Vehicle Data Hub

2013 Kia Optima electrical system problems

Owners reported electrical system problems in 147 complaints for the 2013 Kia Optima, 8% of the complaints on file. It is the 3rd most reported problem area for this model year.

At a glance

Complaints
147 8% of this year's complaints
Typical mileage
86,000 miles 70 complaints with mileage
Crashes and fires
5 and 21
Injuries and deaths
1 and 0

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

When electrical system problems show up

Electrical system complaints by mileage, 2013 Kia Optima Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 86,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 9 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 3 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 7 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 11 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 13 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 12 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 6 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 2 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 3 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 2 complaints 200k+ miles: 2 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 86,000 miles
Based on 70 complaints that include mileage. 27% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles9
20k to 40k miles3
40k to 60k miles7
60k to 80k miles11
80k to 100k miles13
100k to 120k miles12
120k to 140k miles6
140k to 160k miles2
160k to 180k miles3
180k to 200k miles2
200k+ miles2

What the data shows

Of the 70 electrical system complaints that report mileage, the median is about 86,000 miles, and 27% were reported before 60,000 miles.

These complaints mention 5 crashes, 21 fires, 1 injury.

What owners wrote

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 kia optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a front end collision after losing functionality of various electrical systems. The failure occurred without warning. The air bags did not deploy. Prior to the crash, the vehicle was taken to valley hi kia (14673 civic dr, victorville, ca), but the failure was not diagnosed until the second time it was brought in for driving abnormally.

Reported at 56,000 miles, October 2017 CrashInjury

My 2013 kia optima displayed several electrical issues with radio panel, warning lights on dash, seat belt warning on while buckled and driving, and doors would lock on their own weeks prior to the car giving out on me after a quarter of a mile drive. It would not start at all. Mechanic thought it was a starter issue but turned out that the engine locked. I purchased the car in 2015 and had some fuel system issue a year after purchase , costing over $900 to repair.

Reported at 150,000 miles, September 2018

Other problems reported for the 2013 Kia Optima

Electrical system problems in other years

Electrical system problems across all Kia models