NHTSA Safety Recalls
2011 Kia Optima Recalls
The 2011 Kia Optima has 5 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on September 25, 2023.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2011 Kia Optima. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 5
- Owner complaints
- 594
- Crashes reported
- 23
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
33 fires
overall, 5 stars max
On a 2011 Kia Optima, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
5 recalls on the 2011 Kia Optima
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- Campaign
- 23V652000
- Reported
- September 25, 2023
- Vehicles affected
- up to 1,730,192
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire and injury
- NHTSA advisory
- park outside, away from buildings
- Same campaign
- also 2012–2015 Optima, 11 other models
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- Campaign
- 18V907000
- Reported
- December 19, 2018
- Vehicles affected
- up to 71,653
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2012–2017 Optima, 2 other models
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
- Campaign
- 18V363000
- Reported
- June 1, 2018
- Vehicles affected
- up to 507,587
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2012–2013 Optima, 4 other models
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- Campaign
- 17V224000
- Reported
- March 31, 2017
- Vehicles affected
- up to 618,160
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2012–2014 Optima, 2 other models
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
- Campaign
- 13V114000
- Reported
- April 1, 2013
- Vehicles affected
- up to 980,377
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2008–2010 Optima, 8 other models
2011 Kia Optima complaints by year
NHTSA has received 594 owner complaints about the 2011 Kia Optima, the newest on October 7, 2026. Of these, 23 describe a crash (4%) and 33 a fire; owners reported 19 injuries and 1 death.
In complaints about the 2011 Kia Optima, the component group named most often is the engine (43%), followed by the steering (17%) and the exterior lighting (15%).
1 of the 2011 Kia Optima's 5 recalls also concerns the exterior lighting.
Where 2011 Kia Optima owners gave the mileage (422 complaints), the median was 90,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Engine256
- Steering100
- Exterior Lighting88
- Electrical System63
- Unknown Or Other39
- Air Bags31
Complaints received, by year
| 2011 | 32 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 22 | |
| 2013 | 14 | |
| 2014 | 10 | |
| 2015 | 39 | |
| 2016 | 79 | |
| 2017 | 78 | |
| 2018 | 65 | |
| 2019 | 78 | |
| 2020 | 52 | |
| 2021 | 33 | |
| 2022 | 14 | |
| 2023 | 16 | |
| 2024 | 42 | |
| 2025 | 8 | |
| 2026 | 12 |
Complaints about the 2011 Kia Optima peaked in 2016, when NHTSA received 79. 13% arrived between 2010 and 2014, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2011 vehicles, the 2011 Kia Optima drew 1.8× the complaints of the median Kia Optima year in the same window: 6th highest of the 20 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: ★★★★★
- Frontal: 5/5
- Side: 5/5
- Rollover: 5/5
The 594 complaints about the 2011 Kia Optima are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Kia Optima by model year
Other 2011 Kia models
Newest record on this page: October 7, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted