2020 Kia Optima: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 137 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 0 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
137
Complaints
0
Recalls
6
Crash reports
2
Fire reports
4
Injuries
49.6
Severity index
Severity index 49.6 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 103 2020 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2020 Kia Optima ranks 54 of 103 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 48% of its model-year peers. See the full 2020 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 92 | 67.2% |
| POWER TRAIN | 25 | 18.2% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 15 | 10.9% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 12 | 8.8% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 9 | 6.6% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 8 | 5.8% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 8 | 5.8% |
| AIR BAGS | 7 | 5.1% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 92 of 137 complaints (67.2%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 13 |
| 2023 | 18 |
| 2024 | 25 |
| 2025 | 50 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 20 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 4.0x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.