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.
2018 Kia Optima: fire, smoke or burning smell
13 of the 233 complaints about the 2018 Kia Optima describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 13
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- recalls
- 0
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
I drove the car to the park about 6 miles round trip with family. I came back home and started having lunch for about 25 minutes. I then attempt to start the engine to go to my appointment but then car didn't turn on. On third attempt I had a weird noise coming out of the hood and I went back inside the house to get my gloves. When i came outside of the house, the hood of the car was in flames. I called 911 to turn off the fire. The car is now at a total loss.
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact inspected the dipstick and discovered that the engine oil level was low. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Was driving on the interstate. The only light on was the ABS light and the car started smoking. Had to come to a stop as they were sparks coming from out under the car through it into park at around 15 mph steel jumped out of the car and within a minute the car was fully engulfed in flames.
My vehicle is under a engine / oil consumption recall, I have contacted kia multiple time in regards to this issue as the vehicles are having engine fires due to this. I was advised by kia that my vehicle is under recall and has lifetime warranty but they will not fix or swap the motor until it goes out. This is a huge safety risk I am literally scared to drive my vehicle due to not knowing if the engine is going to go out at anytime or start on fire in the middle of the expressway.
Vehicle is burning excessive amounts of oil rapidly. Date of Purchase: 04/13/2023 - mileage : 94,000-96,000 Oil light and engine light began flashing about 1-2 weeks after purchase, then went off after first oil change. noticed burning smell on occasion. First oil change 05/23/2023 - mileage: 98,045 Mechanic reported no oil in vehicle. Traveled out of town, checked oil. no oil in vehicle upon arrival. Second oil change: 06/19/2023 - mileage ~99,641 Mechanic reported no oil leak. Checked oil: 07/18/2023 - no oil in vehicle, mileage: 100,790 Having to schedule an oil change before future date and mileage listed below. Next date of oil change: 09/17/2023 - future mileage: 102,641
The car caught on fire in our driveway
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.
2018 kia optima. Consumer writes in regard to illiminated oil light. The consumer stated the vehicle consumed oil quickly, but without any leaking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer suggested driving 1000 miles and then return to the dealer to be further inspected. After leaving the dealer, the vehicle began smoking. The dealer stated it could be due to spilled oiled that occured during the oil change. The consumer continued to drive the vehicle and it caught fire and exploded.
When driving this vehicle rattles and shakes it has a burning smell/gas smell. It cuts off while driving. Looses oil.oil at low level before due. This make and model is no longer being manufactured. It has a known history of engine problems. Why were consumers allowed to buy this car. Problems are active and ongoing. Started about a year or close to a year after purchase. It is a lemon . The dealer wants to diagnose the engine, but they already know the engine is no good.
Caught fire while driving.
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 kia optima. While driving 20 MPH, the contact was notified by other motorists that flames were present under the vehicle. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and smoke appeared under the hood. The contact and a pedestrian extinguished the fire. The fire and police departments were at the scene, but the contact was unsure if reports were filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to northstar kia (46-05 northern blvd, long island city, ny 11101, (877) 244-0989) where the contact was informed that there was an engine fire. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 22,000.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Voluntary emissions service campaign: theta II 2.4L GDI emission secm logic improvement (SC340 rev 4)
- Voluntary emissions service campaign: dealer parts and service manager memo (SC340)
- Voluntary emissions service campaign: SC340_POC: proof of correction card
- SC340_STKR: voluntary emissions service campaign completion label/sticker
- Customer satisfaction: anti-theft s/w logic upgrade & decal installation (CS2303)
- Product improvement campaign: engine replacement instructions for DTC P1326 (PI1802Y/z)
- Customer satisfaction: kia genuine remote start control module upgrade for anti-theft logic compatibility...
- Owner re-notification
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2018 Kia Optima fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 2018 Kia Optima?
13 of 233 owner complaints about the 2018 Kia Optima (6%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2018 Kia Optima?
There are 0 recalls and 35 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2018 Kia Optima
Oil consumption 54Check engine light 39Engine failure 30Stalling 29Knocking 23Jerking 15Headlights 13Misfire 11Loss of power 10Won't shift 8Hesitation 7Fuel pump 6Won't start 6
VIN decoder
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