MODELYEARINDEX

Which Kia Optima years to avoid

Across 11 scored model years, the 2013, 2015 and 2012 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Kia Optima Full report
F
Grade 2010–2020
2013 vs model median 2.5×
Model median3× median
Steering 91
Engine 80
Electrical 25
Avoid

2013 · 2015

Best

2010 · 2020

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
0.31× 38 A
2011
1.00× 144 C
2012
2.19× 298 F
2013
2.55× 347 F
2014
1.66× 203 D
2015
2.41× 287 F
2016
1.74× 223 D
2017
0.84× 113 B
2018
0.98× 129 B
2019
0.88× 112 B
2020
0.54× 81 A

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2013 F 347 reports · median 32,000 mi

  1. Steering 91

    New vehicle. The vehicle will not track in a straight line. The vehicle wanders (drifts) left or right. I constantly have to nudge the steering wheel slightly left or slightly right to keep the vehicle somewhere in the… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Engine 80

    Driving under normal conditions on a slow 35mph roadway and noticed optima pulls toward the crown (center) of the road (which is against slope). Drove vehicle on 45mph and 60mph roadway and same situation. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 25

    The contact owns a 2013 kia optima hybrid. The contact stated that when exiting the vehicle, the driver and passengers would experience an electrical shock after making contact with any exterior metal part of the… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

28 crash · 11 fire · 27 injuries

2015 F 287 reports · median 55,000 mi

  1. Engine 127

    The contact owns a 2015 kia optima. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal noise without warning. The contact mentioned that the noise was emitting from the engine. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Steering 36

    As the first owner of the car, I have experienced steering issues that could be described as feeling as if the steering does not properly center. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 25

    The blue tooth for the phone if allowed to ring can cause one to loose control. The ring can go well past 100 db. If we forget to turn our blue tooth off it actually hurts. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

12 crash · 24 fire · 7 injuries

The best year for the Optima

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2010 is the best-scoring Optima model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 89.7 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2010 0.31× 38 A
2020 0.54× 81 A
2019 0.88× 112 B

Recalls

16 campaigns on record, 3 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
23V652000 Park it SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE 2011–2015 1,730,192
13V114000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH 2010, 2011 980,377
17V224000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE 2011–2014 618,160
18V363000 AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE 2011–2013 507,587
20V519000 Park it SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE 2013–2015 440,370
21V331000 Park it SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE 2013–2015 440,370
23V594000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH 2016–2018 319,436
22V560000 STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS 2012, 2013 257,998
20V100000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS 2013, 2014 141,774
22V093000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS 2013, 2014 72,848
18V907000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS 2011–2017 71,653
16V705000 POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT 2016 12,214

+ 4 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2013 were reported at a median of 32,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Kia Optima years should you avoid?
2013, 2015, 2012 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Kia Optima model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Kia Optima?
2010 is the best-scoring Kia Optima model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 89.7 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Kia Optima have?
16 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Kia Optima model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2013 Optima
Complaints in window
347
Severity-weighted
542.5
Model median (weighted)
213
vs model median
2.55×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
15
Open investigations
1
Score 18 F