NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 75 owner complaints for the 2010 Kia Optima.
Recalled components: exterior lighting. Most-described problem: jerking, lurching or harsh shifting (15 complaints, 20%). Most-reported area: powertrain (24 complaints, 32%; median mileage when it happened: 73,000).
Fewer complaints than a typical Optima year
The 2010 drew 12 owner complaints in its first three years, against 53 for a typical Optima year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.
Years to avoid: 2012 and 2013. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
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.
NHTSA listing: OPTIMA. Kia campaign SC098.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2010 Kia Optima.
What owners report
Owners have filed 75 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Optima. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Median 73,000 miles at failure, from 21 reports with mileage
Air bags17 · 23%
Median 63,100 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
Electrical system13 · 17%
Engine9 · 12%
Speed control6 · 8%
Brakes4 · 5%
Latches, locks and linkages3 · 4%
Unknown or other4 · 5%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Kia Optima recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2010 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2013 Optima drew the most (148) and the 2010 drew 12.
Owner complaints
2010: 75 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Optima
Model year
Complaints
2010
75
2011
627
2012
1,028
2013
1,438
2014
617
2015
1,021
2016
760
2017
305
2018
243
2019
211
2020
148
Safety recalls
2010: 1 recallTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Optima
Model year
Recalls
2010
1
2011
6
2012
6
2013
10
2014
7
2015
4
2016
5
2017
4
2018
3
2019
1
2020
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 75 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Kia Optima, the problems described most are jerking, lurching or harsh shifting (15), door lock or latch problems (8), and the airbag warning light or an airbag fault (8). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2010 Kia Optima?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2010 Kia Optima.
How do I check if my Optima has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: OPTIMA.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.