NHTSA Safety Recalls
2012 Kia Optima Recalls
The 2012 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 2012 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
- 920
- Crashes reported
- 25
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
77 fires
overall, 5 stars max
On a 2012 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 2012 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 2011, 2013–2015 Optima, 11 other models
Structure: body: roof and pillars
- Campaign
- 22V560000
- Reported
- August 1, 2022
- Vehicles affected
- up to 257,998
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2013 Optima
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 2011, 2013–2017 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 2011, 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 2011, 2013–2014 Optima, 2 other models
2012 Kia Optima complaints by year
NHTSA has received 920 owner complaints about the 2012 Kia Optima, the newest on October 9, 2026. Of these, 25 describe a crash (3%) and 77 a fire; owners reported 34 injuries.
In complaints about the 2012 Kia Optima, the component group named most often is the engine (43%), followed by the steering (20%) and the electrical system (13%).
None of the 2012 Kia Optima's 5 recalls concerns the engine.
Where 2012 Kia Optima owners gave the mileage (640 complaints), the median was 80,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Engine398
- Steering188
- Electrical System122
- Unknown Or Other87
- Power Train54
- Service Brakes52
Complaints received, by year
| 2011 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 45 | |
| 2013 | 24 | |
| 2014 | 34 | |
| 2015 | 37 | |
| 2016 | 90 | |
| 2017 | 72 | |
| 2018 | 79 | |
| 2019 | 134 | |
| 2020 | 103 | |
| 2021 | 81 | |
| 2022 | 45 | |
| 2023 | 57 | |
| 2024 | 59 | |
| 2025 | 38 | |
| 2026 | 20 |
Complaints about the 2012 Kia Optima peaked in 2019, when NHTSA received 134. 15% arrived between 2011 and 2015, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2012 vehicles, the 2012 Kia Optima drew 3.1× the complaints of the median Kia Optima year in the same window: 2nd highest of the 20 ranked years.
That makes 2012 one of the Kia Optima years to avoid by our method.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: ★★★★★
- Frontal: 5/5
- Side: 5/5
- Rollover: 5/5
The 920 complaints about the 2012 Kia Optima are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Kia Optima by model year
Other 2012 Kia models
Newest record on this page: October 9, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted