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2001 Kia Optima
The 2001 Kia Optima appears in 3 NHTSA recall campaigns (suspension, electrical system and air bags) and in 141 consumer complaints filed with the agency.
The component named most often is structure: 163.7 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 69.2 per 1,000 across all 2001 model-year vehicles and against 61 per 1,000 for the Kia Optima line as a whole.
That is about the same as the average of 159.4 complaints per model year across the 19 Kia Optima model years on this register; 15 complaints reported a crash and 0 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2003 (24); the most recent in the file is dated 29 Oct 2018.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 2 investigations naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: Kia motors corporation (kmc) is recalling 36,538 model year 2001-2004 optima vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt applied in these states during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the front subframe. Over time, such subframe corrosion near the connection to the lower control arm can lead to wheel misalignment and/or other noticeable stress in steering, or accelerated abnormal tire wear.
Consequence: Corrosion of the front subframe could lead to separation, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Kmc will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on june 15, 2009. Owners may contact kia's consumer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.
Filed by KIA MOTORS CORPORATION (manufacturer campaign SC075).
Defect, as filed: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.5 and 2.7 liter v6 engines, the crankshaft position sensor (ckp) cases did not meet dimensional specifications.
Consequence: Internal gaps within the cases allowed epoxy to contact the printed circuit board, which resulted in cracking of the circuit board capacitor. A damaged ckp capacitor could result in engine stalling.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the ckp. Owner notification began march 28, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.
Filed by KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC. (manufacturer campaign SC021).
Defect, as filed: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The side air bag wire harness for the driver position could be mis-routed, which could result in it being pinched or cut by the seat cushion tilt mechanism.
Consequence: Damage to the wire harness could result in the side air bag not deploying in an accident.
Remedy: Dealers will check for proper routing of the side air bag wire harness and secure it in place with a plastic tie-wrap. If the wire harness is damaged, it will be replaced. Owner notification is expected to begin during may 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.
Filed by KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC. (manufacturer campaign SC020).
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2001 Kia Optima (black) against all 2001 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2001 | Optima line | All 2001 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 163.7 | 61 | 69.2 |
| Suspension | 128.3 | 33.8 | 78.6 |
| Air Bags | 128.3 | 100.8 | 64.8 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 110.6 | 22.5 | 116.8 |
| Electrical System | 88.5 | 95.6 | 98.8 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 70.8 | 64.2 | 11.8 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 37 | 163.7 | 61 | 69.2 |
| Suspension | 29 | 128.3 | 33.8 | 78.6 |
| Air Bags | 29 | 128.3 | 100.8 | 64.8 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 25 | 110.6 | 22.5 | 116.8 |
| Electrical System | 20 | 88.5 | 95.6 | 98.8 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 16 | 70.8 | 64.2 | 11.8 |
| Power Train | 12 | 53.1 | 54.6 | 93.1 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 12 | 53.1 | 10.9 | 87.2 |
| Equipment | 7 | 31 | 6.9 | 19 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 31 | 32.4 | 44.4 |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 31 | 11.1 | 18.6 |
| Visibility | 5 | 22.1 | 22 | 35.9 |
| Wheels | 5 | 22.1 | 9.6 | 12.4 |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 13.3 | 37.5 | 31.3 |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 13.3 | 46.9 | 19.7 |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 8.8 | 1 | 6.5 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 4.4 | 0.7 | 4.4 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 4.4 | 10.9 | 35.4 |
| Seats | 1 | 4.4 | 7.9 | 13.7 |
| Tires | 1 | 4.4 | 7.9 | 33.1 |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 4.4 | 23 | 18.2 |
| Engine | 1 | 4.4 | 181 | 15.9 |
| Steering | 1 | 4.4 | 110.2 | 41.4 |
141 unique complaints, 226 component mentions; 7 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA04030 | Engineering analysis | POWER DOOR LOCK FAILURE | latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch | 4 Nov 2004 | 7 Nov 2005 | — |
| PE04050 | Preliminary evaluation | POWER DOOR LOCK FAILURE | latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch | 7 Jul 2004 | 4 Nov 2004 | — |
Other Kia Optima model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 3 | 141 | 64,270 |
| 2002 | 3 | 102 | 73,842 |
| 2003 | 2 | 138 | 62,341 |
| 2004 | 1 | 221 | 36,538 |
| 2005 | 0 | 142 | — |
| 2006 | 2 | 150 | 215,870 |
| 2007 | 2 | 152 | 215,870 |
| 2008 | 3 | 120 | 1,196,247 |
| 2009 | 1 | 103 | 980,377 |
| 2010 | 1 | 61 | 980,377 |
| 2011 | 5 | 367 | 3,907,969 |
| 2012 | 5 | 439 | 3,185,590 |
| 2013 | 9 | 440 | 4,280,952 |
| 2014 | 7 | 178 | 3,515,367 |
| 2015 | 4 | 182 | 2,682,585 |
| 2016 | 5 | 65 | 403,321 |
| 2017 | 3 | 16 | 392,799 |
| 2018 | 2 | 10 | 321,146 |
| 2019 NHTSA | 1 | 1 | 11,423 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Kia Optima model years · Kia: 34 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2001 Kia Optima have?
3 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 09V183000, was reported to NHTSA on 27 May 2009 and concerns suspension:front. Across all model years the Kia Optima line has 22 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2001 Kia Optima?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 2 actions naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2001 Kia Optima complain about most?
Structure: 37 of 226 component mentions (163.7 per 1,000). Next is suspension with 29. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.