I bought a 2015 Kia Optima Hybrid in 2021. Less than three weeks after buying it, the whole car broke down. They said it was a fuse and fixed it. About eight months later, the entire hybrid system failed. It cost around 7k to fix, and Kia gave me three different reasons for the failure before the actual issue was found. Dealing with customer service has been a nightmare and they tried to charge me for the three unnecessary repairs they made. Why would I pay for them just guessing about my car?
On the day I picked it up, it broke down again. They said it was the battery, jumped it, and then refused to check it again. Fast forward a year, and the AC has gone out twice and the check engine light has come on and off. Each time it came on, they just cleared the code.
Tonight, I had a full system failure while going 65 on the highway. There was no check engine light before, just a warning saying that the hybrid system failed and I should turn off the car. Thankfully, I got off the highway without being hit.
What can I do here? I’m not putting any more money into a car that has clearly been a problem since day one. I’ve kept up with maintenance and have only put about 20k miles on it since I bought it. It’s at 86k miles now. I feel like I’ve been scammed and I’m seriously thinking about legal action rather than paying to fix it again.
I also have a 2015 Kia Optima Hybrid with 140,000 miles. The hybrid control module failed at 99,000 miles. The dealership wanted over $9,000 to replace it. I was still under warranty, but they refused to honor it.
I had to call Kia corporate and complain. About an hour later, the dealership called back, apologizing for the misunderstanding and fixed the car for free, giving me a loaner vehicle.
If you’re under 100k miles, all hybrid parts are covered under warranty. The high voltage fuse can be upgraded for free at the dealership or replaced up to 150k miles or 15 years. If the dealer won’t fix it, contact Kia Customer Care.
@Aza
I contacted corporate and they ignored me. We also never got a response from Kia Customer Care. They refused to give me a loaner without charging me $60 a day. At the time, I was in school and couldn’t afford that. This went on for seven months. Kia corporate hung up on me multiple times.
I was beside myself dealing with them. But I’ll keep this info ready for when I take it to the dealership tomorrow, so thank you!
@Fenix
Kia helped me when I called, so I’m not sure what’s different about your situation. I explained the dealership wouldn’t honor the warranty, and they resolved it.
You’ll also get a hybrid system warning if the battery is bad. I got the same message while driving and lost power. They replaced the battery, but that was not covered.
By the way, my A/C leaks, and I need to refill it yearly. I’m losing acceleration in the city because the hybrid battery is losing efficiency. Overall, I kind of regret my purchase too.
@Aza
At this point, I just want to get rid of the car. I hate that my dad is having to step in to help with them, but he is really good with cars and I am not. I can advocate for myself, but I’m at my limit with Kia.
I have that throttle issue too. This model seems to be a nightmare.
[deleted]
I was able to speak to a Kia customer rep yesterday. She said that since the dealerships are independently owned, they struggle to get fixes for this model because many just don’t follow recalls or communicate with customers when they come in for repairs. I replied, ‘That’s pretty messed up,’ and she said, ‘You have no idea.’
The hybrid warning shutdown is probably your hybrid control module. I had to pay around $3,500 when that happened to me.
Here’s my story:
I bought a brand new 2012 Optima Hybrid with a 10/100,000 warranty.
Under warranty I had to replace:
200 miles – melted steering wheel
25,000 – A/C
85,000 – motor
99,500 – transmission
After the warranty:
115,000 – hydraulic control unit
120,000 – front struts
And now at 125,000, the transmission has failed again. It would cost around $7,000 from the dealer or $5,000 at a local shop.
It has sat in my driveway for three weeks while I figure out what to do or who might want to buy it for a reasonable price, maybe a junkyard for $1,500.
I’m in Los Angeles, maybe you want a parts car? LOL
I don’t have details on recourse, but WOW this situation is terrible. I really hope you can get a better car after this nightmare. No one should go through this.
Fielder said:
I don’t have details on recourse, but WOW this situation is terrible. I really hope you can get a better car after this nightmare. No one should go through this.
Every time Kia responds, they just say I have to pay to fix it. I’m like, ‘WELL, YOU COULD TRY NOT SELLING PEOPLE BAD CARS AND LYING.’
Fielder said: @Fenix
It’s shocking that they are telling you this and you’re still under 100k miles. I think I’ll avoid Kia for my next car; what a shame.
Honestly, I’m just going to tell them to buy the car from me or fix it for free. If they do, I’ll take the money and use it for a down payment on another car, probably a Toyota or Honda.
@Fenix
That sounds like a good plan. I’d look at early 2000s Honda and Toyotas. Personally, I want an old CR-V. They really made them better back then.
Fielder said: @Fenix
That sounds like a good plan. I’d look at early 2000s Honda and Toyotas. Personally, I want an old CR-V. They really made them better back then.
The CR-V is definitely on my list. This was my first and last Kia.
Fielder said: @Fenix
It’s shocking that they are telling you this and you’re still under 100k miles. I think I’ll avoid Kia for my next car; what a shame.
If you avoid every bad news story about cars, you won’t drive again.
@Ember
I’m learning that now. When I bought this car, it was the only one I could find. My last car was totaled by someone who hit me head-on. Since it was during COVID, prices were crazy high and this was the only car in my budget that was available. I don’t know much about cars.