What breaks most · 2001 to 2020 model years
Kia Optima problems by year
Owners have filed 7,486 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Kia Optima across model years 2001 to 2020. Three years stand out: 2013 for engine complaints, 2015 for engine complaints and 2012 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2010, 2002 and 2009.
- Years to check closely: 2013, 2015, 2012
- Fewest complaints: 2010, 2002, 2009
- Complaints on file
- 74862001 to 2020, all trims
- Worst year
- 20131381 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 313412 fires · 269 injuries · 18 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 80kMedian 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 143 | 15 | 3 | Body and structure (35) | |
| 107 | 15 | 3 | Body and structure (30) | |
| 141 | 8 | 2 | Latches and locks (53) | |
| 225 | 8 | 1 | Latches and locks (81) | |
| 144 | 7 | 0 | Latches and locks (66) | |
| 155 | 3 | 2 | Air bags (46) | |
| 167 | 11 | 2 | Air bags (65) | |
| 143 | 20 | 3 | Air bags (57) | |
| 116 | 5 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (33) | |
| 75 | 7 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (24) | |
| 592 | 23 | 5 | Engine (255) | |
| 919 | 25 | 5 | Engine (398) | |
| 1381 | 48 | 9 | Engine (612) | |
| 583 | 20 | 7 | Engine (282) | |
| 1007 | 31 | 4 | Engine (621) | |
| 754 | 27 | 5 | Engine (424) | |
| 255 | 4 | 3 | Engine (164) | |
| 231 | 10 | 2 | Engine (130) | |
| 205 | 20 | 1 | Engine (87) | |
| 143 | 6 | 0 | Engine (96) |
What fails on the 2013 Kia Optima
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 44% |
612 | 12 | Shop engine parts for the 2013 Kia Optima |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 15% |
213 | 6 | Shop steering parts for the 2013 Kia Optima |
| Unknown or other | 13% |
186 | 3 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 11% |
146 | 5 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 Kia Optima |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 9% |
127 | 5 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2013 Kia Optima |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 7% |
92 | 1 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2013 Kia Optima |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 5% |
64 | 3 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 4% |
60 | 18 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
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.
-
the engine revs high and transmission wont shift and when you turn the steering wheel ya get a loud click and the steering wheels jumps
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Engine failure while driving on freeway. Almost hit by semi truck. Towed to Dealership. Engine check light flashing complete loss of power. Kia refusing engine replacement under settlement.
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Unknown but We were driving home from friant in motion when the car died and started smoking, no indication light were on before until after the incident all warning lights were on dash. Our lives were put at risk due to this. We were not able to control steering wheel or to get out of the way of traffic.
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 6, 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, 2015, 2012 carry the most filings on the Kia Optima. The 2013 alone has 1381 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Kia Optima problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 612 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 80,000 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.