Other Fuel System Problems of Kia Motor Optima - part 2

A auto repair shop said my kia Optima has a bad knock sensor which is a common problem with those cars. My safety and others was put at great risk when I suddenly lost power on the freeway problem was confirmed at an independent service center has not yet been inspected by manufacturer warning message came up at the same time as losing power.

See all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

I am filing this complaint due to severe and ongoing safety defects in my 2020 kia Optima ex, which has repeatedly stalled while driving, creating a life-threatening road hazard. Since September 2024, my vehicle has suffered from major failures, including a complete transmission replacement, multiple high-pressure fuel pump replacements, multiple oil flushes due to fuel contamination, and all fuel injectors replaced. Despite all of these “repairs” performed by a kia-authorized dealership, the check engine light continues to return, and the vehicle still stalls unexpectedly, making it dangerous to drive. On March 10, 2025, after kia claimed to have tested the vehicle for 200 miles, I picked up the car from the dealership, only for it to stall and trigger the check engine light within hours before I even reached my destination. This vehicle has been returned to me multiple times in an unsafe condition. Additionally, an independent mechanic discovered an engine oil leak and a torn axle that kia’s dealership never disclosed. This raises major concerns about their lack of proper inspection and repair procedures. This is a serious safety issue that kia refuses to take accountability for. I request an immediate investigation into this matter before this defect leads to an accident.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

Bought car 2020, engine failed and was consuming oil like it was fuel after 50-60k miles in 2022, serra kia misdiagnosed and charged me $900 for ignition coil and combustion chamber cleaning that was not needed nor refunded when I was denied replacement due to me not letting engine lock up(service manager basically told me to do so to be approved) or a p1326 code, charged +\-$8,000 for engine to be replaced. Horrible experience, engine was fine at first, then shortly after the short mileage warranty they give, the engine started having minor non catastrophic issues here and there. Finally, around the same amount of time(last October 2024) and almost the same amount of miles on the engine, its doing exactly what it was when I took it to kia for the engine. One random day, on my way to work, I got to a red light and when I went to go at green the engine hesitated and I noticed a massive smoke cloud behind me and coming from my engine. It was consuming oil yet again the same way. Reached out to kcc(kia customer care) and provided them a 4 page personally written letter by myself explaining the full story and my experience. However they merely closed my case without any explanation or reason for doing so. So as I stated to them I would do if I needed to, I've reached out to the bbb and now you. I'm hoping to get justice, whats right, and what should have happened in the first place. My money back and or my engine repaired and no more charges to me. 2022 first engine failure(denied and paid for engine) oct 2024 engine failure again. (added copy of letter sent plus proof of service manager influencing me to lock the motor up to get covered the first time).

See all problems of the 2013 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

Was driving down the highway with no indication of any problems with my car. It just shuts off completely had to coast to the side of the road get someone to tow me home. While on side of the road opened the hood and saw white smoke come from the engine. Just had an oil change and coolant is fine.

I own a 2017 kia Optima with a major internal engine defect. Starting shortly after purchase, the car lost power and consumed fuel unusually quickly. Over time, the engine began burning excessive oil and now produces a loud knocking sound (bearing knock), indicating internal bearing failure. These symptoms are consistent with known kia engine defects (bearing wear / piston ring failure). The defect is a serious safety concern: because of weak bearings and high oil consumption, the engine could stall, seize, or catch fire. The dealership has refused to repair or replace the engine. I am reporting this as a safety defect and request NHTSA investigation.

While driving the car will not accelerate past 49mph in turbo mode and 61mph in regular mode and rpm will not go above 1800. And it jerks and studders. Blinking check engine light and consumes a ridiculous amount of oil even though regular maintenance performed. I have read several engine issues with this model and cannot find recall info.

See all problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

A high pressure fuel pump, the car is at a shop to get worked on. I was told not to drive the vehicle because it can catch on fire. The part that was leaking was connected to the engine which could cause the car to catch fire if it touched the hot engine. I was scared to drive the vehicle because it smelled like straight gas, I was terrified thinking the car was going to blow up. So I parked the car , so nothing bad can happen to me or others. I also called kia of waldorf and the did not have an appointment until the following week of the 20th. Yes this was confirmed by an independent service center. No there was not any warnings on the dash board. But I do know it was a recall one time before on the high pressure fuel for kia Optima’s.

See all problems of the 2014 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

The ksds in my engine is causing engine failure due to the dealership failing to fix the problem when I first experienced stalling, lagging and misfiring of my vehicle, which would often make it shake and I would have to turn the car off and reignite it, sometimes more than once. My safety is at risk when driving, because the vehicle will lag while trying to accelerate in traffic. My mechanic researched the issue and found the recall and kia said they fixed it when it was issued and they didn’t. My check engine light is flashing now and it continues to lose power. I have contacted kia about the issue and I’m waiting on a response.

Ran out of gas ,and added gas for it to start up again only for it to not run after adding fuel .

For the past month or two my vehicle hesitates to start on the first try. I can smell an odor at times when this occurs. Most recently it seems to occur more frequently when the outside temperature is warmer.

See all problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

During covid 19 pandemic grieviance depresion homelessness racism criticism hate cyberbully attack I live in my 2015 kia Optima I had [xxx] I had tbone accident iam not fault for I have all state insurance I never get helped compensated they closed my claims I had multple citations 13 in el cajon 4 in san diego 4 3 hollywood 1 riverside that I wasnt aware of as I went to dmv to renew my car registration I was billed for $1522 paid $2200 for renewal theres people who crossed my life who damaged my vehicle it wasnt driveable for one year parked at [xxx] then April 2022 thieves intended to steal my personal belongings they broke my window all my personal items was gone it was towed by agency had to pay $1000 with busted windows missing personal items dent tbone accident I suffered burden pain depression emotional distress while I was being mocked criticized unlawfully I had trauma there is no relief recovery it didnt stop there after I picked up from road one towing agency I have it towed moved parked in [xxx] then my engine seized up wont start ignition then brought kia kearny mesa service dealership Jan 1, 2023 then it gotten worst more repairs replacement parts when I have lifetime warranty on my engine they installed bad engine replaced defects on it I was [xxx] multple times no peace of mind until present Dec 09, 2024 all the repair orders wasnt being done properly. They put damages on me I got stranded multiple times in highway freeway interstate side streets for all issues engine problems that happened to me I couldnt get recovery justice then [xxx] I had traffic collision accident iam notat fault I was being interogated by kemper insurance investigators trying to access my vehicle imformation data when their client hit my car from behind I was with mother we bought had whiplashed backpain went straight to e. R until now they wont give me peace of mind I suffered the worst pain information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I bought this from a dealer ship and it is having some issues when it is gearing down dont know if its the fuel injectors or what but its got some issue with it getting proper fuel.

The car had engine failure. The same issue that 1000s of the same make and model had a lawsuit for. Apparently my VIN isn’t one of them covered even though the exact issues stated in the engine failure lawsuit are the same issues I had. It’s under 80,000 miles I get synthetic oil and all other maintenance done when recommended. I was driving one day and the car started jerking and the engine would just stall out there was also a lot of smoke and very loud noises. I have tried contacting kia and they say that it’s not one of the VIN numbers covered. If it’s the same issue how could they know if it was going to happen to my specific VIN or not. This is a huge safety issue because I am concerned the engine will blow up or catch on fire. I have had a mechanic come look and he started the engine and said to immediately turn it off. This is clearly a safety issue that’s not being handled well at all.

Subject: complaint regarding excessive oil consumption and engine hesitation in 2019 kia Optima sx to whom it may concern, I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding my 2019 kia Optima sx. Despite meticulous maintenance and care, I have been experiencing significant issues with the vehicle that are concerning, especially considering its relatively low mileage of only 107,000 miles. The primary issues are as follows: 1. Excessive oil consumption: my kia Optima sx has been burning an excessive amount of oil, necessitating frequent top-offs well before the recommended oil change intervals. This is not only inconvenient but also raises serious concerns about the long-term health and reliability of the engine. 2. Engine hesitation: the vehicle exhibits extreme hesitation during acceleration. This hesitation occurs sporadically, making it difficult to anticipate and presenting a potential safety hazard, especially when merging onto highways or attempting to overtake other vehicles. These issues are unacceptable for a vehicle with such low mileage and are not in line with the quality and reliability I expected when purchasing a kia. Given the prevalence of similar complaints from other owners of the same model, it is evident that these are not isolated incidents but potentially indicative of broader manufacturing or design flaws. I urge the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) to investigate these issues thoroughly. Owners of the 2019 kia Optima sx should not have to endure such significant and potentially dangerous problems with their vehicles. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt action and response.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

Drove this 15 kia Optima on the highway when all of a sudden it lost power and died. There was no lights or symptoms prior to this happening. The vehicle ran as it should up until the other day, the engine had no codes or lights on in the vehicle. . Then without any signs at all the vehicle stalled and almost caused an accident on the highway and the would not start. Barely made it to the breakdown lane. We had it towed to a shop and we spent some time checking the kia over to find out the starter had melted. We installed a new starter and now the engine has a very loud knocking sound that was never there before. Based on reading the safety recalls and bulletins on this kia and issues surrounding this vehicle online, we should meet the criteria for a claim. Can you help me please!!!!.

Hello my wife and I have owned our kia Optima ex for 3 months now. At first we were thrilled with the vehicle, it handled well but after about 5 weeks of daily driver commute. You could accelerate in the vehicle and the gas pedal would kind of stick and rocket us forward for a brief second. 2 times I can recall that fault alone almost cost me and my family our lives, also the engine has gotten so hot that it has melted the damn paint around the inside edge of the hood. One last thing, when you accelerate you can hear a almost grinding noise sometimes. I just want this documented just in case our kia takes us out hahaha. . . . . . I know what kia is an abbreviation for "killed in accident after driving this one.

See all problems of the 2012 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

I am writing to bring to your attention a critical safety issue with my 2019 kia Optima sx 2. 0 gdi turbo, which has accumulated approximately 103,000 miles. This vehicle has recently developed several serious problems that I believe pose significant risks to both my safety and the safety of other road users. Firstly, my kia Optima has been burning an excessive amount of oil. Specifically, it consumes over 5 quarts of oil within just 2,000 miles of driving. Despite thorough inspections, even from kia dealers there are no visible oil leaks, making this issue even more perplexing and concerning. Moreover, the vehicle has begun to shake violently while driving on the highway, which has led to a substantial loss of power in the middle of traffic. This unpredictable loss of power is extremely dangerous, especially at high speeds, as it compromises my ability to maintain control of the vehicle and poses a significant hazard to other motorists. Additionally, the car now emits a loud knocking noise, which appears to be related to the engine's internal components. This issue further exacerbates the vehicle's performance problems and raises serious questions about its reliability and safety. I urge the NHTSA to investigate these issues promptly. The problems I am experiencing are not isolated and may affect other kia Optima owners, potentially leading to widespread safety risks. I believe it is crucial to determine if there is a manufacturing defect or other underlying cause that needs to be addressed to prevent accidents and ensure the safety of all kia Optima drivers. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I am hopeful that the NHTSA will take immediate action to investigate these serious safety concerns and provide a resolution to protect both myself and others.

I was stopped at a red light and the car stayed on but just stopped working. I had to wait for it to reset itself, or at least that was what it felt like it was doing. I got the oil changed in it the next day and about three weeks later the low oil light has come back on.

Burns through oil. I have to consistently have oil on hand. 107,000 miles and being told my year does not fall under getting a new engine falls on me to replace it. This is an issue that falls on the manufacturer. Please help.

Our 2019 kia Optima has now stalled twice at a stop light in the past year. When it happens, we're able to restart the engine. In addition to stalling, the car struggles to start on some days and runs lumpy (minor surges in power) on other days. The symptoms match a problem kia is aware of and for which it has provided an extended warranty (15 years/150,000 miles). Below is the wording from the extended warranty letter (2016-2020 my kia Optima vehicles low-pressure fuel pump new vehicle limited warranty extension dated sept 9, 2022): "if, at any time within the extended warranty period, you experience intermittent reduction in engine power, stalling while at idle, and/or inability or difficulty starting your engine, your authorized kia dealership will diagnose the cause at no cost to you. " when I took the car in after both incidents, the kia dealer is not able to replicate the issue because it's an intermittent issue. There is no fault code thrown by the vehicle computer. The dealer and I have separately called kia to get authorization to replace the low-pressure fuel pump (the most likely culprit), but kia has denied the request because the dealer isn't able to replicate the issue. This is non-sensical given the fact that kia in its letter admits that this problem is intermittent. I'm afraid that the next time the low-pressure fuel pump fails, it will be in a far more dangerous situation (e. G. Highway) than at a stop light. I believe kia should replace the low-pressure fuel pump for those owners who report the symptoms of a failing low-pressure fuel pump even if the failure can't be replicated at the dealer. Kia is basically saying they're not going to replace the low-pressure fuel pump until it malfunctions and stays broken which could very likely leave us stranded somewhere or worse without engine power in the middle of driving.

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.

On [xxx], around 11:30 a. M. , I was driving [xxx] on [xxx], going about 78 mph, just passed [xxx], when the lights on the dash lit up, smoke started coming from the back of the car, then there was smoke coming from under the hood then smoke started coming from the a/c vents. There was a full fledge fire under my hood. The guy driving next to me, kinda gestured for me to pull over, although I was already thinking I needed to pull over, the shock of what was happening, I lost my train of thought. I pulled over and so did that guy, he had a fire extinguisher and tried to put out the fire but to no avail. 5 mins after I got out, the entire car was engulfed in flames. It was very scary and I am thankful for that guy, because I froze for a minute and couldn't think of what to do, I pulled over just in time. The fire dept was called and it took them awhile to put the fire out, the car was burnt to a crisp, a 100% loss. A police officer took my name & phone number and arranged for a tow truck. I had to arrange for someone to pick me up from the side of interstate I [xxx] and had to call off work. The car was towed by professional towing tampa located - phone# 813-242-0610 ext. 5 email - dispatch@protowtampa. . Read more...

I had a fuel leak, I bought this used car from a used dealership. Took it afford kia last year where there was no fix for either the recall or the previous recall of the fuel leak (apparently it was already fixed) went to go replace part of the fuel line and it wasn't even properly fixed, they had electrical tape and zip ties around just an extra layer of rubber they put around it. Not sure who "fixed it" before but now I'm suffering the aftermath of a part of missing fuel line which I don't have the strength to get the metal link into it, and an undriveable car. I didn't even know there was a fuel line issue cause kia just told me there were no open recalls on it for anything fuel related instead of telling me there was a previous recall which clearly wasn't fixed properly.

Every time after I get an oil change I’m constantly having to put oil in it because it goes dry every 2 days and my check engine light stays on before and after oil change, randomly shaking soon as I turn the car on then the oil light comes on every time I go over a speed bump! the car slams on breaks when it wants and has even did it when in fast traffic on the highway.

Car started to leak out the fuel pumps pressure system started to leak gas.

I’m having oil consumption problems. I had this car since 2022 every time I get an oil change and drive 1000 or less miles my oil light comes on when braking or turning vehicle. As well as a knocking sound and the car runs very rough. I put more oil in every time even getting oil change done before I’m supposed to spending extra money and time just to ride in this car. I took it to serval shops no leak was spotted in fact they said my drain plug may need to be replaced. I changed the drain plug twice as that’s not the issue but I’m still having a low to no oil in vehicle. I also was told that I have a cloud of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe when I hit the gas another problem. More recently after an oil change I’ve noticed a small oil leak spots on the ground. This should be a recall as a lot of kia owners are dealing with this issue. Help.

Car was at about 70,000 upon purchase. Once driving it regularly, I immediately noticed a faint knocking noise upon acceleration. Also, when coasting the speed adjusted on its own intermittently, both up & down, not by much but enough that I felt it on the gas pedal. Other times it fails to accelerate when pushing on the gas pedal. I have to release the pedal & try again, sometimes more than once before it finally accelerates. Despite doing regular oil changes, my engine burns through oil long before next oil change is due, so I have to add 1 - 2 quarts of oil in-between changes. I was barely at 80,000 miles when engine started seizing & the following day the check engine light came on. It had to be towed to be serviced. They said the fuel injector or pump (not sure which) was allowing fuel to flood my engine which caused its damage. Even with what the warranty covered I had to pay $500 out of pocket so there were a lot of repairs. I can get a detailed print out of service if needed. When I do oil changes there's oil under the oil pan somehow, but its not leaking because there is no oil where I park. As of lately, even though all fluids are good, when the car is idle with a/c on, the temperature starts to go up until the car is in motion again, then the temperature goes back down quickly. It has only overheated once, which was the first time I noticed the problem because I was parked at a gas station on a hot day checking my phone & the a/c started blowing warm & dash said, "engine overheated". Only happen the one time because I have been cautious about watching the temperature to avoid it happening again. I recently passed emissions & had autozone do code reader check & nothing came back. In order to figure out problem I'd have to get diagnostics test that requires I leave the car for at least 2 days so it hasn't been something I can manage yet. My car is available for inspection if needed & I'm happy to provide detailed print out of repairs if requested.

I was getting on the freeway and my car suddenly just stopped accelerating. I even tried pushing the pedal to the floor and all power was gone. I was almost ran down by a 18 wheeler who must not have noticed my hazards had been switched on. A warning came on “check hybrid system. Turn off engine” when the car lost its momentum as I was pulling over and eventually came to a stop I followed the warnings directions and shut the car off since I couldn’t get any further anyways. I tried turning the car back on and then all lights and power instantly started flickering on and off and going crazy and then the warning came back on and then the whole car shut off by itself. I have been too scared to drive it since and I just got it back in October and I need a car to get to work and school and I don’t know what to do but the amount of danger this issue put me in is unsettling and cannot be overlooked. Not sure what caused the malfunction because so many different things happened at once that it was hard to tell it is available for inspection upon request a service center confirmed that there is a problem and they believe it is related to the coolant pump and hybrid battery there was one other time that a warning came up and it just said “check hybrid battery” but it went away only like a minute later and then a couple days after that I came outside to go to work and the car was dead but then I jumped it and it was fine up until the issue I first mentioned happened where I was put in danger a warning light that said !hev and the check engine light both appeared.

My kia Optima randomly stops working while driving. I get a notice that says, "hev: check hybrid system. Stop vehicle and turn off engine. " also the gas pedal stops working, leaving me to try to coast to safety. The car essentially stops working in the middle of driving, without warning. Once this happened and blew out the spark plug, requiring a new one. Then, a day or two later, the car returns to normal. The kia dealership could not reproduce the problem, nor could my service center. They say it's fine. I took my car in for previous recalls, and it is currently "up to date. " this appears to be the same electrical issue as a recent recall for electrical failure, but the dealership told me the spark plug was fine and that I should change the battery. I did and this still happened. I do not feel safe driving this car, and kia won't help me find the problem.

When accelerating the car will randomly loose all power from the engine. The electrical systems will stay on but the car rpms will drop to zero. The accelerator will not provide acceleration when being pressed. The car has to be turned off and then turned back on for power to be restored. The check engine light, the oil light and another warning light will come on.

Over a year ago I was sent to kia to fix a recall for a possible fuel leakage problem over my engine that got fixed with mesh tape and one zip chord. Now my engine has gushing fuel leaking on it on daily basis. I called kia a few months back asking for them to remedy this due to another recall and how I needed a rental so I could continue working while they fixed the problem they screwed up and they told me it would be over a month before they could fit me in their schedule. I have been smelling gasoline in my vehicle making me feel nauseous as I drive and the fumes are intense and my I smell it burning. My coworkers tell me daily what is that gasoline smell?. Now I get in the mail another recall notice about sparks going off for gaskets or thingsmajigs on my engine just from being idle in a parking spot or driving and how I should park away from others??!?!? just in case!!! what about my safety??! I still have gasoline leaking all over my car engine!. My house could blow up! this is outrageous that none of this is taken care of.

The noted kia 2013 kia Optima has had this recall in effect since November 2023. Kia either refuses to say when the recall part is going to be at any dealer, or puts an 'elevator music' soundtrack on the line. I have called numerous dealer's in both maine, where the kia is currently registered, and in ohio / pennsylvania to find if they know anything. None of the dealer's have any idea when the parts are coming, much less when they can call owner's to set up a recall appointment. At what point does this end.

I currently have 119500 miles on my 2019 kia Optima. I am losing oil somewhere between oil changes, and the car is beginning to hesitate while driving. I don't see oil on the ground but I have had to put in 2-3 1/2 quarts of oil way too often. For this to happen on some many vehicles, it must be a manufacturer defect. The hesitation just started and I'm taking it do get a diagnostic test. 11.

It started shaking really bad out of no where , then wasn’t going faster than 80 then down to 65 but wouldn’t go more than 80 with my foot all the way on the gas. As soon as I made it to work tonight the car cut off. I got a jump the car was still shaking & wouldn’t stay on if I let my foot off of the gas. I started it again without the cables but it cut right back off. I saw on cars. Com it’s a recall for the similar thing, number sc172. I have been having fuel leaks for a while and had my knock sensor replaced from a previous recall. Now I have no way home.

Engine lost power and when restart was attempted, it could torn turn over. Tried restarting 3 times with no success. After this, smoke started coming from the hood. I opened the hood and noticed a small flame at the driver side bottom of the engine compartment. Flame intensified and grew and eventually I extinguished with a fire extinguisher. I had just replaced the starter that same week and replaced some wiring at a local car repair facility.