NHTSA Complaint #11679164 — 2019 KIA OPTIMA

I am the owner of a 2019 Kia Optima SX Turbo in Snow White Pearl (SWP) paint. At approximately 100,000 miles, I observed bubbling and peeling of the paint—no collision or exterior impact occurred to trigger this. The peeling area has since enlarged, exposing the underlying primer or bare metal, which is visible in an attached photo. I contacted Kia around 115,000 miles when I fully realized the paint failure. Kia declined to offer any repair or goodwill assistance, citing that the vehicle is no longer under warranty. However, this is a widely reported defect affecting many Kia and Hyundai vehicles with the Snow White Pearl paint. Numerous owners have experienced similar peeling and flaking without misuse or accidents. This is clearly a manufacturing defect in paint adhesion, rather than normal deterioration. It compromises both the vehicle’s aesthetics and resale value, and it may lead to rust or more serious long-term problems. There are pending class-action lawsuits in Canada for identical issues with SWP paint. Yet, U.S. owners are left to manage this defective condition on their own, without support from Kia. I respectfully request the NHTSA open an investigation into this paint failure issue involving Kia vehicles painted in Snow White Pearl, including the 2019 Optima, and consider issuing a recall or a mandatory repair campaign.