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What 51 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (51)Crash / fire / injury (3)Electrical system (18)Brakes (12)Engine (12)Transmission & drivetrain (7)Hybrid Propulsion System (5)Speed control (5)Steering (4)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (3)Lights (3)Airbags (1)

1 of 51 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jul 27, 2017Electrical systemBrakesCrash1 injury

VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD WHILE IN MOTION TO PARK IN A PARKING SPACE. BRAKES FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE FROM A VERY SLOW SPEED OF 5-10 MPH APPROXIMATELY. HAS DONE THIS ON OCCASION AT HIGHWAY SPEED A SUDDEN SURGE SO A BRAKING WOULD RELIEVE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11011110

Working with the data? Download all 51 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid verdict →