This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Vehicle Dash Check Engine Light came on 08/31/2023 Code P200A was found. Several weeks went by and vehicle started to hesitate pretty bad Vehicle was towed to Kia dealership on 10/04/2023 : Was told engine failure which needed replacement along with intake and several other required parts. Covered under Powertrain Warranty, vehicle was completed and ready for pick up on 10/17/2023 On 10/24/2023, on my way home from work, Dash Warning "Engine has overheated" has came on. Vehicle was towed back to original dealership. Kia reportedly found "air pocket" in cooling system. Vehicle was ready for pickup same day. On 10/30/2023, on my way to work, Dash Warning "Engine has overheated" has once again came on. Luckily I was able to get off the interstate and happened to be by a Kia dealership in the area. At this time, info is pending.
Pearl white paint peeling in chunks of hood. All four window regulators went out within six months. Transmission had to be replaced Hard shift rear end Motor replaced
My car has been consuming oil and has locked up and will not operate. This issue has been reported to the manufacturer by several other customers, and my car is not a part of the recent recalls. This issue could have caused me serious harm, had I been on a highway, or busy intersection. My car engine now doesn't work.
My car has been consuming oil and has locked up and will not operate. This issue has been reported to the manufacturer by several other customers, and my car is not a part of the recent recalls. This issue could have caused me serious harm, had I been on a highway, or busy intersection. My car engine now doesn't work.
I have already had to have motor and transmission replaced once under warranty. The replaced transmission was worse than the original problem. The original problem was hard shifting. Now I have intermittent hard shifting, occasional lunging forward, occasional shuddering while pressing accelerator, and feeling like there is hesitation to change gears. I have not taken it back to the dealer yet. I always get the excuse that they cant replicate the problem. It took me 2-3 years to get it acknowledged the first time.
- Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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In April, 2022, while driving on a major highway enroute to work, my 2016 Kia Optima started knocking and completely shutdown in the middle of high-speed traffic. I had the vehicle towed and was told that the recall for the engine knock sensor replacement hadn't ever been done which resulted in the engine to shutdown.
The vehicle hesitated to move after a stop. I have escaped hitting the incoming vehicles when taking a left turns as my car drives very slow after a stop and there are chances of hitting with the vehicles coming from other direction.
2016 Kia Optima was towed to Kia Dealer after it became inoperable; on 10/22/22 diagnostic done and found engine failure. Kia Motors denied claim for repair/replacement. Not sure why not covered under class action settlement, and/or extended warranty, or subsequent technical bulletins regarding Kia's defective engines.
Every 2000 miles I need to put in a quart of oil. When car down shifts to 35mph the oil light flickers. At downshift of 10mph there is a slight shutter and the oil light flickers.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated upon activating the heater while driving, she smelled an abnormally strong gasoline odor. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact related the failure to Kia Independent Recall Campaign Number SC172 (High Pressure Fuel Pump Outlet Inspection). Additionally, the contact stated while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond and then lunged forward abruptly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that she needed to pay for a diagnostic test and the repair cost because the VIN was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Driving along the interstate approximately 70 mph, the vehicle jerked with knock sound then lost acceleration speed. At the same time, the check engine light started blinking. I pulled over to the side of the interstate put the car in park. I put it back in drive and slowly attempted to accelerate again. I was able to make it home because I was only about a mile and a half away, but I the acceleration was very slow and there wasn't much power behind it. At a speed of about 45-50, the vehicle barely seemed to have much power.
My car is experiencing excessive oil consumption, engine knocking and shifting delays, grinding or jumping during acceleration, the car jerking on the road.
Despite maintaining the vehicle and replacing the battery, the car will have weird acceleration jumps during highway and city travel. It will also not start properly on occasion where it will idle rough and stall when trying to shift into drive or reverse.
My name is E........ M........ and I'm writing this email/complaint in hopes it can be resolved or you can pass this email along to the appropriate person or persons to have this matter looked into. We purchased a used 2016 Kia Optima a few years back and have had nothing but trouble, from electrical issues, recalls, transmission issues, oil consumption, and smoke coming through the air vents!!!! and there's more, the last time we had an issue and took it to a dealer for problems shifting, hard shifts, loss of power, and smoking, we were told the dealer could not duplicate the problems while driving it and that was that, not a damn thing fixed because apparently everyone is stupid or blind and I was more than pissed. On 7/13/22 the car has been at the dealer again (for almost two weeks now, but they were so busy they just got to it today) so the car is there for the same exact things listed before only this time they state the turbo turbine is bad and it's gonna be $4000 to fix it. First off NO, and secondly NO, I will not let this happen! BTW, please pay close attention to the part of smoke coming through the air vents!!!! Currently, the car is at a KIA dealer still, the general manager was to call me on the 14th and NEVER DID today is the 19th, I called today and they are acting like they don't even know me. NO warning lamps, the car can be completely out of oil, and still no engine or oil light will come on. The fact that this car has smoke coming through the air vents is of most concern, I need help dealing with this issue and will contact a lawyer if needed or if you advise me to. BTW I emailed all head people at Kia corporate and NO response from them as well. Thank you The consumer stated the general manager has the approval to move forward with the repairs and would like to rescind the complaint.
Four times in less than one year, car stutters, or stalls completely, check engine light flashes, and I have to maneuver to highway shoulder or slow lane to get towed. Very unsafe. Kia keeps it for a week, forces a software update repeatedly, sends me on my way and a few months later the sane thing again. Error codes always indicate engine knock amongst other things/an issue they know is theirs but -€œhave to exhaust all options before they will approve replacement-€ according to service mgr. I have a car that I don-€™t feel safe driving because I drive alone and can-€™t trust it to get home home so I end up in the highway at 4am every time.
The engine is burning about a half a quarter of oil every 1000 miles. The transmission studers when trying to take off and sometimes lags when you accelerate harder.
My steering wheel will randomly lock in the middle of road while driving. I have to forcefully turn wheel to be able to pull of off the road meanwhile the there is on coming traffic. I have been told my car is having misfire and an engine knock code P1326 I have also got other codes and was told it could be a factory malfunction.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
#1Headlights & break lights going out often. Bulbs can-€™t be replaced anymore due to wiring burnt ( 1 headlight ) Took it in and they didn-€™t even look at it. Have do Documents to back that up #2 Engine light coming on, diagnostic testing indicated spark plugs need to be replaced. Had to do this two times with oil on plugs Took it in and they NEVER look at the spark plugs #3 car burning excessive amount of oil anywhere from 1 quart a week to 3 1/2 quarts after driving 600 miles. Took it into the shop for oil consumption testing only to be told that their warranty would not cover it and it needs a new engine. I have a 10 year or 100,000 mile warranty on my car! and at the present time I only have 88496 miles on my car I have documentation to back up my claim, I have been a loyal Kia owner for 18 years and they have absolutely treated me horrible in regards to this saying that it was lack of maintenance and they never checked the issues that led up to their findings. They indicated that there was sludge in my engine but could never prove or show me anything that they did to document the sludge and trying to blame it on me. This car is a safety hazard as I am aware of mini other Kia optima-€™s dad have either caught fire or repaired to have their motors replaced due to the same issues. Anything you can do to help me with this issue ! I-€™m 60 years old and know how to take care of my car
2016 kia Optima will not go in reverse. It will only work in drive. Tried to drive out of my driveway today. 07.22.2021 and the car would not go in reverse. Pulled back in the driveway and will not drive due to safety hazard.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Phoenix, AZ, USA