A issue with the Valve cover gasket leaking into the engine causing a misfire. Making the car suddenly stop while driving which is very unsafe. I took the car to the dealership and they want to charge me for the repairs. I have 2 kia optima hybrid and both cars have the same issue around the same mileage. There were no warning lights during the time it was at the shop. However one day the check engine light did come on and the OBD code P1326 came up. When I took it to the shop the check engine light disappeared and the dealership said they will not check my engine unless they see the code on their end. I believe later down the line the engine will stall out and it should be fixed now while under warranty. However I received no help from the dealership unless I am willing to pay upfront. In addition to this there are electrical issues the front seats aren't moving immediately when the button is pressed. The steering wheel buttons barely work along with the radio. This is a huge problem that needs to be fixed.
2012 Kia Optima: check engine light
100 of the 922 complaints about the 2012 Kia Optima describe check engine light.
- owner complaints
- 100
- of this car's complaints
- 11%
- typical repair cost reported
- $5,700
- typical mileage
- 108,000
- recalls
- 2
Check engine light by model year
What owners say
•I’m not sure what failed, the car was parked. And yes it’s available for inspection. •I had just parked the car coming from work and at the time. If I was in the car any longer than 5 more minutes it possibly could’ve been catastrophic. • All I know as of right now is that 5 days ago, it was escalated and I received a case number and a case manager 3 days ago. •The car has not been inspected •not that I’ve noticed, the engine light was on a week before the accident occurred, after getting off of work and the car system said to check my breaks. I had someone take me home since my car was undrivable. And the next morning I was going to have it towed but everything was working properly. The engine light was gone.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving on the highway at 65 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the internal bearings had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving downhill at approximately 40-45 MPH, the vehicle shut off. The battery, oil, and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The brake pedal was depressed, but the pedal was firm. There was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle. There was smoke coming from the engine. The contact attempted to turn off the vehicle; however, the transmission failed to shift to park. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 154,782.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light eventually became illuminated, and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic retrieved a fault code for the engine variable valve timing solenoid. The contact was informed that the engine variable valve timing solenoid needed to be replaced. The contact called a dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at 55 -60 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact became aware of smoke emitting from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was not being driven. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated while at a complete stop at the traffic light, she noticed that there was smoke coming from underneath the driver's side of the hood. Additionally, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact exited the vehicle. The contact stated that there were flames coming from underneath the hood. The fire department extinguished the fire but declined to provide a copy of the report to the contact. No police report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was pushed into a parking lot. The vehicle was then howled to the residence the following day. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 23V652000(Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 17V224000(Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent a field inspector, who inspected the vehicle at the residence. The field inspector informed the contact that a complete inspection of the vehicle could not be performed because the vehicle was not lifted. The contact stated that the inspector mainly inspected under the hood of the vehicle and took photos. The manufacturer later informed the contact that the vehicle repair could not be covered because the incident had not occurred due to the recalls based on the field inspector report. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 222,100.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the brake lights continuously remained illuminated. The taillight bulbs blew out on several occasions. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, there were several unknown warning lights flashing. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle hesitated. The vehicle lost motive power and was slow to accelerate. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the high-pressure fuel pump was failing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V907000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine). The approximate failure mileage was 88,800.
When driving the vehicle the engine light is on & under the hood is smoking . It smells like burnt rubber or just burning something. This started happening right after the engine light came on. It’s not safe to drive my vehicle at this point
My car started losing its lights one by one. I lost the front right light first, then yhe right back side light, and now the brakes lights. I replaced all the bulbs and still does not work. Then my car just cut off while driving with no notification. I towed it in to Mavis. They checked and said the battery was not keeping charge. I paid to replace the battery ,belt and alternator. Four days later my check engine light, battery indicator, airbag indicator, door indicator came on and still is on.
The engine quit while on the highway to my home. I was doing the speed limit of 75 MPH when I heard a noise and the car started losing speed. I could barely pull to the shoulder of the road. There was a lot of traffic and thought I was going to be hit before getting pulled over. I then noticed the engine light was flashing. I have had no trouble until yesterday, nov. 26, 2023. I had taken my car to the dealership for recall #sc147. Whether it had been taken care of I was not told. I also was not told the engine could be replaced at their expense. The repair date was 11/22/2017.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Excessive oil consumption nu/gamma/theta/kappa engines
- Product improvement campaign: engine replacement instructions for DTC P1326 (PI1803Y/z)
- Bearing clearance tester (bct) procedures
- Pitstop: injector harness routing for PI1802Y/z and PI1803Y/z engine replacements
- Engine replacement instructions for DTC P1326 (PI1803Y/z)
- Engine replacement instructions for DTC P1326 (PI2002Y/z)
- Excessive oil consumption nu/gamma/theta engines
- Partial repair of c-mdps motor, ECU, worm gear and/or steering column housing
Related recalls
Engine
- What is wrong
- Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V‑224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
Recall number 18V907000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.
- Risk
- Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.
Recall number 17V224000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2012 Kia Optima check engine light
Is check engine light a common problem on the 2012 Kia Optima?
100 of 922 owner complaints about the 2012 Kia Optima (11%) mention check engine light. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
How much does it cost to fix check engine light on the 2012 Kia Optima?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $5,700 (median of 7 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2012 Kia Optima?
There are 2 recalls and 67 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2012 Kia Optima
Engine failure 145Stalling 90Knocking 88Fire or smoke 76Steering noise 56Loss of power 51Won't start 45Jerking 29Warning lights 27Airbag light 23Fuel pump 19Harsh shifting 19Sunroof shattered 19ABS 17Headlights 17Hesitation 16Grinding brakes 15Oil consumption 14Pulling 14Won't shift 13Adaptive cruise 10Fuel smell 10Backup camera 7Tire blowout 7No deployment 6Misfire 6Slipping 5Steering lock-up 5Sudden acceleration 5
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