Kia Optima
Every model year 2016–2020: recalls, owner complaints, NHTSA crash ratings and EPA efficiency side by side, each value traced to the file it came from.
Every Kia Optima model year
Source: NHTSA · EPA · one row per yearWhich model year the record favours
Source: recalls and complaints per year on the roadOn the filed record so far, the 2020 is the cleanest Optima year we hold, and the 2017 the one to check hardest.
Both figures are divided by the number of years the car has been on sale, because otherwise the oldest year on the page loses every time simply for having been around longer. The current model year and any year under three on the road are left out: their records are not finished.
Which Kia Optima years reported which system early
Source: NHTSA complaints, odometer at reportEarliest on the record: 2017 electrical system complaints at 0.51× the mileage of same-age vehicles (median 18,000 miles). Latest: 2020 engine at 2.32× (116,000 miles).
Each cell is that model year’s median odometer when owners reported the system, divided by the median for the same system across every make’s complaints on the same model year. under 0.67× reported early; 1.5× or more late; a dash means too few readings. When problems get reported, not how often — complaint counts are in the table above. Across the whole fleet: which systems go first.
What owners filed about the Kia Optima, by system
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsEvery system, every year →The systems the federal record is deep on for this nameplate: the complaints per model year, the mileage owners reported them at, and every recall, investigation and manufacturer bulletin filed under the heading — each one linked, none a failure rate.
What changed year to year
Source: computed from the filed record- 2020: best combined mpg 41 → 42
- 2019: best combined mpg 42 → 41; 7 → 6 EPA configurations
- 2018: 6 → 7 EPA configurations
- 2017: added plug-in hybrid; best combined mpg 37 → 42; 7 → 6 EPA configurations
In the studies
Source: computed from the same record, method on each pageCommon questions about the Kia Optima
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhich Kia Optima year is the best used buy?
On the recall record, the 2020 Optima comes out top of the years before the current one: Safety Signal grade A (100/100), 0 recalls and 153 owner complaints on file. That ranks paperwork, not condition — a specific car's history and service record still decide it.
What Kia Optima years should I avoid?
2017 has the weakest recall record in this range. The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists yet. Every Optima model year ranked, with the reasons.
How many recalls does the Kia Optima have?
Across model years 2016–2020, NHTSA has posted 13 recall campaigns for the Kia Optima. They are counted per model year in the table above, because a campaign almost never covers the whole run — it covers a build range.