Oct 28, 2025Transmission & drivetrainEngineFire
2020 kia optima caught on fire in gallipolis ohio after insurance paid to fix car it continues to leak oil stall and is dangerous to drive12/24/2022
NHTSA ODI 11696226
Home · 2020 Kia Optima · Complaints
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)
3 of 136 complaints match · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters
Oct 22, 2025EngineCrash
Metal contamination found on VVT solenoid of 2020 kia optima 2.4L GDI engine. Firestone Autocare Confirmed metal debris in oiling system. Vehicle exhibits symptoms identical to prior theta II bearing recall SC172/SC200/SC227 but not covered under recall range.
NHTSA ODI 11694952
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 →