2013 Kia Optima problems, complaints & recalls

2013 Kia Optima recalls (9)

• Recall 23V652000Sep 25, 20231,730,192 vehiclesPark outside
  SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

  Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.

  Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

  Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.

• Recall 22V560000Aug 1, 2022257,998 vehicles
  STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

  Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Optima vehicles. The right and left headliner plates may not be secured properly, which can result in the plates detaching in the event of a side curtain air bag deployment.

  Risk: A plate that detaches during a crash may strike an occupant, increasing their risk of injury.

  Remedy: Dealers will secure the headliner plates, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 26, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC245.

• Recall 22V093000Feb 17, 202272,848 vehicles
  FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

  Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Optima vehicles that were previously repaired under NHTSA recall number 20V-100. The low pressure fuel hose may be damaged, or missing heat-protective tape, which can result in a fuel leak.

  Risk: A fuel leak can increase the risk of a fire.

  Remedy: Dealers will replace the low pressure fuel hose, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 2, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-33-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC228.

• Recall 21V331000May 10, 2021440,370 vehiclesPark outside
  SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

  Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles previously recalled under recall 20V-519. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly resulting in an electrical short.

  Risk: An electrical short in the HECU increases the risk of a fire while parked or driving.

  Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. Dealers will install a new multi-fuse, and inspect the HECU for leaks, replacing the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 2, 2021. This recall supersedes previous NHTSA recall number 20V-519. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC212.

• Recall 20V519000Aug 27, 2020440,370 vehiclesPark outside
  SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

  Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly resulting in an electrical short.

  Risk: If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.

  Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the HECU for leaking brake fluid and replace the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. The recall began October 20, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC197.

• Recall 20V100000Feb 21, 2020141,774 vehicles
  FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

  Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Optima vehicles equipped with 2.4L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) or 2.0L GDI Turbo engines. The low pressure fuel hose may deteriorate and crack over time due to heat generated within the engine compartment.

  Risk: If the fuel hose cracks, a fuel leak can occur, increasing the risk of a fire.

  Remedy: Kia will notify Owners, and Dealers will inspect the low pressure fuel hose for damage or leaking, replacing it as necessary. If no damage or leaking is found, a heat-protective tape will be installed. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began June 12, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC187.

• Recall 18V907000Dec 19, 201871,653 vehicles
  ENGINE · FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

  Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.

  Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

  Remedy: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.

• Recall 18V363000Jun 1, 2018507,587 vehicles
  AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE

  Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kia Forte, Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Kia Optima and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners from deploying.

  Risk: If the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.

  Remedy: Kia will notify owners. For model year 2011 Sedona vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to verify the ACU part number and, if necessary, install an extension wire harness kit between the ACU Connector and the Vehicle Harness Connector. For all other affected vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to install the extension wire harness kit. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC165.

• Recall 17V224000Mar 31, 2017618,160 vehicles
  ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

  Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.

  Risk: Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.

NHTSA defect investigations

• AQ23002Opened Nov 17, 2023Open

  Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires

  The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by Mando. Safety recalls included in this Audit Query (AQ) review include: Hyundai recalls 20V-520, 20V-543, …

• DP22003Opened Sep 12, 2022Closed Dec 12, 2023

  Loss of Motive Power

  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complain…

• EA21003Opened Dec 22, 2021Closed Feb 5, 2024led to recall 23V877

  Engine Fires

  On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles.  During the PE investigations, Hyundai and Kia issued several recalls to address vehicle fires, including those due to engine failures involving various engine types.  The remedies for the engine failure recalls typically involve engine inspection (to detect existing damage), and if necessary, engine …

• DP21003Opened Nov 12, 2021Closed Jun 20, 2023

  Throttle control system vulnerabilities

  The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003. Accordingly, Model Year (MY) 2005-2016 Kia Optima/K5, MY 2006-2015 Kia Sorento, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Elantra, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Santa Fe, MY 2006-2015 Hyundai Sonatas are all part of the subject population. The petition was originally filed as a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire that can b…

• EA19001Opened Apr 19, 2019Closed Sep 19, 2024led to recall 20V024

  Electrical overstress

  The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect.  During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mount…

• PE19004Opened Mar 29, 2019Closed Dec 22, 2021led to recall 20V088000

  Non-crash Vehicle Fires

  During this Preliminary Evaluation (PE), the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) assessed the scope, frequency and potential safety-related consequences of non-crash vehicle fires caused by both engine failures and failures of other vehicle systems/components in model year (MY) 2011-2014 Kia Optima, MY 2011-2014 Kia Sorento and MY 2010-2015 Kia Soul vehicles equipped with Theta II, Gamma, Nu and Lambda II engines (approximately 1.7 million vehicles). ODI also reviewed field and other data on other Kia vehicles (approximately 3.6 million additional vehicles) equipped with the same engines use…

• DP18003Opened Aug 21, 2018Closed May 10, 2019led to recall 18V907000

  Non-crash Vehicle Fires

  In a letter dated June 11, 2018, the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a safety defect investigation into non-collision related fires on model year (MY) 2011-2014 Kia Optima and Sorento, and Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe vehicles. In a letter dated July 24, 2018, CAS requested that MY 2010-2015 Kia Soul vehicles be added to the petition. CAS stated that there is a higher number of complaints to NHTSA regarding non-crash fires on these vehicles compared to other similar vehicles. The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)…

• RQ17003Opened May 18, 2017Closed Dec 22, 2021led to recall 17V224000

  Scope and Timeliness

  NHTSA opened Recall Query (RQ) 17-003 to investigate the timeliness and scope of Kia?s Theta II GDI engine recall (Recall No. 17V-224), and Kia?s compliance with reporting requirements. On November 23, 2020, the Agency entered into a Consent Order with Kia to administratively resolve NHTSA?s assertions of violations of law in connection with RQ17-003. NHTSA?s assertions included that Kia may be liable for civil penalties on multiple grounds, including that Recall No. 17V-224 was untimely and Kia?s recall report contained certain inaccuracies.Under the Consent Order, Kia agreed to a total civil…

NHTSA 5-Star safety ratings

Recent 2013 Kia Optima complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Oct 7, 2026MOEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionLighting

   Despite documenting this catastrophic internal mechanical destruction, the authorized franchise dealer has issued a written directive instructing the driver to operate this structurally compromised vehicle on public roads for a 1,000-mile oil consumption test with explicit instructions not to add, check, or have anyone service the engine oil level. Operating an engine running dry with verified cylinder wall gouging and unstable timing chains creates an imminent, severe…

   NHTSA complaint #11769671 · source
2. Filed Oct 7, 2026FL1 injuredAirbags

   I own a 2013 Kia Optima SXL. While the vehicle was parked and there was no collision, crash, impact, or other event that should have caused the airbags to deploy, the airbags unexpectedly deployed on their own. The deployment caused damage to the vehicle, including damage to the windshield. The airbag also hit me while I was sitting in the passenger seat, my children were also in the back seat. All of our ears were ringing for 24hours, I went to the hospital to get a CT scan…

   NHTSA complaint #11769506 · source
3. Filed Sep 18, 2026111,000 miTXBrakes

   The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was unable to start due to the battery being drained from the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) remaining on while the vehicle was turned off. After recharging the battery, the HECU made a buzzing sound while the battery was no longer charging. Additionally, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode while driving, and the ABS, traction control, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. A…

   NHTSA complaint #11765377 · source
4. Filed Sep 18, 2026SCFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   Gas smell from under the hood. When taken to the dealership it was diagnosed as the high pressure fuel line. NOTE: The high and low fuel lines have recalls that impact this vehicle make, model, and year BUT not this VIN.

   NHTSA complaint #11765197 · source
5. Filed Aug 31, 2026VAElectrical SystemLightingOther / Unknown

   Module 1 7.5 amp fuse continues to short and blow over and over again. Known issues with auto headlamp leveling sensor. Problem continues to happen. Lose my highbeams, shift lock, rear defrost, rearview auto dimmer, steering wheel controls. Anytime the fuse blows

   NHTSA complaint #11760844 · source
6. Filed Aug 27, 2026INOther / Unknown

   Both front door lock actuators failed within a one month period. It is a safety issue because the actuator is failing in a way that can prevent the door from opening, closing, properly latching and locking. The vehicle is available for inspection. I have taken it to a mechanic to confirm the failure.

   NHTSA complaint #11760064 · source
7. Filed Aug 20, 2026250,000 miWIEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving or while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was leaking fuel from the high-pressure pipe leading to the fuel pump. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V907000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine); however, VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because…

   NHTSA complaint #11758174 · source
8. Filed Aug 19, 2026TXFireBrakesEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   On July 14, 2026, the vehicle's engine was replaced by an authorized dealership under an official Kia recall. On August 16, 2026, while driving on the highway, heavy smoke suddenly began emitting from the engine compartment. When attempting to slow down, the braking system suffered a total loss of power and failed completely. To stop the vehicle, it had to be steered into the highway median to intentionally scrape against it to force a stop. Immediately upon exiting the…

   NHTSA complaint #11758049 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology