KnownCarProblems2011 Kia Optima Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 594 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Kia Optima, most often about the engine (44% of complaints, typically around 100,500 miles). It is 5th of 20 Optima model years by number of complaints and has 5 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory1 recall for this car came with a park-outside warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2011 Kia Optima problems
Engine
262 complaints · 44%Half of these problems showed up before 100,500 miles. Parts named most often: engine.
I was driving along on the main highway and it started making a loud noise then the car just died and when it did it made a loud pop and wouldn't start.
Left a stop light and car hesitated so I gave it a little more gas. Then there was loud metal to metal noise from engine and an explosion with white smoke. Able to get into a parking lot and opened the hood to a small fire. Found that there was a hole in back of engine and cracked the front. In the oil pan was the…
Steering
100 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 71,500 miles. Parts named most often: column.
The steering making knocking sound while still and driving and while braking the steering starts shaking and makes the knocking sound. Most people said its a plastic coupling that gets replaced for $400 and I can't keep paying that much money each time it gets messed up this is the second time I've gotten fix three…
There's a ticking in my motor when first starting up n last about 5-10 mins afterwards and also a clanking and popping sounds in steering even worse when hitting a hole or going across intersections or railroad crossings steering slips some going down the road at various speeds
Lights
88 complaints · 15%Half of these problems showed up before 85,500 miles. Parts named most often: headlights.
The low beam headlights look like flashlights with weak batteries, you can only see about 6 feet in front of car. The lens on the headlights are clear like new ones, but the heat from the bulbs destroy the reflective material inside the headlight. The only way to drive at night is with the bright lights on. The only…
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. While driving at an unknown speed in the rain, the flood lights did not turn on without warning. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
Electrical
63 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 85,500 miles.
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated and the vehicle got abnormally hot. In addition, the vehicle unlocked independently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.
The contact owned a 2011 Kia Optima. While driving 25 MPH, the contact smelled a burning electrical odor. Seconds later, black smoke appeared and flames rose from the hood. There was no warning indicator illuminated. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to the side of the road and exited the vehicle without…
Brakes
47 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 72,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. While the vehicle was parked, the stop lamps failed which caused the brake warning light to illuminate. In addition, the transmission shifter would not move out of the park position. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 13v114000 (exterior lighting, service brakes…
If there is light wheel spin upon takeoff (especially turning and accelerating, such as pulling out of a parking lot onto a road) it causes car to lose power for a few seconds. When this happens accelerator can be depressed all the way to floor and vehicle does not have power and will not accelerate. Car also…
Other or unspecified
39 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 93,000 miles.
My family was on hwy 75 returning from thanksgiving vacay when we discovered that the airbag light was on. After placing a call to Kia, I discovered that apparently airbags aren't covered by the 130,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. Now the ignition has an issue. Often times, I have to hit my key in the ignition in…
I was driving on the street at 40mph when I saw light smoke coming from under the hood I pulled over to get my two kids and myself out of the car shortly after we got out of the car flames started coming from under the hood I then called 911 for the fire department to come put the flames out when they finally did the…
Air bags
31 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 98,000 miles.
The passenger occupant classification system sensor mat failed while the vehicle was in motion, as indicated by a light illuminated on the dashboard. The failure occurred during normal operation of the vehicle. Failure of this sensor is a significant safety concern, as it may cause the airbag not to deploy in the…
I received a recall notice on my airbags on 8/15/2018 on 8/16 I was rear ended by a big work truck and pushed into another vehicle. 5 cars involved. My vehicle is totaled the airbags did not deploy
Fuel system
26 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 86,500 miles.
Strong smell of raw fuel near left rear (driver side) of vehicle when ambient temperature outside exceeds 100 degrees. The smell is noticed when the vehicle is parked after driving. It was first noticed when the vehicle had about 50,000 miles on it and the vehicle was taken to henderson Kia for servicing. They said…
Takata recall as soon as I turn the key the airbag light shows up, steady. It is on all the time, whether I am stationary or in motion. I have no idea if the airbags even work. There are also issues with the electrical system as the door often unlocks on its own, alarm goes off on it's own, lights flash inside every…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2011 Kia Optima recalls
Brakes: control unit/module
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Engine
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
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.
Full defect summary
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.
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Lights: switch
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.
Full defect summary
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 depressi
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Hyundai and kia ABS module fires
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) has received eight hyundai motor america (hyundai) and eight kia america, inc. (kia) part 573 recall reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or hydraulic electronic control units (hecu) manufactured by the equipment supplier mando. The part 573 recall reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by mando. Safety recalls included in this audit query (aq) review include: hyundai recalls 20v-520, 20v-543, 21v-161, 21v-160, 21v-303, 22v-056, 22v-810, and 23v-651. Kia recalls 16v-815, 20v-518, 20v-519, 21v
Loss of motive power
Summary
The national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated july 13, 2022, petitioning the agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain hyundai motor america, inc. And kia america, inc. Vehicles spanning model years (my) 2005-2021. The petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are
Engine fires
Summary
On march 29, 2019, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened two preliminary evaluations (pe19-003 on hyundai and pe19-004 on kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year hyundai and kia vehicles.â during the pe investigations, hyundai and kia issued several recalls to address vehicle fires, including those due to engine failures involving various engine types.â the remedies for the engine failure recalls typically involve engine inspection (to detect existing damage), and if necessary, engine replacement.â additionally, both manufacturers have been installing an engine control software modif
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) of the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated october 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (etc) system on certain kia vehicles resulting in the opening of dp21-003. Accordingly, model year (my) 2005-2016 kia optima/k5, my 2006-2015 kia sorento, my 2007-2016 hyundai elantra, my 2007-2016 hyundai santa fe, my 2006-2015 hyundai sonatas are all part of the subject population. The petition was originally filed as a vehicle owner questionnaire that can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under reference (odi) number 11439675.on november 12, 2021, odi opened defec
Non-crash vehicle fires
Summary
During this preliminary evaluation (pe), the office of defects investigation (odi) assessed the scope, frequency and potential safety-related consequences of non-crash vehicle fires caused by both engine failures and failures of other vehicle systems/components in model year (my) 2011-2014 kia optima, my 2011-2014 kia sorento and my 2010-2015 kia soul vehicles equipped with theta II, gamma, nu and lambda II engines (approximately 1.7 million vehicles). Odi also reviewed field and other data on other kia vehicles (approximately 3.6 million additional vehicles) equipped with the same engines used in the above-mentioned vehicles.as a result of this pe, kia has issued NHTSA recalls 20v-750 and 2
Non-crash vehicle fires
Summary
In a letter dated june 11, 2018, the center for auto safety (cas) petitioned the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) to initiate a safety defect investigation into non-collision related fires on model year (my) 2011-2014 kia optima and sorento, and hyundai sonata and santa fe vehicles. In a letter dated july 24, 2018, cas requested that my 2010-2015 kia soul vehicles be added to the petition. Cas stated that there is a higher number of complaints to NHTSA regarding non-crash fires on these vehicles compared to other similar vehicles. The office of defects investigation (odi) had already opened recall queries (rq17-003 and rq17-004) on all kia and hyundai vehicles equipped
Scope and timeliness
Summary
Nhtsa opened recall query (rq) 17-003 to investigate the timeliness and scope of kia?s theta II gdi engine recall (recall no. 17v-224), and kia?s compliance with reporting requirements. On november 23, 2020, the agency entered into a consent order with kia to administratively resolve NHTSA?s assertions of violations of law in connection with rq17-003. Nhtsa?s assertions included that kia may be liable for civil penalties on multiple grounds, including that recall no. 17v-224 was untimely and kia?s recall report contained certain inaccuracies.under the consent order, kia agreed to a total civil penalty of $70,000,000. The total civil penalty included a payment of $27,000,000 as a non-deferred
Questions about the 2011 Kia Optima
- What are the most common problems with the 2011 Kia Optima?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (262 complaints, typically around 100,500 miles); steering (100 complaints, typically around 71,500 miles); lights (88 complaints, typically around 85,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2011 Kia Optima have?
- 5 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from September 25, 2023 (brakes). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2011 a bad year for the Kia Optima?
- It is 5th of 20 Optima model years by number of complaints, with 594 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.