 Engine died mid-may 2016. I was driving down a 40 mph, relatively busy, street when I tried accelerating (after light turned green I was able to speed up to about 35, then let go of accelerator before attempting to accelerate again) and noticed my car wouldn't react/accelerate. Immediately panicked and pulled into a parking lot before I stopped up traffic. Battery was fine, but engine was not running. Turned car off and tried starting it back up.. no luck. None of my friends who came to help me out could get it started. Awful experience, needless to say. I go to college 1.5 hrs away from my family.. mom had to drive to come get me (after having to uber my way around town for a week) to go home to get a new car, because you need one to get around my city. Ended up leasing a new car with toyota, which was a big learning process for me. Now I'm having to pay this lease and car shop expenses. My parents got the optima for me in high school to last me throughout the my high school senior year, college, and so on.. until I obviously graduate and can afford whatever car I'd like to purchase on my own. I'm graduating this December 2016 and now I'm stuck with a 3 year lease with a car I was most willing to pay to drive for 3 years (this happened mid-May 2016). I ADORED my optima. I still boast about the car and how much I loved it. I was, still am, devastated about my optima that I had for 5 years. THE BEST THING ABOUT IT ALL... kia sends out letters to 2011 optima owners just a little over a month after I signed my lease saying they were extending warranties to WELL more than the mileage I even had on my car (62,000). My poor car was only auctioned off for $2000. Buying a new engine was beyond what we were willing to pay. Yet because kia sent this letter JUST after my optima died on me, I was left in the dust. Long story, sorry, Im still bitter lol. I don't think this will stop me from ever purchasing another kia in the future, because I really did love my optima and it fit my driving needs so perfectly. But I know, better than ever, especially after learning the ins and outs of leasing cars, how important it is to do insane amounts of research on the product. Just beware, don't purchase this model unless you are certain the engine has been or can be replaced before it's yours. No one wants to get stranded and screwed into spending money they shouldn't be having to spend..