2008 KIA Optima Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Optima years
- Fewer complaints than other years 14th of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 144 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 KIA Optima. That ranks 14th out of 20 Optima model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (57 complaints, 40%), typically at around 51,887 miles. Complaints mention 20 crashes, 4 fires, 22 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 144owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 20complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 KIA Optima problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 57 | 40% | 51,887 | “air bag” (58%) | — |
| Engine | 19 | 13% | 96,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 18 | 13% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 15 | 10% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 6% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 6% | 101,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 5% | 60,232 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 5% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 7 | 5% | 51,300 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 3% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 3% | 75,944 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 3% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 3% | 2,600 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 3% | 34,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 2% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 2% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | 46,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 128,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Other/i Am Not Sure | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 KIA Optima recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: 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 recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Kia motors america, inc. (kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 kia optima vehicles manufactured from september 29, 2005, through january 29, 2008, and model year 2007 and 2008 kia rondo vehicles manufactured from september 13, 2006, through march 21, 2008. The clock spring contact assembly for the driver's side air bag supplemental restraint system (srs) may become damaged through usage over time. If the clock spring contact assembly becomes damaged, the driver's air bag electrical circuit will experience a high resistance condition potentially causing the driver's air bag to not deploy.
Risk: If the clock spring develops high resistance, in the event of a crash, the drivers air bag will not deploy and will not be able to properly protect the driver, increasing the risk of injuries.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vehicle's air bag clock spring contact assembly, free of charge. The safety recall began on july 11, 2012. Owners may contact kia customer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift
Problem: Kia is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 optima vehicles manufactured from september 29, 2005, through june 13, 2007. There is a possibility that the shift cable may have been installed incorrectly, causing tension in the cable. If present, this condition could cause the cable to detach from the shifter assembly's dowel pin preventing the transmission from being shifted. The shift lever can then be moved into the park (p) position while the vehicle's transmission is still in the last used gear before detachment.
Risk: If the driver leaves the vehicle without engaging the parking brake, there is a possibility that the vehicle can roll injure a person in its path or cause a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the shift cable and reinstall if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on march 23, 2011. Owner may contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Loss of Motive Power (DP22003) — opened Sep 12, 2022, closed Dec 12, 2023.
- Throttle control system vulnerabilities (DP21003) — opened Nov 12, 2021, closed Jun 20, 2023.
- Transmission Shift Cable Detachment (PE10046) — opened Nov 22, 2010, closed Apr 5, 2011, led to recall 11V153000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Basically the engine secede up while driving from one place to another. Causing Me to suddenly just stop in traffic almost causing an accident . Now the car wonât start with a new starter and battery. I have no light on the dash, it currently sits at 124,000 miles on it. Itâs a grate car I just…
Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2008 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle's transmission failure. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after purchasing the vehicle…
Occupant airbag sensor doesn't recognize whether someone is sitting or not. The occupant airbag sensor light goes on and off whether there is a passenger sitting on the seat or not. Kia has extended warranty on this issue however it doesn't let customer know about this part is defected. I was doing…
Power train: at low idle or while slowing down, the car will lose power for a minute until you get on the accelerator and it all comes back on. Alternator had been replaced. And is going to be replaced again soon. Not sure if it's just a bad part. Power steering pump was replaced. The pulley…
Air bag line came on, dealer states is clock spring.
Other KIA Optima years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Optima | 151 | 0 |
| 2019 Optima | 212 | 1 |
| 2018 Optima | 232 | 2 |
| 2017 Optima | 256 | 3 |
| 2016 Optima | 758 | 5 |
| 2015 Optima | 1,009 | 4 |
| 2014 Optima | 589 | 7 |
| 2013 Optima | 1,386 | 9 |
| 2012 Optima | 920 | 5 |
| 2011 Optima | 594 | 5 |
| 2010 Optima | 75 | 1 |
| 2009 Optima | 116 | 1 |
| 2008 | 144 | 3 |
| 2007 Optima | 167 | 2 |
| 2006 Optima | 155 | 2 |
| 2005 Optima | 144 | 0 |
| 2004 Optima | 225 | 1 |
| 2003 Optima | 141 | 2 |
| 2002 Optima | 107 | 3 |
| 2001 Optima | 143 | 3 |
See all KIA Optima problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2008 KIA Optima?
Owners most often report air bags, engine, power train problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 57 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 KIA Optima?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 KIA Optima a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Optima model years, the 2008 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.