2020 KIA OPTIMA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
179
Owner Complaints
0
Recalls
10
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2020 KIA OPTIMA
The 2020 KIA OPTIMA has received a total of 179 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. 10 technical service bulletins have been issued by Kia America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (82 complaints), Power Train (22 complaints), and Unknown Or Other (12 complaints).
Recalls for the 2020 KIA OPTIMA
There are no recalls on file with NHTSA for the 2020 KIA OPTIMA. No Active Recalls
Owner Complaints for the 2020 KIA OPTIMA
179 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2020 KIA OPTIMA. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 82 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 7 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical Systemignitionanti Theftimmobilizerproximitykeysender | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Coolingengineoillubrication | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Otheri Am Not Sure | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Airdisccaliper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
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.
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was sputtering and vibrating abnormally while starting. There were no warning lights illuminated. The failure was intermittent but became a recurring failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic out of fear of the vehicle stalling on the highway. Prior to the engine failure, the contact became aware that there were oil spots where the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the mechanic sealed two holes in the oil pan and replaced the spark plugs that were fouled by engine oil. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the spark plugs were covered in oil again. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a dealer to check for engine failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and an oil consumption test was performed; however, the vehicle failed the oil consumption test. The dealer had not yet diagnosed the vehicle, but suggested that the engine needed to be disassembled to check for engine wear. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 91,185.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was sputtering and vibrating abnormally while starting. There were no warning lights illuminated. The failure was intermittent but became a recurring failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic out of fear of the vehicle stalling on the highway. Prior to the engine failure, the contact became aware that there were oil spots where the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the mechanic sealed two holes in the oil pan and replaced the spark plugs that were fouled by engine oil. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the spark plugs were covered in oil again. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a dealer to check for engine failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and an oil consumption test was performed; however, the vehicle failed the oil consumption test. The dealer had not yet diagnosed the vehicle, but suggested that the engine needed to be disassembled to check for engine wear. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 91,185.
Safety Rating for the 2020 KIA OPTIMA
The 2020 KIA OPTIMA received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2020 KIA OPTIMA
Kia America, Inc. has issued 10 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2020 KIA OPTIMA. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
TSB_CLI057 — VISIBILITY/WIPER
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING (HVAC) BLOWER MOTOR FUSE RELOCATION - This bulletin provides the procedure to relocate the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) blower motor 40-ampere fuse on some 2016-2020MY Optima (JFa) vehicles produced from August 28, 2015 through June 23, 2020 which may experience...
WTY036_TSB — AIR BAGS
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SIDE AIRBAG (SAB) INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT FOR DTC(S) B1380/B1384 (WTY036) - This bulletin provides information associated with the 'Warranty Extension Program' (WTY036) to diagnose and repair certain airbag warning light 'ON' conditions on 2019-2020MY Optima (JFa) vehicles produced from May 21, 2018 through June 23, 2020. The...
WTY036_REIMB — AIR BAGS
WARRANTY EXTENSION: REIMBURSEMENT FORM (WTY036) - This document is a Reimbursement Request form that was mailed with the customer letter advising them to submit the form if they had paid for repairs for this same matter prior to the warranty extension program launch.
WTY036_QA — AIR BAGS
WARRANTY EXTENSION: QUESTION AND ANSWER (WTY036) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Warranty Extension Campaign WTY036.
CS2303_TSB_R2 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGRADE & DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2303) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the...
CS2303C_OWNR — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia has developed a software upgrade that can be installed on the vehicle to restrict the operation of the vehicle's ignition system should a locked vehicle be the subject of a break-in and theft attempt without...
SC205_DPSM — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service Managers that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign on 2016-2020 MY Kia Optima vehicles equipped with the 2.0L Turbo-GDI engine to update the emission related logic...
WTY028_DPSM — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
WARRANTY EXTENSION: DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service Managers that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage for repairs related to low-pressure fuel pump failure for 2016-2020 MY Optima vehicles manufactured at a Kia assembly plant...
PS643 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
PITSTOP: SUN VISOR WITH FRENCH TEXT AIRBAG WARNING LABELS - This Pitstop provides information regarding the left and/or right side sun visors on some 2020MY Optima (JFa) vehicles which may have been equipped with both English and French SRS Airbag wording within the warning labels.
PS643 — AIR BAGS
PITSTOP: SUN VISOR WITH FRENCH TEXT AIRBAG WARNING LABELS - This Pitstop provides information regarding the left and/or right side sun visors on some 2020MY Optima (JFa) vehicles which may have been equipped with both English and French SRS Airbag wording within the warning labels.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2020 KIA OPTIMA
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the KIA OPTIMA
- 2015 KIA OPTIMA — 1,360 complaints
- 2016 KIA OPTIMA — 1,021 complaints
- 2017 KIA OPTIMA — 336 complaints
- 2018 KIA OPTIMA — 313 complaints
- 2019 KIA OPTIMA — 288 complaints
- 2020 KIA OPTIMA (current)
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