What 202 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Kia Optima Hybrid

Drove roughly an hour from Roseville MI to Temperance MI. Car was fine. No issues on the drive. Gauges were all fine. Got to my friend’s house and took my stuff inside. Came back out immediately and saw dark smoke now coming from the hood. Attempted to open, but couldn't unlatch the hood after it was popped. Saw flames and called 911. Entire car burned down to the back seats. Car seat, Reading glasses and personal items destroyed. Fire fighters put it out and police took report. KIA after review states they dont know why it happened. Also has taken forever and not offered to compensate me in any way shape or form. Received their “findings” a day ago, April 30. Date of fire was Feb 11th 2026.

NHTSA ODI 11735174

The contact owned a 2019 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at 60 MPH, she noticed there was smoke emerging from the engine. The driver pulled over safely. but was alerted by a good Samaritan who ran across four lanes of traffic to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher to no avail. The fire department was on the scene to eventually extinguish the fire. There were no reported injuries. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The local dealer was called, but there was no response. The contact called another local dealer: 4747 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK 74135, but there was no answer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company.

NHTSA ODI 11730204

Car was affected by emergency theft system locked car down when moving and caused airbags to deploy in which fractured my spine vertebra causing spinal fusion

NHTSA ODI 11708483

After routine maintenance replacing the valve cover gasket, the low pressure GDI fuel line developed a leak in an area away from where the maintenance had occurred. After a 10 minute drive, the car developed a fire in the engine compartment. Upon investigation by an independent auto mechanic, it was determined that the fuel line had become brittle and developed a crack that had sprayed fuel into the hot surfaces of the engine compartment. This appears similar to the scenario affecting earlier Kia Optima models with the 2.0L Turbo engines. The heat from the fire caused the brakes to start to fail and the amber check engine light to come on within about 5 seconds before smoke was observed coming from the engine compartment. Fortunately, the fire occurred as the vehicle was pulling into the owner's driveway and a fire extinguisher was nearby and used to put out the fire. The vehicle's occupants were able to exit the vehicle with no injuries.

NHTSA ODI 11702944

I recently had the engine replaced less than a year ago due to an engine recall on this model car, today 11/11/2025 the engine caught fire. We’ve kept up with oil changes on time and I had no alerts in the vehicle on the dash claiming the engine was hot.

NHTSA ODI 11698751

It was snowing and an icy day Jan. 21 in Atlanta, Georgia. I was driving on Buford Spring Connector going southbound. I was on a bridge and it was completely white and icy. I saw there was a car stopped in front of me. I tried to put on my breaks and my car would not slow down. I was getting closer to the other vehicle still trying to break. I tried to use my electronic emergency brake and it did not engage. The car did not even try to break for me which it normally does if I moving faster than a stopped car in front of me. I rear ended the person in front of me. I just wanted to let someone know as the forward collision did not work in this case and the accident could have been avoided.

NHTSA ODI 11637667

I was driving and tried to brake but my car did not stop and ended up hitting guardrail. A couple weeks later I was driving and there was nothing in front of me but the car abruptly stopped in the middle of road

NHTSA ODI 11569790

I was driving on the highway and my car started smoking. I got off at the next exit and black smoke started billowing out from under the hood. As soon as I opened the car door flames started coming out from under the hood. Entire engine was on fire

NHTSA ODI 11549547

Breaks locked or failed and was forced off road into a ditch, car totalled

NHTSA ODI 11547211

Forward collision warning failed to assist resulting in a collision that is considered a total loss.

NHTSA ODI 11524576

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!

NHTSA ODI 11515444

The contact owned a 2019 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25-30 mph approaching an intersection, an unknown pickup T -boned the vehicle on the driver-side quarter panel. While depressing the brake pedal, the attention level high / collision warning message was displayed. The air bag did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to her back and shoulder and she had several bruises. The contact was seen at the hospital where medical treatment was received. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and than to a tow lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 93,228.

NHTSA ODI 11513350

This car was equipped with the theta ll engine and I believe that’s what caused it because it was an electrical smoldering. The car has been signed over to the insurance company, it was totaled. If this had happened 30 minutes sooner, I would have been burned. Me and my daughter had luckily just got out of the car. No the problem has not been confirmed by a dealer. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer, but has been inspected by police and insurance. There was not any warning lamps or messages prior to the incident.

NHTSA ODI 11493159

On sept 1st I was in an accident. I hit a parked car. My car was totaled. I suffered a fractured sternum and possible concussion. All of airbags failed to deploy. PALO ALTO POLICE RECORD,22-02889

NHTSA ODI 11485068

The contact owned a 2019 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, several deers intercepted the lane, to prevent impact with them, she turned the steering wheel and crashed head-on into a telephone pole. No air bags deployed. The contact sustained a concussion when she hit her head on an unknown surface and was transported by an ambulance to an Emergency Room to seek medical attention. A police report was filed. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The contact towed the vehicle to an autobody center. The vehicle was not diagnosed. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,596.

NHTSA ODI 11482370

My car didn't stop the brakes wouldn't stop i hit a stationary Tractor i got a ticket due to me hitting the light pole too

NHTSA ODI 11442058

The forward collision system failed in my Kia 2019 optima. I was driving and the lights come on the forward collision lights and the engine turned off I had no control over the vehicle I couldn't even turn the wheel. It turned right on its own and threw me up on a bank and I rolled twice. The car was out of control. I've never been so terrified in my life. The safety measure failed and nearly cost my life. My brakes locked up as well and I'm lucky to be alive. This was uncontrollable the car was in control and it was wrong. I'm not sure if it was the forward Collison or the traction control and there were no warning lights ever on this was a new vehicle. I have witnesses that seen it someone pulled me out the vehicle bc my doors were locked. The car is currently deemed a total loss by state farm and is in Pulaski at IAA #5409946490. Stock # 31768854. Please help me get this out for other Kia owners the safety issues life or death. There was a police report and I do have pictures. I have reached out to Kia many times and they will not help me or inspect it. I'm at a loss of what to do. Please help me Kia has confirmed safety issues with this model and year with the forward collision error. Although I didn't know this until after the accident and I researched it.

NHTSA ODI 11442166

My daughter hit a deer at 65 mph causing total loss 5 miles prior to the accident the forward collision warning light came on stating it was inactive due to the sensor being blocked or damaged.

NHTSA ODI 11440959

Wow

NHTSA ODI 11440481

Struck by heavy vehicle in an intersection; t-boned in the left front — by the right front of other vehicle which ran a red light. I have numerous injuries to my left side, and I have a damaged heart because none of my airbags deployed during the crash. The corner where I moved from when the traffic signal turned green has a severely blocked view where I sat at a red light. There’s a highway barrier fence that stretches alongside the road I was traveling, and this fence extends beyond the stop line for that traffic signal; it even stretches up to the sidewalk/crosswalk. That fence is completely covered with the heavy cover of vegetation/vines. Even at night, there is no visibility through that fence, can’t even see headlamps of another vehicle at night.

NHTSA ODI 11440501

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2019 KIA OPTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE UPON MAKING A LEFT TURN AT 20 MPH, THE AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM INDEPENDENTLY ACTIVATED AND ABRUPTLY STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE BEHIND HIM HIT HIM FROM BEHIND WHICH PUSHED HIS VEHICLE INTO A 270 DEGREE ANGLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED; HOWEVER, HIS DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD HIT HIS HEAD ON THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR; HOWEVER, HE DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR THE INJURY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS TOWED TO HIS INSURANCE COMPANY'S COLLISION CENTER. THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER HAD YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY LESS THAN 200. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11390394

WAS DRIVING ON I 95 WHEN THE VEHICLE PULLED ME INTO THE MEDIAN TOTALING MY CAR. I WAS UNABLE TO APPLY BRAKES AND UNABLE TO TURN MY STEERING WHEEL IN THE OTHER DIRECTION TO AVOID THE COLLISION.

NHTSA ODI 11373422

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. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY WAITING TO BE TOWED TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,168.

NHTSA ODI 11282155

I WAS IN TWO LOW SPEED REAR ENDED CRASHES BECAUSE THE CIB DIDN'T ENGAGE AND I HAD NO BREAKING POWER. ONE WHO ON THE HIGH WAY AND ONCE IN AN EXIT RAMP

NHTSA ODI 11281260

I WAS REAR ENDED ON THE FREEWAY. TRAFFIC CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, BUT THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS GOING 40-50MPH AND DID NOT STOP IN TIME AND REAR ENDED ME AND PUSHED ME INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.

NHTSA ODI 11271129