2019 Kia Optima problems
NHTSA has received 330 complaints about the 2019 Kia Optima, and 29% of them involve engine. Next are forward collision avoidance (13%) and electrical system (7%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 330 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 29% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 30 and 11
- Injuries and deaths
- 22 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 20,000 miles 74 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 | 34 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 14 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 6 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 7 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 5 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 3 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 2 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 74 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 20,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 72,000 miles (20 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 30 complaints mention a crash; 11 complaints mention a fire; 22 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2019 ranks 8th most-complained-about out of 20 model years of the Kia Optima with enough data (222 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
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.
On October 11,2022 I was involved in a vehicle collision that resulted in damages to the front of my vehicle and the rear of another. My two children and I suffered injuries that we were not able to recover fully from. The driver of the other vehicle was uninsured and has not been accessible!
Tl* the contact's husband owns a 2019 kia optima. While driving 50 MPH, the vehicle crashed into a deer that jumped in the middle of the road. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed. The driver sustained neck and back pain and his daughter, who was seated behind the driver's seat, sustained neck pain. The contact mentioned that both occupants would be taken to the emergency room for their injuries. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence.
I've had this car going on three years sometimes not all the time I will go to start it and it will barely start so I took it to the dealership three times when I got my oil change and they checked the battery but they're saying the battery is good and the starting system the car will just be sitting in my garage and I try to start it it just sounds like it's barely starting and then the next time I started it's fine
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact stated that shortly afterwards, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started losing motive power while attempting to accelerate. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering and jerking while driving. The contact also stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance sensors activated inadvertently while driving or the vehicle was parked.