2018 Kia Optima brakes problems

Filed Jul 2, 2026 · Brakes · WI

Purchased vehicle from a used car dealership. Had it a few months before brake pedal started losing pressure and going to floor. Had master cylinder replaced. A few months later, brake light started coming on when accelerating. New master cylinder had leaked into brake booster. Had master cylinder replaced along with brake booster. A few weeks later and brake pedal is losing pressure again

Filed Jan 8, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · GA

I turned the car off, it had difficulty turning back on and the brake pedal got really hard. I had to wait about 30-45 minutes and then I was able to get the car started and brake pedal back to normal and no lights. Recently, I left the car on to run into a shop real quick and come back out. When I got back to the car, the power steering light, battery, and warning light?(amber triangle with ! In the center of it) were all on. I rev the engine and the issue went away for a quick second but then came back on. To avoid turning my car off and being stuck, I just shift to reverse and tried to leave. I’m backing out of the spot and now the backup camera is going in and out lights flashing on the dash and I’m trying to brake but the brake pedal isn’t registering and next thing you know, I’ve backed into a guard rail. On the way to drop my kids off at the babysitter, I was coming to a stop sign, and my car wouldn’t brake, i went through oncoming trafic and had to run off the road. KIA did a multi point inspection a few months apart from one another. One the car tested fine, then the second time they are saying a brake booster and no engine oil in the vehicle and that the car is basically trash. The oil light goes on and off and I can smell burning oil. I still owe 7 grand on this car and I just bought it last year and it was seamingly fine.

Filed Jul 10, 2025 · Acceleration, Brakes · NC

Purchased car about 4 months ago, before warranty ran out, the shop looked at it told me it was fine, it wouldn't accelerate. Few weeks later same issue but all my oil was gone, they found 11 things wrong with the vehicle, told me warranty wouldn't take care of it unless the engine blow up. The salesman Scottie Mitchell told me check Kia for recalls, called Kia 3 recalls, they were trying to finance another car higher, back wanted to know why the dealership didn't know about recalls, Kia place did call a Robert. One of the owners did know about recalls, why dealership didn't pass them on. They trying to sell me a higher vehicle to keep cover the cost of the one I got 1st

Filed Jul 28, 2024 · Brakes · KY

Driver side brake light will only work with headlights off. Turn headlights on and it goes out and doesn't start to work until turning off headlights. Also brakes give out when trying to stop, you have to actually shift to neutral for brakes to work again.

Filed Oct 18, 2023 · Brakes · OH · crash

I slowly pulled into the parking lot at work coming around a corner with my break song slowly to see if anything was coming from the other side, pull it around to THE back looking straight ahead to pull into my parking spot as I pulled into my parking spot mind you I have had my foot on the break before. I got there and I got into the park spot. I hit the brakes and the brakes went to the floor multiple times and the car just searched straightforward into the brick wall of the building.

Filed Jul 13, 2023 · Brakes · FL

The braking system "catches" at 13mph regularly. It feels like the brakes are being applied or the vehicle is downshifting when it is decelarating to around 13mph without any actual braking being manually applied. So far no safety risk, but if the brakes fail at any point for any reason, there will be potential for great risk. The local Kia dealer was able to reproduce this but had no explanation, no recommendation, and no further advice or assistance was offered. At this point, the Kia dealership is the only entity to inspect this issue. There are no warning lights or indicators of failure or problems, but this issue has been ongoing since the vehicle was purchased.

Filed Dec 23, 2022 · Brakes · CA

Front brake calipers seize and burning smell and smoke coming for front wheels. Have replaced the rotors, calipers and brake pads(twice) and it does not seem to fix the problem.

Filed Jan 30, 2021 · Brakes, Engine · 40,000 miles · SC

Loud ratteling when cranking, continuous ratteling when accelerating under driverside floor board made a clunk sound when applying brakes and now its like a sliding sound before it catches brake

Filed Dec 12, 2020 · Brakes, Electrical · 36,826 miles · GA

I have 63,826 miles on my 2018 kia optima s and I drove it to the store and all my light on the dash came on when I would come to a stop and my power steering would go out and about cause me to wreck. I was told that it was my alternator but after getting a new alternator I then drove it to get dinner a few days later when the same thing started happening again and my power steering kept going out again. I have two newborn babies, a 5 year old and a 10 year old in the vehicle with me and had I wrecked when the power steering went out it could have been a bad situation.

Filed Sep 22, 2020 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 102,000 miles · NV

When I go to accelerate from a stopped position; the car stalls and turns off and then it turns itself back on. Additionally, when I drive over 50 MPH the car/tires start to vibrate.