Was driving on i45 in pflugerville doing a u turn to go west bound. Heard a loud band like something "fell out" of the car. Pulled over and the car started to shoot sparks and flames. I was with my little brother an some friends so we all jumped out of the car. My mom picked us all up and txdot stayed with the car while my mom got a tow truck. My mom call insurance and had the car to her mechanic and when they started it up it immediately started to shoot flames and sparks. They found a hold in the engine. The mechanic inspected it and had never seen anything like that on a 60k mile car. Kia has so many recalls and this car make model and year was in the recall abut not the VIN number. Southwest kia in austin took forever to "investigate." they are now trying to say that it's not included in the recalls but rather jiffy lube left a rag in car that got sucked through the dipsticks and wrapped around the crank shank. I had driven from texas to arizona to colorado and back to texas before this happened. There was no problems before this. There was no evidence of this rag from prior mechanics that looked at it before kia did their investigation. It is believed that this is a faulty issue with kia and they are trying to not take responsibility for this engine catching fire. They are recalling hundreds of thousands of cars for engine fires. When dealing with kia now they are hostile and call it an "alleged fire." they are now saying an adjuster needs to look at it but that was over a week ago. Now they are saying the case manger for recalls is on vacation.
2013 Kia Optima engine complaints
Page 18 of 23: complaints 491 to 520 of 652, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Check engine light is on code reads high pressure fuel pump. When starting the car it is very sluggish and has fluttering rpms for the first 10 15 minutes when driving the car is jerky and hesitant to accelerate. There is currently a active recall on the high pressure fuel pump but my VIN is not listed under the recall even though it was listed on the engine recall. Was told I did not need a new engine but was given an oil change ABS new oil pan and the problem started shortly after
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 kia optima. While driving 45 MPH, the vehicle decelerated and powered down. The contact's son pulled over in front of a store. When he opened the hood, he noticed that the engine was on fire. The business owner of the store extinguished the fire with a water hose. The fire department was present, but the fire had already been extinguished. There were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to beck & masten kia (25503 tomball pkwy, tomball, tx 77377, (281) 539-1111). The cause of the failure had not been determined. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 100,400.
My car have been reading mechanism error on the radio for 6 months. Recently my lightbulb went out then the other,, I didn't have 100 a piece so I used high beam now one of those out. My backseat interior light out which all is fine I'm assuming jus need replacement. I was driving down the highway when I saw smoke then a loud pop my steering wheel locked up,, brakes in all I barely made it off the road the wheel was so tight. I get out to a exploded tire tore up bumper and fender. Eps engine light along with a few others are on. I get my car towed get the cracked rimmed fixed and proceeding to fix bumper and fender because I naturally assumed bad tires. Today I'm driving again I suddenly see smoke then the entire car shuts down. I've tried a boost everything came on except the engine. I tried putting the key in the side compartment still nothing. All lights are on,, on the dashboard engine tire pressure etc. I really can't say what's the problem but this is the second time it has happened. I'm losing money and my car. I'm without a car as of now.!
Issues with the engine- theta ii engine since 2015 (previous owner liz reported). I purchased the vehicle march 2018 and sent it in kia a month later. Local dealership told me the engine needed to be replaced but my extended warranty I purchased didn't approve it because it was a previous problem (2015 ) oval dealership told me engine is consuming oil and they do not know where the oil is going. It blowing smoke and not drivable. The car has been in the shop (ancira kia) since january and kia corporate has been paying my rental.
My car randomly caught fire at 10:30 pm while it was already sitting in my drive way since 7 pm. The entire front end of the car is now melted on my driveway pavement. Putting my family and my house at danger.
Engine caught fire. Car acting funny pulled into rest stop. Smelled smoke and flames started coming out of the hood. Car is now totaled. The engine had been replaced due to a previous kia recall. Car is totaled.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 kia optima. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the check engine indicator illuminated and the vehicle shut down. The vehicle was towed to mentor kia (440‑953‑1000, located at 9090 mentor ave, mentor, oh 44060) where it was diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the engine. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling), but the dealer refused to perform the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the dealer would be contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
While driving off the interstate the kia optima started to smoke and when pulled over flames started to come from the hood(car still one). The flames only got bigger and eventually totaled the vehicle .
I was driving around 45 miles and hybrid system warning, safely stop and do not drive. This happened about 3 more times on the way to the dealership. Brought it to the dealer told me to replace the battery. The sign came back up after about 30 minutes of driving.
"takata recall". My kia has been recalled several times, the motor has been recalled twice. The second time, I had my family with me going to arkansas, and the car stalled as we were going through a stop light, another vehicle almost hit us. I have lost wages from work, lost time waiting to get my vehicle fixed, it has caused stress and anxiety and right now I just got three more recall letters in the mail. These cares are unsafe, but unfortunately it is my only means of transportation. I want kia held accountable and to get these dangerous cars off the streets before some gets killed.
I own a 2013 kia optima, the check engine light came on and the engine started to misfire while driving on the highway. The temperature outside at the time was -50 with the windchill. I had the vehicle towed to the repair shop and they called me to let me know that the #2 cylinder was junk. They thought it was just a bad coil pack but when switched to the #1 cylinder the misfire code didn't follow the coil pack, it code stayed at cylinder #2 even with a brand new plug. The spark plugs had been replaced in september 2018, the same issue that caused the plugs to fail in september when the plugs were changed out happened again on this occasion (february 6, 2019). I was informed by the service manager at the kia repair shop that there was an update to the ECM that needed to be done to prevent this from happening, but when I contacted kia to see if they would cover the repair of the vehicle because the update was not performed kia refused to cover the replacement of the engine, which is the only solution because the spark plug failed and blew apart in the cylinder because the ECM update was performed. When I asked kia why the repair was not being covered they stated that they were not allowed to disclose that information to me and that it was proprietary information. I opened a case number (13034007) with kia and asked them to provide me with information as to why they won't cover the repair and they have yet to respond back to me, it is now february 12 and haven't received a response. I also received information stating that my warranty would be extended to 10 years, 100,000 miles but kia isn't honoring that warranty in this circumstance. My vehicle currently has around 89,000 miles on it. I am currently still paying a loan on this vehicle and it's not drivable, it currently sits parked until this gets resolved.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 kia optima. The contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v907000 (engine and engine cooling). Luther kia of bloomington (1701 american blvd w, bloomington, mn 55431, (612) 424-7641) stated that the part was not available. The manufacturer indicated that the remedy for the previous the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling) may not have been properly performed. In some cases, the high pressure fuel hose may have been damaged, misaligned, or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure. As a result, a fuel leak could occur and increase the risk of fire. The dealer stated that the part was on a national backorder. The manufacturer was notified. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 kia optima. While the vehicle was undergoing an oil change at montrose kia in sheffield (5033 detroit rd, sheffield, oh 44054, (440) 934-6699), the contact was informed that the VIN was included in an unknown recall regarding the engine. The dealer inspected the vehicle, stated that everything was fine, and removed the recall from the VIN. Afterwards, the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the engine when driving and accelerating from a complete stop. The contact was waiting to schedule a follow-up appointment with the dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 85,000.
The vehicle makes a very loud rumbling noise when accelerating. I have maintained oil changes, tune ups, and regular maintenance on the vehicle
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 kia optima. While driving 10 MPH, the oil and check engine warning indicators illuminated. The contact turned around and drove home. While the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a pool of oil on the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the center tread of the oil filter housing detached and completely leaked out. The oil coolant unit also failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty and referred the contact to the federal safety agency. The approximate failure mileage was 54,398.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 kia optima. While the contact's husband was driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that the power steering, brakes, and several other electrical functions became inoperable. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. Prior to the failure, jenkins kia of ocala (2305 sw college rd, ocala, fl 34471, (352) 414-4553) was informed of a knocking sound in the engine. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired per the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 58,000.
Driving uphill in sunol close to fremont I-680 when I heard a clicking noise appears to be the engine. The noise got louder then check engine light came on. The car no longer accelerate. The engine started to shake so I pulled over and exit freeway. The car then stopped ang all electrical light came up on the dashboard. I tried starting the car, it just shake then died right away. I then have it towed to an auto shop in stockton. The mechanic says something came off loose from the engine and it needs an engine replacement. A new engine would be $5k to $8k. I contacted the dealership why a 5 yrs old car that has 114k all of a sudden have an engine failure with no warning. They had me called kia consumer affair. They towed my car to their preferred kia dealership to get diagnose. I have found out there was a recall of this vehicle sc147. The dealership will perform a diagnostics tomorrow then they will call me for the results. If the caused of engine failure caused by the recall, they will replace it with a new one and provide a loaner car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 kia optima. While driving at any speed, the vehicle made abnormal noises. There was no warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to pros kia glendale (818‑745‑1400, located at 400 s brand blvd, glendale, ca 91204) where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
My engine was replaced due to a recall for hesitation/lock up in november 2017. Not long after replacement the new engine begin to hesitate like the old engine. It has continued to do this, becoming worse. It is usually a double hesitation. In other words the car hesitates slightly, starts moving then hesitates again more seriously. The last time in december, 2018 the car did this I was making a turn. It was serious to the point that an oncoming car had to stop. This is exactly the same as the first engine. I'm very concerned about the safety of driving this car. The car has 34,000 miles but only 5,000 on the replaced engine.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 kia optima. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that there was a grinding noise coming from the engine while attempting to restart the vehicle. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided case number: 12631362. The approximate failure mileage was 79,105.
About three months after having my engine replaced due to a recall, it caught on fire while I was driving.
I was driving down the highway when my engine seized and my car shut off. My car is completely useless and will not even start.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 kia optima. While driving various speeds, the oil pressure and check engine warning indicators illuminated. The dealer was not called. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the oil needed to be refilled to avoid an engine failure. The failure recurred on a weekly basis. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Car has not wanted to start 5 times. First started in november 2018. While driving on the highway, is has completely shut down twice in the middle of traffic and would not start. Once mid december & early january. Battery discharge warning came on so I got a new battery but still continued to have the same problem. At random times it acts as if it does not want to accelerate and stalls
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 kia optima. While the vehicle was stopped, a knocking sound was heard coming from the engine and the check engine indicator illuminated. The failure recurred and the knocking sound became louder. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact called dutch miller kia of charlotte (704‑247‑7124, located at 7725 south blvd, charlotte, nc 28273) and scheduled a diagnostic appointment. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 kia optima. While driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost power and stalled. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact stated that there were metal shavings in the oil and cylinder number two was misfiring. The vehicle was towed to his home. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 kia optima. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle lost power and stalled without warning. The vehicle was pulled over and towed to a local mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed that the engine seized. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling) and the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v363000 (air bags). The failure mileage was unknown.
I was driving the vehicle when the battery light came on and then the car started to overheat and then just cut off. I tried to start the vehicle but would not start. Had it towed to kia wich told me it was the pulleys froze up and shredded the belt. Now kia just replaced my engine from the recall. Now I always have the oil changed every 3,000 miles and I take it to the same place everytime now when they changed the engine they said I would need a new alternator but that was it. Not to mention I just had it at kia for a oil change and a free inspection. Which the inspection stated nothing about the belts or pulleys which are supposed to be inspected. So that is twice they missed a worn out idler pulley. Now the mechanic I had looking at it told me it was so worn that it broke off and that there is no way they missed it.
I was driving to work and the car just stop in the middle of traffic.the aaa driver said the starter but the firestone said the motor seized up.this happened 3 days before christmas this is very horrible me and my children have no transportation at all or money for a problem kia over look .
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