Used 2015 Kia Optima Consumer Reviews
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Engine Failed with only 70k miles
RLamb, 04/01/2021
2015 Kia Optima EX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
KIA/Hyundai wound not cover the engine even tho it's the same recalled engine that was in the 2014. Supposedly the 2015 Optima were made on a different production line.
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2015 kia optma
TED BURGER, 02/16/2016
2015 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
9 of 14 people found this review helpful
Would be a nice car if you had steering control at highway speeds. At speeds over 55 car requires constant adjustment to keep it straight. If you do not adjust the steering wheel constantly you will find your self in the other lane or off the road. Kia seems to think this is normal, car has been in the shop 3 times for the same issue. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE.
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Screwed when left the car lot
Debbie Hamilton, 12/16/2015
updated 06/19/2017
2015 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
19 of 32 people found this review helpful
The 2015 Kia Optima rode very smooth and I truly enjoyed it. When I first purchased it I enjoyed the car. I drove it home from the dealership and it kept pulling to the right. So, I take it back to the dealership and they said to take to service. I take it back to the service and they were to put it on the machine which I truly doubt it. Because it is still pulling to the right. It is also hard to keep in the road. My next problem is that the engine roars loud and it shakes. I have taken it to the service department and all they do is drive it. The next thing is "I can't duplicate the problem". I also have had a sour smell coming from the air condition. But the service department keeps saying it doesn't have a smell. I paid 89.00 to have it serviced for the smell and later they realized that it did have a smell. so that gave me a oil change coupon instead of giving me my money back. It took 3 times for them to actually take care of this. The transmission is another problem that I have been have with this car. When riding in a 30 mile drive condition, the transmission jerks and boots. The service manager has driven and has seen it boot but, he claims it is the way the car is to run. The tires on this car roars so loud when you are riding down the road that you can not hear yourself think. The also has chips of tire missing from the tires. For a new car I have had so much trouble and the service department fail to work on it. All they do is drive the car so the mileage can bill up. Also, the brakes on this car rubs and I feel it is a safety hazard to all men. Kia is aware of all these problems. They just don't want to admit they have lemons. I have a 2015 Kia Optima LX which was purchased with 3 miles. I have replaced my windshield wipes and I can not get any help from the service manager or the maker. The tech from headquarters was to come out but all of a sudden he decides not to come. I have had so many problems and I am so unhappy with this car. It makes me wonder it I received a car that the mileage has been set back. It runs like a car that has been used. How does a new engine shakes and makes the dashboard shake? How can anyone get help from a service department that does not want to help. Kia has cost me a lot of unnecessary time at the service department and has cost my faith in Kia to be none at all. I purchased the vehicle from Victory Kia of Victoria TX and I will not referred anyone to this dealership. Victory is only concerned with selling not their customers. What am I to do with a car that is not doing what the papers and sales people said it would do. It's been 2 yrs and 3 months that I have had this vehicle. The engine has noise as if the lifters are going bad. The service department continues say they don't hear anything. I will never buy another Kia or will I refer anyone to buy a Kia. I am truly unhappy with this car. The service center in Victoria Tx needs to be observed. All they do is lie to their customers and beat people out of their money. You are not being represented well.
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DON’T BUY IT, ENGINE SEIZED AT 108K MILES
SadieL, 12/29/2021
2015 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
6 of 9 people found this review helpful
Please do yourself a favor and never even check off the box to look for a KIA when looking for a car, it’ll save you a lot in the long run!! I bought my 2015 Kia Optima LX back in 2017 for $12k (after interest $18k) at 38k miles, got regular oil changes and did all the basic maintenance for my first car I got with a loan, I was super happy and needed something reliable since I got a government job and needed to go out in state of emergencies. Flash forward to now 2021: my engine light comes on a few months ago due to my gas vapor leaking out since the gas cap wouldn’t click (also a common Kia issue and got this code read at Autozone for free) so I go, buy a new gas cap that clicks over from Amazon and drive about 400 miles and the engine light never goes off unless I got it shut off (didn’t get the chance to). Two weeks later after finally changing my gas cap (which had the light on for like a month and a half or so) on December 20th, 2021, I’m driving up a hill and all of a sudden mid driving my car just stops working so I almost thought my arm could’ve hit it into neutral on accident, I am able to have enough time to turn my steering wheel to the right but still partially in the road. I hit my brake and notice that I’m still in drive and look at my dash board to see that my oil and battery light are on at the same time (wasn’t on prior, engine light was already on) I’m still in drive and didn’t hit it into neutral, I take my foot off the brake and try to give it gas and begin to roll BACKWARDS, instantly hit the brake and put it into park. I put the pedal to the floor and NOTHING, I turn my car off and try to turn it over and there’s NOTHING. I panicked since I haven’t had anything like this happen to me before and I luckily just so happened to land right in front of a collision place so I run in, ask for help and they tried to jump my car twice with two different batteries and my car wouldn’t turn over still. They checked my oil next and apparently my oil was low but not empty (never got a warning light or anything and was going to get an oil change within the week) which they told me KIA has issues with burning oil and they believe my engine was seized since I had all my lights and radio on so it couldn’t be the battery. They felt awful for the bad timing and how it happened and told me they would check out my car the next day to see what the issue is. Come to find out my engine is seized! I call KIA and they said that there was a recall on my engine for the “Knock System” where they update the computer which does something for the engine (I’m not a mechanic but that’s what they told me) and that I should’ve got it done in which this recall HAD A DEADLINE where they discontinued doing the recalls regardless of the situation and my car only had 108k miles on it, they told me that my warranty would’ve been extended on my engine if I had the recall done but since I didn’t it was 8,000 miles over my warranty and “too bad” and I tried to explain that I got only ONE letter back a few months ago when I was in an academy and I was so busy in it that I put the letter to the side for me to do later and CORPORATE KIA told me that I “need to learn how to manage my time better” even though the recall deadline was about 4 months later. They told me that I could bring my KIA into a local service technician for KIA but it will be roughly $300 TO EVEN LOOK AT IT, and if they find something at their fault then I MIGHT be reimbursed. So Corporate KIA recorded everything and everyone I spoke to regarding this manner and every which way I tried to explain this they just hit me with “too bad” pretty much and to suck it up because it’s my issue that my engine seized. So now I cannot be without a vehicle as a first responder so I needed to find something fast, tried to trade in my car and was only offered $500 for it at multiple car dealerships. Mechanics have told me at minimum to replace an engine and labor it could be $5000 and with the part shortage it could even take a few months. I have only had my KIA for 4 years and have paid almost $11k towards it, I still owe $7300 on it and was forced into having to get a new car. To add on top of this, I didn’t trade in my vehicle since I decided to fix the engine and flip it in order to pay off my loan. Keep in mind, since the vehicle is still on a loan, it NEEDS to have full coverage where I live regardless of it being immobilized, so now I’m paying a car payment and full coverage on a dead car until I am able to flip it… Also just put 4 brand new tires on it 2 weeks ago which didn’t even add any more value to my car (and was worth $800 itself) when I attempted to trade it in. Save yourself a headache and a half by not dealing with KIA ever!!! KIA could really give a crap less that they sold defective engines and now people are stuck paying more into their company… Terrible customer service and truly don’t value their customers.
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Kia won't honor their warranty, never buy one!
Clint everage, 02/22/2017
2015 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
8 of 13 people found this review helpful
Seized engine with 36k miles. Kia is denying warranty repair based on whatever pathetic excuse they can come up with next. They need to be shut down for their shady business practices. I'll be taking them to court for damages.
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