NHTSA Safety Recalls
2002 Kia Optima Recalls
The 2002 Kia Optima has 3 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on May 27, 2009.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2002 Kia Optima. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 3
- Owner complaints
- 107
- Crashes reported
- 15
- NHTSA crash test
- Not rated
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
4 fires
On a 2002 Kia Optima, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
3 recalls on the 2002 Kia Optima
Suspension: front
- Campaign
- 09V183000
- Reported
- May 27, 2009
- Vehicles affected
- up to 36,538
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001, 2003–2004 Optima
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- Campaign
- 04V180000
- Reported
- April 12, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 25,803
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2003 Optima
Electrical system: starter assembly
- Campaign
- 03V067000
- Reported
- March 4, 2003
- Vehicles affected
- up to 11,501
- Same campaign
- also 2001 Optima
2002 Kia Optima complaints by year
NHTSA has received 107 owner complaints about the 2002 Kia Optima, the newest on November 13, 2025. Of these, 15 describe a crash (14%) and 4 a fire; owners reported 11 injuries.
In complaints about the 2002 Kia Optima, the component group named most often is the structure (28%), followed by the suspension (20%) and the air bags (18%).
1 of the 2002 Kia Optima's 3 recalls also concerns the suspension.
Where 2002 Kia Optima owners gave the mileage (87 complaints), the median was 85,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Structure30
- Suspension21
- Air Bags19
- Electrical System14
- Latches/Locks/Linkages12
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic9
Complaints received, by year
| 2002 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 4 | |
| 2004 | 14 | |
| 2005 | 9 | |
| 2006 | 10 | |
| 2007 | 4 | |
| 2008 | 7 | |
| 2009 | 9 | |
| 2010 | 4 | |
| 2011 | 5 | |
| 2012 | 6 | |
| 2013 | 8 | |
| 2014 | 8 | |
| 2015 | 5 | |
| 2016 | 7 | |
| 2017 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2002 Kia Optima peaked in 2004, when NHTSA received 14. 26% arrived between 2001 and 2005, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2002 vehicles, the 2002 Kia Optima drew 0.4× the complaints of the median Kia Optima year in the same window: 20th highest of the 20 ranked years.
That makes 2002 one of the three best-measured Kia Optima years.
The 107 complaints about the 2002 Kia Optima are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Kia Optima by model year
Other 2002 Kia models
Newest record on this page: November 13, 2025. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted