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.
Engine, Sep 19, 2021
I was driving on the highway going about 55 miles per hour when suddenly the dashboard lights illuminated and car seemed to power down quickly. I barely had time to pull over to the shoulder of the road when the car completely shut down. I could not get the car to start backup and I had to call a towing company to the scene to tow the car to the Kia dealership. My safety and the other occupants safety were put in grave danger, especially driving on a highway where the speed limit is minimum 55 miles per hour. The car dealership confirmed the problem with me, but there is a significant wait time of 2 weeks or more before they can begin performing necessary repairs to the vehicle. Their excuse was an abnormally high number of other Kia Optimas ahead of my vehicle, waiting on parts from Korea, and the warehouse being backup due to the parts shortage. There were no warning lamps or noises prior to the car completely shutting down while driving 55 miles per hour on the highway. It was sudden and caught me off guard and I tried not to panic during the entire dangerous and scary situation. I have been without a replacement vehicle for over two weeks because you cannot get the rental/loaner coverage until the car has been formally diagnosed by a technician. I am paying out-of-pocket until I get the rental car coverage that Kia told me I would qualify for once the car is officially diagnosed and a timeframe is given for estimated date of full repair and pick up of the vehicle.
Engine, Sep 16, 2021
While traveling on a city street at approximately 40 miles per hour, the engine seized and stalled. After coasting to the shoulder without power, the engine would not restart. Vehicle was towed to local dealership and I was informed it has complete engine failure. Dealership stating Kia corporate refusing to repair vehicle despite multiple complaints of engine failure in this model.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Engine, Sep 15, 2021, fire
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at 15-20 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled and she saw smoke coming out from underneath of the hood of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated she was able to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence, then it was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine had ceased. The dealer informed the contact that she would be responsible for the cost of the repair. The vehicle was towed to a second dealer (Kia of Riverdale 1 Windbeam Rd, Riverdale, NJ 07457). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not provide any assistance due to the fact that the previous owner of the vehicle had not completed the software update of the vehicle. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 76,000.
Structure, Sep 4, 2021
My Pearl White paint is chipping off
Engine, Sep 3, 2021, fire
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately at 40 mph when the vehicle lost motor functionality. The contact was able to pull over and smelled a burning odor coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that they spoke to a local dealer and was advised to not bring the vehicle in for a diagnosis. The manufacturer was informed of failure and told the contact they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 96,127.
Other or unspecified, Sep 3, 2021
My Kia Optima needs/needed to have a software update to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to installed. The Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) protects the engine from excessive connecting rod bearing damage. There was/is nothing to detect the onset of excessive connecting rod bearing wear and alert the driver at an early stage of bearing wear before the occurrence of severe engine damage, including engine failure. There is no indicative code to alert the driver and minimize the risk of a more severe engine failure. My car has experienced this inadequacy and is need of a full engine replacement because of it. There has been recalls on other years of the Kia Optima but, not the 2015. This is an increasing problem amongst Kia Optima 2015 owners and should not be treated separately from the other years that have experienced the same problem. My car jerked suddenly in traffic and came to a sudden stop almost causing me and my granddaughter to be in a collision with oncoming traffic, with no warning. Kia did a safety recall campaign for other models with this problem SC200**1 (Rev 1, 03/25/2021) but did not include the Kia Optima 2015.
Other or unspecified, Sep 2, 2021, crash
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated their daughter was driving at 55 mph, the vehicle in front of the driver slammed on their brakes for a complete stop which caused the contact to depressed on the brake pedal however the vehicle did not stop or slow down causing the driver to crash into the rear of the vehicle in front. The driver-side air bag did deploy. The front end and hood were bent. No one was injured. There was no medical treatment at the scene. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximate 180,000.
Engine, Aug 27, 2021
Driving on the freeway at 60-65. car started slowing down. bumper to bumper traffic. car stops. KIDS in car. most terrifying moment in life. get towed finally they took to KIA dealer Cleveland Ohio.. engine locked. $4K to repair. KIA would not warranty any of it. 102K miles on engine. frequent oil changes. 2015 was not covered on the recall. This is un acceptable they know its a problem.
Air bags, Aug 24, 2021
No incident occurred. My airbag light has been on for the past 2 months but no impact occurred to my vehicle
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Electrical system, Engine, Aug 18, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to coast the vehicle off to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact mentioned that the battery was drained from the engine not turning off. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but not diagnosed nor repaired. The vehicle was undrivable. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 9, 2021
I received a Safety Recall notice dated 7/5/2021. When I contacted the dealership, the next available appointment was December 6, 2021. Because of the seriousness of this recall, I feel I should be given a service appointment sooner than December 2021.
Structure, Aug 8, 2021
Extreme paint chipping
Other or unspecified, Aug 7, 2021
On Monday, August 02, 2021, I was driving home from work and suddenly, when I stepped on the gas pedal, the car didn’t move but the RPMs were reveving very high and all the lights, accessories continued to work. The car had to be pushed out of the street and into a parking lot, until it was towed the following morning to my local mechanic. Upon inspection, it was determined that the engine had seized. I was informed that this is a well-established problem of similar models, years of Kia and Hyundai vehicles that occurred as result of an issue during the manufacturing process and that Kia was aware of the problem but refused to issue a recall. Due to Kia’s reluctance to reimburse owners for the repairs, there is a class-action lawsuit against Kia. My vehicle was towed on August 5, 2021 to Bob Rohrman’s Kia dealership on Golf Rd, Schaumburg IL.As a result, I am without a vehicle that I am still making payments on until December 2021.
Other or unspecified, Jul 29, 2021, fire
I started driving to work drove a mile went to accelerate to get on the highway, all my dash lights came on and and i pulled over, my break was stiff so i figured it died, it started to smoke, at first the door wouldn’t open for me to get out, i had to manually unlock it which is weird because if my car is put into park the door automatically unlock normally, when i got out i saw the smoke getting thicker, so i backed up within minutes the car was in flames. I called 911 right away. There was really no warning at all!
Visibility/wiper, Jul 20, 2021
I have owned my kia optima for several years and I've had issues with the windshield wipers not going fast enough. I work from home so I do not travel that often but just recently went on a trip & was on the interstate when it started raining very hard. I could not see the car in front of me at all, not even their tail lights. I understand visibility is always worse when it rains but all the other cars were still going at a steady pace & passing me. I had to pull over on the side of the interstate until the rain slowed down to just a sprinkle before I could see well enough to drive. This caused me a great amount of anxiety because i didn't know if I was going to run into someone or if I was even in the right lane. I have several friends that also have the kia optima 2015 & 2016 models and they have said the same thing. The speed on the windshield wipers is extremely slow compared to other cars we tested this on & I feel this is a major safety concern. I pulled up google reviews on this issue & there are a lot of people complaining about the speed not being fast enough.
Engine, Jul 12, 2021
So we have a 2015 Kia Optima. On June 10 2021 our car was completely fine just did our normal oil change, tune up, etc. it was running and starting just fine. The next day June 11th, 2021 my husband was on the highway and getting off at his exit and the car suddenly went into “limp mode” it’s a safety mechanism on the car to stop it from completely blowing the engine and destroying other things. He was able to get the car home but was only able to go 25 miles a hour. The car is now currently sitting in our drive way throwing a whole bunch of different codes. First it was a rod in the engine and then now a misfire when the car hasn’t moved in over a month. From what I hearing from the dealership and other people this is common with the GDI engines. We are now out of a car and don’t even know what’s completely wrong with it. We’ve barely had a year of that.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Jul 8, 2021, fire
The contact owned a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while stationary with the engine on, the check engine warning light illuminated. After pulling into a parking lot, the vehicle stalled and was unable to be restarted. With the assistance of a nearby police officer, the contact placed the vehicle into neutral and backed into a parking spot. While waiting for her boyfriend to arrive at the scene, she noticed that dark grayish smoke was coming from the engine. The contact and her daughter immediately exited the vehicle as another police officer showed up at the scene. The officer attempted to extinguish the fire with an extinguisher but failed to do so. The fire department arrived at the scene and was able to extinguish the fire. The contact was uncertain if a fire or police report was filed. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard where it remained. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. Upon speaking with her insurance adjuster, the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the contact never received the notification letter about the recall. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
Engine, Jun 29, 2021
Engine oil consumption is extremely high with no leaks and caused damage to the engine. Causing car to quit and lose power. I have been doing my oil changes correctly.
Engine, Jun 27, 2021
While driving 55MPH on highway vehicle suddenly stalled. I was able to coast to the shoulder on the right. I was not able to restart vehicle. Vehicle left on highway to be towed.
Engine, Jun 25, 2021
The contact owned a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled and failed to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed as an engine failure. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer and the dealer informed the contact that they needed the maintenance history receipts. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,978.
Electronic stability control (ESC), Jun 24, 2021
Electronic stability control activates (flashing light on dash) inappropriately; when not actually experiencing a traction issue. Most often occurs when accelerating from a stop at an intersection with any type of “dip” or unevenness between the roadways, such as lip from driveway to street. When it activates in these situations the engine power reduces significantly resulting in little to no torque and the vehicle is unable to properly accelerate. This becomes very dangerous when pulling onto roadways with through-traffic, as it is not possible to clear the intersection in the anticipated timeframe had the electronic stability control had not improperly engaged. My common reaction when this happens is to provide more acceleration, which the vehicle responds to once the roadway becomes even and results in an instant burst of engine power. This causes the tires to spin, reduced ability to control steering and a total loss if in a turn.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 14, 2021
I was driving my car on the street going about 35-45 mph when all of a sudden with no warning my car stopped completely. It had to be towed.
Other or unspecified, Jun 10, 2021
Front low beams continue to be very dim. Cannot see a few feet in front of the car at night. Have replaced bulbs but nothing seems to work. Is consistent with other complaints of the same, noted with NHTSA.
Other or unspecified, Jun 8, 2021
My vehicle pearl white paint started peeling on both sides of my front window and now is peeling on my hood. I have filed 2 complaints with my dealership that took pictures and the first one was expired they said cause of covid. It's been several months now and still haven't heard about my 2nd request. It's peeling really bad and it's ridiculous that Kia isn't trying to fix this problem. My hood is starting to get rust spots where the paint has peeled. I'm very upset and frustrated with this problem. I really need to get my car repainted.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 8, 2021
When I drive my car it smells just like it is burning or melting in the motor, it comes thru the vents and smells awful. It has only smoked a couple of times when I have turned it off. I have had it looked at but at first they couldn't find the problem. The second time I had it checked out they said that the changed the HECU on my car but it still smells like it is burning. It has been doing it for about 3 months.