Kia Optima

Where it stands out against its peers

• Engine: more complaints than 90% of 2013 cars — 44% of its 1,379 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 21%.
• Hydraulic: more complaints than 91% of 2013 cars — 4% of its 1,379 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 1%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• ENGINE — 390 owners reported this, 4 involving a crash, 54 involving a fire
• STEERING — 157 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• STRUCTURE — 81 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash, 1 involving a fire
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 36 owners reported this, 10 involving a fire
• SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — 33 owners reported this, 6 involving a fire
• ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — 31 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• AIR BAGS — 30 owners reported this, 9 involving a crash
• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 27 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 26 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash, 2 involving a fire
• POWER TRAIN — 24 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• SERVICE BRAKES — 24 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

73% of 2019 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 16V231000

  If the second stage air bag does not deploy it increases the risk of injury or death.

  Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on May 6, 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC131.

• 16V705000

  If the driveshaft cracks and separates from the vehicle, it will not be able to move forward. Additionally, if the parking brake is not applied upon exiting the vehicle, the vehicle may roll. Either scenario can increase the risk of a crash.

  Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front axle driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began November 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC139.

• 17V007000

  In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not inflate fully increases the risk of injury.

  The affected vehicle was remedied on January 10, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC143.

• 17V224000

  Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.

• 18V161000

  If the VPD activates while the vehicle is being operated in Electric Vehicle (EV) mode, there may be a loss of power, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Kia will notify owners, and dealers will remove the VPD switch and install two newly designed Battery Management Systems (BMS) that contain Overvoltage Protection Devices (OPDs), free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC162.

• 18V363000

  If the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.

  Kia will notify owners. For model year 2011 Sedona vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to verify the ACU part number and, if necessary, install an extension wire harness kit between the ACU Connector and the Vehicle Harness Connector. For all other affected vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to install the extension wire harness kit. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC165.

• 18V907000

  A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

  Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.

• 19V539000

  Improper intervention of the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist can increase the risk of a crash.

  Kia will notify owners, and dealers will update the FCA software, free of charge. The recall began August 27, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC179.

7 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires

  Audit query, opened November 2023, still open.

• Pedestrian alert sounds

  Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.

• Loss of Motive Power

  Defect petition, opened September 2022, closed December 2023.

• Engine Fires

  Engineering analysis, opened December 2021, closed February 2024.

• Throttle control system vulnerabilities

  Defect petition, opened November 2021, closed June 2023.

• Electrical overstress

  Engineering analysis, opened April 2019, closed September 2024.

• Non-crash Vehicle Fires

  Preliminary evaluation, opened March 2019, closed December 2021.

• Non-crash Vehicle Fires

  Defect petition, opened August 2018, closed May 2019.

  Became recall 18V907000.

• Scope and Timeliness

  Recall query, opened May 2017, closed December 2021.

  Became recall 17V224000.

• Transmission Shift Cable Detachment

  Preliminary evaluation, opened November 2010, closed April 2011.

• Power door lock failure

  Engineering analysis, opened November 2004, closed November 2005.

• Power door lock failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened July 2004, closed November 2004.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Kia filed 113 bulletins about the 2020 Optima.

• Electrical system: 30
• Engine and engine cooling: 25
• Engine: 12
• Air bags: 8
• Fuel system, gasoline: 8
• Power train: 6
• Structure: 5
• Steering: 4
• Equipment adaptive/mobility: 3
• Visibility: 3
• Other: 9

• TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information.… · June 2026
• TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: KEY AND CYLINDER SET REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides information to replace the driver’s door lock and trunk lid key cylinders on some 2019-2024MY Kia vehicles listed… · June 2026
• VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS: ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340 REVISION 5) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of… · May 2026
• PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER RENOTIFICATION (PI2108 Flight 501) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting an important Product Improvement Campaign to perform… · May 2026
• VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC340 FLIGHT 104 ) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to… · April 2026
• TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSION SECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340 REV 4) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information.… · March 2026
• TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information.… · February 2026
• CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (CS2312) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting Customer Satisfaction Campaign. A software upgrade that addresses… · January 2026

105 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.