2013 Kia Optima Hybrid Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 22about this part
- Share
- 39%of 56 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 50,521miles
- Trend
- RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 22 complaints about the electrical system of the 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid, 39% of the 56 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 50,521 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Vehicle was traveling 65 MPH when a hcs warning light came on and the vehicle stopped completely in the middle of the freeway. I had to get the car towed. The Kia dealer said the safety fuse of 125 had to be replaced with a 150 safety fuse as well as the new battery, $897 to fix the problem. When I asked Kia why they didn't recall the 125 safety fuse, they said it was not a safety issue!”
NHTSA complaint #11172606, filed 2019-01, 67,000 miles“Today my car cut off as I was driving. The display read hybrid system warning. It then proceeded to say for me to pull over and stop driving this happened to me 3 times over the weekend and I've read many other complaint about the same issue but no one seems to be able to find the problem I also replaced the alternator and that was a waste because right after that was serviced it happened again”
NHTSA complaint #11143580, filed 2018-10, 78,000 miles“Vehicle would't start the engine randomly. Kia dealer wasnt able to find the issue since I brought my vehicle in and it was running at that time. Randomly shows hybrid system is not properly working.”
NHTSA complaint #11141677, filed 2018-10, 40,000 miles“We took the car to a car wash , after they clean the car we tried to start the car , but we get an error key is not recognize . We were not able to start the car. Then my wife brought the second key , we got the same error. We towed the car to dealer and still there after 3 days . They said they could not find anything wrong . I do not believe that , there is something wrong , what happened if this condition appear in highway ? I drive 30,000 miles a year and even though this is the first episode, I am very concern regarding this problem.”
NHTSA complaint #10626343, filed 2014-08, 31,320 miles“I was coming home from work monday and a very heavy rain storm was coming down. As I pulled into my driveway, I set my Kia in park and attempted to turn off the vehicle by pressing the power button. The response I got was that the vehicle was not in the p park position, although it was in that shifted position. I press the power button again and it turns on the lights inside the car rather than turn them off. I have to try several times before a successful attempt at just turning off my car. Turning it on is no problem, its just turning it off that is causing distressing. …”
NHTSA complaint #10715830, filed 2015-05, 30,150 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11036628Aug 28, 2026TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR – ELECTRICAL A/C COMPRESSOR - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin…
- 11035124Jul 15, 2026VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (SC269 FLIGHT #401) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to…
- 11015971Mar 25, 2025VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (SC269) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to inspect and, if…
- 11006367Aug 19, 2024VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (SC269) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to inspect and…
- 11006546Aug 16, 2024TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY SAFETY PLUG FUSE INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT (SC269) - This bulletin has been revised to include…
- 10239734Jul 14, 2023VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to ensure that the proper…
- 10239736Jul 13, 2023VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY SAFETY PLUG FUSE INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT (SC269) - This bulletin provides information to inspect and, if necessary, replace…
- 10239735Jul 12, 2023VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: QUESTION AND ANSWER - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Voluntary Service…
- 10239733Jul 12, 2023VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service Managers that Kia is conducting a Voluntary…
- 10239732Jul 12, 2023VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to ensure that…
Electrical system: other model years
Other parts of the 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid
16 complaintsEngine
14 complaintsOther or unknown
9 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
7 complaintsHybrid propulsion system
5 complaintsVehicle speed control
5 complaintsSteering
4 complaintsElectronic stability control
3 complaintsExterior lighting
3 complaintsSuspension
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology