2013 Kia Optima Hybrid EX - Hybrid System Warning

20

Asked by Rich Mar 13, 2022 at 10:29 PM about the 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid EX

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

My car has over 143k miles on it. This is the first mechanical failure. I've only
replaced tires, brakes, and oil. 5 days ago, traveling on the highway about 75
miles per hour. The dreaded "Hybrid System Warning"..."Safely pull over and
turn off the engine" message appeared. Was able to pull into a gas station
and turn the engine off. Would not restart. Just dead. Only dashboard lights.
I called for a tow and was told it would be an hour. After 45 minutes, the
engine restarted with the check engine light on. I decided to try to drive the
car. I got about 200 yards the "Hybrid Safety Warning" message again. I
returned to the gas station. Car was towed to my local Kia dealer. After their
review it was determined the following needed repair:
Hybrid Belt Tensioner
Hybrid Safety Fuse
Head Gasket
Oil Pan Gasket
O2 Sensor

Has anyone else had to change the Hybrid Belt Tensioner?

Apparently the head gasket began to fail and dripped oil onto the hybrid belt
tensioner, causing it to fail. Total cost to repair: $2,951. At least it didn't blow
the engine. Still cheaper than buying a used car and I hope this will allow me
to drive on to 200k miles.

1 Answer

50

Sounds like a "shotgun" repair to me- Replace everything it could be and hopefully hit the target. A blown or leaky head gasket could cause those problems though. A second opinion would be good to have, although difficult to get for a non-running vehicle parked at the dealership. Good luck to you!

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