What 252 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Kia Optima

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle began to violently shake with a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine and the engine oil pressure warning lights flashed but disappeared. The contact veered to the side of the road and towed the vehicle to an independent dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

NHTSA ODI 11517796

My car has an oil consumption problem with more that a quart every 1000 miles. It has around 94000 miles on it now. Took it to dealers and they say its normal with Kias. Have not pulled it apart because I do not have the money.

NHTSA ODI 11515166

Car went into limp mode (three times since July 2022) and slowed down on the freeway from 70mph to 20mph without prior warning, putting my life at risk. Dash reads “check hybrid system”. Kia’s had my car for a week without allowing me a loaner or answers.

NHTSA ODI 11512948

I took my car in for a recall, Kia let me leave with an unsafe vehicle. Everything in the recall is happening to my car and it is extremely unsafe. These things were happening before I went in for the recall and after I left from having the recall checked. "Abnormal knocking noise from engine," "illumination of oil pressure warning light." The HEV warning light comes on and tells me to turn off my car immediately which has happened many times in unsafe conditions i.e. being in the middle of the highway in the rain. The check engine light came on but it comes on, then is off, then comes back on. There is a recall for the engine, oil is leaking into the engine on to the hot exhaust which can cause fire to the engine. This started happening not long after getting the car, this is why I brought it in for the recall. I made the appointment right away but the closest appointment was in about 2 months. It continued to happen after they "checked" the recall. The oil pressure light illuminates, the traction control light illuminates, and then 5-10 seconds later a warning comes across the dashboard saying "Check Hybrid system. Turn off engine. HEV!" Now I am being told I would have to bring my car in today, let the car sit at Kia for 4-6 weeks until they can diagnose it, and they will not give me a loaner car. I cannot be without a car for 4-6 weeks, this isn't my fault, and I cannot go pay for a rental car for 4-6 weeks. They are saying I cannot make an appointment for this, which makes no sense to me because I initially made an appointment to get the recall checked. My safety, the safety of my three children, and other passengers has been put at risk because I am driving and all the sudden these lights come on, the car starts dinging, and tells me to turn off the engine. This constantly happens when I am on roads where I can't just pull over quickly. I have been on the highway a few times and this has happened. Couldnt get over immediately and the car was barely moving.

NHTSA ODI 11512720

My car is consuming oil crazily and way too often. I just bought this car from a dealership 4 months ago and it is getting worse and worse. Losing power. I’m scared to drive it on the highway due to stories from other people and their kias. I have no choice but to drive it because I have to work. I need help.

NHTSA ODI 11511909

Cruise control does not maintain a steady speed and constantly fluctuates 10+- miles an hour! The dealer refuses to fix and says they cannot reproduce the symptom. I used a tracker and saw the dealer drive it around the block, never attempting to put it on the freeway.

NHTSA ODI 11511882

The vehicle will shake during acceleration. It comes without warning and will cause the check engine light to flash and stay on for about a minute. It goes away on its own. However, there do not seem to be any stored codes, according to my personal OBDII scanner. The dealer refuses to take it in because there is no check engine light. However, this has happened in several occasions and could lead to an accident. The dealer appears to be waiting for the warranty period to run out.

NHTSA ODI 11511883

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, black smoke was coming from the exhaust pipe and the vehicle was jerking. The oil warning light was illuminated. The contact added engine oil. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where oil was found on unknown sensors and on the coils. The contact was informed that an oil change was needed, and the filter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 110,569.

NHTSA ODI 11511029

No vehicle warning as it became engulfed in flames. Fire started from under the hood.

NHTSA ODI 11509680

My car is consuming major oil. I am having to put at minimum 3 to 4 quarts of oil every 3 days. I am having major loss of power. My car has oil fouled far too many spark plugs. In the last 3 months, I have had to replace the spark plugs three separate times. Within the last 3 weeks I have replaced the following: 1. Ignition Coils 2. Valve Cover Gasket 3. PCV Valve 4. 2 separate sets of spark plugs and 1 singular spark plug for Cylinder #4. My car is having a major oil consumption problem and the performance has been severely affected.

NHTSA ODI 11509681

The contact's son owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed as needing a new engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11508744

Purchased 2017 Kia Optima from DriveTime in 2021. Car burns a lot of oil, as I am constantly getting the oil changed or adding oil. A few months after purchase, all of a sudden it loses power & decelerates while I’m driving on the interstate. Had to pull over & let car sit for a few minutes. Every 10 mins I had to do this. Had it checked out the next day at Kia dealership & was told nothing was wrong. I let the car sit for about a month b/c I was afraid to drive it. Finally decided to drive it & the issue seem to resolve itself. Now almost 6 months later it happens again. Car wouldn’t accelerate over 40 mph. Car warranty agent advised to take to Firestone( in-network repair shop). Mechanics say the engine is gone & they called warranty company , & then they say take to Kia dealership. Dealership states if it’s the engine there are 75 cars with same issue ahead of me. They ran diagnostics 2 weeks later & said it’s not the engine but gave me a long laundry list of other issues. Said new wiper blades needed (not true , the new blades were just put on 1-2 months prior, said oil change needed, but that was fine 3 days before I took it to them , & more issues with a invoice total of over $6500!! They kept my car over 2 months with no call to update me after I advised everything they said was wrong actually wasn’t. I called daily & left messages with no return call. Finally got someone on the phone in the Service dept & was told it still isn’t the engine but just needed a software update. I still don’t trust it & afraid to drive it. But yet & still the VIN # is still not on the recall list. Regret the day I walked on the DriveTime parking lot. Nothing but issues from day 1. Too bad I couldn’t list them all here.

NHTSA ODI 11508832

I am the second owner of this car. According to carfax it has been well maintained at kia since day one. I have owned it for almost 6 months and it has been sitting at the dealership for 2months due to engine failure. There is a rod knock and sludge build up not for lack of maintaining it but from not being driven enough. I am being told it is a $16,000 repair. These cars are warranties for 10 years 100,000 miles (it only has 72,000 miles on it) but since I'm not the original owner that warranty doesn't follow. This is a misrepresentation.

NHTSA ODI 11507594

My car was stolen on February 14, 2023 at 7pm.

NHTSA ODI 11507377

my check engine symbol started to flash, my car was not going over 2 RPM, took it to my mechanic, when he scanned it, he told me it's showing P132600, and that the engine might be failing, I have a KIA Optima 2017 with 70k miles on it. thanks god I wasn't on the expressway.

NHTSA ODI 11503893

The contact’s sister-in-law owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed and the mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that his sister-in-law was informed that the VIN was included in a recall; however, the contact’s sister-in-law was not notified of a recall prior to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the recall notification was sent to the prior owner due to the contact’s information not being updated. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11503237

ENGINE MALFUNCTION: It is available for inspection at Lee Kia, Greenville, NC On January 20, 2023, my car experienced a blinking Malfunction Lamp (MIL) when I was out of town at an appointment in Williamston, NC, 16 miles away. This is the indicator, when blicking, warning for the Knock Sensor Detection System software that was put on my car on December 20, 2018 that the engine is malfunctioning. After my appointment, I drove the car one mile to AutoZone in Williamston, NC and they plugged in their sensor and got the P1326 code. While at AutoZone, I called the Service Center at Lee Kia of Greenville, NC and reported what had happened. They told me not to drive the car and have it towed to them, 1 hour away. My tow service would only allow towing ½ mile to the Dodge Dealership. I called Lee Kia Service Center and talked to a [XXX], Manager of the Service Center. She said it had to go to a Kia Dealership to be covered under the Engine Replacement Recall. On Saturday, January 21, 2023, I called the Service Center at Lee Kia and asked for an update on the car. The Service person told me that it had arrived and they would diagnosis it either that day or on Monday, January 23, 2023. On Monday, January 23, 2023 in the early afternoon, I called Judith the Manager of Lee Kia Service Center and asked for an update on the car. She told me it would take 4 months to diagnosis the car and I would not be able to have a rental car until it was diagnosed. When I asked why it would take 4 months to diagnose my car, she said she had 15 cars ahead of me. She said she only has two technicians that can diagnosis and it takes one day to diagnose a car. The mathematics of that did not add up. My car should be diagnosed in 16 business days, not 4 months. She refused to help me. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11503267

Engine oil consumption: I have owned this car since November 2022 and took my Kia Optima to Valvoline for an oil change in December 2022 because my oil light came on and it turns out that my car was 3 quarts low and they topped my oil off for me. 1 month (January 2023) later my oil light in my car did NOT come on but the check your engine light did and it seemed like it was losing power. So in order not to damage the engine I had it towed to my home when we arrived at my home oil started coming out of the car at the bottom while it was still on the tow truck lift the car was facing down hill

NHTSA ODI 11502885

Engine oil consumption, I have owned this car since new and almost every other week I need to add oil. My car has 85k miles on it , and has been service by dealer since new, just 2 months ago Pomona kia said my oil pan gasket had a small leak and replaced the gasket, today 3500 miles after the gasket replacement my car needed 3 quarts of oil. I'm not a mechanic but I know my car should not go trough so much oil. Someone please help.

NHTSA ODI 11502085

I took my Kia Optima to Century 3 Kia for an oil change in August of 2022. 2 months later my oil light comes in my car but I still have 2000 miles left until next oil change. I called Century 3 Kia complaining of a flashing oil light. They told me since I still have 2000 miles until the next oil Change, the mechanic must’ve just forgot to reset the car after they did my oil Change and that’s why it’s flashing. They told me to come down so they can reset it. They reset it and sent me on my way without even checking my oil. After leaving I still had the oil light on so I took it to a mechanic close to home to check my oil and I barely had any in there. I topped the oil off and the light went away. I sent Kia consumer an email after this visit complaining of the bad service I received and how they made me drive with no oil. I attached the email. I then scheduled an appointment at a different Kia dealership - South Hills kia for a new oil change and told them to please check my oil because I believe it could be burning. South Hills Kia performed a multi point inspection and gave me an oil change and told me my car had no signs of leaking or burning oil and is good to go . Not even a month after the new oil change my engine blows and the dealer told me it’s because of burning oil and I’ll need a whole new engine. My car is a 17 Optima with 61,000 miles and just a mout of warranty . It’s always been up to date on oil changes. It’s upsetting because I trusted Kia and now my vehicle is down because of them and they want me to pay.

NHTSA ODI 11502188

I purchase the car at the end of November of 2022 from drive time. I was driving on January 8th 2023 and the car speed reduced and the check engine light started flashing

NHTSA ODI 11501673

Forward collision avoidance system activated with no vehicle stopped in front. Brakes locked up multiple times and then unlocked.

NHTSA ODI 11493365

On June 5th 2022 as I was traveling out of state with my wife and daughter the car lost power on the highway. I pulled over to the side when safe and noticed whitish grey smoke puffing from under the hood by the hinges. Being a fire lieutenant, I recognized this as the car being on fire. We exited the vehicle, my daughter was asleep in the back seat, so it was a panic to wake her and make sure she got out away from traffic. Within the 3 minutes I was on the phone with 911 the car was engulfed. A few minutes after the first Chief arrived the fire had reached the fuel tank and the vehicle exploded, approximately 8 minutes in. I opened a claim with my insurance and with Kia America. Kia has taken the blame but refused to replace the vehicle, instead offering me $15000 for the car with only 57000 miles on it. After fighting with Kia for 3 weeks during my claim they finally provided me with a rental vehicle paid for by their insurance. To this date they have not paid for said rental and I am now on the hook for the $930 charge. This event has caused much undue stress on me, I already have cardiac issues, my wife and daughter still have nightmares from the event. Kia inspected the vehicle which is totally burned, they found it to be an engine failure causing oil to spill onto the hot exhaust. They accepted blame. There was no warning, no noises, no lights. I never received a recall notice, I found out about the recall from my insurance after the fact. Kia has been less than helpful.

NHTSA ODI 11492794

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that oil was leaking from the vehicle onto the driveway of her home. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the mechanic stated that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The sparks plugs were replaced but the failure persisted. On another occasion, the contact noticed that oil was leaking from under the vehicle again, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was oil cylinder #3 spark plug. The spark plug and PCV valve was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the contact would receive a call back. The failure mileage was 93,226.

NHTSA ODI 11490969

For the past 5-6 months I’m have ongoing issues with my engine and excessive oil consumption. I’ve completed the three oil consumption test per 1000 miles. On the last test(3rd check), I was told I passed and nothing further was needed. Approximately 1 month after that my engine light illuminated and my car violently shook upon acceleration and while sitting idle. Was informed it was my spark plugs and electric coil… oh and a routine oil change, which I paid to have repaired at approx. $650 this was in late August/Early September. Now here we are in late October and my oil lamp is on yet again! My car does not achieve speeds no higher than 50 mph. I’ve been to the dealership 7 times since April 2022. There’s an expense with owning cars but this is ridiculous. I’m currently a few hundred miles shy of 80,000 miles

NHTSA ODI 11490469