Vehicle Data Hub

2011 Kia Optima lighting problems

89 complaints about lighting have been filed for the 2011 Kia Optima, which is 11% of all its NHTSA complaints. It is the 3rd most reported problem area for this model year.

At a glance

Complaints
89 11% of this year's complaints
Typical mileage
84,000 miles 56 complaints with mileage
Crashes and fires
0 and 3
Injuries and deaths
0 and 0

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

When lighting problems show up

Lighting complaints by mileage, 2011 Kia Optima Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 84,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 5 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 2 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 7 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 13 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 10 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 8 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 6 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 3 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 2 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 0 complaints 200k+ miles: 0 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 84,000 miles
Based on 56 complaints that include mileage. 25% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles5
20k to 40k miles2
40k to 60k miles7
60k to 80k miles13
80k to 100k miles10
100k to 120k miles8
120k to 140k miles6
140k to 160k miles3
160k to 180k miles2
180k to 200k miles0
200k+ miles0

What the data shows

Of the 56 lighting complaints that report mileage, the median is about 84,000 miles, and 25% were reported before 60,000 miles.

These complaints mention 3 fires.

What owners wrote

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the headlights were activated however, the illumination was extremely dim. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who informed that both head lamps overheated which caused the reflector to melt. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 62,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Reported at 62,000 miles, August 2014 Fire

The low beam headlights on my 2011 kia optima have been slowly getting so dull that it is getting dangerous to drive at night. I commute over 100 miles a day and leave at dark and get home at dark. So all my driving is needing my headlights. I started noticing the problem with not being able to see and just thought my bulbs were getting old. I went out and bought new sylvania silverstar bulbs and I also bought a set of sylvania ultra. That did not help.

Reported at 125,000 miles, October 2018

Other problems reported for the 2011 Kia Optima

Lighting problems in other years

Lighting problems across all Kia models