Your vehicle report
2002 Kia Optima
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 107
- Received Nov 2002 to Nov 2025
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Frame rusts and corrodes through24 complaints · 22% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Rear door latch fails to open or close13 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes10 complaints · 9.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #09V183000Kia motors corporation (kmc) is recalling 36,538 model year 2001-2004 optima vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt applied in these states during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the front subframe. Over time, such subframe corrosion near the connection to the lower control arm can lead to wheel misalignment and/or other noticeable stress in steering, or accelerated abnormal tire wear.
- Recall #04V180000Some passenger vehicles may contain a fuel tank assembly valve that may not close properly. If a vehicle with a fuel tank assembly valve that is not properly closed were to roll over, fuel spillage may occur.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 15 crashes, 4 fires, 11 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 9 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 4 |
| 2004 | 14 |
| 2005 | 9 |
| 2006 | 10 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 7 |
| 2009 | 9 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 5 |
| 2012 | 6 |
| 2013 | 8 |
| 2014 | 8 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 7 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 107 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 24 | 22% | – | NHTSA recall #09V183000 |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 13 | 12% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 10 | 9.3% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 8 | 7.5% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 7 | 6.5% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 3.7% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 2.8% | – | |
| Timing chain fails and destroys engine | 3 | 2.8% | – | |
| Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches | 3 | 2.8% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #09V183000May 27, 200936,538 vehicles affected
suspension: front
Kia motors corporation (kmc) is recalling 36,538 model year 2001-2004 Optima vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt applied in these states during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the front subframe. Over time, such subframe corrosion near the connection to the lower control arm Can lead to wheel misalignment and/or other noticeable stress in steering, or accelerated abnormal tire wear.
Corrosion of the front subframe could lead to separation, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Kmc will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on june 15, 2009. Owners may contact kia's consumer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA recall #04V180000April 12, 200425,803 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
Some passenger vehicles may contain a fuel tank assembly valve that may not close properly. If a vehicle with a fuel tank assembly valve that is not properly closed were to roll over, fuel spillage may occur.
Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will install an additional fuel tank assembly valve. Owner notification began june 25, 2004. Owners should contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA recall #03V067000March 4, 200311,501 vehicles affected
electrical system: starter assembly
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.5 and 2.7 liter V6 engines, the crankshaft position sensor (ckp) cases did not meet dimensional specifications.
Internal gaps within the cases allowed epoxy to contact the printed circuit board, which resulted in cracking of the circuit board capacitor. A damaged ckp capacitor could result in engine stalling.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the ckp. Owner notification began march 28, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Kia Optima.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN