2013 Kia Optima Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe engine trouble: knocking noises, sudden loss of power, stalling, excessive oil use and in some cases smoke or fire from the engine compartment, usually at higher mileage. Steering noise and looseness, brake-related symptoms, and paint peeling are the other recurring themes, and many complaints reference open safety campaigns for the engine, brakes and fuel system.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine knocking, seizure and stalling

   • 472 complaints (34%)
   • median 104,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (317 state mileage)
   • 55 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,675 (median of 32 quotes)
   • filed 2013–2026

   Owners describe a knocking or ticking sound from the engine, followed by stalling, loss of power or a no-start condition, sometimes with the oil pressure or check engine light on. Several complaints state that a mechanic or dealer determined the engine needed replacement, and some say the engine was replaced once already or that the work was done under an engine campaign. Others mention low oil level or oil leaking before the noise started. Mostly reported between roughly 70,000 and 170,000 miles, often while driving at highway speed.

   Recall 17V224000Recall 18V9070004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for oil change records and whether the engine was replaced or inspected under the engine campaigns, and check the oil level and condition on a cold engine before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On dec 5, 2020. I was driving on 78 west when suddenly my 2013 Kia Optima ex begin to decrease in speed.within 5 minutes I had to pull over where my car just turned off. Dec 12, 2020 I was told that my engine wasn't turning over and the motor was gone. Just like that. I was very confused and disappointed as I didn't do anything for this to happen.”

   NHTSA complaint #11383194, filed 2020-12, 65 miles

   “I was driving down the road doing about 45 when I heard a small pop & all my dash lights came on & I lost everything. Car clicks when trying to restart but does not start. Oil light, battery light, eps light & check engine light stay on now. I was told there is a recall on these cars and would like to get it fixed asap as it's my only transportation.”

   NHTSA complaint #11361296, filed 2020-09, 126,000 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Steering column rattle and looseness

   • 191 complaints (14%)
   • median 40,000 mi at 4.2 yrs old (133 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2026

   Owners report a clunk or rattle from the steering column, noticeable over bumps and sometimes while turning the wheel with the car stationary, along with play or looseness in the wheel that makes the car harder to keep in line. Complaints often say the noise got louder over time, and several mention a mechanic could not identify the cause or that the vehicle was not repaired. Commonly reported between roughly 40,000 and 130,000 miles, in everyday driving over uneven roads.

   What to check: Turn the wheel back and forth with the car parked and drive over a rough patch to listen for clunks, and ask whether any steering column or coupling work was done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I started noticing a sound coming from steering wheel sounds like a clank or clunck when I move steering wheel back and forth moving or not still makes sound when I hit bumps in road it makes sound it doesn't matter if car is on or off moving or still it still does it , it's got worse the noise is louder and happens more times now .”

   NHTSA complaint #11328241, filed 2020-06, 50,000 miles

   “Steeling wheel and column is very loose. Whenever you hit a small bump in the road the steeling wheel looses control. It makes a loud rattling noise. Also, the radio system stop working. I would turn my car off and the stereo system would continue to play and would not cut off even when the car was turn off. Even with the keys out of the ignition. The only way you could get it to turn off was to disconnect the battery. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11397536, filed 2021-02, 81,000 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brake and ABS warning with unintended braking

   • 138 complaints (10%)
   • median 99,959 mi at 7.8 yrs old (74 state mileage)
   • 20 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,470 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2014–2026

   Complaints describe the brake pedal becoming unresponsive, brakes seeming to apply on their own, or warning messages such as check brake or hybrid system failure appearing while driving. Several owners state the vehicle was diagnosed with a hydraulic control unit or brake-related fault, and others mention having received notice of a brake recall but being told the parts or remedy were not yet available. Mostly reported between about 55,000 and 155,000 miles, at both low and highway speeds.

   Recall 23V652000Recall 20V519000Recall 21V331000

   What to check: Ask whether brake recalls were completed and check for a pending recall on the VIN, then test the brakes at low speed and watch for warning lights or a soft pedal.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Had oil changed and drove about 500 feet from dealership when car shut down in middle of street. Traffic was heavy and about to run over me. Cars sliding on brakes to avoid my stalled car in the street. Tried to turn into parking lot to get off street but it was extremely hard top steer. Had to sit there in 100 degree heat. Finally had to get out of car when it was safe and run across street .called staff member from dealership to come and help me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11341958, filed 2020-07, 54,000 miles

   “Suddenly the brakes were applied to the car on the road while driving at 55 MPH on a highway. If there were any cars behind me, I would have gotten rear ended, at a very high speed, potentially resulting in severe injury. I was not able to drive the car anything more than 5mph due to the break constantly being applied to the car resulting in me not being able to merge across the highway safely to the side. The car gave the check brake alert along with hybrid system failure . The Kia dealership in fremont, california diagnosed the issue. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11385151, filed 2020-12, 127,924 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Engine compartment smoke and fire

   • 305 complaints (22%)
   • median 102,000 mi at 7.0 yrs old (167 state mileage)
   • 112 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,925 (median of 16 quotes)
   • filed 2013–2026

   Complaints describe smoke or flames coming from under the hood while driving or shortly after the vehicle was parked, sometimes with no warning light beforehand. In several cases the fire department was called and the vehicle was a total loss. Some owners link the event to an engine campaign or note it happened on a replacement engine, while others mention that no cause was determined. Reported from about 30,000 miles upward, at both low and high mileage and in varied driving conditions.

   Recall 17V224000Recall 23V652000

   What to check: Ask whether the engine and any related campaigns were completed, and have a pre-purchase inspection look for oil leaks, burning smells or prior smoke or fire damage.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 75 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. In addition, the front of the vehicle was in flames. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11439388, filed 2021-11, 127,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the contact noticed fire coming from the engine compartment. The fire department was called and arrived to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 17v224000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 209,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11394468, filed 2021-02, 209,000 miles
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Fuel smell and fuel leaks

   • 98 complaints (7%)
   • median 91,000 mi at 7.4 yrs old (59 state mileage)
   • 12 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $950 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2013–2026

   Owners describe a fuel smell inside or around the vehicle, fuel leaking under the car or from the tank area, and in some cases a check engine light with fuel-related codes. Some complaints state the fuel hose recall repair was already performed or that the VIN was not included in the campaign, and that the odor or leak continued or went unrepaired. Others mention fuel gauge readings that no longer tracked the actual level. Reported from about 40,000 miles up to very high mileage, both parked and while driving.

   Recall 20V100000Recall 22V093000Recall 18V907000

   What to check: Check for a fuel smell after the car has sat, look for stains or drips under the rear of the car, and ask whether the fuel hose recalls were completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Was driving and my car turned off on me randomly ? Always am consistent with oil changes every 3000 miles and always make sure my take is full with good gas I've also had to replace the gas line once already ,, mechanic said I might have to replace my fuel tank because something with car not getting enough gas or so , I've also see leaks looks like gas”

   NHTSA complaint #11361242, filed 2020-09, 35 miles

   “On february 14, 2020 I was driving down the highway from an appointment and noticed that my gas light was flashing and the gauge was way below empty. I had just stopped prior to my appointment and put gas in it. So, I stopped and put more in it. Still didn't move the gauge one bit. I stopped at advance auto and ask for a code reading and it came back as obd-ii code p0463 high pressure fuel sensor. Called Kia dealership and ask if it had anything to do with the recent recalls I had brought in for my Optima 2013. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11316903, filed 2020-03, 165,000 miles

Buying note. This model year has a long list of complaints centered on the engine, plus open campaigns for brakes and fuel leaks, so a documented maintenance history and confirmation that the recalls were completed matter more than mileage alone. A pre-purchase inspection that covers the engine, steering and brake system is worth the cost here.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.