Home · 2019 Kia Optima · Complaints

What 202 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 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 (202)Crash / fire / injury (26)Engine (85)Driver assistance (36)Electrical system (22)Brakes (19)Transmission & drivetrain (16)Fuel system (15)Body & structure (14)Airbags (12)Speed control (10)Lane Departure (7)

8 of 202 complaints match · Driver assistance · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jan 22, 2025Driver assistanceCrash

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

Feb 4, 2024BrakesDriver assistanceCrash

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

May 31, 2023Driver assistanceCrash

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

NHTSA ODI 11524576

Apr 4, 2023BrakesDriver assistanceCrash3 injuries

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

Nov 30, 2021Driver assistanceCrash

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

Nov 18, 2021Driver assistanceCrash

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

Jan 27, 2021Driver assistanceCrash1 injury

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

Nov 6, 2020Lane DepartureDriver assistanceCrash1 injury

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

Working with the data? Download all 202 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 2019 Kia Optima verdict →