10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 11
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
23,963 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2013 Kia Optima body / paint problems

body / paint problem

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2013 Kia Optima Owner Comments (Page 1 of 6)

problem #106

Sep 102024

Optima

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My car's paint began chipping and peeling about a year ago, it continues to get worse day by day and exposed areas show a bare metal with some areas rusting. This is happening very rapidly and appears the whole car may lose its paint quickly. Please help!

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #105

May 072024

Optima

  • miles
Paint on driver side rear door is delamination from the car body. This is the Pearl white color

- Corona, CA, USA

problem #104

Jan 012022

Optima

  • miles
Pearl white paint is pealing and chipping. Falling off going down the road. Car looks terrible and is making rust a possibly.

- Mount Pleasant, AR, USA

problem #103

Jun 032015

Optima

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The paint on the vehicle is badly peeling due to defective primer. Thousands of other have the same issues from what I see in parking lots. I have gotten it fixed but it doesn't hold up due to primer.

- Mt. Juliet, TN, USA

problem #102

Mar 152024

Optima

  • miles
This is not a safety issue but it is an issue that seems to be happening on many Kia vehicles, especially those with the Snow White paint color. My car is 11 years old but in great shape with only 62,200 miles. The paint looks almost brand new with no other flaws in the car other than there are spots on the hood and roof where the paint is bubbling up and peeling off with no damages to those areas. It appears the paint no longer adheres to the silver primer.

- Dallas, TX, USA

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problem #101

May 012021

Optima

  • miles
The paint on my car is peeling off in sheets it is not adhering to the body. There is no way that I believe I can have it repainted because they would have to take all the existing paint off because even if they paint it over it it's not stuck to the body. There is no recall and I really think there should be. My paint is the white pearl paint like everyone else's who's peeling off.

- Rockwall, TX, USA

problem #100

May 122024

Optima

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car paint started peeling on the whole car and according to dealers it's a common problem with the pear paint and I need it fixed

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #99

Apr 012021

Optima

  • miles
Large areas of paint are coming off of the vehicle. The system will not allow the 2mb JPG pictures to be added.

- Moore, OK, USA

problem #98

Mar 292024

Optima

  • miles
Paint peeling off 2013 Kia Optima. Either a paint or primer issue by the car manufacture Kia Corp. "Snow White Pearl" is the color of the paint.

- West Nyack, NY, USA

problem #97

Jan 212024

Optima

  • miles
I am experiencing sudden paint delamination on the A pillar. Paint color is snow white pearl. I have not yet contacted the dealer but am seeing many similar online reports for this paint color on Kia vehicles. The area is not otherwise damaged. I noticed the problem on 1/21/24 when the car was stationary. The bad area is now increasing in size. The vehicle has 79,269 miles, is kept outdoors and goes through a car wash approximately monthly.

- Weymouth, MA, USA

problem #96

May 132020

Optima

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have been the owner of my 2013 white kia optima since 2020 and have had my paint peeling from the front, both sides and rear of my car.

- Gilmer, TX, USA

problem #95

Dec 232022

Optima

  • miles
Same story over and over 2013 white pearl paint garage kept, no accidents and paint is literally chipping away side of the car door roof absolutely appalling. Kia the fact that Kia has thousands of this color on the road is embarrassing for all the loyal customers that have to drive them. Kia knows that all of them were painted with no primer. Cheap paint sprayed on bare metal and has left all of us stranded. This clearly is a company with no integrity or care for customers let alone our lives.this needs class action law suit

- Westlake Village , CA, USA

problem #94

Jan 012019

Optima

  • miles
I have a snow pearl white kia that the paint started chipping off and is continuing to do such all over the vehicle. There is an area on the hood with rust starting where the paint starting chipping first. I have contacted kia and the rep looked for recalls but there were non for paint. The warranty was only for 3 years on the paint but the issue didn't start happening till after that. I have seen other SWP colored kia's with the same issue and there is a forum on FB with many other kia owners having the same problem. The prominant color seems to be the white one's but others are affected as well.

- Calhoun, GA, USA

problem #93

Oct 012019

Optima

  • miles
THE HEADLIGHTS ON THIS VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY DIM. I have changed the bulbs and you can not see out of this vehicle at night. I have checked to see if there is a recall or something. A lot of people have issue with this year make and model of this vehicle. The other problem I am having is the paint peeling with the Snow white color of my vehicle. Large spots of paint is coming off and missing. this vehicle is kept under the carport. Yet, large spots of paint comes off.

- Baton Rouge, LA, USA

problem #92

Oct 022023

Optima

  • miles
The paint on my pearl white kia optima is peeling badly, primarily on the hood but now its starting to peel near the doors.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

problem #91

Aug 042021

Optima

  • miles
My car paint as been chipping off. I see a lot of cars like mine in the street with the same isssue, specially Perales white kias. They look like junk cars. Paint was not good

- Madera , CA, USA

problem #90

Apr 012017

Optima

  • miles
2013 Optima SXL with snow white pearl paint. Paint began coming off in areas around the windshield back in 2017. At the time I thought it may have had something to do with the people who replaced my windshield. Had a 50 cent piece size area come off the hood in the car wash shortly after. I have continued to experience paint bubbling and loss ever since. Now I'm considering an upgrade but am worried about my trade in value due to the condition of the paint.

- Beresford, SD, USA

problem #89

Jul 072022

Optima

  • miles
I have problem for the color white pearl is pealing the car front car side an doors

- Riverview, FL, USA

problem #88

Mar 122018

Optima

  • miles
Paint peeling off

- Antioch, CA, USA

problem #87

Aug 162021

Optima

  • miles
I have a white 2013 Kia Optima the paint is chipping, coming off in chunks. After it falls off seeing the panel below is smooth and does not appear to have been roughed up prior to painting to allow the paint to properly adhere. I know of thousands of other Kia owners to have paint issues exactly like this.

- Mount Orab, OH, USA

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