2012 Kia Optima problems
NHTSA has received 1,264 complaints about the 2012 Kia Optima, and 33% of them involve engine. Next are steering (15%) and electrical system (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 1,264 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 33% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 37 and 120
- Injuries and deaths
- 53 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 80,000 miles 861 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 | 132 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 53 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 96 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 145 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 123 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 109 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 114 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 42 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 24 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 8 |
| 200k+ miles | 15 |
What the data shows
Of the 861 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 80,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 100,000 miles (305 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 37 complaints mention a crash; 120 complaints mention a fire; 53 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2012 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 20 model years of the Kia Optima with enough data (463 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.
Tl* the contact owned a 2012 kia optima. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled and could not be restarted. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer (superior kia, 260 w. Mitchell ave, cincinnati, oh) where it was diagnosed that the engine was faulty. The engine was replaced and the failure was remedied. Later, while driving approximately 65 MPH, a loud booming noise was heard and smoke and flames were present coming from the engine compartment.
Brakes squick even after repair and replacement and has a slower response time then usual and caused a rear end accident, cooling and heated seats stopped working on the driver side which I met owners of my exact car said the same thing has happened to them, and the passenger seat controllers doesn't work to operate adjustable seats! The suspensions has been bad every since the recall on the engine; for some reason it was giving back to me with that problem from kia dealership.
While steering at slow and high speeds the steering wheel makes a loud knocking noise that can be heard and felt. The steering wheel often gets stuck and requires additional force to get it to move. The steering wheels sometimes jerks itself and oversteers in the direction I'm turning it in. It started about a month ago and was happening intermittently but now it's happening all the time.
My kia optima ABS system will randomly make a crunch sound when I step on the brakes, and I lose some engine power immediately after to the point that my car will not accelerate past 40 MPH. It has happened several times on busy highways where I have to fear causing a major accident. Kia dealer cannot figure out the issue, they had my car for a day and repaired the steering column and sent me home, only for the problem to occur again the following week.