2012 Kia Optima
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 919 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 3rd highest complaint count among 20 Optima model years with reports.
Of the 2012 reports, 25 involved a crash and 77 involved a fire. 34 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideSep 25, 2023
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 experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
Campaign 23V652000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, body, roof and pillarsAug 1, 2022
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Optima vehicles. The right and left headliner plates may not be secured properly, which can result in the plates detaching in the event of a side curtain air bag deployment.
A plate that detaches during a crash may strike an occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
Dealers will secure the headliner plates, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 26, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC245.
Campaign 22V560000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsDec 19, 2018
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 pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
Campaign 18V907000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, air bag/restraint control moduleJun 1, 2018
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 deploying.
If the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Kia will notify owners. For model year 2011 Sedona vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to verify the ACU part number and, if necessary, install an extension wire harness kit between the ACU Connector and the Vehicle Harness Connector. For all other affected vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to install the extension wire harness kit. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC165.
Campaign 18V363000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engineMar 31, 2017
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.
Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.
Campaign 17V224000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
919 reports, newest first.
Seats, Nov 28, 2022
The front driver's seat bolts loosened and came completely off the track. This could have caused me to crash as the seat was no longer stable and shifted about the car until I could get to a safe location. If I had gotten into a crash I would most likely not survived as there was nothing that held me in the car despite having my seat belt on. The vehicle is at the dealership now. There were no warnings that this seat was malfunctioning and the bolts were loosening.
Steering, Nov 28, 2022
My Kia 2012 optima started having steering problems. The steering started sticking at higher speeds. When I tried to steer the steering wheel felt like it was stuck in the center position and I had to use extra force to steer it either left or right. It felt very unsafe while driving. I research this Kia problem and I found a kia TSB CHA 060 that addresses this same problem. So Kia is aware of this steering safety issue. I contacted my local Kia dealer and I was told that my vehicle was not covered under this. They told me that the safety TSB was only good for 10 years and my car is now 12 years old. I was told that there was another safety recall on my car about the headliner needing repairs and that was covered. So at this point Kia will repair my headliner for free, but not repair my steering safety problem under warranty.
Structure, Nov 25, 2022
My first year of buying my KIA brand new, I started having small chips in the paint. It started near the sides of window frame and hood first. I was baffled that the paint was already chipping but related it to highway driving and assumes it was rock chips. Then about the third year of owning the car, a big chunk came off the roof. One big chuck right at the front and also near the back drivers door. Now those spots are becoming more and more visible as the paint is starting to come off in chunks. It is not completely off the car yet but you can see where it is bubbled and separating from the metal
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Nov 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving up an incline at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact became aware of smoke coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the knock sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
Engine, Nov 13, 2022
Oil leaking out top of engine causing it to smoke could cause a fire
Engine, Nov 4, 2022
New engine installed in 2018. New turbo installed in 2020. Started to loose oil daily. Checked it daily to add oil. The week before engine failure it had no power. Took to a mechanic who replaced the air filter and the sparkplugs. The next day, 10 miles form my house the oil light came on and then the engine light came on and died. I pulled over to the side of the highway. Diagnosis: Needs new engine and Turbo.
Steering, Nov 3, 2022
The steering wheel flex coupler is defective. There is a loud clicking sound when turning the steering wheel. Kia currently does not offer free repair since out of warranty. I am hoping they will instead offer a recall. Thank you.
Air bags, Nov 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the passenger’s side air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the air bag sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,000.
Engine, Nov 1, 2022
Blown engine
Engine, Oct 21, 2022
I had a recall on my engine back into 2018. They replaced my engine due the engine block being defective. Check engine light came before it stalled out. Now currently the vehicle is undrivable due to the head gasket blowing out on same engine that was replaced. They're telling me there's warranty on the engine they can't fix it.
Electrical system, Oct 17, 2022
Rearview camera does not display when vehicle is in reverse. Is this system required to comply with FMVSS 111 even if it is out of the vehicle manufacturer's warranty period?
Engine, Oct 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the power steering and power brake assist also failed. The contact stated that the check engine, check oil, and battery warnings were illuminated. The contact pulled over, stopped, and had the vehicle towed to his residence. The vehicle had not been taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
Power train, Oct 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at 55 MPH, he heard an abnormal grinding sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the warranty had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
Other or unspecified, Oct 10, 2022
available for inspection front door latches, Driver and passenger, stick in down position and prevent closing of doors to latch. Someone who does notice could have a collision, be ejected, suddenly suprised and crash, break latches permanently. I contacted kia dealer, they said on Soul was recalled for same problem. Inspected by my insurance broker. Passenger side was December 2021, and driver side latch gave out june 2022.
Steering, Electrical system, Structure, Sep 28, 2022, crash
Vehicle was broken into and stolen…steering wheel column damage, wheel locked, wreck…usb cord used to crank car..police report filed #2209013764ME
Steering, Sep 1, 2022
We noticed the steering seemed loose and at 80 MPH there was a serious vibration in the steering column. We noticed there was a service bulletin on the problem on the internet, but our car was 8 months past the 10 year limit on what KIA would cover. Our car has 123,000 miles on it. Our dealer, KIA of Billings Montana fixed the problem, but it cost us $610. I believe KIA should have notified us of the problem long ago and fixed it. The vibration has been happening for some time, but we thought it was just tires out of balance or an alignment problem. We had the tires aligned and tires rotated and balanced, but still had the problem. If the government or KIA knew about the problem, they should have warned us long ago, even if we had to pay for the repair.
Engine, Aug 29, 2022
I am original owner of car. I recently noticed the car start to burn oil at a dangerous rate. The car ultimately at one point stalled in an intersection with my daughter driving. The mechanic stated the solenoids were clogged. There are no oil leaks. There was a recall for certain types of engine issues for this car but I never received a recall. The dealer states there is nothing they can do.
Engine, Aug 12, 2022
The contact's daughter owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that her daughter inserted the key in the ignition and attempted to start the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in any recalls. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was unavailable.
Engine, Aug 11, 2022, fire
After the rod bearing engine replacement was preformed. My engine light came on a few days after picking it up from dealer. I immediately reported it to the dealer that I need to bring it in mainly for smog check, and no response. 2 weeks later I told them about it again. No response. 3 weeks later began a fuel smell and I immediately reported that as the smell got stronger. No response. 3 days later the fuel smell was really bad and I was really worried about a fire. This time I called general manager and he never provided any advice or return call. 3 hours later the engine caught on fire. Car is totaled and I could of been seriously injured. I sent pictures and thanked them for their negligence. He finally gave me a phone number for consumer affairs. showed no remorse and claimed that the new engine they just put in has no warranty and they are not responsible. If they would of directed me to bring back in. Or bring it somewhere. Or tell me not to drive it. But completely ignored me. And had the nerve to let me know that was their 4th fire this week. Kia management needs to step it up. I was denied a loaner or rental. And they will try to get back to me by Friday. You must put a stop to this behavior asap!
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 3, 2022
Engine light keeps flashing and car stalls and will not go over 45 mph. One incident happened on a busy highway as merged on and was almost hit by a tractor trailer from behind.
Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 1, 2022
There is a leak around the fuel tank with a significant fuel smell coming inside the cabin. amount
Steering, Engine, Jul 29, 2022
Vehicle suddenly cut off and lost power. Upon cutting back off check engine was blinking as well as oil light. Was left to sit over night as it wasn’t safe to drive home and would not restart. The following morning the car started but was hesitant driven less than 20 miles home which struggled to accelerate and check engine light was illuminated along with oil light coming on . Oil was in the car at the time. Parked in front of home additional oil added oil light then oil light cut off until ac is turned on . Car was turned on and sitting and a knocking noise began . Left to sit the next day then taken to jiffy lube where a reading came on the scanner that it was the crank shaft was then ordered to go to a repair shop where it was diagnosed the engine is blown and that oil was basically being burned even with a maintain of oil changes therefore this caused metal to metal contact . The engine is now seized up and the vehicle is sitting outside of home. Vehicle is unsafe to drive upon further research cars 2011-2019 with the same engine have caught fire or failed . Due to this there is now a class act suit theta ii with Kia .
Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 20, 2022
My vehicle has been smelling like fuel inside of the vehicle and cannot take it to a kia dealership due to them being backed up. There are no visible leaks inside or outside of the vehicle but it is unsafe to inhale fuel and every time i fill it up, the smell gets stronger.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 6, 2022, fire
My car caught on fire while driving from somewhere near the engine. The fire was so severe that fire department nor my insurance company were able to determine cause of fire and I’d only had vehicle for 45 days, it was a single owner with no accidents and maintained its entire life up to that point. I am requesting someone to examine vehicle and tell me how this possibly happened.
Structure, Jul 5, 2022
Delamination of the white pearl paint.