Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Kia Optima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front end of the vehicle caught fire. The contact was informed by another driver that the fire originated near the front driver's side wheel area. The fire was extinguished by the local fire department, and a police report was filed. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 144,000.
We were traveling at around 55-60 miles an hour and were t-bones by a Chevy avalanche on the passenger side of the vehicle. I was in the front passenger seat and my husband swerved so the truck luckily started at my door and completely ripped and smashed in the back passenger door and back/ trunk of our Optima. Back wheel is completely turned out. Hit so hard it completely turned us in 2 circles and busted my front license plate and it hit absolutely nothing. I busted my head open and received 3 staples and knee shoved in dash but not 1 air bag in this vehicle deployed!! I have always owned a Kia!! I will no longer purchase a Kia because I do not feel safe!!
My wife was driving the vehicle on darby road in haverford, pa going about 30 MPH. She heard a loud noise and lost control of the vehicle. After safely stopping she inspected the car and found that the right front tire was no longer straight up and down but was tilted. The haverford police responded and asked if she had hit anything. She replied "no". The police looked down the road and could not find any potholes or anything that had been struck. We had the vehicle towed to west chester, pa Kia dealership. They are insisting that something had to have hit the vehicle. They say that there is evidence of scrapes on the underside of the vehicle. I told them that was probably due to the car being dragged by the tow truck to get in on to the flatbed when it was towed to our house. When it was removed from the tow truck it was again dragged on the ground. …
We got a new Kia Optima sxl 2013. The tyres are fill with nitrogen gas. On our last state inspection we were told the there was 25% left on the tread of each tyre & will require changing soon. Started to check out prices in the area at all the tyre merchants. Only to find in my horror that only two places in a 30 mile + radius can do nitrogen fill & the prices are horrendous. It should not be this difficult to simply change tyres on a car. Kia as well as a lot of other new cars don't come with a spare tyre, but instead supply you with a small compressor unit. Because of this difficulty, it looks like we are going to be forced to change over to air filled types, and buy a new spare wheel & tyre for the trunk. At a great deal more expense, than should be required. Kia USA are being of little or no help whatsoever. Very angry. …
Nexen cp671 tires, p215/55r17 - tires are OEM on my Kia Optima, which I purchased new. At 14,972 miles, my car's handling changed. The dealership advised both front tires have developed sidewall bulges, as well as excessive tread wear. (tires had been rotated.) I was advised to purchase new tires immediately as present ones were extremely unsafe. I read that this is a common complaint for these tires, so I called nexen directly to see if they would offer a replacement, but was shocked to hear they take no responsibility on OEM tires, nor do they even offer a discount on the purchase of new tires. Needless to say, I won't be replacing them with new nexens which, by the way, their agent told me they do warrant at no additional change.
Tl* the contact called on behalf of his girlfriend, who was the driver and owner of a 2013 Kia Optima equipped with pirelli p4 four seasons plus tires, size: 215/55/r17 (na). While driving 75 MPH, the rear passenger tire tread separated and damaged the side rear quarter panel. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The tire was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for determination of the failure. The tire manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact to take the tire back to sam's club. The contact stated that the tire was taken back to sam's club and replaced. The tire failure mileage was approximately 2,000. The VIN and vehicle failure mileage were not available.
My car keeps having some kind of an electrical glitch where it seems my battery is dead completely wipes the memory from the car then it'll start 1 minute later, tires keep getting eating from the inside just above the rim, motor has been making a ticking noise since I got the car it was looked at as one of the recalls and said it was fine, I feel this car is unsafe for me and my family, the has even shut off as I was driving down the road acted like it was the battery was dead and it started a couple minutes later
Turner Kia diagnosis my vehicle of overheating condition revealed combustion gasses getting into coolant. Internal issue allowing combustion pressure to get into cooling system which is hampering cooling efficiency as well as causing areaction off coolant. When I drove the car half way on the highway it started to smoke after I just got it back from turner Kia after fixing what they said was the problem after that I took it back to turner Kia and they diagnosis it as needing a new engine.
When I'm driving at any speed and on any surface driving over the slightest bump the steering wheel makes a clanking sound also the car is pulling to the right my front tires are wearing out on the upperoutside of the tire the part of tire that touches the road. I have looked on web to see if anyone else has had a issue with this what I found was that it May be the steering coupler. It's getting worse I'm afraid it's not going to turn one of these days because of what's going on.
When I am driving more than 65 MPH, my steering wheel shakes for 3 seconds, stops, and then continues until I go under 65 MPH. When I drive over a bump or object, it shakes as well. There is a loud clicking when turn the wheel left or right.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Optima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2013 Kia Optima?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2013 Kia Optima, 2% of the model year's 1,386 complaints. The component named most often is pressure monitoring and regulating systems (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Kia Optima wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2013 Kia Optima, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Kia Optima wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 1 injury to wheels & tires problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.