— A Kia Optima fuel hose recall has been issued for nearly 142,000 cars equipped with 2.4-liter gasoline direct injection (GDI) or 2.0-liter GDI turbo engines.
The low-pressure fuel hoses on the 2013-2014 Optimas may crack over time, likely due to heat within the engine compartments.
Leaking fuel that makes contact with an ignition source may cause a fire, and the subject of car fires is something Kia knows all too well.
The Optima fuel hose recall was announced after the Center for Auto Safety petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate Kia fires that occurred without crash impacts.
Kia says it estimates only 1% of the Optimas are affected by the fuel hose problem, but the Center says the recall is something the automaker should have long ago issued.
"Today, 364 days since we called on Congress to investigate Kia and Hyundai for failure to recall these defective cars, these manufacturers continue to string out consumers when it comes to the possibility of their engine failing and their car exploding.” - Jason Levine, executive director of the Center
A Kia engineer visited a dealership in November 2019 and learned about a leaking fuel hose on a Kia Optima, causing the automaker to review other possible incidents of cracked hoses.
By February 2020 Kia hadn't figured out what was causing the fuel hoses to crack and still isn't exactly sure what causes the problem, other than heat from the engine compartment.
According to the automaker, there have been no fires or injuries caused by Optima leaking fuel hoses.
The Optima recall is expected to begin April 16, 2020, but the automaker is still trying to determine the best way to fix the problem.
Owners of the 2013-2014 Optimas may call Kia at 800-333-4542 and ask about recall number SC187.
Kia Optima Complaints - 2013 / 2014 / All model years
