Body Problems of Kia Motor Optima - part 2

Paint peeling off 2013 kia Optima. Either a paint or primer issue by the car manufacture kia corp. "snow white pearl" is the color of the paint.

See all problems of the 2013 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

This is not a safety issue but it is an issue that seems to be happening on many kia vehicles, especially those with the snow white paint color. My car is 11 years old but in great shape with only 62,200 miles. The paint looks almost brand new with no other flaws in the car other than there are spots on the hood and roof where the paint is bubbling up and peeling off with no damages to those areas. It appears the paint no longer adheres to the silver primer.

I was told that my engine had a recall on it so I had an upcoming appointment with kia in like 2 weeks for them to check my engine but the car didn’t make it. I was driving my car on interstate 20 my car had began to have a bad chemical smell and started smoking so I pulled over on the interstate and my car was in flames. Me and my daughter was in the car we could have lost our lives thank god we were able to make it out just in time. The fire department came and made a report on the incident. It wasn’t any engine light on at the time. I have contacted kia about the tragedy that has happened but nothing has been resolved yet.

See all problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

Vehicle paint is peeling severely.

See all problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

Paint is peeling and chipping on the hood of the vehicle and also the trunk paint is bubbling. It is getting worse as time goes on.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

I am experiencing sudden paint delamination on the a pillar. Paint color is snow white pearl. I have not yet contacted the dealer but am seeing many similar online reports for this paint color on kia vehicles. The area is not otherwise damaged. I noticed the problem on 1/21/24 when the car was stationary. The bad area is now increasing in size. The vehicle has 79,269 miles, is kept outdoors and goes through a car wash approximately monthly.

Paint delamination on top surfaces of the vehicle.

The paint is chipping heavily and apparently this is an issue with older kia vehicles due to a primer issue.

White pearl paint is chipping all around the car. At times big chucks of paint just flake off.

My paint started fading then the exterior metal layer on the roof started to chip off.

White pearl paint peeling off, all over hood, etc.

This is about paint damage on my Optima is a known factory paint defect. This factory paint defect, specifically paint delamination causes bubbling, peeling then flaking off in large chunks while driving, has been reported on 2015 kia Optima with white pearl paint. The damages ares are exposed to the metal, subject to rust and corrosion. On 5/30/35 kia in ontario, CA. Body shop manager yvonne ramirez inspected my vehicle and immediately confirmed the paint damages to the exterior of my vehicle is a known factory paint defect on 2015 Optima with white paint. Yvonne instructed me to contact corporate kia, report the case, receive a claim # then contact her to schedule an appointment for the repair. On June 3, 2025 kia reopened case number [xxx] originally reported on June 11, 2024. No claim # issues, no repairs made. Safety concern: the paint damage has affected both sides of the adhesive inside the glass securing the windshield. This is a nation wide problem. Owners have documented and continue to keep reporting this problem to kia, NHTSA, autoline and bbb. Several class-action lawsuits have been filed against kia in USA and canada. This is also happening to Toyota, Honda & Subaru. It’s basically all the car manufacturers who are using this pearl white paint. The amount of Optima owners dealing with the massive rapidly spreading paint defect to their vehicle is over whelming. December 2023 my 2015 kia Optima sxt pearl white beautiful exterior paint began to bubble, peel, flake followed by large chunks of paint falling off even while driving. This started on the roof top right and left of the rear window. February 2024 - the same paint damages started on the right and left sails/pillars next to the front wind shield and is causing damage, bubbling and spreading through out the left and right side of the glass. It is a safety concern. March 2025 - the same paint damage started on the top right truck with huge chunks of paint falling off while driving. Help information redacted pursuant to the freedom of inf.

I bought this car with just under 48k miles September 2023, it had a very small chip on the bumper that I assumed was from a rock. After driving this car for a while, I noticed that chip got bigger and eventually other parts of my bumper and hood started bubbling and chipping as well. 90% of my bumper is now lacking paint and it’s starting to chip on my hood more. I’ve only driven it an additional 12k miles since I’ve bought it. Auto body shops are saying it’s delaminating and it’s common in this color.

Paint (pearl white) has been peeling and delaminating for a number of years. Tried working w/kia directly. Their customer care center told us they have a memo stating the known issue with the pearl white paint and told us to send in pictures, get it repaired and send in the bill. We didn't want to do this directly so received an estimate from the body shop. Kia then recanted and said we weren't under warranty. We've seen many other complaints across kia and Hyundai cars related to this pearl white paint. We just want them to cover repainting. The body shop has 50 photos to include the actual paint thinness measured with digital measurement device.

See all problems of the 2014 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

The body shop later informed me that there is a recall for engine fire recently,but my year/make is not listedin the info obtained online. The car started stalling while driving down the off. Smoke started coming through the vents. I pulled over to the side of the highway. A passerby told me that the car was on fire. Called 911. To note I had just picked the car up from jim marsh kia for battery replacement and problems with steering after the car was stolen in July. I had no previous issues with my car other than routine maintenance which I have records for.

2 of my windows drop when I go over a speed bump. . . . I have already gotten the motors replaced for the windows (front driver, and back driver sides). . . . I don't even use the power up/down for the back windows at all because I am the only one that drives my car (wondering why this is happening for this). . . . When I took my vehicle for these windows to be replaced, even my mechanic says there should be a recall on these windows and that this should not be happening. . . . Now my back passenger window is doing the same thing and again I don't even let the back windows down. . . Someone can break in my car by just literally sliding the window down (omg!!!!!!!!). . . . There are no warning lamps for this. . I noticed this happening when kia fixed one of my recalls.

On October 10th 2024, my 2015 kia Optima caught fire while I was driving. The fire originated from the engine compartment, completely engulfing the vehicle in flames within minutes. Component/system failure: the exact cause of the fire is unknown, but kia had previously issued a recall for this model due to an engine defect that posed a fire risk. The vehicle is no longer available for inspection as it was completely destroyed in the fire. However, I have multiple videos documenting the incident, including footage of the fire and the aftermath. Safety risk: my safety and the safety of others were severely compromised. The fire started suddenly while I was driving, forcing me to evacuate the vehicle immediately. If I hadn’t reacted quickly, I could have suffered serious injuries or worse. Additionally, the fire posed a danger to other drivers and pedestrians nearby. Reproduction/confirmation: the issue has not been reproduced, but it aligns with the recall kia issued for this model. Prior to the fire, I attempted to schedule an appointment with kia to address the recall, but I never received confirmation, and no inspection was performed. Inspections: after the incident, I contacted kia, and they sent an investigator to inspect the remains of the vehicle. No police or insurance representatives conducted an independent inspection. Warning signs: there were no warning lights, messages, or obvious signs of a problem immediately before the fire. However, I had previously noticed a recall related to fire risk for my specific model and attempted to schedule an appointment with kia, but they never responded. Given kia’s history of engine fire recalls, I strongly believe this incident is related to the known defects in this vehicle model.

Pearl white paint is peeling off in chunks. Not normal.

The paint on my pearl white kia Optima is peeling badly, primarily on the hood but now its starting to peel near the doors.

Three of the four windows stoped rolling up at the same time. One or two days apart to each other, the 4th one I’m not going to rolling down, it may stop working too.

The paint is coming off in chunks anywhere from an inch to 5 inches at a time. Not from rock chips.

Windows were broken and steering column was broken in to. Car was stolen and spray painted the seats and front end was smashed. Car was totaled.

Dashboard shows a crack right where the passenger airbag is and Kia Motors wont change it, also the paint is flaking and noticed other kia models with that same paint scheme that’s peeling off.

My paint is bubbling up and wanting to chip off.

Window regulator replacement.

Sunroof trim seal loose, the rubber seal/trim catching under the sunroof glass.

See all problems of the 2012 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

My paint on my kia Optima pearl white paint is bubbling and peeling in various areas of my car exposing the metal to corrosion. It is peeling on the trunk and on the roof in various places.

Paint on my kia Optima has been peal like the paint job was bad it was never paint it has orginal paint from when it was first operated.

Pearl white paint on hood is flaking/delaminating.

Chunks of paint are coming off my car on the freeway. It was raining and a large section of paint flew off and onto the car that was driving behind me and stuck to their windshield. The occupant almost had a collision with another vehicle on the freeway. I was able to follow the car that got the paint stuck to their windshield and I did apologize and got their contact information to verify my incident.

White pearl color start pealing off, affected area is at the back of the roof above the back window.

The contact's sister owns a 2014 kia Optima. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended it spontaneously caught fire. The abs warning indicator light had previously turned on and off. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. A police report was filed. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. There were no reported injuries, crash or air bag deployment. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 20v100000 ( fuel system, gasoline).

I own a 2013 kia Optima with 70k miles. I have searches so many forums regarding the defect with the pearl white paint. The paint began to peel all over my car as soon as I bought it with 16k miles a few years back. I’m concerned for myself and hundreds of other people with the same problems. The issue I am concerned with is when the paint begins to peel on my hood I would be concerned it could possibly block my vision while driving. Not to mention the hundreds of other people I’ve read about with the same problem, and now we are supposed to incure the costs of a complete paint job on a car which could cost thousands of dollars when this white pearl paint is clearly the issue.

I purchased a brand new kia from an authorized kia dealership. The vehicle in question is a 2015 kia Optima, white pearl in color. Since its purchase, I have maintained this vehicle ensuring that it is serviced regularly at authorized kia service centers and taking all necessary steps to protect its exterior. Despite these efforts, I have recently observed a drastic deterioration in the paint quality of my vehicle. Specifically, the paint on my kia Optima has been peeling extensively in several areas, including the roof, hood, and trunk. This issue not only affects the vehicle's aesthetic appeal but also raises concerns about the potential for further deterioration and damage to the underlying metal, which could lead to rust and other long-term issues. I have conducted some research and discovered that paint peeling issues are not uncommon with vehicles of this model and color. It appears that this problem may be linked to a manufacturing defect, particularly with the application and adhesion of the paint. I believe this to be a defect that falls under kia's responsibility, as the paint should reasonably be expected to last much longer under normal use and care conditions.

The pain is delaminating (peeling) throughout the vehicle. The pain color is white pearl, it starts bubbling up then peeling off in large areas.