2015 KIA OPTIMA — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 1,013 complaints · 4 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (505 complaints · 49.9%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 31
  • Fires 75
  • Injuries 23
  • Deaths 1
Compare with 2014 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 505 of 1,013 owner complaints (49.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 505 complaints, 49.9% of reports ENGINE 505 · 49.9% · 6 crash reports 39 fire reports STEERING: 62 complaints, 6.1% of reports STEERING 62 · 6.1% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 55 complaints, 5.4% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 55 · 5.4% · 2 crash reports 10 fire reports STRUCTURE: 53 complaints, 5.2% of reports STRUCTURE 53 · 5.2% · 1 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 47 complaints, 4.6% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 47 · 4.6% · 1 crash reports 8 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 36 complaints, 3.6% of reports POWER TRAIN 36 · 3.6% · 1 fire reports FUEL SYSTEM: 31 complaints, 3.1% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 31 · 3.1% · 3 crash reports 6 fire reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 27 complaints, 2.7% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 27 · 2.7% · 3 crash reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 21 complaints, 2.1% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 21 · 2.1% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 241 complaints, 23.8% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 241 · 23.8% · 4 crash reports 16 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 505 49.9% 6 crashes · 39 fires
STEERING 62 6.1% 1 crashes · 1 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 55 5.4% 2 crashes · 10 fires
STRUCTURE 53 5.2% 0 crashes · 1 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 47 4.6% 1 crashes · 8 fires
POWER TRAIN 36 3.6% 0 crashes · 1 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 31 3.1% 3 crashes · 6 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 27 2.7% 3 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 21 2.1% 1 crashes · 1 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 241 23.8% 4 crashes · 16 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2014; the first recall shown was reported in Dec 2018. 2014-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2015-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2016-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2016-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2016-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2017-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2017-Q2: 17 owner reports 17 2017-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2018-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2018-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2018-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2018-Q4: 23 owner reports 23 2019-Q1: 24 owner reports 24 2019-Q2: 29 owner reports 29 2019-Q3: 29 owner reports 29 2019-Q4: 29 owner reports 29 2020-Q1: 30 owner reports 30 2020-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2020-Q3: 24 owner reports 24 2020-Q4: 24 owner reports 24 2021-Q1: 13 owner reports 13 2021-Q2: 26 owner reports 26 2021-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 2021-Q4: 25 owner reports 25 2022-Q1: 40 owner reports 40 2022-Q2: 35 owner reports 35 2022-Q3: 33 owner reports 33 2022-Q4: 27 owner reports 27 2023-Q1: 48 owner reports 48 2023-Q2: 33 owner reports 33 2023-Q3: 30 owner reports 30 2023-Q4: 47 owner reports 47 2024-Q1: 44 owner reports 44 2024-Q2: 32 owner reports 32 2024-Q3: 25 owner reports 25 2024-Q4: 16 owner reports 16 2025-Q1: 28 owner reports 28 2025-Q2: 31 owner reports 31 2025-Q3: 34 owner reports 34 2025-Q4: 18 owner reports 18 2026-Q1: 24 owner reports 24 2026-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2026-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 Owner reports Oct 2014 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 18V907000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V907000 Recall campaign 20V519000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V519000 Recall campaign 21V331000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V331000 Recall campaign 23V652000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V652000 Investigation EA19001 ● Investigation EA19001 Investigation EA19001 ● Investigation EA19001 Investigation DP21003 ● Investigation DP21003 Investigation DP22003 ● Investigation DP22003 Investigation DP22003 ● Investigation DP22003 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005 Investigation AQ23002 ● Investigation AQ23002
  • Campaign 20V519000 was reported 760 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V331000 was reported 1,016 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V652000 was reported 1,884 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2014-Q4 Owner reports 2
2015-Q1 Owner reports 6
2015-Q2 Owner reports 2
2015-Q3 Owner reports 2
2015-Q4 Owner reports 6
2016-Q1 Owner reports 1
2016-Q2 Owner reports 6
2016-Q3 Owner reports 6
2016-Q4 Owner reports 8
2017-Q1 Owner reports 8
2017-Q2 Owner reports 17
2017-Q3 Owner reports 7
2017-Q4 Owner reports 9
2018-Q1 Owner reports 14
2018-Q2 Owner reports 21
2018-Q3 Owner reports 14
2018-Q4 Owner reports 23
2019-Q1 Owner reports 24
2019-Q2 Owner reports 29
2019-Q3 Owner reports 29
2019-Q4 Owner reports 29
2020-Q1 Owner reports 30
2020-Q2 Owner reports 21
2020-Q3 Owner reports 24
2020-Q4 Owner reports 24
2021-Q1 Owner reports 13
2021-Q2 Owner reports 26
2021-Q3 Owner reports 20
2021-Q4 Owner reports 25
2022-Q1 Owner reports 40
2022-Q2 Owner reports 35
2022-Q3 Owner reports 33
2022-Q4 Owner reports 27
2023-Q1 Owner reports 48
2023-Q2 Owner reports 33
2023-Q3 Owner reports 30
2023-Q4 Owner reports 47
2024-Q1 Owner reports 44
2024-Q2 Owner reports 32
2024-Q3 Owner reports 25
2024-Q4 Owner reports 16
2025-Q1 Owner reports 28
2025-Q2 Owner reports 31
2025-Q3 Owner reports 34
2025-Q4 Owner reports 18
2026-Q1 Owner reports 24
2026-Q2 Owner reports 14
2026-Q3 Owner reports 8
Recall campaign 1 18V907000
Recall campaign 1 20V519000
Recall campaign 1 21V331000
Recall campaign 1 23V652000
Defect investigation 1 EA19001
Defect investigation 1 EA19001
Defect investigation 1 DP21003
Defect investigation 1 DP22003
Defect investigation 1 DP22003
Defect investigation 1 DP22005
Defect investigation 1 AQ23002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (4)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 18V907000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 20V519000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
    Remedy:
    Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the HECU for leaking brake fluid and replace the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. The recall began October 20, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC197.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 21V331000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    An electrical short in the HECU increases the risk of a fire while parked or driving.
    Remedy:
    Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. Dealers will install a new multi-fuse, and inspect the HECU for leaks, replacing the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 2, 2021. This recall supersedes previous NHTSA recall number 20V-519. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC212.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 23V652000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 1,013 complaints · page 1 of 41

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources