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What 916 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Optima

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (916)Crash / fire / injury (106)Engine (397)Steering (187)Electrical system (122)Brakes (87)Fuel system (54)Transmission & drivetrain (54)Airbags (48)Speed control (40)Body & structure (39)Lights (31)

8 of 916 complaints match · Airbags · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 17, 2025AirbagsCrash1 injury

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that, while stopped and attempting to complete a left turn an SUV failed to yield and collided with the front driver side of her vehicle. As a result, the contact lost control of the vehicle, spun across the intersection, and careened off the roadway only coming to a complete stop after colliding head-on with a tree. The contact also stated that the seat belt Emergency Locking Retractor failed to deploy allowing her to jolt forward violently and hit her head on the steering wheel. The air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a storage facility but had yet to deemed a total lost by the contacts insurance provider. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact was later transported to an area hospital and treated for chest pain and neck pain. The contact also received an MRI due to possible concussion. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,000.

NHTSA ODI 11694067

Sep 19, 2024AirbagsCrash2 injuries

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V363000 (Air Bags) however, it failed to prevent the recall safety risk. The contact stated that while his mother was driving at approximately 45 MPH with the grandmother seated in the front passenger seat, another vehicle cut in front abruptly and switched back into their original lane, causing the contact's mother to crash into the rear of another vehicle ahead. The air bags did not deploy. No warning light had illuminated. The contact's grandmother was taken to a local hospital for injuries including a swollen face, both arms harmed, broken teeth, 3 broken ribs, and back pain. The contact's mother was later taken in a personal vehicle to a local hospital for injuries sustained for bruising on their chest, back and neck pain, and an injured toe on her left. A police report was filed. The insurance provider deemed the vehicle totaled and took it to a tow lot. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 225,000.

NHTSA ODI 11615404

Sep 27, 2019AirbagsCrash5 injuries

10-15 MPH T BONED A CAR THAT RAN A RED LIGHT. AIR BAG DIDN'T GO OFF

NHTSA ODI 11258657

Jan 7, 2019AirbagsBrakesCrash

TRAVELING ON A DIVIDED HIGHWAY, APPROACHED SLOWING/STOPPED TRAFFIC. ATTEMPTED TO STOP, BUT ROADWAY WAS SLIPPERY, ABS DID NOT ACTIVATE HAD TO RESORT TO PUMPING BRAKES AND STEERING TO AVOID ACCIDENT. WAS REAR ENDED AND PUSHED INTO ANOTHER CAR. NON OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO COMPARTMENT INTRUSION INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, BUT THE REAR OF THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY COLLAPSED.

NHTSA ODI 11165556

Sep 25, 2018AirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA OPTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF A SECOND VEHICLE. THE FRONT END WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED, BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE HEAD AND RIGHT HAND, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL TREATMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11131563

Jun 29, 2016AirbagsCrash

I AM AN OFFICER (OFF. [XXX]) WITH THE MADERA (CALIFORNIA) POLICE DEPARTMENT. I INVESTIGATED A TRAFFIC COLLISION WHERE THE DRIVER OF A 2012 KIA OPTIMA COLLIDED WITH A PARKED VEHICLE GOING APPROX. 35 MPH. THE IMPACT SENT THE PARKED VEHICLE FORWARD APPROX. 3-4 FEET INTO ANOTHER PARKED VEHICLE CAUSING DAMAGE TO ALL 3 VEHICLE. THE KIA SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT FRONT BUMPER / FENDER AREA AND SHEARED THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE OFF. THE IMPACT WAS ENOUGH FOR THE KIA TO ROLL OVER AND CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT FRONT TIRE AND RIM FROM GRINDING INTO THE ROADWAY. THE PARKED VEHICLE IT COLLIDED WITH SUSTAINED MODERATE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT REAR AND DRIVER'S SIDE AREA. WHEN IT WAS SHOVED FORWARD IT SUSTAINED MINOR FRONT END DAMAGE AND CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BACK BUMPER OF THE SECOND PARKED VEHICLE. THERE WAS CENTRIFUGAL RIM MARKS FROM THE KIA AFTER IMPACTING WITH THE FIRST PARKED VEHICLE. THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS BROKEN FROM THE AXLE. THE KIA WAS HEADING N/B AND CAME TO REST IN AN ALMOST TOTAL E/B POSITION FROM THE COLLISION. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WITH SUCH AN IMPACT AND DAMAGE SUSTAINED. THE DRIVER WAS WEARING HIS SEATBELT AND DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. THIS OCCURRED ON A CITY STREET. THE REPORT # IS MADERA PD INCIDENT [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10881373

Feb 10, 2014AirbagsBody & structureEquipmentCrash

MAKING A CALL WITH MY BLUETOOTH EQUIPPED IN THE VEHICLE, LOOKED DOWN TO VERIFY CONNECTION, BY THE TIME I LOOKED UP I WAS A FOOT AWAY FROM A PARKED VEHICLE, I SWERVED AS TO THE LEFT AS MUCH AS I COULD BUT IT WAS TOO LATE, I SLAMMED INTO THE VEHICLE CAUSING DAMAGE, MY HOOD AND ENGINE WERE PRACTICALLY CRUSHED IN AND ALONG THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY VEHICLE, MY CAR CAME TO A HAULT BEFORE JUMPING OVER THE MEDIAN. NONE OF AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I WAS GOING SPEED OF 50-60 MILES PER HOUR. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10563701

Jun 15, 2012AirbagsSeat beltsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A TRAFFIC STOP, THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT TO LOCK HER IN, WHICH CAUSED HER TO STRIKE HER HEAD ON THE PILLAR NEXT TO THE WINDSHIELD. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BRUISES AND CONTUSIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 6,900.

NHTSA ODI 10461910

Working with the data? Download all 916 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Kia Optima verdict →