Despite documenting this catastrophic internal mechanical destruction, the authorized franchise dealer has issued a written directive instructing the driver to operate this structurally compromised vehicle on public roads for a 1,000-mile oil consumption test with explicit instructions not to add, check, or have anyone service the engine oil level. Operating an engine running dry with verified cylinder wall gouging and unstable timing chains creates an imminent, severe safety hazard for the occupants and other motorists, including sudden highway engine lockup, loss of power steering, or vehicle fires. The vehicle underwent Safety Recall Campaign SC147 in 2017, which carries a court-mandated Lifetime Warranty Extension on the block for core failures. The dealership is forcing an unsafe vehicle modification and dangerous roadway test to evade standard warranty coverage processing. A complete 11-invoice history proves this defect originally manifested and was logged by a technician at 96,738 miles while fully inside the standard factory coverage window.
2013 Kia Optima: excessive oil consumption
31 of the 1,388 complaints about the 2013 Kia Optima describe excessive oil consumption.
- owner complaints
- 31
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 87,095
- recalls
- 2
Excessive oil consumption by model year
What owners say
Engine blew up. Was burning oil since I got it, only had it for 6k miles. It started knocking at some point so I stopped driving it and was gonna take it to the dealership n get it repaired since tbat shouldve been fixed by SC147 but the engine blew on the way to the dealership. It happened on a very main road, and I couldnt get my car fully out of the way of traffic due to it making an abrupt stop shortly after the engine blew up. We had to call a towtruck and a police officer due to how busy the road was, and there was a good fresh 5 quarts of oil spilt all over the ground, on a main road. The dealership is saying they're trying to deny my warranty since the engine passed their test & I do my own oil changes but I have perfect documentation of each oil change, including date, miles, oil weight & volume, even the amount the car burnt in that period. I called kia consumer affairs, they said I dont even have a warranty because I didnt get the knock detection sensor upgrade done, and they wont do SC147 past engine failure. The dealership said themselves my engine is shot.
Bought car 2020, engine failed and was consuming oil like it was fuel after 50-60K miles in 2022, Serra Kia Misdiagnosed and charged me $900 for ignition coil and combustion chamber cleaning that was not needed nor refunded when I was denied replacement due to me NOT letting engine lock up(Service manager basically told me to do so to be approved) or a P1326 code, charged +\-$8,000 for engine to be replaced. Horrible experience, engine was fine at first, then shortly after the SHORT mileage warranty they give, the engine started having minor non catastrophic issues here and there. Finally, around the same amount of time(last October 2024) and almost the SAME AMOUNT OF MILES on the engine, its doing EXACTLY what it was when i took it to KIA for the engine. One random day, on my way to work, i got to a red light and when i went to go at green the engine hesitated and i noticed a MASSIVE smoke cloud behind me and coming from my engine. It was consuming oil yet again the same way. Reached out to KCC(Kia Customer Care) and provided them a 4 page personally written letter by myself explaining the full story and my experience. However they merely closed my case without any explanation or reason for doing so. So as i stated to them i would do if i needed to, I've reached out to the BBB and now you. I'm hoping to get justice, whats right, and what should have happened in the first place. My money back and or my engine repaired and no more charges to me. 2022 first engine failure(Denied and paid for engine) Oct 2024 Engine failure AGAIN. (added copy of letter sent plus proof of service manager influencing me to lock the motor up to get covered the first time)
I have notice an ongoing issues with motor oil consumption. Over the past six months, I have added oil every 2,000 miles The Technicians at Oil Changers recently inspected my vehicle and recommended having it evaluated as the issue seems to be occurring more frequently. There are no warning lights displayed on my dashboard, I have not noticed any oil leaks where I park. While my car has been running fine,I want to insure there are no underlying issues. But most important me and my family’s safety and everyone’s when operating the vehicle. Please let me know the next steps for further inspection.
I have been experiencing my engine consuming oil with my dealerships knowledge Since back in 2023. In my records it is stated that my engine has been consuming oil. I was advised to continue to put oil in it myself until the engine goes out and then it will be covered. My engine light continues to go on and off. I went to the dealership today and was told that because my engine light is not on at the moment that I should come back so they can do a proper diagnosis. I was covered under the warranty to have the engine fixed but now that is over the 10 year warranty, I have no idea how to fix this issue after the diagnosis. I really need some help because I have been putting oil in it and I’m afraid that the engine will go out with it no longer being replaced. Especially when I had the warranty to use when it was initially discovered.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. There was no indication of an oil leak. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where three oil consumption tests were performed. The mechanic added oil. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact had to continuously add oil. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil gasket was cracked. The oil gasket was replaced, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine maintenance who determined that the engine was 2-quarts low on engine oil. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 87,095.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware an excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was taking to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 135,000.
I've had my car since late 2018. A couple years after having I've noticed it's burning oil. I made an appt at Evansville Kia dealership & was called the day before appt to be told the excessive oil consumption test was not part of the warranty. I asked what am I suppose to do keep spending money on oil? The mechanic told me to keep topping it off til it quits, cause he said it's going to quit. How is this safe? Not knowing when & where you will be when something happens. My car is now using a quart or more of oil every 500 or so miles. This is ALOT of money out of pocket.
After my last oil change that was done at Lokey KIa in Clearwater, FL. I had my oil changed on July 27,2023. From the date of my oil change till mid Oct 2023 I used 5 qts. of oil. The first appointment that I could get was 11/24/23. A engine diagnosis was done and the conclusion was the engine was burning oil. I opened a claim with KIA and was told that the car was out of warranty by six months but was still under the mileage. I asked the KIA representative if they could do a good will gesture to replace the engine and was denied.
Leak and/or cracked oil pan around the drain plug. Due to past issues regarding the crankshaft bearings I fear the oil consumption could assist in the issue. Also fear the oil leaking neak the exhaust and catalytic converter could ignite a fire beneath the vehicle. Vehicle has not been inspected by a dealership yet. And there have been no dash lights to indicate the problem. It was found while trying to investigate oil spots on ground beneath vehicle
The engine is burning thru 2 quarts of motor oil per week. No leaks just burning oil
Drove car all of a sudden the engine started knocking and missing and burning oil out the exhaust I parked the car until Kia can look at it
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 2013 Kia Optima oil consumption
Is excessive oil consumption a common problem on the 2013 Kia Optima?
31 of 1,388 owner complaints about the 2013 Kia Optima (2%) mention excessive oil consumption. The model year with the most reports is 2016.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2013 Kia Optima?
There are 2 recalls and 63 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2013 Kia Optima
Engine failure 185Stalling 158Check engine light 155Knocking 132Fire or smoke 126Loss of power 63Won't start 51Steering noise 43Warning lights 36Headlights 33Airbag light 28Fuel smell 28Pulling 25ABS 23Jerking 23Sunroof shattered 18Grinding brakes 17Fuel pump 17Fuel leak 15Hesitation 15Won't shift 15Harsh shifting 13No deployment 12Backup camera 10Misfire 10Shudder 9Steering lock-up 9Adaptive cruise 8Brake failure 8Power steering loss 8Seat belt 7Key fob 6Overheating 6Slipping 5Sudden acceleration 5
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