2017 KIA OPTIMA PHEV Complaints

We bought the car used in November of 2020 from Conicelli used Toyota dealership. We had the car not even a year when the engine broke and we got it looked at and found it was a rod knock which there is a recall for this vehicle for the same issue we were having. We had the car towed to kia on the boulevard on January 3rd of 2022. It is now March 8th 2022 and they keep telling us different things at first the engine was supposed to be there by the 6th and now i called today and sat on hold to find out that the advisor for the car no longer works there and now the engine still isn't there and they have no idea what's going on and have to look into it. this isnt the first time we were told that the advisor no longer worked there it happened with the first advisor and were now going on our third advisor.

While driving the car on the highway, when I try accelerating, the car suddenly acts as if it's in neutral and the engine roars without engaging a higher or lower gear and the car start losing power/speed. It takes like three to five seconds to engage a gear again; I have to lift my foot from the pedal a little bit and wait for it to lock on a higher or a lower gear for me to accelerate again.

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the air bag and seat belt warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer for a scheduled repair of NHTSA campaign number: 18V161000 (Hybrid Propulsion System). After performing the recall repair the mechanic cleared the warning light however, the warning light returned soon after. The contact took the vehicle back to the same local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the driver’s and passenger’s side frontal airbags needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

While driving on an interstate on-ramp, I heard a loud bang from under my hood. I exited to the shoulder and as soon as I stopped, I heard a second, larger bang from the same area. Within a few seconds, flames started coming out of the engine compartment and began to fill the cabin of my vehicle from the area of the air vents and all through the dash. Within five minutes, the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. I had no problems with the vehicle up to this point and the maintenance was up to date.

GETTING ONTO THE FREEWAY ACCELERATING, WHEN HEARD RATTLING AND SAW SMOKE, EXITED THE FREEWAY AND PARKED THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR LIGHTS THAT CAME ON PRIOR OR DURING THIS TIME. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST KIA DEALERSHIP IN CITY OF CARSON. I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL ON SATURDAY 1/2/2021 FROM TONY AT THE DEALERSHIP ASKING FOR PERMISSION TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. I AGREED TO THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. RECEIVED A CALL BACK WITHIN AN HOUR TO NOTIFY ME THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE ENGINE, NO REPAIRS COULD BE DONE AND I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. I ASKED HOW DID THE HOLE GET IN THE ENGINE. HE SAID THERE WAS AN INTERNAL ROD THAT SHOT OUT OF THE ENGINE CREATING A HOLE. IT WILL COST $8,875 AND WILL TAKE AROUND 3-4 WEEKS TO REPAIR. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN OCTOBER 2017 WITH APPROX. 3000 MILES ON IT. STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH ELECTRICAL ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO AFTER PURCHASE 2017-2018. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE KIA IN CERRITOS BECAUSE IT WAS INOPERABLE, SINCE THEN WE HAVE HAD IT IN TO BE SERVICED AND HAVE HAD MULTIPLE ISSUES. INCLUDING ANOTHER MAJOR ISSUE IN AUGUST 24, 2020 WHEN THEY REPAIRED THE ACTIVE AIR FLAPS AND A NEW BATTERY.

THE PLUG THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE CHARGING CABLE FOR MY ELECTRIC CHARGER CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PLUGGED INTO A DEDICATED WALL OUTLET IN MY GARAGE. FORTUNATELY, NO MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE NOR BODILY HARM RECEIVED . I CONTACTED KIA AND THEY HAVE SINCE REPLACED THE CHARGING CABLE WITH NO FURTHER INVESTIGATION OR EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PICTURES ATTACHED, THE PLUG ACTUALLY MELTED A LITTLE. I DO BELIEVE MAJOR DAMAGE WAS SUBVERTED BECAUSE I NOTICED MY CAR WAS NOT CHARGING AND PULLED THE PLUG OUT OF THE WALL TO SEE IF IT NEEDED TO BE RE PLUGGED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD I NOT CAUGHT THIS RIGHT AWAY. USUALLY I LEAVE MY CAR TO CHARGE OVER NIGHT. SCARES ME TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA OPTIMA PHEV. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE "CHECK BRAKES" WARNING MESSAGE ILLUMINATED. ALSO, WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT TRAVELED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. WHEN THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING ON AN INCLINE, THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS ENGAGED IN PARK AND THEN TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO GERALD KIA OF NORTH AURORA (201 HANSEN BLVD, NORTH AURORA, IL 60542) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

I HAVE 2017 KIA PLUG IN I HAD TO REPLACE BATTERIES SYSTEM TWICE WITHIN A YEAR. I ALSO HAVE A ENGINE KNOCKING AT 26000 MILES THAT THE DEALER CLAIMS IS A THAT WAS CAUSE BY SERVICE DONE TO OIL FILTER THAT DON'T MAKE NO SENSE. NO OIL LIGHT OR ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF. FURTHER MORE AFTER THAT HAPPENED THE ELECTRICAL WENT OUT. THE KIA COMPANY'S REFUSE TO FIX IT. THE VEHICLE HAS 5 YEAR WARRANTY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V161000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (JIM BONE KIA, 1255 SANTA ROSA AVE, SANTA ROSA, CA 95404, (707) 545-7050) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

BACKUP CAMERA DOES NOT ACTIVATE ON THE NAVIGATION SCREEN WHEN WE PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE. THIS HAPPENS OFTEN BUT NOT EVERY SINGLE TIME.