What 1,371 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Kia Optima

The engine went

NHTSA ODI 11696363

I have had 2 incidents of engine ceasure in my 2013 Kia Optima SX w/ Limited package. Once it ceased on the freeway causing me to have a minor collision with the offramp guide rail and just recenting on 10/18/2025 it happened again on the 405 with loud knocking sounds engine light flashing and no real engine power after ceasing. My engine was previously repaired under warranty with case number XXX which should have extended the warranty along with the existing recall for the GDI engine. I need help to get KIA to repair/replace under warranty as my engine is covered in the Theta II class action settlement. Kia repeatedly tries to dodge responsibility for repairing my car under warranty. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11694839

Engine Seized After Kia Recall Repairs – Safety Defect Recurrence I own a Kia vehicle (VIN: [XXX] ) with a rebuilt title. Kia performed engine recall work on my vehicle at Fowler Kia in Longmont, Colorado. The service advisor stated the recall was to “protect the engine from seizing.” After driving around 18,000 miles since the recall service, the engine seized suddenly while operating. Kia Customer Affairs has denied warranty coverage because of the salvage title, but this does not change the fact that the defect is safety-related and persisted after recall work. This creates a serious safety concern because: The engine failure happened without warning, Kia performed the recall on this exact safety defect, And now they are denying any further responsibility. I request that NHTSA investigate Kia’s handling of safety recalls on vehicles with rebuilt titles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11694353

2013 Kia Optima (VIN [XXX] , Recall 23V-652) caught fire on [XXX] in Rossville, GA. I had just parked in my garage when smoke came from the engine. I pushed it outside and a coworker helped extinguish it. There was no warning signs. Also didn’t receive recall until a few days after the fire . Even though the letter said final notice this was the first letter I received. No injuries or property damage, but the car is beyond repair. Kia case #[XXX] (rep Ashley). Inspector came Sept 2 but no response since. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11690579

I was driving and my car stopped running took it to the dealership find out. It has a recall never got a recall letter because I wasn’t the first owner and now they refuse to fix my car.

NHTSA ODI 11690064

On Sunday, September 21st, 2025, my 2013 Kia Optima EX suffered sudden catastrophic engine failure while driving on the highway. The check engine light was flashing, the car misfired badly, lost complete power, and became unsafe to operate. The vehicle was then towed to Wagner Kia of Shrewsbury, MA. On Monday, September 22nd, Kia diagnosed the engine with holes in the intake valves (Cylinder 3) and multiple misfire codes (P2191, P0272, P0301, P0304, P0172, P0303). The dealership documented that major engine repairs would be required, including two intake valves, two exhaust valves, valve cover gaskets, hraf bolts, two ignition coils, and a valve job. This sudden engine failure created an immediate safety risk of stalling or losing power while in motion, which could have led to an accident. Despite Kia’s history of Theta II engine recalls and settlements, my VIN is not included, leaving this major engine defect unaddressed. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate and consider expanding Kia’s existing engine recalls to cover this engine failure, as it represents a serious safety issue consistent with Kia’s documented engine problems.

NHTSA ODI 11689362

Engine blew up. Was burning oil since I got it, only had it for 6k miles. It started knocking at some point so I stopped driving it and was gonna take it to the dealership n get it repaired since tbat shouldve been fixed by SC147 but the engine blew on the way to the dealership. It happened on a very main road, and I couldnt get my car fully out of the way of traffic due to it making an abrupt stop shortly after the engine blew up. We had to call a towtruck and a police officer due to how busy the road was, and there was a good fresh 5 quarts of oil spilt all over the ground, on a main road. The dealership is saying they're trying to deny my warranty since the engine passed their test & I do my own oil changes but I have perfect documentation of each oil change, including date, miles, oil weight & volume, even the amount the car burnt in that period. I called kia consumer affairs, they said I dont even have a warranty because I didnt get the knock detection sensor upgrade done, and they wont do SC147 past engine failure. The dealership said themselves my engine is shot.

NHTSA ODI 11689077

The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact's son was driving at 35 MPH when smoke was emitting from under the hood. The contact's son pulled over to the side of the road and immediately exited the vehicle. The contact's son opened the hood, and smoke was emitting from the engine. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact's son did not sustain any injuries. The police or fire department was not called. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that an electrical fire had started in the engine and damaged the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the fire. The contact stated that the engine was replaced in 2018 or 2019 due to an unknown recall. The contact did not notify her insurance company. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

NHTSA ODI 11685787

After picking up my 2013 Kia Optima from a Kia dealership for an engine recall repair, I was told that no issues were found with the vehicle. The following morning, while driving on the freeway, the vehicle suddenly stalled without warning and lost power in the middle of traffic. This created a dangerous situation, as the driver was left stranded in an active lane with vehicles traveling at high speeds. Prior to dropping off the car, multiple independent mechanics and a body shop had advised that the vehicle was unsafe to drive due to engine concerns. The dealer stated they could not reproduce the issue and cleared the car for use. However, within hours of getting the car back, the stall occurred. The vehicle is currently available for inspection. The problem has not yet been confirmed by the dealer, but the symptoms are consistent with known Kia engine failures related to connecting-rod bearing wear. Before the stall, the check engine light had intermittently illuminated, but the dealer reported “no issues found.” This failure put the driver and surrounding motorists at serious risk of a collision and highlights that the recall remedy may not have addressed the underlying safety defect.

NHTSA ODI 11685224

My car lost power on [xxx]..Called a tow truck to come and pick it up. cone to found out my engine was blown. Taking it to a kia dealership on 09/12/2025 to get a diagnostic test done on it. I have all my paperwork. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11680071

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after having the vehicle for a month, while driving approximately 30-40 MPH on a residential street, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle failed to accelerate above 35 MPH and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle had a Salvaged Title but should still be covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine rod bearing failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted regarding the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.

NHTSA ODI 11679028

Hello, I have been a KIA owner for a very long time. I am dissatisfied with the corporation regarding my current experience. My vehicle qualified for the engine recall. Over several months I have been bringing my car into KIA Valley regarding concerns of the performance of my car which is connected with the recall. Every time I have brought in my car , the code has not popped up yet. I followed up with a phone call to KIA customer service. Over the phone I was told that the code needs to be popped up. In order for that to happen, that would require my car to seize or the engine catch on fire. The FACT THAT THIS COMPANY IS WILLING TO PUT LIVES AT RISK, is alarming. A few weeks ago at 10:00PM at night my car seized on the on ramp of freeway. Took car to dealer. I was informed the code did not pop up and the KIA dealer filled my car with more oil.A week later, my engine completely seized and oil was everywhere. I WAS IN FEAR OF MY ENGINE CATCHING ON FIRE. I got out of my car and called a tow truck. I was informed by the service dealership that the code popped up. Meaning I now qualify for a new engine. The following day I received a phone call that CORPORATE IS KICKING IT BACK AND DEMANDING AN ABUNDANCE of receipts. Receipts dating back even several years, to try to prove its neglect on my end, for the company to avoid cost. When clearly this is due to the recall per the service dealer. I recently went to the dealer to bring several receipts showing the care for my KIA. IT IS STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR CORPORATE. Receipts even included documentation from other mechanic businesses that did not want to work on my car because their finding with my engine appeared to be linked to the recall. They told me it was unsafe to drive and take it to the dealer. Over the past 8 months because KIA CORPORATE has made it difficult. I am seeking help.

NHTSA ODI 11679119

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the engine seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11677636

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. The contact stated that during the second failure, the vehicle was unable to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to the person who the contact purchased the vehicle from who was a certified mechanic and was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall or warranty. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11674496

I own a Kia optima LX 4.0 engine when I called I was told that this car has an open recall for engine rod bearing defect my engine locked up on me 2 mts ago and has not ran since I just finalized my payments on this car and received the title...I took very good care of this car and it was well maintained...it only has 104,000 miles on it.i called and was told this open recall could be fixed with no problem however when I took it to Kia dealership here in gso NC they refused to repair it..I've spent almost 200.00 in towing fees for nothiing..I'm so unhappy with the response I've gotten with this company since I have had such a wonderful experience with my car I hope maybe I can get a response from your company for its the only car I have and my daily living activities have been altered by lack of transportation..thank you..I was told to call attorney general to see what could come about however Im hoping I can get a response from your office

NHTSA ODI 11674164

In December 2024 I experienced a major engine issue where while we were driving the car went from 75mph to losing all power and not allowing us to drive more than 20mph we took it to a shop in mt Juliet Tennessee where they proceeded to tell us that an error code of P0325 and that our engine had seized. They suggested I get it towed to Kia which I did. We towed it to Kia of Murfreesboro tn and they took about a month to tell us that the engine had seized and that due to car fax and sludge we couldnt get the engine replaced under the extended warranty however, when speaking with customer service at Kia over the phone, they promised me that my car and its engine are still covered under that warranty due to the class action lawsuit, and that my engine would be replaced at no cost to me. It is now been six months and I still have no answers, and everybody keeps telling me that due to lack of maintenance even though we are the only owners of the car and have kept up on the maintenance they are not honoring the extended warranty. My car currently is 120,000 miles extended warranty goes to 150,000 miles. I would like my car engine replaced. I don’t know what to do this point anymore.

NHTSA ODI 11671686

My Kia has the part number that was recalled for the ABS module. But Kia said it’s not included in the recall because of my vin. Appeared 2 months ago. All lights on & potential risk of fire according to the brake fluid leaking. So I have to park outside. Kia inspected & said it was ABS module that needed replacement. For $2,600. Which I can’t afford. I Have already spent $500 for the other problems they said it was at first. But it didn’t fix the problem. Now I am having to borrow cars to get to work.

NHTSA ODI 11669132

My ABS module is failing with no open recall, even though Kia has issued multiple safety recalls (SC197, SC212, SC284) for this exact issue. My car is showing brake system errors (ABS, EPB, traction control, auto hold) and has stored codes like [insert your codes]. I’m concerned this is a serious safety hazard. If brake fluid has leaked into the module, there’s a known risk of electrical fire, even while parked. Kia has not included my VIN, but I believe it should be. Please investigate expanding the recall to include additional VINs. I’m requesting NHTSA to take this report seriously and hold Kia accountable for known safety defects in affected vehicles that are being ignored due to VIN limitations.

NHTSA ODI 11668762

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the engine was replaced four years ago. The contact stated that the engine had not been running correctly since the engine was replaced. The contact stated that the engine was overheating, and there were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that most recently the head gasket failed. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer; however, the dealer was unable to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to the same dealer several times. The contact stated that the dealer had the vehicle towed back to the residence and declined perform any further repairs. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 133,997.

NHTSA ODI 11665871

Bought car 2020, engine failed and was consuming oil like it was fuel after 50-60K miles in 2022, Serra Kia Misdiagnosed and charged me $900 for ignition coil and combustion chamber cleaning that was not needed nor refunded when I was denied replacement due to me NOT letting engine lock up(Service manager basically told me to do so to be approved) or a P1326 code, charged +\-$8,000 for engine to be replaced. Horrible experience, engine was fine at first, then shortly after the SHORT mileage warranty they give, the engine started having minor non catastrophic issues here and there. Finally, around the same amount of time(last October 2024) and almost the SAME AMOUNT OF MILES on the engine, its doing EXACTLY what it was when i took it to KIA for the engine. One random day, on my way to work, i got to a red light and when i went to go at green the engine hesitated and i noticed a MASSIVE smoke cloud behind me and coming from my engine. It was consuming oil yet again the same way. Reached out to KCC(Kia Customer Care) and provided them a 4 page personally written letter by myself explaining the full story and my experience. However they merely closed my case without any explanation or reason for doing so. So as i stated to them i would do if i needed to, I've reached out to the BBB and now you. I'm hoping to get justice, whats right, and what should have happened in the first place. My money back and or my engine repaired and no more charges to me. 2022 first engine failure(Denied and paid for engine) Oct 2024 Engine failure AGAIN. (added copy of letter sent plus proof of service manager influencing me to lock the motor up to get covered the first time)

NHTSA ODI 11664564

My engine locked ,

NHTSA ODI 11663844

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while a friend was attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); as the probable cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 67,999.

NHTSA ODI 11658416

I am leasing the 2013 Kia Optima LX through a 3rd party dealership that apparently stated in their terms and conditions that they are not responsible for doing maintenance on the car before being sold. I was on the road after getting gas when all of the sudden, the car started to slow down and my emergency check oil, engine, battery lights all came on. I was able to safely pull into a parking lot but after that, the car wouldn’t turn on. After trying to jump start the battery with another car, the engine started to smoke. We thought the alternator died. The third party dealership has their own maintenance shop and said it was alternator one day, then said it was engine the next and it manually can’t be turned over. That’s when they said because I didn’t get a software update, I didn’t have a warranty and I need to pay for the engine myself. Kia won’t help and the dealership won’t lend a loaner car for this inconvenience. I was never made aware that there were recalls on the car or a software update that needed to happen.

NHTSA ODI 11651431

I came in to Oil Changers in Fremont California on 4088 Thornton Avenue on 1/8/25 to come in and get an oil change prior to my road trip to Virginia with my dad on [XXX]. I talked to the worker about getting my oil changed and was even asked whether or not I wanted a regular or synthetic oil change in which I said synthetic because it was the best option for my car's long term health. During my service of the car I was also told my car needed a coolant refill soon and oil air filter and was asked if I would like to get that as well which i said yes. When my service was done I was given my receipt of the things done as well as given my oil service sticker that I put on my windshield. After my service I continued with my life as usual the next two days before taking my trip. While on my trip I got to approximately 150 miles from Fremont California before I started to feel an unusual feeling in the gas pedal which went away for a little before eventually turning into a clicking noise around 150 miles after which immediately turned to a complete stoppage on [XXX] about 10 miles Keene. We were in the middle of nowhere in pitch black darkness waiting for my AAA insurance tow truck to come pick us up. My car engine seized up and now it need a completely new engine. I was already paying a monthly car note of 247.69 every 10th and still have a remaining balance of $5,000 left. I now couldn't drive to Virginia with my car because of an error that was not of my doing i've always tried my best to mainta0in the car to the best of my ability. The car's error forced me and my dad to get last second plane tickets to Virginia the day after [XXX] for 611.94 so I could make it to my college on time. This has caused me so much hassle and now i cant even have a vehicle for school because of something out of my control. l still have the receipt from Oil Changers that states i paid for an Synthetic oil change as well all of this information can and will be sent over to you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11651026

I bought this car for 6000$ in the month of November. I checked everything while buying the car. I did checked the oil level the engine sound its condition and transmission. I did the oil change myself after buying and once in the middle. Suddenly on Feb 16th it got stopped on the middle of the highway. After lot research I see there are thousands of complaints for the kia optima’s and Hyundai Sonata’s for their failure GDI Engines. I towed to dealership whether they could help replacing engine. They haven’t. I see there are no recalls on this car. I would like to complain regarding this incident and justice should be provided to me

NHTSA ODI 11648888