What breaks most · 2001 to 2019 model years
Kia Optima problems by year
Owners have filed 3,028 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Kia Optima across model years 2001 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2013 for engine complaints, 2012 for engine complaints and 2011 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2017, 2010 and 2016.
- Years to check closely: 2013, 2012, 2011
- Fewest complaints: 2017, 2010, 2016
- Complaints on file
- 30282001 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2013440 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 179144 fires · 152 injuries · 12 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 67kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 59Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 141 | 15 | 3 | Body and structure (35) | |
| 102 | 15 | 3 | Body and structure (26) | |
| 138 | 8 | 2 | Latches and locks (53) | |
| 221 | 8 | 1 | Latches and locks (81) | |
| 142 | 7 | 0 | Latches and locks (65) | |
| 150 | 3 | 2 | Air bags (46) | |
| 152 | 8 | 2 | Air bags (60) | |
| 120 | 18 | 3 | Air bags (49) | |
| 103 | 3 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (29) | |
| 61 | 7 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (22) | |
| 367 | 16 | 5 | Engine (151) | |
| 439 | 15 | 5 | Engine (149) | |
| 440 | 27 | 9 | Engine (165) | |
| 178 | 7 | 7 | Engine (88) | |
| 182 | 6 | 4 | Engine (102) | |
| 65 | 13 | 5 | Engine (20) | |
| 16 | 1 | 3 | Engine (5) | |
| 10 | 2 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (1) |
What fails on the 2013 Kia Optima
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 38% |
165 | 6 | Shop engine parts for the 2013 Kia Optima |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 26% |
114 | 5 | Shop steering parts for the 2013 Kia Optima |
| Unknown or other | 9% |
41 | 2 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 9% |
40 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 Kia Optima |
| Air bags | 7% |
31 | 12 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 6% |
26 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 5% |
24 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2013 Kia Optima |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 5% |
20 | 2 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2013 Kia Optima |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
I was driving than suddenly all my lights came across my dashboard.thsn my car car began to slow down so i pulled over!thank it cut off
-
When i was driving suddenly i heard knocked noise from engine and noise got high and high. I came home and i didn't drive it my oil level and condition was good
-
While driving my car it started to act sluggish so i pulled over and minutes after getting out of the car it started on fire. The fire department was called the fire was extinguished, but not before the car was a total loss
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Kia Optima years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2013, 2012, 2011 carry the most filings on the Kia Optima. The 2013 alone has 440 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Kia Optima problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 165 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Kia Optima problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Kia Optima complaints that include mileage is about 67,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.