with the engine failing. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V519000 (Service brakes, Hydraulic) in January of 2019. The contact was relating the failure to the recall. The contact was unable to service the recall because the dealer was behind on work. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
I was driving in rush hour traffic I'm my 2015 kia optima when it just cut off while I was driving almost causing me to hit another car. Unsure of what was happening I had it towed to akin and bobs auto repair. They inspected the car and it needs a new engine. I had not had any issues with car before. Now I see there is a recall that is causing issue like I experienced that day.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WINDOW WAS UNABLE TO CLOSE COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER ALM KIA SOUTH (4310 JONESBORO RD, UNION CITY, GA 30291, (678) 261-8409) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT AN UNKNOWN COMPONENT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THE VEHICLE WAS GAIN TAKEN TO ALM KIA SOUTH TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 46,000.
EVERY SINCE I BOUGHT MY 2015 KIA OPTIMA FROM THE KIA DEALERSHIP IN WOODSTOCK GA I HAVE NOTICED A STRANGE SMELL LIKE BURNING OIL IN THE ENGINE I COULD SMELL IT INSIDE MY VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AS WELL .ALSO THE ENGINE ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE RUNNING HOT AND CERTAIN DAYS IT TOOK NUMEROUS TRYS TO MAKE THE CAR START .ALSO MY LIGHTS WOULD CONSTANTLY FLICKER INSIDE THE VECHILE .I HAVE PAYED OFF MY KIA AND SOLD IT NOW BUT I RECEIVED A LETTER STATING I WOULD BE BE ELIGIBLE FOR SOMEKIND OF COMPENSATION EVEN AFTER IT WAS SOLD I'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON THIS I LOST THE FIRST LETTER I WAS SENT SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW ALL MY OPTIONS HERE THANK U AND GOD BLESS MY MY CAR WAS A 2015 KIA OPTIMA I BEGAN FINANCING THE VECHILE THROUGH ALLY ON 12/04/2018 IT WAS PAID OFF 10/31/2019 ALSO I KEPT HEARING A KNOCKING SOUND THE WHOLE TIME I DROVE MY VEHICLE COMEING FROM MY ENGINE AS WELL AS A BURNING SMELL WHILE DRIVING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT 75 MPH, WHEN SHE SLOWED DOWN TO 50 MPH TO SWITCH LANE THEN ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT EXCEED 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FOR ABOUT 2 MORE MILES BEFORE IT WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ALTERNATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THEN CONTACTED A KIA DEALER AND WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE VEHICLE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V519000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO PARKWAY FAMILY KIA (22555 US-59, KINGWOOD, TX 77339) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE RECALL. THE DEALER THEN SENT THE DIAGNOSTIC FINDINGS TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR THE RECALL REPAIR APPROVAL HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE DEALER THAT BECAUSE THE CONTACT HAD NOT DONE THE MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATIONS PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT UPGRADE: VPI1802 (ENGINE) THE RECALL WOULD NOT BE HONORED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTIFICATION FROM THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT THE PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT UPGRADE BECAUSE IT WAS SENT TO AN OLD ADDRESS THAT SHE NO LONGER LIVED AT. THE VEHICLE REMAINED AT THE DEALER UNREPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 143,000.
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND SUDDENLY IT'S STOPPED I TRIED TO TURNING IT BACK ON BUT IT WOULDN'T START. I HAD IT TOWED TO A NEARBY AUTO SHOP AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE AND THEY COULDN'T TOUCH IT. HE ALSO SAID IT SMELL LIKE SOMETHING BLOW UP IT SMELLED LIKE SMOKE. THE NEXT DAY I HAD IT TOWED TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP. THEIR MECHANIC AND CUSTOMER REP ARE TELLING ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T DO THE RECALL ON TIME THE CAR WOULD NOT BE COVERED AND I HAD TO PAY $7008.00 OUT OF POCKET EVEN THOUGH I NEVER GOT A NOTICE FOR A RECALL. IN THEIR SYSTEM THEY HAD A DIFFERENT ADDRESS, AND WERE ABLE TO UPDATED MY ADDRESS AND STILL TOLD ME I WAS LIABLE BECAUSE THERE ARE WAYS OF CHECKING FOR RECALLS.
MY CAR IS RAPID LOSING OIL IN BETWEEN REGULAR OIL CHANGES. I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY PUT OIL IN WEEKLY AND THERE NOT HAS THERE EVER BEEN ANY LEAKS. THE OILD IS BURNING OFF WAY FASTER THEN IT SHOULD BURN. SO ON TOP OF ROUTINE MAINTENANCE I HAVE TO PURCHASE OIL ON TOP OF IT. THE TIMING CHAIN IS SUFFERING DUE TO THE ENGINE GOING DRY WAY TOO FAST. THIS IS A RECALL ISSUE THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR SOMEONE UNAWARE OF THIS TYPE OF ISSUE. THE OIL TURNS BLACK QUICKER THEN IT SHOULD AS WELL. MY MECHANIC SAID YOU ALL NEED TO REPLACE THESE RIGHT AWAY OR SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN. IT HAS TAKEN A YEAR FOR ME TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REPORT THIS ISSUE.
EVERY TIME I TURN MY HEADLIGHTS ON MY BREAK LIGHTS STAY ON AND THE TRACTION LIGHT COMES ON. PEOPLE THINK I AM RIDING MY BRAKES.
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND I NOTICED MY VEHICLE HAVING A HARD TIME PICKING UP SPEED AND SOON AFTER IT WAS A NOTICEABLE KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE RPM AND DASHBOARD GAUGES WERE VERY SPORADIC. I PARKED THE CAR AND POPPED THE HOOD TO FIND THAT THERE WAS SOMEHOW ABSOLUTELY NO OIL, BUT NO CURRENT SIGN OF LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH. THE CAR CONTINUES TO KNOCK WHEN I START IT UP AND AM AFRAID OF IT OVERHEATING AND IT IS CURRENTLY PARKED. IT SMELLS DEFINITELY LIKE BURNTNESS AND WHEN SHIFTING INTO D3 AND D IT SEEMS TO BE THE MOST APPARENT THAT THE ENGINE COULD BE HAVING TOUBLE. SPEEDS AND RPM GAUGE ARE MOST SPORADIC AT HIGH SPEEDS AND THE EXHAUST PIPE SEEMS TO HAVE RESIDUE OF SOME SORT THAT ISN'T NORMAL.
MY KIA IS USING AND LOSING OIL RAPIDLY. AS IN IN-BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. THERE ARE NO LEAKS AND IT IS NOT BURNING OIL. MY ENGINE HAS SEIZED UP TWICE, WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, BECAUSE ITS RAPIDLY USING THAT MUCH OIL. MY MECHANIC SAYS HE'S WORKED ON SEVERAL KIA'S WITH THIS SIMILAR PROBLEM. WHERE IS MY OIL GOING? AFTER CALLING 5 KIA DEALERSHIPS TODAY, NONE OF THEM CAN GET ME IN FOR AT LEAST 45 DAYS BECAUSE THEY ARE SO BACKED UP WITH FIXING ALL THE RECALLS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE CENTERED IN THE LANE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FEATURE WAS NOT OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND WAITED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE RESTARTING THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE TO THE RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT TH STEERING ANGLE PRESSURE HAD STARTED TO FAIL IN THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING UNIT. THE MECHANIC RECOMMENDED THAT THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NAPLETON'S MID RIVERS KIA (4955 VETERANS MEMORIAL PKWY, ST PETERS, MO 63376) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.
I HAD JUST LEFT THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE ON I-30 EASTBOUND IN BENTON, AR. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE WHEN THE CAR BEGAN ACTING JERKY AS IF IT WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE. I STARTED TO CROSS OVER TO THE RIGHT LANE WHEN I NOTICED SMOKING COMING OUT THE BACK. I GOT ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER, PARKED IN FRONT OF EXIT 118, AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. I WAS IN MY VEHICLE CALLING A RIDE WHEN I NOTICED A GENTLEMAN RUNNING TOWARDS ME YELLING, "YOUR CAR IS ON FIRE!" I GOT OUT OF MY VEHICLE, WENT AROUND TO THE PASSENGER DOOR TO RETRIEVE MY PURSE AND LAPTOP BAG FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, AND MOVED AS FAR AS POSSIBLE TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. BY THE TIME, I HAD RETRIEVED MY ITEMS OUT OF THE FRONT SEAT, THERE WAS SMOKING COMING FROM THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. BY THE TIME, I HAD BEGUN WALKING TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, YOU COULD SEE FLAMES COMING FROM THE HOOD. I WAS CALLING 911 AS I WALKED TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE OF THE VEHICLE FIRE IS UNKNOWN. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED THE DAY BEFORE BY K & A TIRES IN MALVERN, AR. THE CAMSHAFT WAS REPLACED, AN OIL CHANGE WAS COMPLETED, AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE REPLACED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE INVOICE WAS IN THE GLOVE DEPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE. THE OWNER WAS GIVEN INFORMATION THAT THE VEHICLE WAS/IS UNDER AN NHTSA RECALL# 20V519.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET CAME TO A RED LIGHT AND WHEN I TRIED TO PRESS THE GAS MY WHEELS LOCKED AND THE CAR WOULDN'T GO. I HAD TO PUSH IT DOWN A HILL AND USE NEUTRAL TO GET AT LEAST GET THE CAR OFF THE MAIN STREET AND TOWED. THE NEXT DAY IT WAS TAKEN TO KIA AND NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME THEY CAN'T HELP BECAUSE I COULDN'T PROVIDE RECEIPTS OF ANY MAINTENANCE THAT WAS DONE ON THE CAR OVER TIME.
I WAS DRIVING TODAY ON 95 NORTH PHILADELPHIA! AND THEN THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF AND THE BATTERY LIGHTS AND OIL LIGHT DID COME ON. AND AFTER THAT HAPPENED AGAIN ON 73 NEW JERSEY
2015 KIA OPTIMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALL NOTICES RECEIVED ON VEHICLE. *LD THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO BE INVOLVED IN A CLASS ACTION SUIT FOR OIL CONSUMPTION. THE REQUEST WAS DENIED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *JS
WHEN YOU ACCELERATE, FOR EXAMPLE TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE WILL COMPLETELY SHUT OFF, ALL LIGHTS ILLUMINATING ON THE PANEL THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE MUST BE PLACED IN PARK AND RESTARTED. SOMETIMES IT STARTS RIGHT AWAY, SOMETIMES IT TAKES A FEW MINUTES.
ON 3-14-2021 ABOUT 225PM I WAS ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO THE I10 FREEWAY IN ONTARIO CALIFORNIA, WHILE MERGING ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH LIT UP AND THE CAR PROCEEDED TO SHUT OFF AND MY SPEED WAS GOING DOWN . I ATTEMPTED TO PULL OVER OFF THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY, ONCE I WAS STOPPED I TURNED THE CAR OFF. THE CAR THAN WAS ENGULFED WITH SMOKE AND FLAMES I JUMPED OUT THE CAR AND THE CAR LIT UP IN FLAMES. I CALLED ONTARIO POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE SHARK FIN ANTENNA COVER COMES OFF DURING HIGH SPEED AND MY IMPACT ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.
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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.
Full record for the 2015 Kia Optima → · Every Optima year → · How the figures are calculated →