Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Kia Optima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA OPTIMA LX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER REFUELING, FUEL WAS SEEN LEAKING FROM THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 97,000.
IN 2011 WE HAD A HOLE FORM IN THE GAS TANK OF OUR 2005 KIA OPTIMA. WE TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP IN WHICH THEY DETERMINED THAT THE STRAPS THAT HOLD THE GAS TANK IN HAD CAUSED WEAR ONTO THE ACTUAL TANK. THEY REPLACED THE TANK WITH NEW GAS TANK (ORIGINAL FACTORY GAS TANK) ON FEBRUARY 7, 2012 THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AND THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN BACK IN FOR SERVICING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS DEFECTIVE AND COULD ONLY BE FILLED PARTIALLY BEFORE SPILLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DISCOVERED THAT THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK GASKET SEAL FAILED. THE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE DEALER PERFORM A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106,000.
THE GAS TANK ON THIS 05 KIA WAS LEAKING AT 78,000 MILES, TOOK IT TO DEALER, I HAD TO PAY FOR LABOR, THEY FURNISHED THE NEW GAS TANK COST ME $330, NOW AT 98,000 MILES IT IS LEAKING AGAIN AND KIA IS REFUSING TO FIX IT, I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, GOING ON 3 GAS TANKS LESS THAN 100,000 MILES. PAID DEALER $95 TO INSPECT THE TANK AS TOLD BY KIA CONSUMER DEPT, DEALER DIDNT LOOK AT THE TANK INSTEAD SAID IT NEEDED A GAS VALVE FIRST $400, BEFORE THEY WOULD LOOK AT THE TANK. THE DEALER IS LEE KIA, IN FT WALTON BEACH FL. SO I GUESS I JUST CONTINUE DRIVING CAR TILL SOMETHING REAL SERIOUS HAPPENS? NEED SOME HELP HERE PLEASE THANK YOU CHALMER & KASEY BERRY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA OPTIMA. AFTER PARKING, THE CONTACT NOTICED A LARGE PUDDLE OF GASOLINE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE YEARS LATER. THE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED A SECOND TIME. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT GASOLINE WAS LEAKING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR AT LEAST FOUR TIMES; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURS AFTER APPROXIMATELY THREE OR FOUR MONTHS. THE DEALER HAS BEEN REPLACING THE PART THAT HOLDS THE FUEL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,970.
IN OCTOBER OF 2006 WE BOUGHT A 2005 KIA OPTIMA. SHORTLY AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, SO WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD US IT WAS AIR IN THE TANK AND JUST TO OPEN THE TANK AND LET THE AIR OUT. THEY SAID THE SENSOR WOULD GO OFF IN ABOUT 60,000 MILES. WE THEN STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS FILLING THE TANK UP AND THE SENSOR CONTINUED TO COME ON. WE KEPT DOING WHAT THE DEALER SAID TO DO. ON 13/14 OF OCTOBER, 2008 WE STARTED SMELLING LARGE AMOUNTS OF GAS FUMES AND IT CONTINUED. ON OCTOBER THE 17TH, 2008 I FILLED MY GAS TANK UP AND STARTED DOING ERRANDS WHEN WE NOTICED THAT THE FUMES WERE REALLY BAD AND MY GAS TANK WAS DWINDLING AND WENT HOME. WE NOTICED THAT THE GAS WAS COMING OUT VERY QUICKLY, BUT STOPPED AT A HALF OF A TANK. WE CALLED KIA AND THEY TOLD UP THAT OUR WARRANTY WAS UP, BUT WE COULD HAVE IT TOWED, BUT THEY SAID THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COME OUT AND EMPTY THE TANK BECAUSE IT COULD CAUSE A FIRE AND THEY WOULD NOT TOW IT. I WAS DRIVING WITH MY CHILD AND COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. WE DID WHAT THEY SAID TO DO AND THERE WAS A LOCK, SO IT COULD NOT BE SEEPING. WE CALLED KIA BACK AND AFTER TELLING THEM THAT IT COULD NOT BE DONE,SO THEY CAME AND TOWED IT. THEY ARE REPLACING THE TANK, BUT WERE CHARGED ALMOST 1000.00. MY CAR HAS A LITTLE OVER 70,000 MILES ON IT. *TR
MY CAR BEGAN TO LEAK FUEL. I SENT IT INTO THE DEALER WHO FOUND THAT THE GAS TANK WAS CRACKED ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE TANK. I WAS FURTHER ADVISED THAT THE LEAK WAS NOT CAUSED BY ANY NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR OR ANY DAMAGE. THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AND I REPLACED THE FUEL TANK. *TR
I AM ABOUT TO REPLACE MY GAS TANK FOR THE 2ND TIME IN LESS THAN A YEAR. I AM TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE COMPOSITE TANKS ARE PRONE TO PUNCTURE OR SPLITTING ON THE SEAMS. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA OPTIMA. ON TWO OCCASIONS, THE CONTACT NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL TANK ON BOTH OCCASIONS; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTS. THE CONTACT PAID $600 FOR THE FUEL TANK. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURES, BUT THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS UNRELATED. THE SERVICE MANAGER ALSO STATED THAT THEY HAVE HAD SEVERAL FAILURES REGARDING THE FUEL TANK. THE FUEL SYSTEM AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,821 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .