Owners have filed 592 safety complaints about the 2011 Kia Optima with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.
Complaints for this vehicle report 23 crashes, 33 fires, 19 injuries, 1 death.
Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2011 Kia Optima, engine & cooling issues stand far above everything else.
"I was driving down the road with my 3 sons in the vehicle and all of a sudden the vehicle and engine seized completely up and turned off. I contacted kia dealership who advised me to bring it to kia of Johnson. I took it there and my vehicle has just been setting there. It's under warranty and backed by a theta2 class action lawsuit. And they still won't touch it and are very rude."
"Engine is knocking with check engine ligh on. Kia has a recall on my car for metal shaving in the engine during manufacturing process. I took it to Kia dealer but they refused and said they wont cover it because it's a Salvage tile, and I thought Salvage tiles are covered if it's a a safety recall but they said it's not covered because Kia wont pay them for the repairs or the new engine."
For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2011 Kia Optima peaked later than usual, in 2016.
Across the Kia Optima model years we track, the 2013 has the most complaints on file (1,381); the 2011 ranks 5 of 6.
5 recalls apply to some or all 2011 Kia Optima vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.
Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013…
Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kia Forte, Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Kia Optima and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners from deployi…
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pip…
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may …
Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →
NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.
As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 592 complaints about the 2011 Kia Optima with NHTSA. The most-reported system is engine & cooling.
The 2011 Kia Optima has 5 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
NHTSA gives the 2011 Kia Optima an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.
All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.
Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.
This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.