Kia Optima Hybrid
Owners filed 276 complaints across 9 model years of the Kia Optima Hybrid. The 2012 drew the most (109).
Which Kia Optima Hybrid years should you avoid?
Going by 276 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Kia Optima Hybrid years to avoid are 2012.
- 2012109 complaints, 3.2× a typical Optima Hybrid year, most often about the engine.
Better bets: among years old enough for a low count to mean something, the 2017 drew the fewest complaints without an unusual share of serious ones.
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
Every Kia Optima Hybrid model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Power Train | Routine | |
| 2018 | 3 | 2 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2017 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | 1 | — | Power Train | Routine | |
| 2015 | 12 | 0 | 2 | — | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2014 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 5 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2013 | 56 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2012Avoid | 109 | 3 | 5 | 5 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2011 | 34 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Engine | Routine |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.