2013 Kia Optima
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 1,383 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 20 Optima model years with reports.
Of the 2013 reports, 48 involved a crash and 114 involved a fire. 36 people were injured and 4 people died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideSep 25, 2023
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.
An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 23V652000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, body, roof and pillarsAug 1, 2022
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.
A plate that detaches during a crash may strike an occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 22V560000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsFeb 17, 2022
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.
A fuel leak can increase the risk of a fire.
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.
Campaign 22V093000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideMay 10, 2021
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.
An electrical short in the HECU increases the risk of a fire while parked or driving.
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.
Campaign 21V331000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideAug 27, 2020
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.
If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
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.
Campaign 20V519000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsFeb 21, 2020
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.
If the fuel hose cracks, a fuel leak can occur, increasing the risk of a fire.
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.
Campaign 20V100000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsDec 19, 2018
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.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
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.
Campaign 18V907000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, air bag/restraint control moduleJun 1, 2018
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 18V363000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engineMar 31, 2017
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.
Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 17V224000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
650 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Oct 11, 2021
While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle began to stall and as I tried to keep going, I did get to 60 MPH and the car completely stalled and turned off in the middle of the highway as I tried to get off to the side. All of the warning lights illuminated. The car would not start up and the steering wheel locked. I had to be pushed off the road. I was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The battery seemed to still have power at the time, but still would not start. Someone pulled over to try to jump start the vehicle, but it would not start. I then went and purchased a new battery to see if that would help and it did not. The car had absolutely no power to it, would not click over and would not shift into gear. The week prior, my check engine light had came on and I did stop at autozone to have them run a diagnostic. When it ran it pulled up a manufacturer code P1004 and they were unable to tell me what it meant. I do have the documents from that visit. My vehicle has been well taken care of and I have kept up to date on recalls and maintenance. Approximate mileage when this happened is 122k. I had the vehicle towed to AAMCO who then determined the engine was damaged and I then had it towed to Peak Kia to see what we needed to do.
Steering, Engine, Oct 4, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 60-70 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled. The brake warning light and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated she was able to partially veer to the side of the road as the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated she was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The battery was jumped with some assistance and the vehicle restarted. The contact stated she drove the vehicle to the dealer however, the failure reoccurred as she was pulling into the parking lot. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 152,000.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Sep 27, 2021
"Hybrid System Warning Safely stop and Do not Drive" has appeared multiple times. First time, brake fluid was flushed and car appeared to operate normally afterwards. 3 months later, now, happened twice within two weeks. Apparently, a very common issue. The car shuts down and I am forced to coast/pullover/stop without any power from the engine and was fortunate this did not occur in an intersection. Others have noted the occurrence on the freeway. Like other, when I took the car in, no error codes were seen as the warning light had turned off so the mechanics do not know what the issue is. How does Kia not know what the issue is when the car could shut down, become inoperable suddenly? Once the warning light comes on, the brakes semi-lock and one is luck enough to get to safety, to pull over... Does someone have to be injured or worse for KIA to do something or for the NHTSA TO DO SOMETHING?? 1) https://www.optimaforums.com/threads/2013-optima-hybrid-hybrid-system-warning-check-brake-message.170498/ 2) https://www.kiaownersclub.co.uk/threads/how-to-fix-check-hybrid-system-warning-unable-to-charge.45921/ 3) https://www.reddit.com/r/kia/comments/lk6wvt/2013_kia_optima_hybrid_system_warning_i_dont_know/ 4) http://www.arfc.org/complaints/2012/kia/optima_hybrid/engine/problem.aspx 5) https://www.carproblemzoo.com/kiamotor/optimahybrid/equipment-problems.php 6) https://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/kia-optima.html?page=5 7) https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-c23349_ds1010763
Engine, Sep 24, 2021
Kia motors had a recall on my vehicle 2013 KIA optima hybrid so I took my car into the dealership explaining the issues I had and the service advisor Justin told me that they would have to look at it and if it’s related to the recall they would take care of it at no cost to me it’s been over a month and the service advisor told me it was a defective motor and all of a sudden refusing to fix it I shouldn’t be responsible for their defective engine please advise
Engine, Sep 20, 2021
I was driving my 2013 Kia Optima on the freeway. Perfectly functioning until the vehicle just stalled while driving 60-70 mph. All the lights came on including the check engine light. I had to pull to the side and turn off my vehicle. Then it turned right back on and continued driving perfectly. Until the next day, I was driving on the highway and it was running perfect. Until I turned in a corner and my car stalled once again. This time the check engine light stayed on when I turned the vehicle back on. Then it started making this loud metal grinding noise. So I had to drive slow and the car almost shut down. I got it towed 70 miles back home. My car was running perfectly fine until that happened. It is a engine bearing knocking noise every time I start the car. It could be in the oil pan of the engine that is making that noise. This put my safety at risk on the highway because I couldn't get more speed when my foot was on the petal and my car was slowing down slowly. There was lots of traffic so I had to avoid slowing down to quick before I got stuck in the lanes. So I had to put my blinkers on and pull to the side. The side was a little narrow because the cars were driving right beside mines and it was a busy highway. I thought I'd get hit but thankfully I didn't and pulled safely to the side. I researched about this problem and it is pretty common with people that have the Kia Optima 2013. And its recalled for that problem. So my confirmation is from researching it on the internet. Yes the problem has been confirmed by Kia because they got law suited for it and that's why they had recalls. My vehicle will be inspected by the manufacturer on September 28th. There was no warning signs or symbols of the car before that problem happened. It just happened instantly and it had me worried. The car was running perfectly fine getting to places. There was no problems prior to this. It first appeared on September 12th, 2021.
Engine, Sep 19, 2021
My car ran hot and my motor went out
Engine, Sep 17, 2021
I was giving my brother a ride to work when the car stalled. There was no engine light on or any warning light what’s so ever all of sudden my steering wheel turned hard and I could not steer. Brake pedal was hard for me to step on I nearly wrecked in to a gate. I own this car for few years already and never giving me problems. I did notice there was a recall going on about engines on these 2013 2014 going bad. At first I thought it was my battery or alternator but everything has power. Just the engine don’t want to turn over. I would appreciate if someone can help me in this situation.
Electrical system, Engine, Sep 16, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would shut off without warning. The contact would be able to restart the vehicle soon after the failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where they replaced the spark plugs and cleaned the fuel injectors. Upon driving the vehicle home at 50 MPH, the contact's wife stated that the vehicle shut off again without warning. Despite the failure, his wife was able to restart the vehicle and drive home without incident. The next day, the contact called the dealer to notify them of the failure and they informed him that it may take some time to repair the vehicle due to the cleaning of the fuel injectors. The contact stated that the failure persisted despite the repair. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Engine, Sep 9, 2021
My car said warning ️ do not drive and my brakes went out when I was able to stop I cut off the car then back on and it wouldn't move .I was on the highway when this happened.
Engine, Aug 30, 2021
The components in which failed in my vehicle are unknown at this time. The only thing that I know is my emergency check engine light was flashing and my car proceeded to go into limp mode. Reason for that was the rod knock sensor went off. My main concern is that a few minutes following my engine had completely shut down in the middle of the Highway. I was nearly hit by several vehicles following behind me. The problem has not been confirmed but has been identified with the SAME exact issue as other 2013 Kia Optima owners. No police reports or investigations were conducted. I am not the only person that had their safety at risk due to Kias negligence. This is clearly a reoccurring issue with many owners of the same make and model. I would think that Kia would have investigated this issue.
Engine, Aug 24, 2021
Total Engine failure while driving at 70mph on interstate. 67,555 miles Only warning was at time of engine failure check engine light came on. I purchased car used from my father in law who passed away due to COVID-19. Never any problems until now. I have seen many issues online with engines for this model year and I know that some Kia's have had engines replaced free of charge. It seems to be widespread issue to all 2013 Optimas and other models including multiple years. What was Kia's countermeasure to correct the issue? What is the RPN number for their internal PFMEA and DFMEA? If it was machining burrs remaining in the engine at time of assembly-what is detection method? -Visual inspection (not 100%)? - machine vision? -added process (brushing operation)? -added shot blast peening of crankshaft forging before machining? -added deburring of main bearings? etc. Consumer stated vehicle was towed and taken to a dealer. Still has not been repaired.
Engine, Aug 10, 2021
Drove the vehicle on the interstate next warning lights came on stating Hybrid system warning safety stop and do not drive I pulled over popped the hood and saw oil leaking everywhere and the vehicle was inoperable so I towed to my home called the Kia dealership stating there was a recall on my vehicle a 2013 Kia optima hybrid and advised what to do they told me to tow it to the dealership and there is it
Engine, Aug 9, 2021
Drove car all of a sudden the engine started knocking and missing and burning oil out the exhaust I parked the car until Kia can look at it
Engine, Aug 4, 2021
My car recently cut off I replace the camshaft sensor A and B My engine is currently knocking
Engine, Jul 31, 2021
Rod Bearing caused the engine to Cease , my Car was at Ray Skillman from 6/28/21 diagnosed 7/28/21 KIA denied claim, after all recalls have been performed on vehicle. Engine still should've been under warranty to replace engine a 2nd time. Engine replaced 3/2015 at 38,905 before recall in 2017 ceased 6/28/2021 we had towed to Dealership Able to get to safety on side of interstate 65 could've been a bad situation on highway if in middle of road No lights or warnings came on prior to car stalling
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 26, 2021
Vehicle starts smoking from under hood after driving for awhile. Not sure if its coming from the turbo or another part.
Engine, Jul 26, 2021
Driving down highway and lost engine power. The gas engine seized up causing the vehicle to stop suddenly. Towed to Kia and the said the engine is seized up.
Electrical system, Engine, Jul 11, 2021
The motor failed while I was driving. I was at a stop sign and was turning the corner and my car shut off. I tried to start the car and smoke was coming from the engine. I had to have my car towed home. No warning lamps came up prior to the engine shutting down.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 10, 2021
My oil light has been coming on and blinking then disappearing. Current on oil change and oil level is full on dipstick. Noticed little oil stain on driveway but oil level remains good and full. A couple times now my car has lost acceleration. One time on the highway and once in my neighborhood. When I press the gas it does not accelerate. It will lose speed and after a few times of stepping on the gas will eventually get to speed.
Engine, Jul 9, 2021
Engine began making very loud noised while driving on an expressway. Pulled off of the road and engine would not start. Had to get towed to a local repair shop. I found out that my engine is blown. There have been recalls on the Theta II engine, but, mine was not involved in the recall. There are many reports of these engines that were not involved with the recall having MAJOR issues. Please investigate further into these engines.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 6, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine, Jul 3, 2021
We believe the connecting rod bearing in the engine is bad and needs to be replaced. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. When the engine failure occurred, luckily we were in a neighborhood and not traffic because the engine speed was drastically reduced and the vehicle failed to accelerate in a reasonable manner. The vehicle has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer, but a home computer diagnostic was done on the vehicle giving a "Cylinder 3" misfire code. The vehicle has not been seen by anyone other than the owners of the vehicle, we are currently in the process of trying to get an appointment with a kia dealership. There were no warnings prior to the failure, but as soon as the failure occurred, the check engine light turned on and was blinking.
Engine, Jun 28, 2021
While driving as normal on the way home the engine stalled and would not pick up as I was getting on the highway with traffic behind me. I was able to get on and begin doing 50-55mph getting good onto the highway and pick up speed trying to get to 60mph never got to go past 55 as the car slowed down instead of picking up speed. EVERY warning light popped up onto the dash as I panicked to get off the highway unable to pick up speed and move out of the way of flying cars it slowed down to a complete stop I had just made it off the highway onto the side of the highway with cars flying by the grace of God my kids were not with me. I was not able to start the car up and had no idea as to why it happened I had no issues with my car and just brought it from Crown dealership not even a full 2 years of having the car. It was confirmed by a licensed mechanic that the engine is gone and no known reason as to why. The manufacture states it is beyond warranty as the car was purchased from crown they keep telling me to call and speak to Kia. Kia states it has no recall because of my VIN. I am not the first and not last to have this unexpectedly happen. I keep the up oil changes, tune ups, new tires and more done. now to know the engine is gone an it is not my fault no help and additional 5,000 for repair I am still making payments on the car and can not even drive it. I could have died on the road or highway due to the car just stopping on it own while driving the warning lights didn't come on until after the car was done going. I had no choice but to get over quick still risking to get hit and unable to do or know anything. This is crazy how you can take car of the car and not be able to do anything other than pay more on the car that was not even close to the total being added on now. The lawsuit filed I should have called for help because now I am stuck and blessed not to be hurt or killed due to this issue.
Engine, Jun 22, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that when driving at 73 mph the engine stalled. The contact stated all lights illuminated on the instrument panel while the failure occurred. The contact was able to coast the vehicle onto the road shoulder. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The contact stated that the dealer did not perform a diagnostic yet. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 104,000.
Engine, Jun 11, 2021
While driving the car on 5/14/2021, the warning light came on and in 30 seconds, the engine quit. The car was taken to Steve's Tech Senter, Foley, AL. The starter was replaced and still would not run. Steve told me the engine was seized up. I contacted Team Gunther Kia, Daphne, AL, and was told by Cassandra that the car was not under warranty because it had 130000 miles and I had missed the deadline on the recall notice. I have never been notified of a recall notice on the car at all. I did receive a Northern California District document telling me of a class action suit settlement (approximately one year ago). I had no problems with the car at that time and did nothing. There was a timeframe for reporting of 4/12/2021 to the their document which also stated that the engine warranty would be extended. I had no hint of a problem with the car until the engine seized on 5/14/2021.