NHTSA Complaint #11689876 — 2015 KIA OPTIMA

The engine in my 2015 Kia Optima Hybrid failed due to a known defect with the 2.4L engine used in Kia and Hyundai vehicles. The vehicle suddenly quit running and has been inoperable since. Prior to failure, the car had exhibited knocking noises and loss of power. This placed my safety at risk as the vehicle stalled unexpectedly and could have caused an accident if it occurred in traffic. The failure has been confirmed by an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the engine as needing complete replacement. Kia has refused to cover the repair, stating that the vehicle is past the extended warranty mileage, even though the issue is consistent with widely reported manufacturing defects on this engine family. The engine is still available for inspection, and there were no warning lights before the sudden failure. This problem has been widely reported by other Kia owners but my vehicle’s VIN is not included in the current recall campaign, leaving me with a non-functional vehicle despite the same defect.