2015 Kia Optima
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 1,008 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 20 Optima model years with reports.
Of the 2015 reports, 31 involved a crash and 74 involved a fire. 23 people were injured and 1 person died.
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
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideMay 10, 2021
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles previously recalled under recall 20V-519. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly resulting in an electrical short.
An electrical short in the HECU increases the risk of a fire while parked or driving.
Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. Dealers will install a new multi-fuse, and inspect the HECU for leaks, replacing the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 2, 2021. This recall supersedes previous NHTSA recall number 20V-519. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC212.
Campaign 21V331000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideAug 27, 2020
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly resulting in an electrical short.
If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the HECU for leaking brake fluid and replace the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. The recall began October 20, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC197.
Campaign 20V519000 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
Representative owner complaints
1,008 reports, newest first.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Mar 12, 2023
The engine lost power taking off crossing a major roadway, resulting in a stall, vehicle had to be restarted in a panic. The knocking and loss of power put me and my passenger in danger of a side impact from cross traffic. The issue was reproduced by a dealer upon further inspection. The vehicle will be inspected by a service department at certified dealership. No warnings lights or fault warnings appeared related to this issue.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Mar 10, 2023
On 3/1/23 on my way home from my which the site was in Perth Amboy, NJ. At the North Somerset rest stop, just exited the I-76 westbound. I lost power around 65 mph. I didn't get any response from my brakes at first and nothing from my accelerator. Upon drifting and praying that I'd make it to the lot out of the main exiting lane. Upon pulling into a spot at the very farthest spot from the building, I noticed my check engine light is flashing. Press my brakes were working. Accelerator was hardly responding. I've worked on my car and my families cars, and cars most of my life. I had my code reader with me. Plugged it in and got the code that I've heard and read about. P1326 knock sensor. Knowing about this about Kia and Hyuandi, I knew my engine was dead. Thank God it didn't catch fire like some others have. I had it towed to Smail Kia in Greensburg, PA. That was the closest and NOT the dealer I bought it from. We bought it from Century 3 Kia West Mifflin, PA. After their promises that the engine would get replaced, lack of communication, many of my calls,voicemail, emails and showing up in person,(had to move 2 things that would've been in the way of the swapping of the engine) and a week later Kia denied my replacement due to "power adders". None of which I have, use or cause any issues. NO TESTING WAS DONE ON WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS POWER ADDERS. HOWEVER, ALL OF THE TESTS THAT SHOW THEIR FAULTY ENGINE COMPONENTS AS PERR THE FEDERAL LAWSUITS AND RECALLS.....ALL FAILED! I can't drive the car. It's dangerous for myself and any other motorist. Could explode, catch fire or completely fail on ANY highway/roadway. I need my car for my career and above all, my life sustaining health and medical appointments Now I'm left with no vehicle. I still owe around a year- year and a half. As well as car insurance. Now what? Kia needs to do the right thing here, for myself and anyon else suffering from this horrific life changing nightmare.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Structure, Mar 8, 2023
Rear outer TAIL LAMP combination assemblies (NOT the inner lights on the trunk lid) have failed Virginia State SAFETY Inspection due to accumulation of moisture and standing water in BOTH left and right outer tail lamps, causing LEDs in the tail lamp assembly to burn out and not illuminate. There have already been multiple Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) on the matter (i.e. KIA TSB PS364, KIA TSB BOD143, KIA TSB BOD172), and the cause outlined in these TSBs has been a DEFECT in design leading to a gap between the tail lamp housing gasket and the vehicle body allowing WATER INTRUSION. KIA has neglected to inspect, fix, or add additional gaskets per their instructions during eligible warranty periods, and extended warranties refuse to fix the issue as they classify it as water intrusion. This pins the financial burden to fix the safety issue on the customer/driver, as KIA dealers have quoted $1,232.46 for replacement of these tail lamps. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Components: Rear outer tail lamp combination assemblies (both left and right) (NOT the lamps on the trunk lid). Inspection availability: LIMITED due to significant time pressure and inconvenience (since the tail lamps have caused the vehicle to fail Virginia State Safety Inspection, the car needs to be fixed ASAP to resume commute to work, etc.) How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Lower visibility for others, may result in incident. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Confirmed by KIA dealer themselves. Also, multiple customer complaints on internet, as well as TSBs. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? KIA dealer did not inspect during warranty. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No and UNKNOWN.
Engine, Mar 6, 2023
I had brought a 2015 kia optima lx from a lot and i only had it 2 days i was on my way to work and it just cut off in the middle of the road i didnt know it had recalls until till after somebody told me so i took it to kia they said they couldn’t fix it and told me my motor was locked and that i was gone have to pay $8,650 to get a new motor put in my car has been sitting since march 11 2022 and march 112023 will be a year that it has set and now since i have been getting recall notification about my car they not gone do nothing about it until i get my motor just like its a update needed on my car not gone be able to get it
Engine, Mar 6, 2023
Oil Changed 02/18/23, No leaks reported. Highway driving, now the vehicle is burning oil and has leaks, engine not running properly at highway speeds.
Engine, Mar 2, 2023
lights in dashboard always on , something wrong with engine
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Engine, Mar 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at a traffic light, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and move to the side of the road where the vehicle stalled again. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) had not been completed and the warranty coverage for the engine replacement would not be honored. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
Engine, Feb 28, 2023
There is an open recall on the engine of my vehicle 2015 Kia Optima. The engine is giving problems and has been at the local dealership since December 1st, 2022. They stated they will not fix it because the vehicle has a salvage title. According to the information we have obtained this doesn't null the recall repairs on the vehicle. Please advise.
Engine, Feb 24, 2023
At or around 66k miles my vehicle stalled then shut off in traffic. No warning or signals. My vehicle went into limp mode. KSDS Knock sensor campaign installed prior. Oil had been consuming at a abnormal rate causing me to do oil changes more frequently and in between changes adding oil. Towed it to dealership because I was told as long as I had the KSDS update and maintenance records of which I did myself because it became expensive and records show on Carfax. After dealer mechanic looked at vehicle said I needed a new engine and Kia Corporate denied my claim claiming it was neglect which is absolutely untrue! They didn't even accept my records although on Carfax. With only 66k miles and being denied my vehicle sits worthless because Kia won't honor its warranty or recall. I even purchased gap insurance originally totally lost of money. I'm afraid my vehicle will catch on fire as it's been sitting for several months in my driveway.
Engine, Feb 23, 2023
after completing a routine oil change earlier in the day, the engine seized and the car had to be towed. When contacting Kia I was told their was a recall and if the knock sensor wasn't installed we are responsible. I communicated that we were unaware of a recall and were never notified of one as we are the 2nd owners of the vehicle. I later received in the mail a re-issue of what they claim to have sent out originally and was instructed to take the car to the nearest Kia dealer where they have since denied the repairs.
Steering, Engine, Feb 23, 2023
Knocking noise coming from engine. Pulley is wobbly. Oil leak coming from timing cover. Knocking noise come from Connecting rod knocking. Engine will have to be replaced or rebuilt.
Engine, Feb 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence. The contact who is an independent mechanic, diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine seized. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.
Engine, Feb 21, 2023
2015 KIA OPTIMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ENGINE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE SEIZED AFTER FOUR MONTHS OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. AND THERE IS AN UNADDRESSED/OPEN RECALL THAT WAS NEVER REPAIRED.
Electrical system, Feb 20, 2023
The driver side brake light and tail light is out. I have noticed this same problem on a few other Optimas' in my neighborhood about the same year as mine. There is a YouTube video saying it's because of the tail light connector.
Engine, Feb 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH and taking the off ramp, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to his fiancé's residence. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 81,000.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Feb 17, 2023
Paint on the entire car is delaminating
Electrical system, Feb 16, 2023
Car has been broken in twice. First they stole all my belongings. The second time they took my car and got a ticket and destroyed the inside of it. The car can easily be stolen again. Only option I have is use the steering wheel lock that I purchased at autozone
Engine, Feb 13, 2023
On December 14 2022 I had my oil changed at a service center. On December 14 2022 later in the day after the oil change service had been completed my vehicle vehicle began to sputter then stalled while driving down the road almost creating an accident. There were no warning lamps messages or other symptoms prior to stalling on the road. As the vehicle began sputtering and stalling the warning lamps then became illuminated. I coasted my vehicle to safety and parked it. I scheduled the first available appointment with a Kia dealership and had it towed in. They did an inspection completed a recall and said I needed a whole new engine and only the short block was covered. I have service records for regular maintenance. I have contact the dealership and manufacturer with a response that the engine replacement is not currently covered at this time. I believe that if the vehicle was at a higher speed or more traffic was present that the engine failure could have caused serious injury or fatalities. My vehicle is available for inspection if requested. My vehicle is still located at the Kia dealership. I currently do not have an invoice or paper receipt from them. I do have an email from the dealership stating a new engine cost before taxes. I am unable to upload the file on this page for some reason. I can make it available if needed.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Engine, Feb 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a ticking noise was heard coming from the engine. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and was unable to restart. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired and was towed back to the residence. The contact stated that the failure recurred and that the "Service Engine Soon" warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was then taken back to the dealer for the recall repair and was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the warranty had expired. The failure mileage was 106,744.
Electrical system, Engine, Feb 9, 2023
On 1 30-30 2023 my vehicle spun a rod bearing no engine light came on no oil light alert. I have a lifetime warranty & I'm just learning of a recall NHTSA SAFETY ID# 21V331000, to which I did not receive any notifications or recall notices
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while his wife was driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that his wife steered the vehicle to the side of the road and parked the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to a lack of engine oil. The contact stated that he had never noticed a leak and had followed the maintenance schedule for oil changes. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Feb 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. Additionally, the check engine, ABS, and TPMS warning lights were illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 144,771.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. After stopping at a red light, the engine suddenly failed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 88,000.
Electrical system, Feb 2, 2023
The lack of an ignition immobilizer facilitated an easy car theft and unauthorized use of the vehicle. A mechanic has confirmed that due to the lack of an immobilizer, anti-theft features were overridden, leading to a car theft. Insurance, police, and mechanics have all inspected the vehicle and state the cars theft was a result of the known fact that KIA ignitions can be started with a USB. The manufacturer, KIA, failed to keep up with industry standards to protect their customer's cars from theft, and now that the problem has intensified, they have not taken action to help consumers affected.
Engine, Feb 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. Additionally, the vehicle made knocking sounds while driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the dealer declined the engine replacement due to the vehicle not having the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) product improvement campaign performed. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The contact stated that she had not yet received notification of the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) product improvement campaign. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the KSDS product improvement campaign had expired. The failure mileage was 174,811.