2012 Kia Optima Hybrid

i have a 2013 Optima Hybrid with the same engine. i was going through a lot of oil but it ws not burning it or leaking. At approx 65,000 mile the engine seized up. The dealership said i had to have a new engine put in. Because i was the second owner they said the warranty was 1/2 what the original owner had. They told me it was out of warranty. They said the problem was due to improper maintenance which caused sludge in the engine. This was the same reason they gave many other customers who had the same problems. i had my oil changed regularly since buying the car. They also said that my car was not one of the vehicles which were mentioned in the recall even though it was the same issue as what the recall was for. i fought with them and corporate kia back and forth for a while and they finally said they would pay for the parts if i paid the labor. total cost was around $1300. After getting the car back about 1 month later, i checked my oil and it was totally dry. Car went back to dealer and they said they replaced the engine again. This time it was covered by them. 2 weeks after getting car back, checked oil and it was dry AGAIN! Took it back to dealer and this they said there would prob have to replace engine again. Although they said it was something with the manifold was wrong and gave me car back. i haven't had any problem for the past 7 months. 2 weeks ago, while driving i get message about Hybrid Charging System problem and to pull over and turn off car. When i tried to start again it wouldn't. Left car for a couple hours and went back and it started up so i drove it the 1/2 mile home. After that it would intermittently start and not start. Over last weekend when i went to check battery was completely dead. Brought to Auto Zone and they tested it and told me it wouldn't keep a charge so i purchased a new battery. My car will still not start. The dealership said my car is out of warranty and it would cost me $135 to diagnose. After all the issues i have had with this car, i am so over the Kia Dealership, Their Cars, and their Corporate Offices. They never want to own up to the problems their cars have. And i am on a very fixed income (SSI disability) and cannot be spending money on this car all the time on when i put $5000 down when i bought the car figuring i would have a reliable car for a while. The time it blew the first engine i hadn't even had it a year. Fight with them and let them know you know that other Hybrid owners have had the same problem. Maybe we can start a class action and get them to pony up for their shortcomings. i could certainly use the $1300 i paid the first time back in my pocket to try to buy a another car. Anything but a Kia.

Thanks for the response. There is currently a class action suit in the making. In fact, I just sopke with the attorney this morning. Here is the info for you or anyone else who is wishing to get involved in the class action suit: James J. Rapone, Paralegal LEVIN SEDRAN & BERMAN LLP 510 Walnut Street, Suite 500 Philadelphia, PA 19106 jrapone@lfsblaw.com (215) 592-1500, Fax (215) 592-4663 www.LFSBLaw.com

Hi, I own a Kia Hybrid and I have the same problem (I think). Engine light came on like a month after I bought the car (through a KIA deale) I am second owner and they said also I have no warranty. Then after a few months all the sudden I got electrical problems and I can not move the car if I don’t release the shift lock. Wondering if there is a lawsuit in Canada as well?

I just spoke with James(parallegal) with similar problem. Thanks James!

y wifes 2012 KIA optima hybrid threw a rod yesterday at highway speeds going down 4 lanes of traffic. 5 hours from home.. The engine failure is exactly like the issue KIA recalled all the Optima engines for. KIA is telling us we arent covered because our car is a Hybrid, its at 103k and it doesnt suffer from the same engine flaw. Looking at nhtsa dot gov website and online forums. You can clearly see a rather large occurrence of KIA hybrid engines locking down. We took care of our car. Full synthetic oil changes, tune ups etc and even had KIA replace the hybrid system 12 months ago. No way is it normal for a car to lock down at 103k. KIA corporate is giving us the run around and the dealership is charging us a "storage fee" as we try to figure out how to ship our car 200 miles back home.

Hello I have the same issue up in Canada. I Own a 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid 2.4 L engine (just hit the 200,000 km mark) and experienced the engine seizing while driving on a major highway. And just like everyone else explains KIA Canada is giving me the run around. even with all there recalls SC025, SC027 and RC109 these don't "affect" hybrids they claim. It isn't fun having your car driving at highway speeds and the engine stopping in seconds. I heard right before the engine going a loud banging type noise with no warning lights until the engine failed. I have transport Canada involved and looking to resolve this. They car is currently a lawn decoration and still owing on it. Kia Please open your eyes and see the concerns with your poorly designed engines. We commute far distances and this is why we felt a Kia Hybrid was our best option to save on gas. Now this fears me to even purchase another Kia again. I hope something comes about with the Law suit (fingers crossed), Then make it happen up in Canada please.

I'm having the same problem with my KIA Optima hybrid, i only had for seven months and they my transmission is bad. I responded to the car deanship about my the problem , they gave the run around by trying put me in a newer car instead fixing the problem because I only had the car for seven month and according to Georgia Lemon laws its 24,000 miles or 24,000 months which ever come first. Do I have a case?

I have a 2012 Kia hybrid that the Kia master mechanic stated that if i keep my AC unplugged i will not have any engine or transmission failures and the EV engine failure light does not come on any more. When i hook up the AC i get a ticking sound in the engine and then the EV hybrid failure system comes and says not to drive the car. Un plug the AC and then everything is fine why can i fix the AC.