2015 Kia Optima
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 1,008 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 20 Optima model years with reports.
Of the 2015 reports, 31 involved a crash and 74 involved a fire. 23 people were injured and 1 person 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
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 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
Representative owner complaints: engine
647 reports, newest first. Show all
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Electrical system, Engine, Jul 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while her granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and there was smoke coming from the front end of the vehicle. The driver was able to pull to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact met her granddaughter on the side of the road. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the smoke was coming from underneath the vehicle, under the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that an unknown wiring harness had burned, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the dealer informed the contact that the repair could not be covered under the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
Service brakes, Engine, Jul 6, 2024
The check oil and my fans stopped working and also my fuel pump and also my battery light went on
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jun 28, 2024
Car would not drive faster than 25 mph. Check engine light on codes p1326 and p0014. Not eligible for ki engine settlement but have the same issue..
Engine, Jun 26, 2024
Engine spontaneously seized/locked while driving. No check engine light on previous to this happening. Left me stranded in middle of busy road.
Engine, Jun 21, 2024
I have a 2015 Kia optima bought in July 2023 from a used dealer. This is the 4th Kia my family have owned. Prior to purchasing I ran a car fax and checked for recalls. The dealer where I purchased it at also check for recall.. I also checked again today on your Kia website for recalls and the only one listed is the newest one concerning the fuse which I also received a letter in the mail on Monday. The car currently has 131,000 miles service has been maintained. On [XXX] the car just stopped running going down the road no check engine or any warning that something was wrong.. I had it towed on Tuesday to a local shop who then told me it needed to go to the Kia dealership which is about 20 miles away… I had to have it towed again.. once at the Kia dealership I would told that more than likely it would be covered 100% due to a defect in the engines… I received a call back on Friday and was told it would not be covered due to a product improvement that was not complete that came out in 2018… 5 years prior to me owning the car.. I never received any information concerning the produce improvement … Again it was check for recalls on the https://www.nhtsa.gov/ by myself and also the dealer… none was showing and to this day it is not showing.. I even check the Kia website today and it still does not show the product improvement needed…. I see that there has also been a class action lawsuit that was settled due to the defective engines… I assure you if I knew of a recall it would have been completed. This car is the only mode of transportation my son has. I am a single parent who works for a local government and I do not make nor have the $6800 for an engine replacement. I am still paying on this car as I had to finance it due to lack of funds to purchase… Again we did our due diligence to make sure the car was in operating order when I purchased it.. we check recalls car fax and did not know of the issues… this is the 4th family Kia car and I trusted the bra INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jun 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal to merge onto the highway, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that she had not observed any warning lights being illuminated. The contact pulled off the highway and had the vehicle towed to a local mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had no oil and had seized. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.
Engine, Jun 10, 2024
Engine started knocking
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 7, 2024
Drove this 15 Kia Optima on the highway when all of a sudden it lost power and died. There was no lights or symptoms prior to this happening. The vehicle ran as it should up until the other day, the Engine had no codes or lights on in the vehicle.. Then without any signs at all the vehicle stalled and almost caused an accident on the highway and the would not start. Barely made it to the breakdown lane. We had it towed to a shop and We spent some time checking the Kia over to find out the starter had melted. We installed a new starter and now the engine has a very loud knocking sound that was never there before. Based on reading the safety recalls and bulletins on this Kia and issues surrounding this vehicle online, we should meet the criteria for a claim. Can you help me please!!!!
Engine, Jun 7, 2024
Driving on the highway at 60mph and the engine just shutdown and the car turned off. Fortunately, I was able to get onto the shoulder without incident. No warning lights came on until the engine shutdown. Tried to restart the engine after letting it sit for a few minutes, would not start again. Had the car towed to a local mechanic and they discovered that the engine seized. Hoping the service contract I bought when I bout this car used in November will cover the engine.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel system, Gasoline, Jun 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the check engine and battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the engine had been replaced two weeks prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer for routine maintenance; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. In addition, during a battery replacement, there were several unknown warning lights illuminated and smoke was coming from the vents. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was an EVAP leak, the canister purge valve had cracked, and the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced Kia Campaign Number: SC135. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Engine, May 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact turned off the vehicle, and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where an independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under an unknown recall because the recall had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the unknown recall because the recall had expired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Electrical system, Engine, May 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated the vehicle failed to start-up. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the oil level was extremely low. The contact was unaware of any oil leaks. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost of towing the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) after the failure had occurred. The failure mileage was approximately 184,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 16, 2024, crash
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while the daughter was driving at approximately 80 MPH and attempting to pass a tractor-trailer in the left lane, the vehicle behind her aggressively merged into the same lane causing a crash to the passenger side of the vehicle. The other vehicle fled the scene. The contact's daughter merged to the shoulder of the road. There was damage to the front passenger side door, and front passenger wheel well, and tire. The vehicle failed to restart. The police were on the scene however no Police Report was filed. There were no injuries reported. The vehicle was towed to a collision center for cosmetic repairs but the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was then towed to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer mentioned a recall related to the engine, but it was not eligible for engine replacement because the vehicle had not had a software update performed for the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
Engine, May 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence. There was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle when the vehicle restarted. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 115,911.
Electrical system, Engine, May 6, 2024
I have 3 issues currently going on with my 2015 Kia Optima. The first is the Oil Control Valve. This is supposed to be covered under my extended warranty that I pay for. If I didn't have the extended warranty I would be responsible for putting a new engine in a car with less than 60,000 miles on it. However, it will take time for the adjuster to come out and then to decide if the entire engine should be replaced which would then take even longer. The second issue is the O2 sensor which is part of the exhaust. Apparently in a care with less than 60,000 miles on it it's not unusual in the Kia Optima for this to go bad. Kia knows this is an issue but hasn't done anything about it. Lastly, the Stop Module in the braking system needs to be replaced. After hitting my brakes at a red light the ESC light came on and the brake lights don't go off. It's very dangerous as no one behind me can tell if I'm stopping or not. There was a previous recall for the HEC system which I had fixed. Per that recall brake fluid can leak and cause an electrical issue within the brake system but my Kia dealer service department is telling me it's not related to the original recall. I think it is and I think Kia should make the repair with no charge to me on a car with less than 60,000 miles on it. How does the engine, the exhaust system and the electrical system all go bad at the same exact time? This is unacceptable.
Engine, Apr 27, 2024
The car started making a noise and oil was just changed the prior month no leaks or anything and know it makes a noise and the engine light is on
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Apr 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, there was an abnormal smoke odor inside the interior of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was an oil leak in the engine compartment. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine, determining that the engine was consuming oil abnormally quick, and the engine might soon need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 19, 2024
I received a safety recall notice in November 2023 stating that there is defect with Hydraulic Electrical Control Unit (HECU) in my car that can result in an engine compartment fire either while I am driving my car or when it is parked. As of April 2024, I am still waiting to be notified that the part to fix this issue is available. This delay is putting my life and my children's lives at risk every time we drive in our only car, as well as the drivers around me if my car catches on fire when I am near them. In addition, this issue puts our home, as well as our neighbors' homes, at risk of catching on fire since I am not able to park outdoors away from other cars and structures as was recommended. In the past few days, I have felt a difference in my car's performance and today 04/19/24, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) warning light turned on. According to the notice I received, I am supposed to stop driving my car and have it taken to a dealership immediately if this happens. However, I called my local dealership, and the earliest appointment available is on 05/13/24. I have no other car and cannot afford to drive a rental car for almost 30 days. I have been placed into a horrible situation because of this major issue. I have to risk my safety every time I am in car and even when it is simply parked because of this. This is completely unacceptable, and Kia should be held responsible immediately as I have no other means to remedy this problem.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 6, 2024
Driving to work, that is less than 5 miles, started to hear a noise then car just stopped, called roadside assistance , towed to dealership. Had to wait for their diagnosis… I should be under my warranty. I have 44,400? Miles so under 100,000 miles. Has 10 yr warranty also but is 9 years old. Car paid off. They diagnosed rod bearings out and need a new engine—- m/b 6700.00 to replace engine. It should be under warranty- they said they had 4 recalls on that car/ make & model. I was never NOTIFIED so that is now supposedly null & void my warranty because they said my problem.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Apr 3, 2024
I was driving in downtown Gilbert when I pulled up to a red light. My car would not inch forward when taking foot off brake. I then had to put my foot all the way down to get my car to drive. When taking a turn my car would run perfectly until I stopped. Then we pull up to parking garage and the car just stops without while in drive so I put it in park and then turn it off and then back on and it works again. I had the alternator, battery and starter checked and they were all good no issues so why am I having electrical problems with my vehicle Kia needs to fix this.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Apr 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair 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 stated that when starting the vehicle, the check engine and several other warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating, and the contact was concerned about a possible fire. The contact had driven the vehicle to an independent mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over and stopped the vehicle. The contact stated that she waited about 30 minutes and restarted the vehicle and drove back to her residence. The manufacturer was not made aware. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine, Mar 31, 2024
The vehicle engine stalled on me twice to where I almost crashed with my fiancé which is 7 months pregnant with my daughter
Engine, Mar 27, 2024
Loss of power to engine when trying to increase speed to turn into traffic/getting onto the highway and constant severe engine knocking noise. I have to use hazards when turning into traffic/merging onto highway because the vehicle takes too long to catch up with the speed of traffic. It also has a problem with excess oil consumption, needs to be refilled every week and a half to two weeks. Bremerton Transmission has provided an inspection and a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P1326 (Knock Signal Range/Performance). The oil consumption has been an ongoing issue since I bought the car in February of 2022, only getting worse. The rest of the issues have been escalating problems.
Engine, Mar 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated that an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the engine oil level was checked. The contact was informed that the oil level was sufficient, however the oil needed to be changed. The engine oil was changed. The contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed of an open recall repair for the engine. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Mar 24, 2024
I NEED REMEDY COMPENSATION IN REGARDS OF MY RECALLS MY ENGINE WARRANTY WAS GONE AFTER BEING REPLACED DUE TO ENGINE SEIZED 01/01/2023 I HAD ENGINE WARRANTY SINCE 2020 AND NOW MY CAR WAS BEING REJECTED REFUSED REJECTED EXCLUDED IAM BEING DISCREDITED I OWN MY 2015 KIA OPTIMA I LIVED SLEEP IN MY CAR IAM HOING THROUGH FINANCIAL HARDSHIP SINCE 2021 I NEED LEGAL ADVICE HELP ASSISTANCE PLEASE