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What 136 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 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 (136)Crash / fire / injury (8)Engine (91)Transmission & drivetrain (25)Electrical system (12)Fuel system (9)Engine & cooling (8)Airbags (7)Brakes (7)Speed control (6)Driver assistance (5)Seat belts (4)

1 of 136 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Sep 29, 2023Electrical systemEngineFire

I was told by me dealership recently that the Kia Optima is not designed for high mileage. It’s been consuming oil and my dealership was aware of the issue. Yesterday smoke came out from under the hood and the engine and front half of the car was engulfed in flames.

NHTSA ODI 11547377

Working with the data? Download all 136 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 2020 Kia Optima verdict →