2020 Kia Optima Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 0 safety recalls and 155 owner complaints for the 2020 Kia Optima (including the hybrid).

Most-described problem: excessive oil consumption (46 complaints, 30%). Most-reported area: engine (105 complaints, 68%).

Fewer complaints than a typical Optima year

The 2020 drew 25 owner complaints in its first three years, against 53 for a typical Optima year (44 for a typical year since 2016). It is not picked as a best year: its first three years fell in the pandemic, when people drove less.

Years to avoid: 2012 and 2013. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Optima year ranked

0Safety recalls

155Owner complaints

6Complaints citing a crash

3Complaints citing a fire

Check your Optima for open recalls

Opens NHTSA's lookup in a new tab; your VIN goes to NHTSA, not to us. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard, the door jamb and your registration. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.

How to check a car for recalls, step by step

Get a vehicle history report from EpicVIN (opens in a new tab): a paid report with the car's title, odometer and salvage records, from an approved NMVTIS data provider. Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you buy. If you typed a full VIN above, the link sends it to EpicVIN and opens its checkout page for that VIN. Check the price before you pay: EpicVIN's $1 trial lasts 3 days, then becomes a monthly subscription until you cancel ($49.99 to $99.99 a month on its pages as of Oct 2, 2026). Disclosure

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Nov 11, 2026

Includes the Optima Hybrid and the Optima Plug-in Hybrid. Kia replaced the Optima with the K5 for 2021.

0 safety recalls for the 2020 Kia Optima

NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2020 Kia Optima in its recall file dated Nov 12, 2026. Recalls can still be issued later, so check your VIN from time to time.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2020 Kia Optima.

What owners report

Owners have filed 155 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Optima. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

Excessive oil consumption46 · 30%
Check engine light34 · 22%
Engine failure or replacement32 · 21%
Loss of power or limp mode25 · 16%
Shaking, shuddering or vibration14 · 9%
Stalling or shutting off13 · 8%
Misfires or rough running10 · 6%
Engine knocking, ticking or rattling7 · 5%

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

Engine105 · 68%
Powertrain28 · 18%
Electrical system15 · 10%
Fuel and propulsion system12 · 8%
Engine and cooling8 · 5%
Air bags7 · 5%
Brakes7 · 5%
Unknown or other17 · 11%

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.

Kia Optima recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2020 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 2020 drew 25.

Owner complaints

2020: 155 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Kia Optima
Model year	Complaints
2010	75
2011	628
2012	1,032
2013	1,444
2014	622
2015	1,023
2016	766
2017	308
2018	244
2019	215
2020	155

Safety recalls

2020: 0 recalls

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.

Tested version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover
Kia Optima 4 DR FWD Rollover risk 9.8%
Kia Optima Hybrid 4 DR FWD Rollover risk 9.8%
Kia Optima Plug-in Hybrid 4 DR FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated

2020 Optima MPG

EPA rates the 2020 Kia Optima up to 31 mpg combined with a gas engine, and 42 mpg as a hybrid.Every version and fuel cost

Questions

What are the most common 2020 Optima problems?

In the 155 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Kia Optima, the problems described most are excessive oil consumption (46), the check engine light coming on (34), and engine failure or replacement (32). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.

Is the 2020 Kia Optima safe?

In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2020 Kia Optima earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.

Is NHTSA investigating the 2020 Kia Optima?

No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2020 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.

Sources and method

NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 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, OPTIMA HYBRID, OPTIMA PHEV.

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.