Equal-exposure complaint evidence and changes in the reported problem mix

2014 vs 2015 KIA OPTIMA

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Share shifts show how a vehicle's problem mix changed. They do not measure reliability, and complaint counts are not normalized for sales volume.

First 143 months on market for each model year

Exposure window calculated through Aug 22, 2026

Age-matched reports

▲ 77.1% more reports in the equal exposure window

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Bars start at the neutral midpoint. Left means a smaller share; right means a larger share.

View component share data as a table

Component	2014 share	2015 share	Share change
ENGINE	40.1%	49.9%	▲ 9.8 pts larger share
STEERING	14.0%	6.1%	▼ 7.8 pts smaller share
FUEL SYSTEM	5.3%	3.1%	▼ 2.2 pts smaller share
SERVICE BRAKES	3.0%	4.6%	▲ 1.7 pts larger share
POWER TRAIN	2.5%	3.6%	▲ 1.1 pts larger share
VISIBILITY	1.6%	0.7%	▼ 1.0 pts smaller share
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	2.8%	2.1%	▼ 0.7 pts smaller share
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	2.0%	2.7%	▲ 0.7 pts larger share
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	4.8%	5.4%	▲ 0.7 pts larger share
SUSPENSION	1.2%	0.5%	▼ 0.7 pts smaller share
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.2%	0.7%	▲ 0.5 pts larger share
STRUCTURE	5.6%	5.2%	▼ 0.4 pts smaller share
TIRES	not reported	0.2%	▲ 0.2 pts larger share
LANE DEPARTURE	not reported	0.2%	▲ 0.2 pts larger share
AIR BAGS	1.6%	1.8%	▲ 0.1 pts larger share
WHEELS	0.5%	0.4%	▼ 0.1 pts smaller share
SEAT BELTS	0.2%	0.1%	▼ 0.1 pts smaller share
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	25.5%	23.8%	▼ 1.7 pts smaller share

NHTSA Safety Recalls recalls · snapshot 2026-08-22

2014 7

Campaign components: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

2015 4

Campaign components: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21