2013 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

I BOUGHT MY NEW/USED 2013 KIA OPTIMA AT THE END OF JUNE 2016 WITH NO IDEA THAT THIS PARTICULAR MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR HAD SUCH ISSUES. THE CAR SEEMED TO RUN NICELY. I AM A VERY CONSERVATIVE DRIVER SO I RARELY TOOK THE RPMS UP PAST 2.5 WHEN TAKING OFF. ONE DAY, NOT EVEN 90 DAYS INTO OWNING MY KIA, I HOPED ON THE HIGHWAY. IN ORDER TO SAFELY MERGE INTO TRAFFIC I HAD TO ACCELERATE UP TO 3.5 RPMS TO REACH SPEED OF 65MPH. WHEN I DID I HEARD A STRANGE ALMOST CLICKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE AND GRAY SMOKE POURING FROM THE BACK END OF MY CAR. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. JUST BACK OFF THE EXIST NEXT TO MY GYM WAS A GARAGE. I CAREFULLY MANAGED TO GET MY CAR THERE WHERE THEY TOLD ME THE DEVASTATING NEWS (THAT I'VE LEARNED NOW SO MANY KIA OPTIMA OWNERS HAVE FACED)...A BLOWN ENGINE. KIA HAS ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS PROBLEM, BUT WITH SUCH LIMITATIONS THAT THEY RARELY ACTUALLY COVER THE ACTUAL REPAIR. I'VE TAKEN MY KIA TO THE DEALER (PER KIA CUSTOMER AFFAIRS REQUEST) FOR THEM TO TELL ME THE SAME THING AND NOW, BECAUSE KIA WON'T WARRANTY IT DUE TO EXEMPTIONS ON THEIR "EXTENDED" WARRANTY, I HAVE TO PAY THE DEALER $300. I HAVE A NOTE ON THIS CAR FOR 72 MONTHS. I'VE ONLY MADE 3 PAYMENTS! NO ONE CAN HELP ME AND I'M NOT THE ONLY KIA OWNER FACING THIS DILEMMA. THE ROD THAT IS DEFECTIVE IS CAUSING ISSUES WITH THE OIL WHICH IS ALLOWING METAL FLAKES TO ENTER THE ENGINE. THUS CAUSE SEIZURES IN THE MOTOR AND ENGINE FAILURE. AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED THE ENGINE COMPLETELY DIES CREATING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. PLEASE HELP! *TR

I WAS DIVING ON THE I-15 UP THE BAKER GRADE AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A RATTLE SOUND AND THEN A LARGE BANG AND THEN SHUT OFF. NO POWER TO TRY TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I WAS ALMOST HIT BY A BIG RIG. ONCE GETTING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OPENED THE HOOD AND OIL AND SMOKE EVERY WHERE IT WAS 3:00 A.M. IN THE MORNING. MY MAINTENANCE RECORD ARE IMPECCABLE AND I HAD JUST PAID THE KIA DEALERSHIP OVER 700 DOLLARS FOR A TUNE UP AND OTHER SERVICES. AFTER FINALLY GETTING A 525 DOLLAR TOW TO THE DEALERSHIP I WAS GIVEN A REPORT STATING THESE CARS FROM 2011 TO 2015 HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE CONNECTING ROD AND THAT ENGINES ARE SEIZING. DOCUMENT ATTACHED IS SOMETHING THE SERVICE DEPT SHOWED ME BUT I NEVER HAD SEEN IT BEFORE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE FAILED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DISCOVERED METAL FRAGMENTS IN THE MOTOR OIL AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD TURN OFF AND ON WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE HARNESS AND TRANSMISSION SOLENOID WERE FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

HEADING UP STEEP INCLINE HWY 680 AS I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE CLANKING SOUND. ATTEMPTED TO PULL TO THE FAR RIGHT LANE AS I WAS IN THE FAR LEFT LANE. AS I CROSSED FIVE LANES OF TRAFFIC CAR DIED. MANY SEMIS COMING UP ON ME. HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED 50 MILES BACK HOME AT 1AM. UPON INSPECTION. ENGINE SEIZED. MY CAR HAS HAD ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS THAT EVER CAME ON AND CAR WAS RUNNING FINE UNTIL THAT MOMENT. KIA SAID OUT OF WARRANTY, TOO BAD. NEW MOTOR IS NEEDED ON A 2013 CAR. CAR IS NOW SITTING IN MY GARAGE TORN APART BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE THE MOTOR.

MY VEHICLE STARTED USING A LOT OF OIL AND WAS LOSING POWER UPON ACCELERATION. I HAD READ ONLINE THAT THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE AND I KEPT HOPING FOR A RECALL. HOWEVER, THE RECALL HASN'T HAPPENED AND I AM ALMOST AT 100,000 MILES. MY CAR STARTED MAKING A TICKING NOISE WHEN I WOULD ACCELERATE AND I HAD JUST HAD THE OIL CHANGED 3 WEEKS BEFORE. I CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS ALREADY VERY LOW. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER SAYS THAT THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND IF I CAN GIVE THEM AT LEAST 13 RECEIPTS THEY'LL REPLACE IT UNDER THE WARRANTY THAT I PURCHASED. I DRIVE ALL OVER TOWN FOR WORK AND I HAVE MY OIL CHANGED WHEREVER I MAY BE. I WENT TO THE TWO PLACES THAT I HAVE GONE MOST FREQUENTLY BUT, ONE OF THEM SWITCHED THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEMS 3 MONTHS AGO AND ONLY HAS RECORDS FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS AND THE OTHER PLACE CHANGED OWNERSHIP A YEAR AGO AND ONLY HAS 2 RECEIPTS FOR THIS YEAR. THEY'RE SAYING THAT I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT OUT OF POCKET.

IN MARCH OF 2016 MY 2013 KIA OPTIMA DIED AT AN INTERSECTION IN TOWN. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING OF ANY MALFUNCTION, (NO LIGHTS, NO ABNORMAL BEHAVIORS), BUT THE OIL LIGHT DID COME ON VERY BRIEFLY RIGHT BEFORE THE ENGINE DIED. I PUT GAS AND 1 QUART OF OIL IN THEN JUMPED THE BATTERY AND DROVE THE CAR TO THE NEAREST KIA DEALERSHIP. KIA INFORMED ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW BATTERY AND THAT MY OIL WAS TOO THICK, DIRTY, AND VISCOUS AND THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE AN OIL CHANGE AND HAVE A SPECIAL TREATMENT PUT IN THE CAR, (SEAFOAM), TO HELP CLEAN THE ENGINE OUT. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO BRING THE CAR BACK IN 500 TO 1000 MILES (AGAINST MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDATIONS), TO FLUSH THE TREATMENT OUT OF THE ENGINE AND CHANGE THE OIL AGAIN. WE RETURNED WITH THE CAR A LITTLE OVER 500 MILES LATER AND KIA INFORMED US THAT IT NEEDED ANOTHER SPECIAL TREATMENT BECAUSE THE OIL REREMAINED DIRTY SO THEY PUT ANOTHER TREATMENT IN THE CAR AND THEN INSTRUCTED US TO BRING IT BACK AGAIN IN 500 TO 1000 MILES BUT AFTER 4 DAYS THE CAR STARTED MAKING A VERY LOUD TAPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND SOON AFTER THE ENGINE WAS RUINED ALL TOGETHER DUE TO A FAULTY CONNECTING ROD BEARING IN THE CRANKSHAFT. WHEN WE DRAINED THE OIL 4 DAYS AFTER KIA CHANGED IT , IT WAS BLACK, THIN LIKE WATER AND FULL OF DIRT AND SEDIMENT. AFTER THE LOUD ENGINE NOISES BEGAN I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO KIA WHO THEN INFORMS ME IT WOULD COST ANOTHER $350 TO DIAGNOSE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE ENGINE. FEELING LIKE THEY HAD TREATED THE ENGINE IMPROPERLY ALREADY I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC AND DECLINED ANY MORE OF THEIR SERVICES. I HAD COMPLETED MY OIL CHANGES ON TIME DESPITE NOT HAVING MY RECORD AT THE TIME OF MY SERVICE HOWEVER KIA REFUSED TO HONOR MY EXPENSIVE EXTENDED WARRANTY STATING THAT I COULD NOT HAVE POSSIBLY DONE THE OIL CHANGES AT REGULAR INTERVALS DUE TO THE HIGH AMOUNT OF SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE.

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED IN MAY 2016. I HAVE ONLY HAD ONE OIL CHANGE AND THE CAR HAS 40,000 MILES. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT 55 MPH. THE VEHICLE CUT OFF AND I COASTED TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO KIA DEALERSHIP. THEY DEALERSHIP ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE IS BLOWN AND NO OIL WAS INSIDE. NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO OIL LEAKS BUT THEY WON'T PAY

GDI ENGINE BURNS OIL, CONNECTING ROD FAILED. WHITE SMOKE, AND MAKES WEIRD NOISE UNDER HOOD WHEN GETS TO 60MPH

AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW WE NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING. WHEN YOU TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE STOPPED YOU WOULD GET A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE. THE POWER STEERING RACK WAS REPLACED TWICE ALREADY AND THE VEHICLE JUST NOW HAS 43,000 MILES. OUR BIGGEST CONCERN HAS BEEN AN ENGINE KNOCKING NOISE THAT STARTED TO OCCUR AT JUST OVER 35,000 MILES WHEN YOU START VEHICLE. WE HAD BROUGHT OUR VEHICLE TO LIBERTYVILLE KIA IN LIBERTYVILLE, IL FOR OUR PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE WHAT WE ARE HEARING. THE SERVICE MANAGER VERBALLY TOLD ME TO WAIT FOR IT TO GET WORSE THAT IT IS HARD TO GET KIA TO COVER THIS KNOWN ENGINE PROBLEM. AFTER REACHING OUT TO KIA WITH THIS ENGINE PROBLEM AND GETTING NO HELP EXCEPT THEM BLAMING US FOR LACK OF OIL CHANGES AND MAINTENANCE. WHICH WAS ABSURD WHEN WE ONLY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO KIA FOR SERVICE SINCE PURCHASING NEW. FILED A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE LISA MADIGAN TO GET HELP WITH THIS AND KIA HAS BOTCHED THEIR RECORDS AND STILL SDAYS WE HAVE NOT MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE PROPERLY. BUYERS OF KIA AND HYUNDAI I STRONGLY URGE TO THINK AGAIN. I HOPE EVERYONE THAT HAS HAD PROBLEMS LIKE THIS GET THE HONEST HELP THEY DESERVE.

OPTIMA'S DRIVER'S-SIDE SEAT BELT STOPPED WORKING AND THE BACK SEAT MIDDLE SEAT BELT, (RARELY USED), STOPPED WORKING DUE TO INABILITY TO CLICK (LOCK) INTO PLACE. CAR IS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA GDI & IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION IN EVERY OTHER ASPECT SEEN & KNOWN.