Kia Optima
Across 19 model years (2001–2019), the Kia Optima has 22 NHTSA recall campaigns and 3,028 complaints on file.
The component named most often in complaints is engine (181 per 1,000 component mentions), followed by steering (110.2).
The 2013 model year has the most complaints (440). Recall campaigns peaked in 2018 with 3; complaints were received in the largest number in 2018 (429). Within Kia, this line ranks 2 of 34 by total complaints.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
Model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | vs line average | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Kia Optima | 3 | 141 | 88% | 64,270 |
| 2002 Kia Optima | 3 | 102 | 64% | 73,842 |
| 2003 Kia Optima | 2 | 138 | 87% | 62,341 |
| 2004 Kia Optima | 1 | 221 | 139% | 36,538 |
| 2005 Kia Optima | 0 | 142 | 89% | — |
| 2006 Kia Optima | 2 | 150 | 94% | 215,870 |
| 2007 Kia Optima | 2 | 152 | 95% | 215,870 |
| 2008 Kia Optima | 3 | 120 | 75% | 1,196,247 |
| 2009 Kia Optima | 1 | 103 | 65% | 980,377 |
| 2010 Kia Optima | 1 | 61 | 38% | 980,377 |
| 2011 Kia Optima | 5 | 367 | 230% | 3,907,969 |
| 2012 Kia Optima | 5 | 439 | 275% | 3,185,590 |
| 2013 Kia Optima | 9 | 440 | 276% | 4,280,952 |
| 2014 Kia Optima | 7 | 178 | 112% | 3,515,367 |
| 2015 Kia Optima | 4 | 182 | 114% | 2,682,585 |
| 2016 Kia Optima | 5 | 65 | 41% | 403,321 |
| 2017 Kia Optima | 3 | 16 | 10% | 392,799 |
| 2018 Kia Optima | 2 | 10 | 6% | 321,146 |
| 2019 Kia Optima NHTSA record | 1 | 1 | 1% | 11,423 |
"vs line average" is the model year's complaints as a share of the line's average per model year (100% = average). A campaign covering several model years counts once per year. Model years with one campaign and fewer than 25 complaints are listed but have no page of their own; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record.
Components most reported
Per 1,000 component mentions across all Kia Optima complaints (4,049 mentions).
Campaigns by year reported
Complaints by year received
Other Kia model lines
- Sorento 76 recalls · 3,888 complaints
- Optima 59 recalls · 3,028 complaints
- Sportage 77 recalls · 2,579 complaints
- Sephia 16 recalls · 1,702 complaints
- Sedona 69 recalls · 1,583 complaints
- Soul 34 recalls · 1,061 complaints
- RIO 27 recalls · 869 complaints
- Spectra 5 recalls · 866 complaints
- Forte 34 recalls · 677 complaints
- Rondo 11 recalls · 260 complaints
- Amanti 4 recalls · 225 complaints
- Optima Hybrid 12 recalls · 187 complaints
- Sedona EX 3 recalls · 120 complaints
- Borrego 18 recalls · 69 complaints
- Cadenza 12 recalls · 46 complaints
- Forte Koup 16 recalls · 44 complaints
- K900 11 recalls · 20 complaints
- Soul EV 18 recalls · 14 complaints
- Niro 15 recalls · 14 complaints
- Stinger 20 recalls · 9 complaints
- Optima Phev 4 recalls · 6 complaints
- Niro Phev 9 recalls · 4 complaints
- Telluride 35 recalls · 2 complaints
- K5 20 recalls · 0 complaints
- Carnival 15 recalls · 0 complaints
- EV9 13 recalls · 0 complaints
- EV6 11 recalls · 0 complaints
- Niro EV 11 recalls · 0 complaints
- Sorento Hybrid 11 recalls · 0 complaints
- Sorento Phev 11 recalls · 0 complaints
- Seltos 7 recalls · 0 complaints
- Sportage Phev 5 recalls · 0 complaints
- K4 3 recalls · 0 complaints
- Telluride Hybrid 2 recalls · 0 complaints
Questions and answers
Which Kia Optima model years have the most recalls?
2013 (9), 2014 (7), 2011 (5). Across model years 2001–2019 there are 22 distinct campaigns.
Which Kia Optima model year has the most complaints?
2013, with 440 of the line's 3,028 complaints. Newer model years have had less time to accumulate reports.
What do owners of the Kia Optima complain about?
engine (181 per 1,000 mentions), steering (110.2 per 1,000 mentions), air bags (100.8 per 1,000 mentions). Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint flat files, public domain, dated 29 Sep 2026 and 15 May 2019.
Provenance
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, dated 29 Sep 2026 and 15 May 2019. Model names are as NHTSA records them; variants such as "Accord" and "Accord Hybrid" are separate lines. See the methodology.