2015 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed while at a fuel station, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration while the brake pedal was being pressed. During the failure, the RPM's suddenly increased although the accelerator pedal was not being depressed. The vehicle was turned off and restarted four times before the vehicle operated as normal. On a second occasion, the failure had reoccurred while driving approximately 35 MPH while slowing to approach a stoplight. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but no information was available. The manufacturer was not yet notified. The failure mileage was 46,900

On November 24th, 2021 I was merging onto a busy expressway when everything on my dashboard started flashing and the car shut down. There was absolutely no warning that the engine had no oil. No smell , no engine knocking sounds, no oil low light, no check engine light prior too it happening. It was towed to the nearest mechanic and they confirmed the engine was locked up. There was absolutely no oil in the reservoir per the mechanic. The oil was changed by Big O Tires on September 4th, 2021 and wasn't due for an oil change until December 4th, 2021. I searched my VIN and realized there was an engine recall on my 2015 KIA OPTIMA. I contacted three different dealerships near me to see who could look at it. I had it towed to the dealership and it was confirmed that the engine was locked up. It was apart of the recall- however KIA consumer affairs' denied replacing my engine for free. They stated that I hadn't had the product improvements completed on the engine since the recall was issued. I was never contacted by anyone from KIA of the recall on the engine. They had an old address on file which is possibly why I never knew. Kia Consumer Affairs said there was absolutely nothing they could do. The rules are very cut and dry- no exceptions. Kia dealership offered to replace my engine for $7,705. I declined.

Car was being driven and out of nowhere engine seized up without my prior warning lights, sounds, or issues. I took it to an independent reputable shop who confirmed the seizure which they admitted was a known problem with these theta Kia engines. Thankfully I was not On a heavily trafficked road so no accidents were caused.

My car caught on fire under the hood about 15 minutes after I drove and parked it. It was not running at the time the fire started. We tried to put it out with 2 fire extinguishers but were not able to. By the time the fire department arrived my car was completely engulfed in flames. It burnt to the ground and was a total loss!

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated for several weeks. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and approaching a traffic light, after depressing the brake pedal the vehicle began to stall. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 91,115.

The engine failed and started smoking as I was pulling out into traffic. Thankfully I was able to pull to the side of the road to avoid a collision from cars behind me. The car was towed to Kia and the service department confirmed the engine seized and would need to be replaced but Kia will not replace the defective engine even with the class action lawsuits. It has not been 8 months.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that both front headlight bulbs, as well as the rear taillight bulbs, had repeatedly stopped working while driving, without warning lights being illuminated. The contact stated that she had to replace the bulbs several times during the year. The contact had taken the vehicle to several dealers who were unable to determine the cause for the failures. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

The Bluetooth Ring volume is ear piercing loud. When a call comes in on a paired phone it startles the driver and may be loud enough to damage hearing. If adjusted to a lower setting the call volume can’t be heard. When adjusting call volume to a usable level it increases the ring volume again so the next call has the load ring alert. Kia has a TSB# ELE 100 (REV4) on the issue but expects the customer to pay for diagnosis and software update to an out of warranty radio. Instructions in the TSB indicate this could be corrected with a USB software update. Most customers could install themselves from a software download if provided. In my opinion it is a safety issue and a recall should be issued.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while parked the vehicle would make a clicking noise coming from the steering column. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the rack and pinion to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at 75 MPH, the vehicle made rattling sounds and was shaking and jerking. The contact pulled over and parked the vehicle. The check engine and oil warning lights were illuminated. Prior to the failure, the vehicle was taken to the dealer for weekly oil consumption tests. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle needed carbon to cleanse. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,516.