2011 Kia Optima problems
NHTSA has received 782 complaints about the 2011 Kia Optima, and 34% of them involve engine. Next are steering (13%) and lighting (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 782 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 34% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 38 and 51
- Injuries and deaths
- 29 and 2
- Typical mileage
- 90,000 miles 547 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 84 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 24 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 42 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 77 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 107 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 79 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 63 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 29 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 21 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 14 |
| 200k+ miles | 7 |
What the data shows
Of the 547 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 90,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 101,000 miles (206 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 38 complaints mention a crash; 51 complaints mention a fire; 29 injuries reported; 2 deaths reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2011 ranks 6th most-complained-about out of 20 model years of the Kia Optima with enough data (288 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 5 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
My husband was driving a 2011 kia optima when the car veered off the road and burst into flames. My husband was killed upon impact with a tree.
Tl* the contact owned a 2011 kia optima. While driving 30 MPH, another vehicle struck the front of the contact's vehicle. The driver's seat belt did not restrain the contact. It was unknown if the air bags deployed. A police report was filed and the vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The contact and his passengers sustained head and neck injuries, which required medical attention. The vehicle was declared a total loss by the insurance company. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was not contacted.
My kia optima (2011) had started a ticking engine noise at around 90k mark and now it's escalated to a lower end was told by service departmenta t about 92k it was normal noise of camshaft and I only noticed it under loads and higher elevation on overpasses. I have been using mobil1,fully synthetic motor oils and a k&n oil filters. This last week I have noticed that it was getting louder.and from the engine compartment.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia optima. While driving 55 MPH, the steering column became difficult to turn when changing lanes. In addition, a loud knocking noise disrupted the contact's steering capability. It was diagnosed that the steering column coupler in the steering linkage malfunctioned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 119,000.