Driving home from an oil change. All of a sudden all power was lost. Luckily a wide spot in the road was right there. Car would not start back up. Checked oil- it was good. Had car trailered to a mechanic. He took off oil filter and cut it in half- was full of metal shavings. Said needs new engine. We trailered the car back home, where it currently sits. If the wide spot in the road wasn’t there, they’re likely would have been an accident being this was right on a sharp corner.
2012 Kia Optima: won't start
45 of the 923 complaints about the 2012 Kia Optima describe won't start.
- owner complaints
- 45
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- typical mileage
- 99,075
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 67 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Won't start by model year
What owners say
While driving 2012 Kia Optima GDI home from work, the power suddenly stopped without warning with the engine, oil, and battery lights flashing on all at once. I was unable to accelerate whatsoever, so with the momentum of the vehicle I parked safely in a parking lot. There I discovered the car would not start and would give a loud clunking sound. A mobile mechanic confirmed that the engine was seized, and I had it towed to the nearest KIA service center. They were able to also confirm it was an engine seize, but insisted KIA would not replace the engine despite a recall notice of the motor of this vehicles make and model in 2017 (SC147).
The car just shuts down for no apparent reason and will not restart. It just dies in the road with no warning. Mechanic said there is a wiring issue and noone can seem to find it because it starts and they cant figure out why and most of the time it wont start
I was at a stop sign when my car shut off. Now it won't start. Took it in to check it out and found out that the motor seized up. I know that there is a recall on the engine for the same problem on other models. Not safe to be driving the cars. Could cause a major accident resulting in possible loss of lives. This model needs to be recalled before this happens to anyone else.
Tha car shut down in the middle of the road would not start all lights came on and could not steer gave the car gas on gas pedal nor could I brake to get out of the road. Has been towed to demontrond kia to see if under warranty for repairs almost lost my life on highway
The engine won't turn over I just bought this car too
My engine won't turn over
Car will not start up. When turning key I hear clicking noise from under the god from fuse box and thinking it's starter relay but I replaced it and still nothing eventually by keep trying turning key to start for 18 minutes it starts up finally. No clue what it could be. Maybe starter solenoid
Driving at the speed of 55 MPH on two lane road coming down a mountain and kia optima sx 2.0l turbo started losing power then at 45 engine shut down. Coasted to shoulder of the road and will not start. Towed to home then towed again to shop waiting on repairs. Kia says no recall and not part of the 618000 kia optima sx turbo 2.0l recall
I was driving to work one morning just got on the freeway and my kia optima with 107k miles decided to shut off out of knowhere. I decided to check the oil and noticed it was pretty much empty when it shouldnt have been. I check it regularly and keep it in good shape also had it changed a month or so back. I had it towed to my mechanic because it would not start at all. It took them 2 weeks and various test including a compression test and installing new spark plugs. After almost 700$ spent they got it running for 15mins and the car shutoff again. They told me it needs a whole new engine...so after I get it towed all the way back home I hear that kia has a massive settlement going on for thier engines failing. Not sure if I will get a recall but I have my fingers crossed. I hope that anyone has this problem can find a way to solve this. Not to mention I just payed it off and it forced me to purchase another vehicle.
I was driving down the road and about 25 miles an hour accelerating when all of a sudden my vehicle just stalled out I was able to put it in neutral and coast to the nearest driveway entrance or I was safely able to stop the vehicle and put it in park attempted to start the vehiclei was driving down the road and about 25 miles an hour when all of a sudden my vehicle just stalled out I was able to put it in neutral and coast to the nearest driveway entrance or I was safely able to stop the vehicle and put it in park I attempted to restart my car and all I heard was a faint click of the starter the engine would not turn over I contacted my roadside assistance via my insurance company to request a tow truck about half an hour to 45 minutes later the tow truck showed up an my battery was almost completely dead the tow truck unloaded my car into my garage where I attempted to restart my car and all I hear is a faint click of the starter the engin will not turn over I did some research and some looking up and found that there is a massive recall by kia on multiple models of cars with the same engine. Mine is a 2012 kia optima lx 2.4l and I did find out that anything from 2011 up to a 2015 kia optima has engine recalls for the vehicle stalling out an the engine seizing up because of a manufacturing defects in the engine
I just bought the this car a few months ago . The vehicle was in motion on a residential street. The car appeared as if it was trying to die the engine completely turned off without warning . I pulled over to a safe area turned the car off . I waited a few minutes before trying to restart . My car wouldn't start . After several mechanics looking at the car they believe it's the engine and told me the car had a recall. I called kia dealership I was told that the recall has been addressed on top of that the turbo is leaking fluids . This car is a mess.
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 won't start
Is won't start a common problem on the 2012 Kia Optima?
45 of 923 owner complaints about the 2012 Kia Optima (5%) mention won't start. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
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 145Check engine light 100Stalling 90Knocking 88Fire or smoke 76Steering noise 56Loss of power 51Jerking 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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