2015 KIA OPTIMA Complaints

While driving my 2015 Kia optima I was getting ready to turn in to my residence.My car completely shut off but my lights had got dimmed.So I had it towed to the Kia dealership then proceeded to tell me it has three recalls on it.Then a customer service representative said that I would have to pay $200,and something dollars to have my car diagnostic done.Whoever I replied even with these recalls I have to pay for diagnostic test to be done she replies yes,but I’m thinking they are just trying to make money off customers.

My engine recently sustained damage. Although my vehicle’s VIN is listed in the affected recall range, I never received any safety recall notification. I purchased the car in January 2024 while the KSDS recall was still active, yet no one informed me of the recall at the time of sale and I have received no updates since.

We have the Arctic Snow white color on our Kia. The paint began peeling shortly after our purchase in 2016. It has continued to peel throughout the entire time we have owned the vehicle.

The engine in my 2015 Kia Optima Hybrid failed due to a known defect with the 2.4L engine used in Kia and Hyundai vehicles. The vehicle suddenly quit running and has been inoperable since. Prior to failure, the car had exhibited knocking noises and loss of power. This placed my safety at risk as the vehicle stalled unexpectedly and could have caused an accident if it occurred in traffic. The failure has been confirmed by an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the engine as needing complete replacement. Kia has refused to cover the repair, stating that the vehicle is past the extended warranty mileage, even though the issue is consistent with widely reported manufacturing defects on this engine family. The engine is still available for inspection, and there were no warning lights before the sudden failure. This problem has been widely reported by other Kia owners but my vehicle’s VIN is not included in the current recall campaign, leaving me with a non-functional vehicle despite the same defect.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while his son was driving at 60 MPH, the instrument panel was entirely illuminated, and he pulled over. There was smoke inside the cabin. The occupants were able to exit the vehicle. An independent mechanic opened the hood and noticed a fire. They were able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the drive belt had failed and had broken. There was friction from the drive belt, which caused the fire. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a claim. The manufacturer had called the contact, but no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.

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. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle entered LIMP Mode, lost motive power, and was unable to accelerate above 30 MPH. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway to turn off the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced, and the repair could not be covered by the manufacturer because the vehicle had not received the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) ECU upgrade (PI2002D) prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 58,000.

Paint is failing due to improper preparation during production. The vehicle is available for inspection if requested. The paint was inspected by licensed and lifetime collision repair specialist. Paint can not simply be touched up. Entire car needs stripped to bare metal and repainted to fix issue. Other manufacturers have had recalls for this same issue. Why has Kia not been held accountable for this?

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not able to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to tow the vehicle to a local dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not repaired. The failure mileage was 60,000.