Service Brakes Problems of Kia Motor Optima - part 1

Unknown.

See all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

The contact is calling on behalf of her grandson for a 2015 kia Optima. The contact stated that while he was driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle was making an abnormal sound and stalled. The contact stated he restarted the vehicle and was able to shift to drive (d), but the vehicle again stalled. The contact stated that he observed that white smoke was coming from under the hood. The contact stated that he pulled over and stopped the vehicle, opened the hood, and saw that smoke and flames had formed under the engine. The contact stated that he called the fire department. The fire was extinguished using foam. The vehicle was towed back to the contact's residence. The contact had not called a dealer or the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 21v331000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The contact stated that her grandson had not received a recall letter from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 158,006.

See all problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

The contact owns a 2014 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 vehicle lost automotive power, and smoke was coming from under the hood. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the contact was informed that the recall could not be repaired because other unknown repairs had not performed prior to the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

See all problems of the 2014 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

The contact owned a 2013 kia Optima. The contact stated that while his niece was driving the vehicle at 65 mph, a strong fuel odor began to emit from the vehicle without warning. The vehicle then began to violently shake as the contact's niece began to exit the highway. Upon pulling over and exiting the vehicle, black smoke began to emit from the vehicle as both police and fire officials were in the vehicle's vicinity and witnessed the fire. As the vehicle quickly became engulfed in flames, the fire department quickly arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported, and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the niece's home, where it remained in her possession. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 23v652000(service brakes, hydraulics). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and an investigator was scheduled to visit the niece's home and inspect the vehicle; the investigator never arrived, and the vehicle had yet to be inspected. The vehicle was destroyed as a result of the fire. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

See all problems of the 2013 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

The contact owns a 2013 kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the speedometer started malfunctioning, and the check engine warning light was flashing. There was an abnormal burning odor, and there was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to cool down for an hour. While attempting to restart the vehicle, several unknown warning lights were flashing, and the vehicle failed to restart. The contact was picked up by her daughter, and the vehicle was later towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer later informed the contact that the warning lights had turned off. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the tires, the oil, and the oil filter needed to be replaced. The contact declined to pay for the parts replacement because the oil and the oil filter had been replaced two weeks prior to the failure. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was ready for pick up. The contact stated that after a family member picked up the vehicle, the failure recurred while driving, and the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to pull into a parking lot. The contact stated that the dealer had informed them that an arrangement had been made for the vehicle to be towed to their location; however, no further update was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 23v652000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 300,000.

The contact works as an investigator for the utah motor vehicle enforcement division. The contact was investigating a 2014 kia Optima with a salvaged title and reported that the air bags failed to deploy in a front-end collision. The contact stated that the air bags may have been removed or the air bag sensors were disconnected. The contact stated that while the driver was driving at 30-35 mph, the brake pedal was depressed but the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. The vehicle crashed into another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. No warning light was illuminated. The driver's face struck the steering wheel upon impact. The driver received medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where the insurance company investigated the crash, but had not yet deemed the vehicle totaled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

My 2015 kia Optima has a failing abs/hecu module consistent with the kia abs fire recall. The brake lights stay on constantly even when the brake pedal switch is unplugged. If I unplug the abs/hecu module, the brake lights immediately turn off, which confirms the abs module is back-feeding power into the brake light circuit. I also previously experienced the abs pump running with the vehicle turned off. Currently the abs, esc, eps, and brake warning lights are illuminated and all stability/abs functions are disabled. This is a clear safety hazard affecting braking, electrical safety, and vehicle fire risk. I have already been to the kia dealer twice and they dismissed the issue after only checking the recall fuse. They refused to address the abs module itself even though the vehicle is unsafe. The recall appears insufficient because the module has now failed. I need kia to replace the abs/hecu module under recall safety remedy.

The contact owns a 2014 kia Optima. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 20v10000 (fuel system, gasoline) and 21v331000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the engine and entering the cabin of the vehicle through the a/c vents. The check engine warning light and abs warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact became aware that the vehicle was out of fuel. The contact added five gallons of fuel, and the vehicle stalled several miles down the road. The vehicle had again run out of fuel. The contact noticed that fuel was leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or inspected. The contact was informed that the fuel leak had nothing to do with the recall. However, the contact was informed that the battery portal was damaged and needed to be repaired before the recall repair was completed. The dealer asked the contact to pick up the vehicle. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

I turned the car off, it had difficulty turning back on and the brake pedal got really hard. I had to wait about 30-45 minutes and then I was able to get the car started and brake pedal back to normal and no lights. Recently, I left the car on to run into a shop real quick and come back out. When I got back to the car, the power steering light, battery, and warning light?(amber triangle with ! in the center of it) were all on. I rev the engine and the issue went away for a quick second but then came back on. To avoid turning my car off and being stuck, I just shift to reverse and tried to leave. I’m backing out of the spot and now the backup camera is going in and out lights flashing on the dash and I’m trying to brake but the brake pedal isn’t registering and next thing you know, I’ve backed into a guard rail. On the way to drop my kids off at the babysitter, I was coming to a stop sign, and my car wouldn’t brake, I went through oncoming trafic and had to run off the road. Kia did a multi point inspection a few months apart from one another. One the car tested fine, then the second time they are saying a brake booster and no engine oil in the vehicle and that the car is basically trash. The oil light goes on and off and I can smell burning oil. I still owe 7 grand on this car and I just bought it last year and it was seamingly fine.

See all problems of the 2018 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

I just recently purchased my 2019 kia Optima sx turbo. After purchase, I immediately began experiencing issues with the braking system and the forward collision warning light coming on. The cruise control stopped working as well. I googled and saw that there was a recall on the forward collision warning system but the local kia dealership to me says there is not one. I almost had a head on collision in this car with my granddaughter coming from daycare as I completely lost brakes. I have put so much money into purchasing this car believing it to be a good car.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

The contact owns a 2015 kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure, and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the dealer refused to repair the vehicle. The contact was informed that the hecu recall repair needed to be completed first. The contact was unaware that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 21v331000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

While I was driving on this day oct 22 all of a sudden my car started to shut down and I couldn’t give my vehicle any gas really. I got a hybrid system warning, and my red brake light came on, and I got indicator for me to check the brake. My brakes felt like they were grinding and hitting the ground. I managed to get my kia into the dealership where the service manager, jose looked at my car briefly. Of a visual inspection he said that the brake pads looked good, but your brakes are hitting the ground. He charged me a diagnosis. I told him to check to see if there are any recalls active, he said I do see a recall, but this doesn’t have anything to do with your car. The next day I heard from the service manager told me I have an update. I have attached the diagnosis of my car. This is what they say needs to be repaired in my vehicle. I asked my service advisor questions about how related the recalled part was to the issue. You can see the conversation in the pictures. At this point, I created a case with you all when he started to argue over terminology. I had a conversation on the phone with jose and my service advisor later where they then told me that there is no recall that is showing up. I said I need to look over this because I saw a recall there. I verified this and messaged the advisor back. There were no further conversation conversations over the phone. Everything was done over messages and you can see them below. I was being threatened to be charged storage fees. And they said that they performed the recall, but the car was not confirmed to be in drivable condition. I did not go by to pick the car up. I called corporate numerous times. I was told on one day any additional information from text messages is not needed. Until alicia gave me the email and said to please send over the info. I called the corporate office, the corporate office did not do anything to solve the situation. My car is still not drivable condition.

[xxx] , [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] email: [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] date: October 5, 2025 kia America, inc. Consumer affairs department [xxx] subject: request for goodwill repair – defective paint on 2014 kia Optima lx dear kia consumer affairs team, I am writing to formally request assistance regarding the defective paint on my 2012 kia Optima lx. The paint has begun to peel and flake on several areas of the vehicle, including [insert locations — e. G. , the hood and roof, if you want to specify], and the problem continues to worsen over time. My vehicle details are as follows: •year/model: 2014 kia Optima lx •VIN: [xxx] •mileage: 187,000 miles •color: silver after researching this issue, I learned that many other kia owners with similar models and colors have experienced the same paint defects. It appears to be a known issue related to the factory paint or clear coat used on certain kia vehicles from this period. I have always maintained my Optima properly and have not had any repainting or accident-related body work done. The paint defect significantly impacts the car’s appearance and resale value, and I respectfully request that kia provide a goodwill repair or repaint under its customer satisfaction or defect resolution policy. Please let me know how I should proceed to have the vehicle inspected or evaluated. I have photographs of the damaged areas available for your review upon request. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your response. Sincerely, [xxx] [xxx] email: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Abs system failing.

See all problems of the 2012 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

While in park and driving the instrument panel will show, "check brake" and "hybrid system warning! safely stop and do not drive". This is accompanied by the engine not responding to the gas pedal. The brake pedal will also loose pressure and once pushed the brakes will lock up making a grinding noise. The problem has not been able to be duplicated by the dealer. However there are multiple forms and online communities dedicated to try to resolve this issue since it's so prevalent. This issue causes a major saftey hazard as the car comes to a grinding halt and does not respond to the driver. From online sources it seems the problem is prevalent across years and models and only tied to hybrid vehicles.

My motor bearing is knocking very loud I was refused service upon arrival dealer was making my service very complicated asking me to go dig up old receipts and various other things that was not actually caused for and I was at risk by driving the car there until it shut off due to engine failures when the car has fire risk and could possibly explode and they have confirmed it’s the engine but have not done any maintenance to my engine the check engine light flashes heavy non stop as well was even denied a loaner car still until today.

While driving kia Optima, unable to turn steering wheel. No notice when first starting vehicle. While driving, a traction and steering wheel light turns on without a sound(ding) to notify driver. Then once driver attempts to turn, unable due to steering wheel locked. Unsafe to drive on the road. Dangerous for all passengers. Our safety is put at risk due to unable to turn steering wheel while driving. Must turn vehicle off in middle of road, then it resets so steering wheel to turn. Code c12 60 returns for power steering sensor malfunction.

Purchased car about 4 months ago, before warranty ran out, the shop looked at it told me it was fine, it wouldn't accelerate. Few weeks later same issue but all my oil was gone, they found 11 things wrong with the vehicle, told me warranty wouldn't take care of it unless the engine blow up. The salesman scottie mitchell told me check kia for recalls, called kia 3 recalls, they were trying to finance another car higher, back wanted to know why the dealership didn't know about recalls, kia place did call a robert. One of the owners did know about recalls, why dealership didn't pass them on. They trying to sell me a higher vehicle to keep cover the cost of the one I got 1st.

The contact owns a 2013 kia Optima. The contact stated that after having the vehicle for a month, while driving approximately 30-40 mph on a residential street, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle went into limp mode. The vehicle failed to accelerate above 35 mph and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle had a salvaged title but should still be covered under NHTSA campaign number: 23v652000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine rod bearing failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted regarding the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.

Car simply started for me after work this past Thursday @4 pm I dove down the street and for about 5 mins and had to turn around due to me leaving something at work. When I arrived back at work I parked and cut my car off as I normally do and when I returned to start it back up it never did. I have previously been having to add 5 quarts of oil frequently at least once or twice a month for the past 7 months since last year. Was told my car had an oil consumption problem by a previous mechanical shop last year. Noticed that these cars have recalls on them and that my car and year do fit the requirements. I do owned my car with the tittle in hand. It’s not a salvaged tittle. I have a service appointment on the 24th of June next Tuesday at kia of gastonia located in gastonia,nc. I have to get my car towed to this establishment on Monday or the morning of my appointment. I’m asking that this situation can be properly investigated and properly and honestly handled under kia policy. My name is demario anderson my # is 704. 860. 3952 thanks.

The car just keep doing weird stuff with the lights. It want go off all the time the key went work the cv joints are popping. Have to trigger the battery sometimes to start up.

See all problems of the 2011 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

I was driving on the northbound side of the interstate when my brakes failed when I pressed them to avoid a collision on the highway. The steering wheel malfunctioned when I tried to avoid a head-on collision with another vehicle. I couldn't control or stop the car, causing me to swerve left to right, and I then completely lost control of the vehicle. I crashed into the middle of the highway, but because my brakes had failed, the car continued at full speed into the southbound side of the highway, causing me to wreck into a semi. The colorado state patrol investigated the accident. Right before I wrecked into the semi-trailer, I noticed all of the lights on the dashboard were off. My steering wheel had fallen off completely, but the airbag never deployed even though every other airbag had deployed.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the defects involve multiple electronic control systems, including steering, braking, and airbag modules, which continue to generate active and stored diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) even after the may 2, 2023 recall repair. The vehicle remains in our possession and is available for inspection upon request. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? because the vehicle fails to illuminate dashboard warnings, we were unaware of critical malfunctions occurring in real time while driving. This creates the risk of sudden failure in steering, braking, or airbag deployment, directly endangering both occupants and the public. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes. Independent diagnostic scans repeatedly confirmed active and stored dtcs following the recall repair. These findings show the defects are reproducible and ongoing. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? the vehicle was inspected by kia’s authorized dealer, spradley motors in pueblo, CO, for the recall repair. Since then, diagnostic evaluations have been performed by independent service providers. Documentation of these inspections is attached. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no dashboard warning lamps illuminated, even though faults were recorded internally by the vehicle’s control modules. The absence of warnings despite active codes is itself the central safety issue.

My kia has the part number that was recalled for the abs module. But kia said it’s not included in the recall because of my VIN. Appeared 2 months ago. All lights on & potential risk of fire according to the brake fluid leaking. So I have to park outside. Kia inspected & said it was abs module that needed replacement. For $2,600. Which I can’t afford. I have already spent $500 for the other problems they said it was at first. But it didn’t fix the problem. Now I am having to borrow cars to get to work.

Yesterday [xxx] as I was driving with my wife present, suddenly warning popped stop the car, hybrid break system safety, not safe to drive, or something close to that, I don't recall exact words. The car started to sputter , the brake pedal lost power meaning no brake, I quickly looked at the rear view mirror, luckily there was no car coming up close to me, the car lost speed and I slowly drove into an almost vacant parking lot across lowe's, turned the engine off. Waited 30 minutes and start the car and the issue was gone. The same thing happened almost a month ago but that time the car was parked and hybrid brake system safety popped up as I tried to start the car and went away after 45 minutes of the engine being off. Had yesterday's episode happened while I was driving on the highway two weeks ago to visit my grandsons in fontana, I would have surly killed in an horrific accident. My vehicle is Optima hybrid. Thank you. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

For several years my 'check hybrid engine' followed by turn off engine. The dealership can not figure out the cause. Twice in the last month the engine has automatically shut off when the "check hybrid engine' warning light displays. I nearly had an accident because the brakes are much weaker when the engine shut off. Kia dealership is unable to find the source of the problem and says the car is functioning normally and to continue to drive it.

The contact owned a 2013 kia Optima. The contact stated that after parking her vehicle in her driveway when the vehicle had caught on fire 2 hours later. The vehicle was unoccupied during the fire. The origin of the fire was unknown. The location of the fire was underneath the front driver's side tire, shortly after the vehicle was engulfed in flames, and due to the proximity of the vehicle to the contact's residence, this caused siding on the side of her house to also catch on fire. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. A fire department report was filed. A police department report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. No injuries were reported. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 21v331000 (service brakes, hydraulic) as probable cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

Lights appeared on the dash and the vehicle locked and would not drive. This happened as I was actively driving. I had the vehicle towed and was told by the kia dealership that it was my abs/hecu. Before this happened, there was no warning lamps or messages. The car was driving normally.

The car caught on fire while I was driving. No warning lights came on and the car didn't show it was running hot. I tried to engage the brakes, and they malfunctioned. I coasted the car to the side of the highway, where the fire and smoke plumed from under the car. I immediately exited the car and ran. As I was running from the car the grass was on fire. The car was totally destroyed by fire. The car has not been inspected by my insurance or kia. Kia has a class action settlement for car fires the year, make, and model of mine.

See all problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Optima 🔎.

The contact owns a 2013 kia Optima. The contact stated that while a friend was attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 23v652000 (service brakes, hydraulic); as probable cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 67,999.

See attached document for complaint.

The contact owns a 2015 kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously included in NHTSA campaign number: 20v519000 (service brakes, hydraulic) in October of 2020. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who tested the vehicle to determine that the vehicle was not leaking brake fluid. Approximately 5 years later the abs, traction control, and brake light illuminated, causing the vehicle to hesitate and jerk while driving. The contact stated that there was a burning oil odor coming from the vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed the modulator valve was leaking oil, causing it to leak out of the vehicle when the cap was removed. The contact noticed oil on the skid plate underneath the oil pan. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed that the abs module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,600.

The contact owns a 2012 kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v652000(service brakes, hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and driving approximately for 5 minutes, then pulling into a carwash and placing the vehicle in the park the vehicle lost power and a thick gray smoke began coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle caught fire. The contact was able to exit the vehicle however the fire had consumed the vehicle and caused the building the vehicle was parked in front of had catch fire. The fire department had put out both fires. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. A police report was filed. The contact stated they were pregnant at the time of the fire and ended up having a miscarriage. Medical assistance was needed. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2015 kia Optima. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was started, and the vehicle was driven to the residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall or special programs. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,743.

The contact owns a 2013 kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v652000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The contact stated while driving 15 mph, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact then tried to merge into the wal-mart parking lot with the assistance of a police officer. An independent mechanic arrived at wal-mart where the vehicle was parked to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed with starter failure. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired because the manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle had not been repaired under the other 7 recalls associated with the VIN. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. Parts distribution disconnect.