2010 KIA Optima
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Vehicles › KIA › Optima › 2010
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 2010 KIA Optima. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
1 recall names the 2010 KIA Optima. Newest first.
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…
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.
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.
The engine on my 2010 Kia Optima suddenly seized without warning around 150,000 miles. The vehicle had no knocking sounds or warning signs prior to failure. A mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with a seized engine. This created a sudden loss of vehicle operation. I am concerned this may be related to the known engine failure issues reported in Kia vehicles.
1.We were driving and the car just cut off. Not from the lack of fuel but cut off in the middle of traffic. (Available for inspection) 2.The car stopping in traffic running about 65 mph causes the safety of all on the highway. A very dangerous situation. 3. The problem has showed itself numerous times. 4. The car had been inspected/checked after the incident. There was no errors on the computer after diagnosis. 5. No errors nor warning lights prior the incident. After the incident, the car cranks right back up without error.
I was getting ready to go out of town for work so before I left my home town. I went to a place to get my oil change. Before going everything was fine. I left there and literally 5 minutes after my car killed. Once it start back. The motor start making a noise it’s been parked
Car would not engage into “Park” while attempting to park car in driveway. Shifter would not engage in any gear. Tried to reset button in center console. Contacted mechanic, he towed to garage. Plastic clip connected to cable broke. Earlier Kia’s had a recall due to this issue, why not all Kias due to it is still happening. I was very fortunate that this happened to me in my driveway and not on the highway. I understand there is the same part at the other end of the cable, connects to transmission and shifter, if it also breaks it is going to be very expensive to repair due to placement of the part. I had to rent a vehicle for work while part had to be ordered and replaced.
Rod bearing knocking noise. Vehicle stopped running when slowing down. Car is available for inspection. No warning lights come on. The rod bearing can pierce the engine and cause oil to leak and then a fire. Problem first identified by Monroe and then another independent when the car died in front of his shop- both confirmed this is a known issue with kias- but since ours is a 2010 it is not covered under the current recall for the same issue in years 2011 to 2013. I spoke with cooper Kia in Utica as I was looking for support with this issue and was told by Mike Digiovanni to call a lawyer. On a later call to Pat Stacey he said they don’t work for Kia and he stated that the salesman said I came in threatening to call a lawyer- not true- I was advised to call one. I had gone in explaining that I was upset as I thought this was a safe car for my 17 year old to travel in between college and work and it’s the same issue as the 2011-2013 recall
At 134000 miles car got a knock on interstate. 5 miles to next exit a loud bang. Then the knock went to a loud loud bang. Pulled over to find rod thru block. It is a 2010 kia optima with 2.4l 1 year before the recalls with exact probelm. Full of oil and coolant. Just out of the blue.
The car lurches or jerks when slowing down or stopping at about 20 mph . Lurch or jerking is enough to jerk to the driver . Has anyone got answer to why the Kia Optima 2010 does this.
Car has very hard downshift at low speed going from 2nd gear to 1st. Seems to be alot of these complaints and would be nice to know of a fix for this problem!
The contact owns a 2010 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 1 mph, the vehicle started overheating then there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine. Upon investigation, it was found that the radiator had a hole on the right side. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer and was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
Engine blew doing 40-45 on a county road 1,000 rpm 5TH gear, in automatic. 2ND to 1ST, soft to hard kick. vehicle speed sensor must be faulty I have to pump brake more to slow the engine speed it likes to bog trying to speed up in automatic mode
TL* the contact owns a 2010 KIA optima. The contact stated that the air bag warning lights were illuminated. Gervais KIA (6 industrial ave, lowell, ma 01851, (978)454-1202) was contacted and informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the seat occupant detection system needed to be replaced at a cost of $5,000. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
My optima has 104,000 miles. Just last week while driving on wet roads, I lost control as the power steering stopped working. The battery light comes on during this period for between 5-30 seconds as you loose almost all control of your vehicle's steering. Just as your vehicle gains power steering again, a screeching sounds comes from the engine compartment (maybe belts re-engaging). It has been raining her the past week and the issue has happened about 8 times. Sometimes directly after driving through puddles, and sometimes just while driving. The issue only occurs though when the roads are wet. This IS a major safety issue.
Vehicle has a terrible rattle coming from the rear end while driving and the vehicle moves from side to side. not sure what it IS. bought in 2016
Airbag light came on and says I need to replace the airbags in the passenger seat. Now airbag system IS disengaged.
Driving car just shut off in heavy traffic on rd average speed 40 no warning lights came on restarted stalled all the way home and huge knocking sound
When coming to a stop my car shifts from 3RD to 2ND her very abruptly. It makes it feel as though I've slammed on my brakes very suddenly. it also does it when I slow my car then press the gas to accelerate sometimes. I've taken my car to the dealership over 5 times since first purchased by my mother in 2010 and the dealership always claimed to be unable to notice the sudden jerking. this jerking happens mostly on the street due to my continual stop and go, but it has also happened while getting on the freeway and during freeway traffic.
Driving home from work MAY7 on I64 st.charles co,mo.smoke coming from under hood as I approached bride over missouri river and as soon as I crossed bridge it was worse and I called home to say my car was on fire and I was getting out of it ,then I called 911 and police and fire dept from from cottleville arriver. The car completely burned all the way to the trunk. T here was no apparent condition to have caused it to burn as car was well maintained and in good condition
TL* the contact owns a 2010 KIA optima. The contact called on behalf of the driver. While driving 35 mph, the driver lost control of the vehicle as it inadvertently accelerated. As a result, the driver struck another vehicle. The contact stated that the driver had to turn off the vehicle in order for it to stop. The air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained head and left leg injuries that did not require medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 24,000. *Tt *tr
The passage seat air bag light IS on steady code stored b1448 ocs mat IS defective car was parked in yard
Takata recall - hard downshift from 2ND to 1ST, usually around the 20mph mark! it's a sudden jerk as if it has been slammed into a a lower gear
Vehicle jerks when downshifting at about 20 mph.
Takata recall transmission has a grinding and whining noise!! But transmission shift gear smoothly. These noise worse at cold condition and turn to the left, and passing over speedbump. as I heard in the south korea, this IS common often reported by drivers who drive this vehicle. I am trying to figure out what IS going on but all car mechanic could not found it. I am very scary when I driving. I think it could be a safety issue in the future.
The ignition want turn all to way off I have to turn it off and on 2 or 3 times before it will turn completely off so I can remotely lock the door. The driver side rear door actuator work when it get ready I have to unlock the driver side door with key and manually lock and unlock the door.
Air bag lights will not go off dealer reset but came back on soon afterwards. Another dealer said it was not covered under warranty and part was over $1000. Multiple dead car batteries due to running lights not turning off after you park the car. please for the love of everything good in this world just recall and fix already.
When accelerating or slowing down my vehicle jerk even when I'm on the highway and have the cruise control set it will do the same thing. I would like to know what I need to do or if there IS any kind of recall on this because I really can't afford to take it and have it looked at. I have seen multiple reports of the same problem and with all of the report I don't see how KIA has not done anything about it.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
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 susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing. There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
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 Defect Petition DP21-003 to evaluate the petitioner?s request. ODI performed trend analyses of the VOQs related to vehicle speed control issues for all the subject vehicles and found that none of the 52 Model/Model Year Hyundai/Kia vehicles demonstrated any actionable trend that warranted an investigation.Petitioners submitted 1119 VOQs and non-VOQ cases in which sudden uncommanded acceleration (SUA) or loss of motive power (LOMP) incidents were alleged.For the 1119 reports, 220 were incidents involving crashes, from which 69 subject Hyundai-Kia vehicles were inspected by Hyundai/Kia dealer technicians, Hyundai/Kia engineers, and/or third-party representatives.ODI found the inspections identified no vehicle defects related to the ETC system.Of the 220 crash-involved reports, 13 Event Data Recorder (EDR) records were downloaded successfully and 11 of those indicated driver error: (i.e.) pedal misapplication.A condition where the accelerator pedal is mistakenly applied instead of the brake pedal when the driver wants to stop the vehicle.In addition, ODI reviewed a scientific journal paper published in Forensic Science International in 2016 by Mr. Park et al ., as well as related test videos. ODI does not believe there is any evidence of uncontrollable SUA occurrences in any of the tests reviewed. NHTSA's Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance (OVSC) reviewed the allegations regarding the potential noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 124.Based on the information provided, the Agency concludes there is insufficient information for us to determine if a possible non-compliance exists.Finally, both Hyundai and Kia informed ODI that all their vehicles manufactured after 2012 were equipped with an ETC management system, in which the engine speed will go to idle when the system sees signals from both the brake pedal and accelerator pedal at the same time; this is commonly known as the brake-throttle override system.After thoroughly assessing the material submitted by the petitioner, information already in NHTSA's possession, information submitted by Hyundai and Kia in response to an Information Request letter, and the potential risks to safety implicated by the petitioner's allegation, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. After full consideration of appropriate factors, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA?s reasons for denial of the petition will be published.
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.