Your vehicle report
2006 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
- 155
- Received Oct 2006 to Aug 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Rear door latch fails to open or close32 complaints · 21% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbag warning light stays on27 complaints · 17% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Headlights dim or fail at night9 complaints · 5.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #12V014000Kia motors america, inc. (kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 kia optima vehicles manufactured from september 29, 2005, through january 29, 2008, and model year 2007 and 2008 kia rondo vehicles manufactured from september 13, 2006, through march 21, 2008. The clock spring contact assembly for the driver's side air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) may become damaged through usage over time. If the clock spring contact assembly becomes damaged, the driver's air bag electrical circuit will experience a high resistance condition potentially causing the driver's air bag to not deploy.
- Recall #11V153000Kia is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 optima vehicles manufactured from september 29, 2005, through june 13, 2007. There is a possibility that the shift cable may have been installed incorrectly, causing tension in the cable. If present, this condition could cause the cable to detach from the shifter assembly's dowel pin preventing the transmission from being shifted. The shift lever can then be moved into the park (p) position while the vehicle's transmission is still in the last used gear before detachment.
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: 3 crashes, 1 fire, 2 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 12 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 |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 11 |
| 2007 | 18 |
| 2008 | 8 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2010 | 18 |
| 2011 | 19 |
| 2012 | 17 |
| 2013 | 14 |
| 2014 | 13 |
| 2015 | 9 |
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 155 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 32 | 21% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 27 | 17% | – | NHTSA recall #12V014000 |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 9 | 5.8% | – | |
| Driver sun visor will not stay up | 8 | 5.2% | – | |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 8 | 5.2% | – | NHTSA recall #12V014000 |
| Serpentine belt breaks or slips off | 4 | 2.6% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 4 | 2.6% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 4 | 2.6% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 1.9% | – |
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 #12V014000January 17, 2012145,755 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal
Kia motors america, inc. (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 Kia Optima vehicles manufactured from september 29, 2005, through january 29, 2008, and model year 2007 and 2008 Kia rondo vehicles manufactured from september 13, 2006, through march 21, 2008. The clock spring contact assembly for the driver's side air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) may become damaged through usage over time. If the clock spring contact assembly becomes damaged, the driver's air bag electrical circuit will experience a high resistance condition potentially causing the driver's air bag to not deploy.
If the clock spring develops high resistance, in the event of a crash, the drivers air bag will not deploy and will not be able to properly protect the driver, increasing the risk of injuries.
Remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vehicle's air bag clock spring contact assembly, free of charge. The safety recall began on july 11, 2012. Owners may contact Kia customer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA recall #11V153000March 9, 201170,115 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift
Kia is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 Optima vehicles manufactured from september 29, 2005, through june 13, 2007. There is a possibility that the shift cable may have been installed incorrectly, causing tension in the cable. If present, this condition could cause the cable to detach from the shifter assembly's dowel pin preventing the transmission from being shifted. The shift lever Can then be moved into the park (p) position while the vehicle's transmission is still in the last used gear before detachment.
If the driver leaves the vehicle without engaging the parking brake, there is a possibility that the vehicle Can roll injure a person in its path or cause a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the shift cable and reinstall if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on march 23, 2011. Owner may 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 2006 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