2011 KIA Optima Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Optima years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 594 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 KIA Optima. That ranks 5th out of 20 Optima model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (256 complaints, 43%), typically at around 101,000 miles. Complaints mention 23 crashes, 33 fires, 19 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 7 defect investigations involving it.
- 594owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 7NHTSA investigations
- 23complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2011 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 256 | 43% | 101,000 | “engine seized” (14%) | $5,500 |
| Steering problems | 100 | 17% | 71,500 | “steering column” (28%) | $520 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 88 | 15% | 85,675 | “low beam” (35%) | $1,200 |
| Electrical System problems | 63 | 11% | 85,650 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 39 | 7% | 96,453 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 31 | 5% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 26 | 4% | 66,670 | — | — |
| Power Train | 25 | 4% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 23 | 4% | 89,843 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 21 | 4% | 129,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 21 | 4% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 19 | 3% | 93,300 | — | — |
| Suspension | 18 | 3% | 42,350 | — | — |
| Wheels | 9 | 2% | 5,600 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 1% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 8 | 1% | 36,531 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 7 | 1% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 1% | 28,874 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 1% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 0% | 45,013 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 0% | 81 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 38,703 | — | — |
| Firerelated | 1 | 0% | 222,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 132,165 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 150,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2011 KIA Optima recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/modulePark outside
Problem: 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.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Engine; fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: 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.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Engine and engine cooling:engine
Problem: 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.
Risk: Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
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.
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
- Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires (AQ23002) — opened Nov 17, 2023, still open.
- Loss of Motive Power (DP22003) — opened Sep 12, 2022, closed Dec 12, 2023.
- Engine Fires (EA21003) — opened Dec 22, 2021, closed Feb 5, 2024, led to recall 23V877.
- Throttle control system vulnerabilities (DP21003) — opened Nov 12, 2021, closed Jun 20, 2023.
- Non-crash Vehicle Fires (PE19004) — opened Mar 29, 2019, closed Dec 22, 2021, led to recall 20V088000.
- Non-crash Vehicle Fires (DP18003) — opened Aug 21, 2018, closed May 10, 2019, led to recall 18V907000.
- Scope and Timeliness (RQ17003) — opened May 18, 2017, closed Dec 22, 2021, led to recall 17V224000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while a family member was driving and exiting a parking lot, the vehicle turned off, causing the vehicle to lose power. The contact stated that there was a burning odor inside the cabin of the vehicle with an audible clicking sound coming…
I own a 2011 Kia Optima, VIN [XXX]. My vehicle was taken to Rockwall Kia on August 25, 2026, for completion of NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-652 / Kia SC284TF involving the HECU fuse. The dealership replaced the HECU multi-fuse and label kit. Before the recall repair, the vehicle was operating normally…
I was having trouble with my left driver tire. 2 mechanics went to test drive the car to see what the problem was. As they were driving, the car died. They got it started but it ran horrible back to the garage. When they pulled in the driveway of the garage, the car started on fire. It was an…
The vehicle's engine had previously been replaced once under Kia's Theta II engine recall/warranty program approximately five years prior to this incident. On the date of failure, the replacement engine catastrophically failed while the vehicle was in operation, resulting in the engine developing a…
About six months ago, I lost the heated steering wheel functionality in my steering wheel, then from there, I slowly lost functionality like cruise control, and the most recent now my airbag and horn do not work. If you press on the horn, it is silent, and the airbag light has been illuminated…
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 | 594 | 5 |
| 2010 Optima | 75 | 1 |
| 2009 Optima | 116 | 1 |
| 2008 Optima | 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 2011 KIA Optima?
Owners most often report engine, steering, exterior lighting problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 256 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2011 KIA Optima?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2011 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 2011 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.