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)

1 of 136 complaints match · Seat belts · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Feb 5, 2026AirbagsSeat beltsCrash2 injuries

Stable track control failed to work, the driver seatbelt did not tighten & stayed loose, & air bags did not deploy upon hitting the ditch & small trees resulting after hitting ice/water upon coming to a stop sign at a “T” cross road.

NHTSA ODI 11715952

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 →