Kia Optima: which model years to avoid
Complaint and recall totals for every Kia Optima model year we track, ranked by severity.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 917 | 5 | 25 | 77 | 90.9 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2013 | 1,374 | 9 | 48 | 112 | 95.5 High | ENGINE |
| 2014 | 580 | 7 | 19 | 41 | 96.9 High | ENGINE |
| 2015 | 1,001 | 4 | 31 | 72 | 77.9 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2016 | 748 | 5 | 26 | 19 | 57.0 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2017 | 252 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 50.0 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2018 | 230 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 74.8 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2019 | 204 | 1 | 20 | 6 | 119.6 High | ENGINE |
| 2020 | 137 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 49.6 Medium | ENGINE |
Across 9 model years, the 2019 Kia Optima carries the highest severity index (119.6, driven by engine), while the 2020 is the cleanest at 49.6.
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.