The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the speedometer started malfunctioning, and the check engine warning light was flashing. There was an abnormal burning odor, and there was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to cool down for an hour. While attempting to restart the vehicle, several unknown warning lights were flashing, and the vehicle failed to restart. The contact was picked up by her daughter, and the vehicle was later towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer later informed the contact that the warning lights had turned off. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the tires, the oil, and the oil filter needed to be replaced. The contact declined to pay for the parts replacement because the oil and the oil filter had been replaced two weeks prior to the failure. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was ready for pick up. The contact stated that after a family member picked up the vehicle, the failure recurred while driving, and the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to pull into a parking lot. The contact stated that the dealer had informed them that an arrangement had been made for the vehicle to be towed to their location; however, no further update was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 300,000.
2013 Kia Optima brakes complaints
Page 2 of 5: complaints 11 to 40 of 114, newest first, as owners wrote them.
While I was driving on this day [XXX] all of a sudden my car started to shut down and I couldn’t give my vehicle any gas really. I got a hybrid system warning, and my red brake light came on, and I got indicator for me to check the brake. My brakes felt like they were grinding and hitting the ground. I managed to get my Kia into the dealership where the service manager, Jose looked at my car briefly. Of a visual inspection he said that the brake pads looked good, but your brakes are hitting the ground. He charged me a diagnosis. I told him to check to see if there are any recalls active, he said I do see a recall, but this doesn’t have anything to do with your car. The next day I heard from the service manager told me I have an update. I have attached the diagnosis of my car. This is what they say needs to be repaired in my vehicle. I asked my service advisor questions about how related the recalled part was to the issue. You can see the conversation in the pictures. At this point, I created a case with you all when he started to argue over terminology. I had a conversation on the phone with Jose and my service advisor later where they then told me that there is no recall that is showing up. I said I need to look over this because I saw a recall there. I verified this and messaged the advisor back. There were no further conversation conversations over the phone. Everything was done over messages and you can see them below. I was being threatened to be charged storage fees. And they said that they performed the recall, but the car was not confirmed to be in drivable condition. I did not go by to pick the car up. I called corporate numerous times. I was told on one day any additional information from text messages is not needed. Until Alicia gave me the email and said to please send over the info. I called the corporate office, the corporate office did not do anything to solve the situation. My car is still not drivable condition. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was a burning odor inside the vehicle before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with engine seizure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact was informed of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC), but due to the vehicle having a branded title, the recall repair was not performed. The failure mileage was 119,000.
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 the federal safety agency 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.
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.
Car cuts off while driving almost causing a accident. The brakes randomly stop working while driving also. The code says P1777 relating to the transmission/ hybrid system. Kia dealerships are charging customers to diagnosis their vehicles. Eventhough they already know this is a common problem with the hybrid cars. Also the 12v battery and hybrid battery needs to be replaced every 2 years, which is costly. The tech also advised that Hybrids are the worst cars and I should sale my car. This is unfair to customers and a waste of money. Please make this a recall and extend all warranties past 150k. This is a huge safety problem and could cause deaths in the future.
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 the federal safety agency 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.
The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after parking her vehicle in her driveway when the vehicle had caught on fire 2 hours later. The vehicle was unoccupied during the fire. The origin of the fire was unknown. The location of the fire was underneath the front driver's side tire, shortly after the vehicle was engulfed in flames, and due to the proximity of the vehicle to the contact's residence, this caused siding on the side of her house to also catch on fire. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. A fire department report was filed. A police department report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. No injuries were reported. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V331000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) as probable cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.
Yesterday [XXX] as I was driving with my wife present, suddenly warning popped up: Stop the car, hybrid break system safety, not safe to drive, or something close to that, I don't recall exact words. The car started to sputter , the brake pedal lost power meaning no brake, I quickly looked at the rear view mirror, luckily there was no car coming up close to me, the car lost speed and I slowly drove into an almost vacant parking lot across Lowe's, turned the engine off. Waited 30 minutes and start the car and the issue was gone. The same thing happened almost a month ago but that time the car was parked and hybrid brake system safety popped up as I tried to start the car and went away after 45 minutes of the engine being off. Had yesterday's episode happened while I was driving on the highway two weeks ago to visit my grandsons in Fontana, I would have surly killed in an horrific accident. My vehicle is Optima Hybrid. Thank you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I am a owner of the Kia Optima 2013 and wish to fill a complaint with the dealership Luther Kia of Inver Grove for refusing to complete/resolve the safety recall of the federal safety agency #23V652. I attempted several times but was told by the staff, the remote start on my vehicle need to be removed and replaced in order for them to complete the safety recall. It would cost 200.00 to take it off and then, another 200.00 to reinstall it at the cost of myself. This seems like an unreasonable high cost to make sure my car is safe. I don't think is fair or right. This is a inconvenience for me! Please help!
The contact owns a 2013 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 unavailable. 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact then tried to merge into the Wal-Mart parking lot with the assistance of a police officer. An independent mechanic arrived at Wal-Mart where the vehicle was parked to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed with starter failure. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired because the manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle had not been repaired under the other 7 recalls associated with the VIN. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Was driving home and the brake light came on and dash said to pull over brakes started to grind as I pressed on them took it in and couldn’t find the problem looked online and a lot of people with my car are having the same problem read that there was a recall for the brake module 21V331000.
The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while his husband was driving approximately 70 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that as the driver was pulling to the side of the road, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that several drivers alerted the driver that the vehicle was on fire, and the driver immediately exited the vehicle. The contact stated that upon opening the hood, the driver saw flames, and the front end of the vehicle became engulfed in fire. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle burned to the ground, and the front doors and the front windows sustained fire damage. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. The contact was unsure whether a fire department report was filed. A police report was filed. The contact's husband did not sustain injuries. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 20V100000(Fuel System, Gasoline) and 23V652000(Service Brakes, Hydraulic), which the contact related to the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact owns a 2013 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 local dealer was contacted. 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
In May 2024, I took my 2013 Kia Optima (2.0L T-GDI) to my local dealership to have several recalls completed, including SC284QF (Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit). The dealership completed the recalls and I have a receipt showing all three recalls were completed. On Sep 12 2024 I received a recall notice stating the recall SC284QF had NOT been completed and to contact my dealership to schedule this recall repair. I looked up the Kia Safety Recall Campain instruction, detailing the repair step-by-step. I then went to my vehicle fuse panel (where the recall repair was to be performed) and was able to verify the recall has NOT been completed, despite the Kia dealership claiming (and documenting) the recall as being complete. This recall states that the risk of not competing this recall is potential engine fire while being driven or parked. I park this vehicle inside my garage (attached to my house) and this could have caused a fire which could have endangered the lives of my family. I have attached the Kia Safety Recall Campain instructions as well as a photo of the affected fuse.
The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after parking in the garage and turning the vehicle off, approximately six hours later it was discovered that a fire had started in the garage area and had begun to spread inside the townhome. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the fire, the vehicle was destroyed and later towed away. Also, a second vehicle parked inside the garage was destroyed and a third vehicle parked outside in the driveway sustained fire damage. The garage was destroyed and the townhome sustained significant fire damage. A fire report was taken at the scene but the cause of the fire was not determined. The contact later received a recall notice for the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000(Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 170,000.
See attached document for complaint
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), and 22V560000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle experienced reduced engine power and the engine started overheating. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact parked and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall because the product improvement campaign for knock sensor software update had not been performed on the vehicle. The vehicle was not 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 failure and informed the contact that they were not legally required to complete the recall repairs. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
There is an hybrid warning coming on which causes the brakes to loose it’s ability to stop for some reason. It also slows the car to a hault while the engine is in full rev. It’s a huge safety issue as this occurs intermittently with no warning. Last time I was on the freeway, luckily I was able to pull over to the curb without incident. I hit the bumper a little bit but was able to stop safely.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle, but the failure recurred while the transmission was shifted into drive(D). After several attempts, the vehicle restarted and went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where error code P1326 was retrieved. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The dealer contacted the manufacturer, who determined that the brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list because he no longer owns the vehicle. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted.
The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and attempting to enter it, she became aware of a strong unknown smell. The contact re-exited the vehicle, and immediately noticed smoke coming from the front side. After this, the vehicle caught on fire. The fire was emanating from the underneath of the vehicle. The fire department was notified and extinguished the fire. The contact was unaware of a police report or a fire department report being filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while her husband was driving at approximately 65 MPH on a hill, the vehicle started losing automotive power and suddenly stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not able to be restarted and smoke was noticed emanating from the front area, near the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to the contact residence. The contact indicated that while an independent mechanic tried to start the vehicle, he became aware that the vehicle was being overloaded and subsequently fire flames began to be noticed. The mechanic disconnected the alternator and informed the contact it was a manufacturing failure. The local dealer was contacted, however; they stated that it would not be repaired since it was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2013 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 local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving or parked, there was an abnormally strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The check engine and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The contact replaced the battery, and the warning lights were deactivated. The contact stated the strong fuel odor persisted and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fuel leak. The contact was informed that the fuel injectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 190,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while her husband was turning off the vehicle, there was an abnormal clicking noise was detected. The window failed to roll down. There were no warning lights illuminated. 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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact was concerned of the vehicle catching on fire. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2013 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2013 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2013 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 local dealer was not contacted. 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2013 Kia Optima?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history