2013 Kia Optima Body & Structure Problems
105 owner-reported body & structure complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Body & Structure Recalls (1)
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.
Fix: 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.
Owner Complaints (105)
The clear coat is delaminating and the Paint is peeling off in multiple areas of the car.
I have a 2013 Kia Optima and my paint on the vehicle is pilling so bad and fast it is exposing the body of the vehicle. I have done plenty of research and this is a commonly known problem with the pearl white paint jobs. It will start effecting the body and exterior of my vehicle and then turn efforts onto the inside of the vehicle. This is a huge problem so please as a huge company take responsibility and fix this problem.
3 years ago the paint on my car started peeling. I drove my car from rideshare and was unable to continue due to the visual condition of my car. After further research, it's a nationwide problem. I dont have the money to afford a full paint job and put a bad taste in my mouth when thinking about referring people buying a Kia or my next car purchase. I have lost thousands of dollars due to kid's negligence on their paint.
The paint on my car slowly began to peel away on the hood and side panels, eventually exposing almost the entire hood to be bare (Kia was notified and I was denied any sort of help). I had the hood and panels painted out of pocket, shortly after the side rear passenger door has begun with the exact same issue Eventually, my car is going to be missing all paint and just primer. This needs to be addressed in a class action settlement! Otherwise my car is immaculate condition.
PAINT ON MY KIA OPTIMA HAS BEEN PEAL LIKE THE PAINT JOB WAS BAD IT WAS NEVER PAINT IT HAS ORGINAL PAINT FROM WHEN IT WAS FIRST OPERATED.
While driving 55 mph down the road the window trim flew off of the rear driver side window and a week later the other side flew off hitting the car behind us. Not a very safe thing to be happening while driving.
The white paint on my car (Snow White Pearl) has been chipping and peeling off near the windshield and rails on the side as well the hood. This is a known problem for KIA's with this particular white colored paint and KIA should really address is. Touching up just the locations it's happening in is not a fix ... The car needs to be properly repainted to fix the issue. KIA has not addressed this for customers and really need to as this happens for spanning several years and different models.
The paint is chipping heavily and apparently this is an issue with older Kia vehicles due to a primer issue.
Pearl white color paint chipping, and breaking due to water and air. Bad batch of primer and coating has caused the paint to chip and peel across the body of the car.
My car's paint began chipping and peeling about a year ago, it continues to get worse day by day and exposed areas show a bare metal with some areas rusting. This is happening very rapidly and appears the whole car may lose its paint quickly. Please help!
Paint on driver side rear door is delamination from the car body. This is the Pearl white color
Pearl white paint is pealing and chipping. Falling off going down the road. Car looks terrible and is making rust a possibly.
The paint on the vehicle is badly peeling due to defective primer. Thousands of other have the same issues from what I see in parking lots. I have gotten it fixed but it doesn't hold up due to primer.
This is not a safety issue but it is an issue that seems to be happening on many Kia vehicles, especially those with the Snow White paint color. My car is 11 years old but in great shape with only 62,200 miles. The paint looks almost brand new with no other flaws in the car other than there are spots on the hood and roof where the paint is bubbling up and peeling off with no damages to those areas. It appears the paint no longer adheres to the silver primer.
The paint on my car is peeling off in sheets it is not adhering to the body. There is no way that I believe I can have it repainted because they would have to take all the existing paint off because even if they paint it over it it's not stuck to the body. There is no recall and I really think there should be. My paint is the white pearl paint like everyone else's who's peeling off.
Car paint started peeling on the whole car and according to dealers it's a common problem with the pear paint and I need it fixed
Large areas of paint are coming off of the vehicle. The system will not allow the 2mb JPG pictures to be added.
Paint peeling off 2013 Kia Optima. Either a paint or primer issue by the car manufacture Kia Corp. "Snow White Pearl" is the color of the paint.
I am experiencing sudden paint delamination on the A pillar. Paint color is snow white pearl. I have not yet contacted the dealer but am seeing many similar online reports for this paint color on Kia vehicles. The area is not otherwise damaged. I noticed the problem on 1/21/24 when the car was stationary. The bad area is now increasing in size. The vehicle has 79,269 miles, is kept outdoors and goes through a car wash approximately monthly.
I have been the owner of my 2013 white kia optima since 2020 and have had my paint peeling from the front, both sides and rear of my car.
SAME STORY OVER AND OVER 2013 WHITE PEARL PAINT GARAGE KEPT, NO ACCIDENTS AND PAINT IS LITERALLY CHIPPING AWAY SIDE OF THE CAR DOOR ROOF ABSOLUTELY APPALLING. KIA THE FACT THAT KIA HAS THOUSANDS OF THIS COLOR ON THE ROAD IS EMBARRASSING FOR ALL THE LOYAL CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE TO DRIVE THEM. KIA KNOWS THAT ALL OF THEM WERE PAINTED WITH NO PRIMER. CHEAP PAINT SPRAYED ON BARE METAL AND HAS LEFT ALL OF US STRANDED. THIS CLEARLY IS A COMPANY WITH NO INTEGRITY OR CARE FOR CUSTOMERS LET ALONE OUR LIVES .THIS NEEDS CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT
I have a snow pearl white kia that the paint started chipping off and is continuing to do such all over the vehicle. There is an area on the hood with rust starting where the paint starting chipping first. I have contacted kia and the rep looked for recalls but there were non for paint. The warranty was only for 3 years on the paint but the issue didn't start happening till after that. I have seen other SWP colored kia's with the same issue and there is a forum on FB with many other kia owners having the same problem. The prominant color seems to be the white one's but others are affected as well.
The paint on my pearl white kia optima is peeling badly, primarily on the hood but now its starting to peel near the doors.
My car paint as been chipping off. I see a lot of cars like mine in the street with the same isssue , specially Perales white kias . They look like junk cars . Paint was not good
2013 Optima SXL with snow white pearl paint. Paint began coming off in areas around the windshield back in 2017. At the time I thought it may have had something to do with the people who replaced my windshield. Had a 50 cent piece size area come off the hood in the car wash shortly after. I have continued to experience paint bubbling and loss ever since. Now I'm considering an upgrade but am worried about my trade in value due to the condition of the paint.
I have problem for the color white pearl is pealing the car front car side an doors
Paint peeling off
I have a white 2013 Kia Optima the paint is chipping, coming off in chunks. After it falls off seeing the panel below is smooth and does not appear to have been roughed up prior to painting to allow the paint to properly adhere. I know of thousands of other Kia owners to have paint issues exactly like this.
Paint peeling off all over vehicle
Paint defects. Kia admitted about 5-6 years ago that the Snow White Pearl paint on some of their models had issues. Since then they have painted parts of our vehicle 4 or more times. Current issues started in December 2022
I own a 2013 Kia optima with 70k miles. I have searches so many forums regarding the defect with the PEARL WHITE paint. The paint began to peel all over my car as soon as I bought it with 16k miles a few years back. I’m concerned for myself and hundreds of other people with the same problems. The issue I am concerned with is when the paint begins to peel on my hood I would be concerned it could possibly block my vision while driving. Not to mention the hundreds of other people I’ve read about with the same problem, and now we are supposed to incure the costs of a complete paint job on a car which could cost thousands of dollars when this white Pearl paint is clearly the issue.
Chipped paint around my windshield and other areas of the car, such as the trunk and various other areas of the vehicle
I have had this vehicle for 10 years. The paint started to peel in or around 2017. I was in a hail storm and within the last year and now it looks like my car was 100 years old. I put in a claim to my insurance and they denied coverage due to kia having a paint issue. Peal white specifically. I also took the car in December 2022 for all the recalls on the engine. Since then it's literally falling apart. When I took it to the dealership they told me I had a bad valve cover, bad Sway bars, bad passenger side mirror among other things. When I told them I had no issues prior to taking it in they pretty much said it's their word against mine. Oh and they found a "oil shop rag" hanging from the bottom of my car. They said I must have picked it up on the road. Im driving a car I paid top dollar for with no complaints over years and would suggest to others. Now I wouldn't recommend kia to anyone. They brag about their warranty but it's all garbage. I still love my car hit I'd like it to look nice still along with how it used to drive before I took it in.
My pearl white has been chipping since 2017 in multiple locations. Kia needs to be held responsible and rectify the situation.
My pearl white pair is chipping from all over, I had it inspected and they said it was a problem with the original paint and how it was put painted.
PAINT CHIPPING!!!! (photos attached) I have encountered many of Kia manufactured vehicles with the same issue. The paint bubbles and then peels off, leaving a visible grey (primed) area. I am located in North Carolina. The weather is not harsh and I cannot think of any other reason this would be occurring. When attempting to get the paint repaired / vehicle painted, I was informed of a recall and/or class action associated with this situation. I would like clarification and resolution of this matter.
The door latches don't spring back into a position that allows the door to be closed again, once it has been opened. I have to stick my finger in the latch hole in the door while pulling out the latch handle to put the latch back into the position where the door will close. So far, this problem has effected three of the four doors in my sedan.
My 2013 KIA Optima in Snow White Pearl "SWP" has delaminating and pealing paint issues all over the body of the car. Mainly in the front bumper, hood and A pillars of the car. It extends to every single panel of the car even obscure out of the way areas. Only the paint is affected. The body underneath shows no sing of denting from a hard hit of any type. The paint simply delaminates on its own.
The paint is chipping off and looks horrible.
The pearl white paint pealing in 4 different areas in the body of the car to include the front and top of the car above the windshield; both sides of the outer body framing of the windshield and now the hood of the car.
Car is available. I have a 2013 Kia Optima SXL that has paint that is randomly chipping. Took it to service department and this is a common problem for this car and paint color. I have repair estimate totaling 2501.55 not including windshield that he says would need to replaced if it cracks during repair due to it having to be removed.
Paint delaminating and chipping, started on the front driver and passenger pillar. Also spots on the front hood near the bumper.
Pearl white paint chipping all over
My (pearl) white 2013 KIA Optima is peeling paint from its front hood and A-pillars. This has been happening since I first bought it in 2018. My car had 55K miles on it and has never been in an accident. I have taken it to the KIA dealership of Fishers with no success. THEY LIED TO ME! Each time, I was told that my car had been previously painted by someone else, and that business did a bad paint job. I have been to KIA of Fishers 3 different times about this concern. There are MANY, MANY sites and now several class action suites pending against KIA for this problem. I want my car repainted. https://m.facebook.com/DefectiveKiaPaint/photos/a.112101813622800/147796620053319/?type=3#
My paint has been peeling off over the years and it just really got bad to the point I could not take it any more. So I finally look to see if the was other vehicles within that year make and model had the same problems and this is why I am doing this.
Paint failing and peeling off causing body to rust prematurely.
PAINT IS CHIPPING ALL OVER THE CAR HOOD, TRUNK SIDE OF WINDOW, ETC. ESTIMATE HAVE BEE SENT AND PICTURES. HAD PROBLEM APRIL2021. AND HAD HOOD PAINTED NOW IT IS DOING IT AGAIN
I have a 2013 Kia Optima with pearl white paint. My paint has significantly chipped away on multiple parts of the body including the roof, side of drivers side windshield, and the drivers side body. This chipping is due to a paint defect during the manufacturing process and the entire car needs to be repainted.
Exterior Paint Pearl White Kia. Started with small specks all over the entire car around 2018/2019. Last week inches came off with out me noticing since I washed my car three weeks ago. Peeling very fast only has 56,000 miles on it. “Dealer included Paint protection” Have only just begun my research. I have all my purchasing paper work and Maintenace. Bubbling indicates Latent defect, online everyone is starting to post paint problems with the same year. I have paint tearing under my trunk hood. The whole thing needs to be replaced. For having only 56,000 miles on my car it should not have this damage nor should I feel embarrassed about my car. I was not told if and when anything expired before 10years. I have prof of interior and exterior paint protected added and have it in hand.
My paint is pealing in a number of locations on my car. Trunk, hood rails and hood. Car has been very we’ll maintained. I am aware of many others having this same issue.
Paint is chipping everywhere. Snow White pearl
Paint chipping off on various spots of the vehicle
Moved my vehicle from California to New York and when the temperature reached around 30 degree's i noticed that that paint would begin to bubble and flake off. Since i have owned the vehicle the vehicle has not been in a location where temperatures reach below 55 degree's. since I relocated to NY for the past 2 years I have had consistent issues with paint flaking and chipping off my vehicle once temperatures go below 30 degree's.
The car's paint is comiming off
Basically my paint just started peeling off in spots I have pictures and video showing the paint just come off as we blow on it
The paint on my white 2013 Kia Optima is starting to flake off on the hood and the passenger side rear door.
My paint is peeling all over my car. I’ve stored it in a garage and kept very good care of it, but it keeps getting worse.
The body paint is delaminating and coming off so fast. Every auto body shop I go to says its a manufacturer error. This isn’t okay. I know many other kia optima cars doing that same for the same year. I have many pictures to provide. I shouldn’t have to pay for a new paint job when it was a manufacturing error.
Paint on car is chipping away little by little . Has been ongoing for a while now & rust spots are starting to pop up around the car . I’ve had the car detailed waxed and sealed and still continues to get worse. Was told by a body shop that the paint was not done right from the beginning
All my paint on my WHITE Kia is coming off. So many white Kia’s are having This problem.
A year ago, the paint started falling off of the roof rails on my 2013 Kia Optima. It is continuing to peel away. The color I have is Snow White Pearl. I have contacted my dealership and have been told that there is only a 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty on the paint and since I am outside of those parameters, there is nothing they can do for me. I have also taken it to a body shop to find out about repainting the areas and get an estimate for having the work done.
Out of no where the paint began peeling in large flakes while going down the road. At first it was small pieces then progressively began to be larger pieces. When I washed it, even more came off on multiple locations on the vehicle. Noticed blistering all over after further review.
2013 KIA Optima Pearl White paint began chipping and flaking exposing bare metal to rust and corrosion.
I bought my pearl Kia Optima in 2013 and the paint started chipping in 2018 or so. It started on the side by the windows, then my hood, then it went with the top portion of the vehicle (now rusty) then it began in the trunk area. It gets worse when the weather changes to cold temperatures or rain.
The paint on my car is chipping off. It is a Snow White pearl and I read online that this is very common for Kia’s with this color of paint.
Paint is peeling off of the hood and side panels of the car. It is Kia Pearl White factory paint job. There have been no impacts or anything that should cause the paint to chip and peel.
I understand this will not sound like a safety issue, as I felt the same initially, but it is. My paint has been peeling off my Kia Optima for almost two years and sometimes the paint comes off in little pieces and other times it peels off in 6-12 inch sheets. Paint will come off during driving and while being washed. When driving the paint will fly to the back of my car and land of the ground, looks like snow is flying thru air. I have had safety issues to date. First tIme was on my way to work and a large section of paint came up from the bottom of the windshield area and stuck to my windshield. Not only did it scare me, but it blocked my vision.windshield wipers would not move it. I had to quickly pull over to remove it. Second time the same thing happened, but it landed on the windshield of the car behind me. I was unaware it happened until they pulled up next to me at the red light and got out of their vehicle to yell at me and removed the paint sheet. I understand this might not sound serious, but when something comes flying out of nowhere and lands on your windshield blocking your sight it is quite terrifying. I am not sure if this has happened to others with my same paint defect, but I know by researching my paint defect over the past two years, there are thousands of complaints on the internet about paint peeling off. When I contacted Kia in 2019 (corporate in Irvine, Ca), they informed me it was definitely a paint defect that originated during the painting process. Since there was not a recall isued, they were not going to pay for the car to be re-painted. At that time only the top of my car was affected, but now the majority of my car is losing paint. At this time I am wanting Kia to pay to have the car repainted, refund the cost of the vehicle or provide a credit to put towards a new car. At this point my vehicle is basically worthless because I can't sell it as is and trading it in results in me only getting approximately 30% of what the value is.
The paint on my car is peeling on the molding around the front windshield on the right and left side.
Around approximately 76,000 miles on the vehicle, I noticed paint (snow white pearl) started bubbling and coming off the hood. I assumed it was from a rock chip. The paint bubbling and chipping is now occurring all over the vehicle. I've spoken with two different KIA dealers (in Charlotte, NC and Salisbury, NC) and they've both said there are no recalls from KIA and there's nothing they can do but offer to repaint the car for THOUSANDS of dollars. I'm finding new spots every month. There are now 93,000 miles on the car, and I do NOT feel like the paint should be failing like this at all. I will attach pictures if allowed. I doubt I can upload all of the places on my car that have chips at this point.
I own a 2013 Kia Optima. The paint in chipping and peeling on various parts of the car.
The Snow White Pearl paint is peeling off of the hood and roof of the car (delamination).
Pealing paint on hood and along windshield area
The factory paint job is delaminating and chipping. Its chipping in different parts. This is a problem because Kia didn’t let the primer sit well or because they didn’t even put primer. You can tell by the way the paint is delaminating.
2013 KIA Optima Pearl White Paint peeling and chipping off all around the windshield. May now cause rust and future instability to vehicle frame which could make it dangerous.
THE PAINT ON MY 2013 OPTIMA HAS BUBBLES IN IT THAT ARE CRACKING OPEN WITH PAINT PEELING AWAY. THERE IS ONE SECTION ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT DOOR WITH ONE PATCH THAT IS AT LEAST 3" LONG AND 2" WIDE WHERE THE PAINT FLACKED OFF. THE PAINT AROUND THE WINDSHIELD HAS ALSO FLAKED OFF IN PLACES THAT ARE NOW CAUSING RUST SPOTS. THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING TO CAUSE THE ISSUE WITH THE PAINT. THE CAR HAS THE ORIGINAL PEARL WHITE PAINT. THIS STARTED WITH MINOR SPOTS AND HAS GRADUALLY INCREASED TO MORE PLACES ON THE CAR WITH PAINT MISSING. THIS HAS BEEN BEEN AN ON-GOING ISSUE THE ENTIRE TIME I HAVE OWNED THE CAR.
MY WHITE PEARL PAINT STARTED OFF AS A LITTLE CHIP AND NOW I HAVE BLOTCHES OF PAINT CHIPS ON MY TRUNK LID
PAINT IS CHIPPING OFF OF THE PILLARS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WINDSHIELD. STARTED APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH AGO. FIRST NOTICED WHILE PARKED UNDER CARPORT. NO ACCIDENTS OR PAINT WORK DONE. THIS IS ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER PAINT JOB.
I OWN A 2013 KIA OPTIMA WITH THE SNOW-WHITE PEARL PAINT AND IT IS DEFINITELY PEELING AT A RAPID RATE. IT IS PEELING OFF ON THE SIDES OF MY TRUNK, NEAR THE WINDSHIELD, ON THE HOOD, AND ALSO ON THE EDGES OF THE DOORS. I BOUGHT IT USED, BUT HAVE ONLY OWNED IT FOR 3 YEARS AND THE PAINT WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION WHEN I BOUGHT IT. I HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING TO MAKE THE PAINT CHIP OR PEEL. IT LOOKS HORRIBLE!! KIA NEEDS TO FIX THIS IMMEDIATELY. WE PAY A LOT OF MONEY FOR NEW CARS AND SHOULD EXPECT THAT THEY HOLD UP. MY PARENTS OWN CARS THAT ARE 20+ YEARS OLD AND THEIR PAINT IS STILL IN GOOD SHAPE! KIA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND REMEDY THIS!!
THE PAINT IS CHIPPING ON THE CARS HOOD, ROOF RAILS AND TRUNK LID TO NO FAULT OF MINE. PAINT IS ALSO BUBBLING ON THE DOORS AND IS STARTING TO CHIP.
PAINT IS PEELING. IT'S NOT CAUSED BY ANY FRICTION. IT'S DE-LAMINATING.
ALITTLE OVER 2 YEARS AGO I STARTED NOTICING PAINT PEELING OFF THE PILLARS ON THE SIDES OF MY WINDSHIELD, IT STARTED WITH A SMALL SPOT AND CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. I HAVE ALWAYS GOTTEN MY CAR SERVICED AT A KIA DEALERSHIP AND HAD WARRANTIES ON MY CAR SO I MENTIONED IT NUMEROUS TIMES AND EVERYTIME I WAS TOLD THAT PAINT WASN'T COVERED AND THAT "THEY HAD NEVER SEEN PAINT PEELING LIKE THAT " ON ANY OTHER SNOW PEARL WHITE KIAS. THE PAINT CONTINUED TO PEEL OFF, THE WIND WOULD BLOW HUGE PIECES OFF. NOW IT HAS STARTED ON MY HOOD, THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR AND THE TRUNK! ITS ALREADY SHOWING SIGNS OF RUST. THE WORST PART IS I BROUGHT MY CAR IN AGAIN AND ASKED WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON?! THE TECHNICIAN ASSURED ME THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THAT, AND WHILE I WAS SITTING THERE 2 OTHER SNOW WHITE PEARL KIAS PULL IN AND THEY HAVE PAINT PEELING IN THE SAME SPOTS! THATS WHEN I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND SAW THAT THIS IS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY MAINLY TO KIAS WITH THE SNOW WHITE PEARL COLOR. ALL I WANT IS FOR KIA TO REPAINT MY CAR. I PAID ALOT OF MONEY FOR IT AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY CAR BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS 20 YEARS OLD WITH THE PAINT FLYING OFF OF IT AND ITS STARTING TO RUST!!! THIS IS MY 2ND KIA I HAVE PURCHASED AND I LOVE THEM, BUT I AM EXTREMLY PISSED OFF AND DISAPPOINTED THAT I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR OVER 2 YEARS ABOUT THIS AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS SOME SORT OF MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHEN THESE CARS WERE PAINTED IN THE FACTORY BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTHER EXPLANATION FOR WHY THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF SNOW PEARL WHITE KIAS WITH THE PAINT PEELING OFF IN THE SAME EXACT SPOTS. I ALSO BOUGHT MY CAR NEW SO I KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF THE ENTIRE TIME. I JUST WANT MY CAR PAINTED BEFORE ITS ALL RUSTED ESPECIALLY SINCE I PAID $30,000 FOR THE CAR.
ALL THE PAINT ON THE OUTSIDE OF MY 2013 KIA OPTIMA IS BUBBLING AND PEELING OFF THE CHROME ON MY WHEELS IS CHIPPING AND COMING OFF
PAINT IS FLAKING AND EXPOSING BARE METAL ON HOOD AND ALONG WINDSHIELD UPRIGHTS
THE PAINT IS PEELING IN SEVERAL AREAS ON THE HOOD, AROUND THE FRONT WINDOW AND ABOVE THE DOORS.
THE PEARL WHITE PAINT BEGAN PEELING OFF IN LARGE SHEETS AND IS NOT RELATED TO A ROCK CHIP.
PEELING PAINT. ESPECIALLY ON THE SIDE OF FRONT WINDOW. SMALL PATCHES ELSEWHERE. TURBOS AT TIMES FAILED
II HAVE PAINT PEELING AND FALLING OFF AT A RAPID RATE AND THE CAR ONLY HAS 77000 MILES IT IS GARAGE KEPT AND DETAILED TWICE A YEAR I FEEL IT NEED ATTENTION FROM KIA AS THIS IS NOT NORMAL THEY WILL NOT COVER IT AND IT APPEARS THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR THIS YEAR KIA
I HAVE A 2013 KIA OPTIMA WITH PEARL WHITE PAINT. CONSISTENT WITH WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF RAPID PAINT PEELING AND DELAMINATION OF THIS PARTICULAR PAINT COLOR, I TOO AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME. ALSO CONSISTENT WITH WIDESPREAD REPORTING, THE PRIMARY AREAS ARE ALONG THE PILLARS AROUND THE WINDSHIELD (LONG VERTICAL STRIPS PEELED DOWN TO THE PRIMER), AND BUBBLING AND PEELING ON THE ENGINE HOOD, THE FRONT GRILL AND THE FRONT BUMPER. THIS HAS HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY, AND IS RAPIDLY WORSENING. I FIRST NOTICED THE PEELING AROUND THE WINDSHIELD ON 5/28/20, AND THE ENGINE HOOD AND BUMPER ON 8/2/20. I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 62,900 MILES ON THE CAR AND IT IS TYPICALLY GARAGED. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS WILL CONTINUE TO WORSEN, AND THAT THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WILL NEED TO BE REPAINTED. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS IS A DEFECT, AS REPORTED BY OTHERS, WE ARE ALL EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES IN THE SAME MANNER AND LOCATIONS ON THE VEHICLE. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED BY KIA AT NO COST TO ME. THANK YOU.
IN THE LATE MORNING OF MONDAY, APRIL 6TH 2020, MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING OUR 2013 KIA OPTIMA SXL HOME FROM THE STORE WHEN THE CAR BEGAN FILLING WITH SMOKE. LUCKILY, HE WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OVER AND JUMP OUT BEFORE FLAMES BEGAN TO ENGULF THE FRONT OF THE CAR. HE CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE COMPANY WAS DISPATCHED. THEIR RESPONSE TIME WAS SHORT, BUT IT TOOK UNDER A MINUTE FOR THE CAR TO GO UP IN FLAMES (SEE PICTURES ATTACHED). THERE WAS ZERO WARNING THAT THIS HORRIFIC EVENT WAS ABOUT TO OCCUR. NO ENGINE LIGHT, NO FUNNY NOISES, NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER. IN FACT, I HAD JUST BROUGHT THE CAR INTO OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR ROUTINE SERVICE LESS THAN A MONTH BEFORE ON MARCH 9. THEY GAVE ME NO INDICATION THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR THAT WOULD CAUSE IT TO CATCH ON FIRE. WE FILED A CLAIM WITH OUR INSURANCE COMPANY, WHO CONFIRMED THE CAR WAS TOTALED AND LISTED A RECENT, BUT AS YET UNANNOUNCED, RECALL ON MY EXACT YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF THE CAR. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT ACCORDING TO A FEBRUARY 27, 2020 ARTICLE IN US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT, KIA WOULD SHORTLY BE RECALLING NEARLY 142,000 2013 AND 2014 KIA OPTIMA'S. FURTHERMORE, 'KIA SAYS A FUEL HOSE CAN DETERIORATE AND CRACK DUE TO ENGINE HEAT. THE HOSES CAN LEAK AND CAUSE FIRES. A FIX IS STILL BEING DEVELOPED. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO START APRIL 16.' ALTHOUGH AT THE TIME OF THE ARTICLE NO FIRES HAD YET BEEN REPORTED, GIVEN THE SUDDEN NATURE OF OUR CAR FIRE, IT IS OBVIOUS TO US WHAT HAS HAPPENED.
POOR PAINT JOBS AND NOT CAR HAS LOTS OF PEELING AND CHIPPED PAINT SPOTS. SEEMS TO BE VERY POOR WORKMANSHIP AND NOW WE ARE STUCK WITH A PEELING CAR.
ON 1/11/2020 MY 16 YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING THE 2013 KIA OPTIMA WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST ENGINE POWER. HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY AT WHICH TIME THE VEHICLE STALLED AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD NO PRIOR MECHANICAL ISSUES. THERE HAVE BEEN NO WARNING LIGHTS.
BEFORE I PAID OFF MY CAR IN 12-1-18, MY 2013'KIA OPTIMA'S PAINT STARTED CHIPPING OFF. IT HAS CHIPPED OFF FIRST ON THE HOOD AND THEN ON THE DOOR JAMS ON BOTH FRONT DOORS. I FIND THIS SUSPICIOUS IN THAT WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW, THEY WERE PUSHING AN EXTRA PAINT PROTECTION PROGRAM- - FOR A MEAR $2000 PLUS EXTRA! IT'S AS IF THEY KNEW THE PAINT WOULD FAIL IN LESS THAN FIVE YEARS.
WAITING ON A RED LIGHT, THE KIA OPTIMA STALLED AND THEN SMOKE STARTED COMING INTO THE CABIN. WITHIN SECONDS THE FRONT OF THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE AND MY WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN HAD A VERY LIMITED TIME TO GET OUT FROM THE BURNING CAR INTO SAFETY. THE BURNING CAR WAS EVENTUALLY EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. LOCAL POLICE CORDONED OFF THE LANE TO PROVIDE SAFETY FOR MY FAMILY AND OTHERS MOTORISTS ON THE ROAD. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND THE TIME OF THE FIRE WAS AROUND 12:30PM.
"TAKATA RECALL". MY KIA HAS BEEN RECALLED SEVERAL TIMES, THE MOTOR HAS BEEN RECALLED TWICE. THE SECOND TIME, I HAD MY FAMILY WITH ME GOING TO ARKANSAS, AND THE CAR STALLED AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH A STOP LIGHT, ANOTHER VEHICLE ALMOST HIT US. I HAVE LOST WAGES FROM WORK, LOST TIME WAITING TO GET MY VEHICLE FIXED, IT HAS CAUSED STRESS AND ANXIETY AND RIGHT NOW I JUST GOT THREE MORE RECALL LETTERS IN THE MAIL. THESE CARES ARE UNSAFE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT IS MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. I WANT KIA HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND TO GET THESE DANGEROUS CARS OFF THE STREETS BEFORE SOME GETS KILLED.
ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 930AM, WHILE ON DUTY AT WORK(CORRECTION OFFICER) MY KIA OPTIMA GDI 2013 WENT UP IN FLAMES IN THE PARKING LOT OF MY JOB.. I WAS NOT PRESENT AND THE VEHICLE. I HAD ALREADY BEEN ON DUTY 530AM THAT MORNING. ONCE I MADE IT TO THE SCENE MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY ALMOST BURNT TO THE GROUND. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT LABELED IT AS A ELECTRICAL FIRE, WHICH CAUSED THE CAR THE BURN FROM THE INSIDE OUT, STARTING FROM THE ENGINE. I HAD SEVERAL PERSONAL ITEMS OF MINE BURNT IN THE FIRE AND ALSO WORK EQUIPMENT THAT WAS LOST IN THE FIRE. SINCE THE INCIDENT I'VE SUFFERED MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL DISTRESS. I'M A SINGLE MOTHER AND I DEPENDED ON MY CAR TO GET ME WHERE I NEEDED TO GO. THINGS HAVE BEEN VERY FRUSTRATING AND HARD. I'M SEEKING HELP FROM KIA MOTORS. *TR
CAR SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT ON FIRE RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS. NO INJURY BUT DRIVER HAD TO JUMP OUT OF MOVING VEHICLE.
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE EXPRESSWAY MY CAR STALLED AND THEN CAUGHT FIRE WITH NO WARNING AT ALL, AS I PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE EXPRESSWAY I SEEN SMOKE AND THEN FLAMES WHILE CAR WAS TOTAL LOSS.
THE PAINT PILLING OFF THE CAR TOOK IT TO KIA THEY TOLD ME THEY CAN'T DO NOTHING THE PAIN PILLS SO BAD THIS A FIVE YEAR CAR IN IT LOOK LIKE 15 YEAR OLD CAR COST ME 2800 TO GET THE CAR PAINTED I KNOW THAT THIS WAS A DEFECT ON THE PAIT IN KIA DON'T WANT TO ADMIT IT I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IT NEEDS TO BE CHECKED KIA NEED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM
THE PAINT IS PEELING OFF OF MY CAR WHILE THE CAR IS STATIONARY
MY FOUR YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND I WERE IN THE CAR AND WHILE DRIVING, THE SUNROOF EXPLODED. IT WAS SO LOUD, ALMOST LIKE A GUNSHOT. A SMALL AMOUNT OF GLASS ENTERED THE CAR. I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT, SOUTHWARD, NEAR THE OSCEOLA EXIT ON I 55. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO SIGN OR EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING HITTING THE GLASS. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR AND THE TEMPERATURE IN OSCEOLA TODAY WAS A HIGH OF 76 AND LOW OF 68 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
WHILE DRIVING ON A 2 LANE ROAD WITH MY SON AND A FRIEND, GOING ABOUT 25 MPH ON A CLEAR DAY AT NOON, WE HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT COME FROM THE MOON ROOF CAUSING ME TO SWERVE. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND ASSESS THE SITUATION, WE FOUND THAT THE MOON ROOF HAD "EXPLODED" CAUSING THE ENTIRE THING TO CRACK AND REMAIN CRACKING, CAUSING TINY SHARDS OF GLASS TO FORM. IT WAS IMMEDIATELY UNDRIVEABLE.
SHORTLY AFTER GETTING ONTO THE FREEWAY ON MY WAY TO WORK IN THE MORNING I HEARD A LOUD POP FOLLOWED BY WHAT SOUNDED LIKE LIGHT RAIN HITTING THE CAR AND THE ROAR OF THE FREEWAY. WE QUICKLY PULLED THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND UPON LOOKING AT THE ROOF OF THE CAR THERE WAS A HUGE HOLE IN THE CENTER OF THE CAR'S SUN ROOF WITH SHARP SHARDS OF GLASS TILTED TOWARDS THE SKY AND LARGE CRACKS EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE OF THE SUNROOF FRAME TO THE OTHER. CONDITIONS WERE RAINING, 7:30AM AND ABOUT 50 DEGREES F OUTSIDE. THE CANVAS SCREEN WAS CLOSED TO CATCH THE FALLING GLASS SO NO GLASS FELL INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE CAR. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, AND NO DEBRIS OR OTHER CARS IN THE AREA. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, A NOISE WAS EMITTED FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE NOISE WAS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20. UPDATED 09-18-13 *BF UPDATED 09/27/2013 *JS
THIS IS NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM. THE CARPET HAS WORN THROUGH (THREADBARE) JUST IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER SEAT. I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT IT AND THE REP TOLD ME IT HAPPENS WITH DRIVERS THAT ARE SIX FEET TALL. THE SPOT THAT IS WORN IS ON A RAISED SURFACE (COVER?) OF SOME SORT. A REDESIGN TO PLACE A HEAY DUTY CARPET PIECE IN THAT PART OF THE CARPET OR REDESIGN THE REMOVABLE FLOOR MAT TO COVER THE SPOT SO IT WOULDN'T WEAR OUT THE UNDERLYING CARPET. WHAT TO DO FOR REPAIR??? *TR
Your car's paint is bubbling and peeling off in spots. This is a cosmetic issue that affects the appearance of your vehicle but doesn't impact how it drives. Fixing this typically involves sanding down the damaged area and repainting it to match the rest of your car.
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