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2012 Kia Optima engine complaints

Page 3 of 15: complaints 41 to 70 of 418, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2012 Kia Optima engine problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed May 11, 2024 · Engine · CO

The engine failed, and it is past the 100,000 mile warranty. Due to the fact that there were no warning lights at any moment prior to the engine failing, my safety and others were put at risk. The 2012 Kia Optima suddenly stopped in the middle of a major road, which could have easily caused a collision had another vehicle been any closer to me. The component was inspected by a mechanic, and there were no symptoms prior to the car stopping.

Filed May 1, 2024 · Body, Engine · SC

My vehicle has not repaired. I have not been in an accident. However there are two open safety recalls for my car and I am terrified that myself or someone else is going to be injured or even killed due to this problem has yet to be resolved. The first recall for my car is the headliner plates. I took my car into my local dealership (Stokes Kia of Goose Creek) and they told me it would take 10 business days before they could inspect my car and determine what the problem is (it’s a recall so I don’t understand why they would have to identify a problem that was clear in recall letter). However, I asked if they would repair my car within that 10 day period if they “identified” the problem. They told me it could take an additional 10 business days or longer for the repair (for them to get around to fix it because they were extremely backed up). I asked if I would be provided a loaner vehicle or rental and they told me no. They instructed to try the other Kia dealership which is much further away from me. I ended up trying the other Kia dealership. However, they told me they would not provide a loaner car but they did schedule an appointment for my repair. They told me it should not take long for the repair but they could have my car for about 3 days until they can get around to fixing it. I went along because I wanted the issue fixed so I prepared to make arrangements for the possibility that I wouldn’t have a car for 3 days. However, like the day or so before my appointment Kia Country called me saying that the parts for the repair were on a national back order and that I would be notified when they are available. I have yet to notified. Now there is another serious recall that there is no remedy for. I am extremely uncomfortable with my car with these recalls that can’t be fixed. This is not my fault so I shouldn’t have to suffer or be without a car due to these problems. I want to know what other options do I have?

Filed Apr 30, 2024 · Brakes, Engine · 222,100 miles · TX · fire

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.

Filed Apr 16, 2024 · Engine, Lights · CA

Desconocido

Filed Apr 12, 2024 · Body, Electrical · AL · fire

I did not know about this recall and my dad was driving my car caught on fire and blew up now I do not have a car please help.

Filed Mar 19, 2024 · Brakes, Engine · 24,000 miles · WI

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.

Filed Mar 8, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · VA

Was driving on the road on the way back to work from lunch, started hitting the brakes at an upcoming stop light, and the car shut down. There was no lights indicating anything prior to the incident. I tried starting it again and it started smoking, I then opened the hood and all the smoke poured out. The engine bay smelled like something electrical melting or of some sort. I towed it to the dealership I work at and had my ex-kia technician coworkers look at it and said they've never seen anything like it, but did confirm the smell was electrical. OBD II reader was not reading anything at all. I was letting it sit for a while waiting for the recall to have some sort of remedy, but I've grown tired waiting so I decided to file a complaint. And I will reiterate again that NONE of the lights came on at all until my car decided to break down.

Filed Feb 27, 2024 · Engine · VA

Component has failed. Car is not drivable and there is no remedy for the recall.

Filed Feb 1, 2024 · Engine · TX

When attempting to acceleate rapidly, as if passing someone, the car will decelerate and eventually die, leaving you stranded on side of road or in the highway.

Filed Jan 23, 2024 · Engine, Fuel system · 88,800 miles · DE

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.

Filed Jan 12, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · NC

It has started burning oil, we have to continually check it. There are no leaks but oil burns too fast, we check it almost daily.

Filed Jan 10, 2024 · Engine · CA

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 80 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was placed in neutral(N) and steered to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Jan 4, 2024 · Brakes, Engine · 138,450 miles · CT

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power, stalled, and failed to restart. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 138,450. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Dec 22, 2023 · Electrical, Engine · LA

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

Filed Dec 8, 2023 · Brakes, Electrical · 130,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, she noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the taillights remained illuminated while the vehicle was turned off. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Dec 3, 2023 · Engine · OK

On September 27, 2023 I was driving home at 50 mph on 41st & Lynn Lane in Tulsa, Broken Arrow, OK. The car just shut down right before I had to stop at a stop sign. Not being mechanical minded the only thing I could think of was to call a towing company (AAA). I was informed to also call 911 to have a police officer come and block traffic to keep me from getting hit. It was towed to the only garage there is close to my house as the Ferguson Dealership couldn't take it at the time. It was at a place called The Garage. They at the time told me they thought it was the fuel pump and replaced it. The work was done on October 2, 2023. On November 26, 2023 I was driving home on the Cimarron Turnpike when the car just lost power. I pulled over as best I could and did after a bit get it to start again. I called my brother to see if he would follow me home as the car jerked and would only do 60 mph. I put on my flashers and my brother did follow me home. I have researched the trouble and saw a recall #147 (Kia's # I believe. it is a recall for the engine and something to do with the KSDS. Kia Dealership ( Ferguson Kia) again couldn't take the car so I took it to The Garage again and received a call from the tech that I need another motor. I am calling Kia Corp to see if they will replace it.

Filed Nov 28, 2023 · Brakes, Engine · 116,000 miles · FL · fire

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced a failure. The contact stated that his wife was driving the vehicle at approximately 35 MPH when she was she flagged by another driver that her vehicle was emitting flames under the vehicle on the front driver's side near the wheel well. The contact stated his wife was not aware of any warning lights and pulled the vehicle over and stopped. The contact stated the fire department was on scene and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, the contact had no information on the diagnosis by the dealer. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000. The contact related the fire to the current the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that the vehicle was recently returned to the dealer due to engine failures. VIN tool confirms parts not yet available.

Filed Nov 27, 2023 · Engine · OK

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.

Filed Nov 22, 2023 · Engine · SC

A piece of carbon build up was caught on the exhaust valve not allowing it to close and causing no compression. The carbon build up is known in every kia engine as everyone knows they came out the factory with defects. With the exhaust valve burnt it scored the cylinder and none of it is covered under the extended warranty and I have seen many people with the same problem and all the dealership does is grind off the burnt oil on the exhaust valve and return it to the costumer while it is a ticking bomb. It is known to the dealership that this is a defect in the engine and which they told me on the phone while all calls are recorded. There was no sign that this was going to happened to the car. I was driving and the next second the car is shaking violently with the engine light on.

Filed Nov 20, 2023 · Engine · FL

I always smell like something burning and melting at the engine And the engine light sign appears and the maintenance light also

Filed Aug 2, 2023 · Engine · 90,000 miles · LA

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while his granddaughter was driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that his granddaughter was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact stated that he had the vehicle towed to his residence. The contact stated that the vehicle had not been diagnosed by a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Filed Jul 5, 2023 · Engine · 143,000 miles · WV

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder however, the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 143,000.

Filed Jun 6, 2023 · Engine · 104,000 miles · KS

The engine is knocking and stalling out. Lawrence Kia has had my car for three weeks, and nothing has been done. After investigating the issue, the failure is related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The recall is to replace engines. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 104,000.

Filed Jun 5, 2023 · Engine · TX

We have tried numerous times to get Vanguard Kia in Arlington, TX to address the recall on the engine. They have only updated a short term fix which is a software update. It will be 2 years in October that we have been trying to get the recalled engine replaced. They updated in their system that they replaced the engine but the same old engine still remains in the vehicle. They have charged us for many other repair issues and now tell us they don’t know what is wrong with the vehicle and can offer no solutions. We have repeatedly asked for them to correct their error and they refuse. I believe individuals working for the dealership may have fraudulently reported addressing the recall engine and may have kept it. We have reached out to Kia and have not heard a response. Is this legal?

Filed Jun 3, 2023 · Engine · TX

I tried to speak with Kia about a recall the engine on my making model I remember seeing it on your guises website this issue was never fixed and I’m currently having issues with my engine and they’re refusing to replace it. I’m trying to avoid a lawsuit and a serious accident because of the way my car is acting up. It is accumulating me a check engine, light, as well as a oil light I’ve brought the car in many times to vanguard kia and they could not figure out what was wrong with the car , and holding it for week the two times i brought it in and it seems as if you’re continuing to drive it is creating more issues because I had to pay $1300 out of my own pocket because my engine started overheating because it has a problem that kia could not find but is showing signs of the recall that was on this year make and model , VIN and everything the car currently will jerk whenever I’m going let’s say this speed limit 60 it will downshift all the way to 30 now this can cause a horrible, horrible accident

Filed May 17, 2023 · Brakes, Engine · NC

My engine went out on my 2012 Kia optima hybrid in 2022. I was not aware of a recall on the engines. We paid for repair. Can we get reimbursed? Also we are now having issues with the braking system and the abs light is coming on. I see that there is a recall on this. Can this get repaired? I uploaded receipt well bank statement showing purchase from Martin imports in the amount of $1391. And we were charged $700 to put motor in.

Filed May 3, 2023 · Electrical, Engine · IN

the engine failed at 152000. it had a recall .so i took it in at 91000 and complained of the rod nock.and was told they checked the rod bearing clearance .and found nothing .i again took the car in again at around 111000 miles and complained of the rod nock again.and again was told they see no problem now im with out a car

Filed May 2, 2023 · Engine · FL

Unknown

Filed Apr 11, 2023 · Engine, Fuel system · MO

.I recently have actually found out about the recall concerning my engine. Manufacture SC148. the federal safety agency recall 17V224m I called a dealership. When I asked them about the recalls this one was not mentioned. I wanted to ensure I was reading that properly. Can you explain what that means as far as the engine

Filed Feb 27, 2023 · Electrical, Engine · NC · fire

I was driving down the highway going 75 mph and all of a sudden my car tells me pull over safely do not drive and it shut down while I'm driving. It never turned back on. It started smoking and you could see orange light coming through the vents. I was stuck on a [XXX] bridge for 4 hours and I missed court that day. I called Kia and they came to pick up my car. They said it was free because my car has been recalled but ever since they've had it, they stop answering my phone calls and emails and now they are trying to charge me 5000 to get my car back and fixed. Before any of this happened, I noticed an oil leak at the gas station but was unsure whether it came from my car or not. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

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