2015 KIA OPTIMA Engine Problems

605 NHTSA complaints on file

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All Engine Complaints — Page 6

#11494407 |
August 6, 2022 on Kansas Turnpike near El dorado. 2015 Kia Optima LX 74,000 miles. With absolutely NO warning whatsoever revved high then began a knocking sound, then a horrible banging and died. No lights, no alarms. Steering became a problem. We were able to drift to the side of the road as we were already in the right lane. Once completely stopped dash lights came on. We had no idea of any recalls or issues. Engine never recovered and we procured roadside assistance. Waited 4 hours on the side of the turnpike. We have since learned of a class action lawsuit against Kia with this very issue. We are still waiting for an engine replacement/rebuild 15 weeks later!
#11494057 |
The engine failed exactly like kia expected it to in the class action lawsuit, but they are refusing to repair the engine since they sent documentation that I needed to have a system upgrade done. However they sent it to an address that I no longer lived at and I've unforgettably them that I had proof that I didn't raise at the address anymore, but they don't care because whatever they sent want returned to them. So instead of replacing my engine because they knowingly sold vehicles worth bad engines they have sent me a bill for $8000 in order to get my car repaired. When you look this up there are so many people worth the exact same issue. Kids is finding any and all reasons to not honor their agreement and to continue to profit off of people.
#11493674 |
UNKNOWN but I got my car in February, it’s always been sounding rough from the start but was told it’s normal, lately the past few months I noticed a little vibration and a change of sound in the motor but had no lights come up on dashboard so assumed it wasn’t a problem. Well to this day my engine is shaking very rough that my car vibrates extremely and making a clicking sound best way to describe it and my engine light as well as oil topper light came on just a few days ago which I’ve gotta an oil change roughly about 2 months ago and added oil as well recently. So not sure if I have a leak of some sort or what. My breaks are also bad but when I purchased the car one tire was missing two bolts cause they broke off. Lately a lot of...
#11492554 |
My engine has died while driving on two occasions. The first time the engine died I pulled over to the side of the road and I turned the ignition off and it cranked right up. No more issues for approximately two months. The next time I was driving and the engine died I pulled over to the side of the road, turned the ignition off and tried to crank it but nothing happened. All the lights were on but the engine wouldn't turn over at all, no clicking noise, absolutely nothing. I was so confused because all lights were on but nothing happened when I turned the key. I had it towed to Pep Boys who said I had complete engine failure. What? No warning, no check engine lights, no running hot, I maintained my car religiously. I heard there was a recall on the Theta engines but I can't...
#11492493 |
While driving vehicle it started making noise and then loss of power
#11492522 |
Engine rod bearings are now making a knocking sound. It is available for inspection when driving down the high my car lost power engine light started to flash and then a loud knocking noise started.I was in the highway with my three children when the car lost power cause me and my family to be out in harms way of being hit from behind. The vehicle has been inspected by a mechanic who stated the engine will need to be repairs due to the rod bearings. No warning lights were on until the car all the sudden lost power and started knocking. I then had to have it towed 150 miles just to get it home
#11491678 |
The engine stopped running while driving down the Hwy. this could have caused a major accident. This has not been inspected by the manufacturer yet. There were warnings or indications that anything was wrong.
#11490545 |
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized with knocking sounds coming from the vehicle. The contact’s wife pulled over, and the contact arrived on the scene to inspect the vehicle and check the engine oil. The contact restarted the vehicle and the failure recurred with knocking sounds coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the main bearing had fractured and the engine needed to be replaced; however, the manufacturer declined the engine replacement due to an unrepaired Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) recall. The contact had not yet received the recall notification. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the dealer offered to buy back the vehicle from the contact. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and declined the engine replacement. The failure mileage...
#11489898 |
As I was driving on the Interstate, my car lost power and I was unable to push on my gas or use my brakes to slow down to pull off the interstate. Lights begin flashing with a warning that read “ Check Hybrid system. Stop vehicle and turn off engine. This is the second time this has happened but before my car shut off and didn’t turn back on. I was going to be hit by a semi truck had he not swerved around. Also, this the 5th time this week it has happened.
#11489706 | Fire
May 28,2022 car stalled no warning, car towed to service center found out engine trouble, claim denied by warranty because it was related to a Kia recall,Knock Sensor Detection System, car was towed to Kia Dealership on June 7,2022, where it was confirmed that engine seized do to the recall, had engine replaced and car returned July 9,2022, on July 10,2922 returned car to dealership for engine knocking noise, car repaired tensioner pulley and alternator m, picked car up July15,2022. On August 7,2022 car stalled while driving and smoke coming out of hood, engine was on fire and engulfed entire vehicle.
#11488960 |
I was driving down the freeway and my car engine shut off and lost all power. Pulled off to the side of the road and the car started back up and was running fine. About 10 miles later the engine started clicking and continued to get worse as I tried to get off the highway and into a Kia Dealership. When I was about a tenth of a mile away from a Kia Dealer, my engine made a loud bang noise, and started smoking immediately as my car completely shut down. I had cars behind, alongside, and in front of me that were put in obvious danger as my engine blew up and smoke filled the air around the area. Making visibility poor for others as well as my speed dropping without brake lights due to the engine failing. The problem cannot be reproduced as the engine will not start...
#11489054 |
i was driving my 2015 kia optima lx 2.4L which i recently got i am currently the second owner and did not receive no mail containing any open recalls to my car and the engine seized up and now the Kia dealership does not want to help me out , what can i do?
#11488540 | Fire
My car started smoking while I was driving! From under hood and into vents in car bad! Got pulled over and some yelled my car was on fire, get out! There were no lights on for car! I had ran one of those diagnostic checks that morning ( have it set for once a month) Nothing came back on it at all, car seemed to be great! Left house and 15 mins later car caught fire in the engine! I could of died and my dog! Fire looks to have burned through the fire wall!
#11488354 |
My Kia had been using oil at an abnormal rate. Could not identify anything wrong. The car would sometimes unexpectedly stall out and the oil would be a little low, even relatively soon after an oil change. I would top it off and it would operate fine. This month the engine seized up completely. When we had a mechanic disassemble the engine and examine it, he found abnormal damage to the engine, including carbon deposits from burned off oil that had escaped and not returned for lubrication, as well as metal shavings in the oil pan.
#11488080 |
Driving one day and I hear a knocking sound coming from the engine. It locked on me on the way home and isn’t drivable. Took it to the dealership and they said it had a recall and the engine needs to be replaced. Kia denied the engine replacement saying I took to long to come in. I bought it used and never received a letter in the mail about it.
#11487830 |
2015 Kia Optima began to not accelerate on freeway when trying to reach 2 rpms. Took for diagnostic it was stated solenoid needed replaced. However, the engine was knocking and I was informed that I needed a new engine. Mechanic did not want me to invest money into vehicle. I pulled up vehicle and see this as an issue for 2015 Kia Optimas. That current issues have been reported by numerous people. My car had no lights or warning sensors regarding these issues. Now the engine is inoperable and I have no vehicle w a car payment.
#11485326 | Fire
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH, smoke was coming inside the vehicle. The contact had to stop the vehicle and turn off the vehicle, when the contact restarted the vehicle, he saw flames coming from the windshield wipers. While opening the hood of the vehicle to see where the flames were coming from, the contact burned his hands. Medical attention was not required. The vehicle burst into flames. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to a repair facility. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000. The VIN was not available.
#11484708 |
While driving on the freeway vehicle began to knock. Pulled off the freeway into a dealership. Dealer said there was little oil in the engine despite having an oil change less than 1000 miles prior. Engine burned through 5 quarts in less than 1000 miles. No oil lights or check engine lights on causing engine failure and need for a new engine. Told vin does not fall under the endings oil consumption recall of similar model/year.
#11484326 |
2015 Kia Optima Hybrid HEV system. Months after purchasing the vehicle two different lights would come on the engine. One is the HEV warning light and the other is a flashing “Turn off engine and check HEV system”. The first time it happened the vehicle turned off. It was towed to Kia, 02/2020. They change some sensor and sent me on my way. 3 weeks later the HEV warning light came on again so it was towed to Kia for the 2nd time, 03/2020. This time they said they could not recreate the issue. A month later the light came on again and again but since the light never stayed on, I kept getting told by Kia that I’d have to take it in when the light stayed on. 01/2021 the light came on again, with the flashing warning and the vehicle turned off, mid-drive. It was towed to a...
#11482198 |
2015 KIA OPTIMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ENGINE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED THEY WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANY RECALLS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT HAD NOT OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE.
#11481424 | Fire
On January 12, 2022 I was informed by Danbury KIA (Danbury, CT) that my 2015 KIA Optima required a recall engine replacement. I left the vehicle with the dealer and the repair was completed on Jan 31, 2022. I picked up the car on February 1, 2022 and on February 3, 2022 the car was destroyed by an engine fire. My insurance company deemed the car a total loss and compensated me for the market value of the car. At the time the car was completely paid off and I was still in excellent condition. I had no reason to trade for a newer model - especially with the new engine. After the insurance payoff I still needed to finance $25000 for the purchase of a comparable replacement vehicle. To date neither the dealer nor the KIA corporation have contacted me or made any attempt to address my loss.
#11479941 |
I BEEN REPORTED THE RECALL ABOUT MY CAR ENGINE AND OTHER PROBLEMS THATS GOING ON WITH IT BUT THE MANUFACTURER WON’T FIX IT SO WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO HAVE ALL THESE RECALLS FIXED
#11480002 |
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, an abnormal knocking noise was coming from the engine. The vehicle then lost motive power and stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where she was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle would not be covered under warranty or recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
#11478830 |
While driving at 65 mph check engine light turned on and I lost all power. Very dangerous. This is the second time this has happened and the second time I have reported this emergency situation has occurred. The last time this happened in 2019, Kia replaced engine then wiring harness. Your assistance is needed to prevent this doesn’t happen to other drivers.
#11478414 |
As the car was running on the intersection, all the emergency lights came on from the vehicle. The car completely stopped but I was able to move it to a safe space. When I attempted to turn on the car again smoke came out of the engine.
#11477868 |
Engine Failure due to rod bearing issues-faulty manufacturing parts appears to have gotten into engine preventing or binding the engine so that it will not start.
#11476734 |
Recently has a new engine installed at pitre Kia , due to a recall malfunction, they installed a new engine but didn’t fix the recall problem, now that I have my car back. My engine moves when I hit the brakes, my brakes go all the way down sometimes, doesn’t stop the car at all, I am in danger everyday I drive my car, I never know if my brakes will fail on me. Or my car will burst out into flames, and I can smell fuel in the cabin of the car really strong, I have really bad gas mileage and my steering wheel is a lot stiffer than normal
#11475111 |
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, an abnormal burning odor was detected. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and declined the engine replacement. Upon investigation, the contact was made aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the contact had not yet received the recall notification. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
#11474718 |
My car had started acting weird about 5 months after I got it, I believe Jan 2020. Only had it till Jan 2021 and they said my engine Barrings broke and it was going to cost me 10000. I didn’t have it. I was never informed about the recall. It messed up my whole credit and I still have not been able to get a car since. I moved and I was just now able to get the mail!
#11473971 |
Just bought the car. Drove it off lot & engine quit on me. Wont go over 25 mph. They won’t refund my money. So I’m on phone with Kia consumer affairs. If they don’t get it fixed/replaced/or buy the car back then I am contacting the lawyers who have the lawsuits against Kia & add my case to their lawsuit. This is ridiculous how many people on here that I see Kia is denying them for replacement of motor due to their company!! They need to get it together or just quit making cars! They suck! I bought it in good faith hoping it was a reliable car. Now I’m $9k out of pocket.
#11473247 |
5/17/22-Brought car in for a basic "what needs to be done for maintenance if I was to buy/sell this car". Thought it could be idling low so he suggested an oil change, spark plugs and a fuel injection service due to mileage. But no issues happening with the car. He did not have parts. Scheduled for June 20th. 6/20/22 Car serviced at Sun Mountain. Received call that on the test drive after service was completed that the car died mid drive. He got it back to the shop after jumping the battery. He ran a diagnostic and said everything besides the battery looked good. Battery was very low. He revved the engine and there was a rattling. I told him I had not heard that prior to bringing the car in. He brought up a recall that Kia had for Rod Bearing Failure. Paid and returned car home safely. 6/21/22...
#11472989 |
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle started to decelerate. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal almost to the floorboard; however, the vehicle was decelerating with an abnormally loud knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact managed to pull off the highway safely and stopped. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer nor independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
#11472645 |
not really sure my car just started making a clicking noise out of no where & powered off & now it wont detect key or wont start up
#11472354 |
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while performing a daily oil check, the contact noticed that the oil level was low. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that there was no oil in the engine after an oil change a month prior. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there were no recalls on the VIN regarding the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was 80,000.
#11471314 |
On 6/5/2022 my vehicle broke down and had to be towed. On Monday 6/20/2022 I took my vehicle to the Colonial Kia dealership in Chester Virginia. On Wednesday 6/22/2022 I got a call from the dealership saying I would need a new engine and the problem with my vehicle was a part of the large Kia engine settlement. But that Kia denied my claim to get my car fixed and paid for by KIA because I did not get a previous recall fixed. (recall # 21V331). My car is not drivable and Kia is liable for it because of the KIA engine Settlement. I never received any information in the mail about the above stated recall on my vehicle so therefore I had no idea it had to be fixed.
#11471407 |
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing an excessive drop in the oil level. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the fuel injector needed to be cleaned; however, that service had not been completed. The failure persisted. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start-up. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
#11471234 |
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and driving over a pothole, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving however, the failure reoccurred twice while driving over a speed bump. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that she needed to pay a diagnostic fee as the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000. The VIN was not available.
#11470489 |
The long block detached while driving on access road The life of those around me including my daughter The vehicle was inspected by the dealership
#11470225 |
Driving down Highway at 72 mph when vehicle shut down wheel got tight then vehicle restarted itself. Taken to dealership ran multiple test and cannot find an issue with the vehicle. There are no warning lights there was no symptoms or anything else like that that would have let me know the vehicle was would shutdown/restart while driving.
#11469827 |
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH the accelerator felt soft to her and as she depressed the accelerator the vehicle began to lose forward momentum. The contact stated the "check engine" warning was illuminated and the engine was still functioning but the contact stated there was no power. The contact safely coasted the vehicle off the side of highway. The contact shut the vehicle off and then restarted and was able to move forward, however the engine could only manage to move the vehicle at approximately 35 MPH and still had the "check engine" warning illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to her residence and later to an auto parts store who scanned the vehicle and determined that the "knock sensor (P1326) code was detected. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had taken the vehicle previously to a dealer to...
#11468799 |
Engine has seized Falls under engine recall they are refusing to fix because of because of a recall that wasn't fixed that I never received notice for
#11468653 |
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 116, 000.
#11468329 |
Engine locked up
#11467228 |
In 2020 a message saying “check hybrid system, stop vehicle and turn off engine appeared and the car stopped while I was driving. I brought it to the Kia Dealership and they “fixed the problem”. On Tuesday May 31st I was driving home on the expressway and my car stopped. I luckily was able to pull off to the side and then the same message popped up and the car would not drive anymore. I have had 5 recalls with this car and it is only 7 years old.
#11467001 |
engine. unknown
#11465770 |
To make a long story short on 5/16 my engine started to knock. Without any warning no prior warning lights came on no nothing my car started to stall on the highway I had my 3 year old daughter in the back seat and we barely made it to the side of the road. My engine, oil, and battery light started to flash and I lost power. I had my car towed to the dealership on 5/19 because I was made aware of a class action lawsuit for the exact same thing that was happening to my car. I bought the car 6 months ago from hickory hollow kia in Antioch Tn they made me aware that I had an extended warranty on my engine to have it towed in so I did that. I got a call from the dealership the next day telling me they needed approval first...
#11464772 |
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that after stopping at a traffic light and then attempting to make a right turn while accelerating, the engine started revving however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and several warning lights flashed before the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The vehicle was towed. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the rod bearings had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer who confirmed the diagnosis. The contact became aware of an unknown recall however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 112,100.
#11464876 |
My car had turned off and everything else in the car turns on but i called the safety recall and they told me i had to 2 recalls on the car and i just got the car didnt know nothing about the recalls until somebody told me they said the air bag control unit and my engine control unit and kia told me my ecu isnt update so they couldnt repair anything and that my motor was locked and they told me i had to pay $6,000
#11464149 | Crash
I was in a accident in December where I went to brake at a light and hydra planed forward. Into the car I front of me. Which my driving record I can’t understand how the is happened is this a reflection of the recall and Kia’s parts took since just a few weeks ago to come in to the collision center from being back ordered since mid December I have been in a out of pocket rental practically begging to get my 4000$ I paid to enterprise since So because of this lengthy time my inspection was up in march but I can’t get it inspected because the check engine light came in the very first day I brought it home. Went to turn on my ac being a warm day and no cool air I called the collision center they then decide to tell me they are waiting on...
#11464251 |
The motor in my vehicle failed. It put myself, passengers, and others traveling on the highway at risk because the car shut down immediately in the road. The problem was identified by an independent service center. The vehicle was inspected by police and state troopers. There weren’t any warning lights prior to the failure.

Other 2015 KIA OPTIMA Problem Areas

Unknown Or Other 136 complaints Electrical System 124 complaints Structurebody 72 complaints Steering 67 complaints Service Brakes 48 complaints Power Train 47 complaints Fuelpropulsion System 44 complaints Service Brakes Hydraulic 37 complaints Vehicle Speed Control 32 complaints Air Bags 24 complaints Engine And Engine Cooling 23 complaints Exterior Lighting 22 complaints Electronic Stability Control Esc 10 complaints Fuel System Gasoline 9 complaints Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking 7 complaints Suspension 6 complaints Visibilitywiper 6 complaints Wheels 5 complaints Electrical Systemignitionanti Theftimmobilizerproximitykeysender 4 complaints Lane Departure Blind Spot Detection 3 complaints Seat Belts 2 complaints Tires 2 complaints Vehicle Speed Controlaccelerator Pedal 2 complaints Air Bagsfrontaldriver Clockspringspiral Cassette 1 complaint Electrical System Instrument Clusterpanel 1 complaint Electrical System12v24v48v Battery 1 complaint Electrical Systemalternatorgeneratorregulator 1 complaint Electrical Systempropulsion Systemtraction Batterymanagement Systemenergy Control Module Bmsbecm 1 complaint Engine And Engine Coolingengineengine Control Module Ecuecm 1 complaint Engine And Engine Coolingengineoillubrication 1 complaint Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systemmanifoldheadermufflertail Pipe 1 complaint Equipment 1 complaint Exterior Lightingheadlightsdaytime Running Lightsbulbs 1 complaint Exterior Lightingtail Lightsbulbs 1 complaint Firerelated 1 complaint Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control 1 complaint Fuel System Gasolinestorageevaporative Emissionscanister 1 complaint Lane Departure Warning 1 complaint Power Trainautomatic Transmissioninternalbearingsbushings 1 complaint Seats 1 complaint Seatsfront Assemblyseat Heatercooler 1 complaint Structure 1 complaint Tiressidewall 1 complaint Visibility 1 complaint Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac System 1 complaint Visibilitysunmoon Roof Assembly 1 complaint
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