Your vehicle report

2007 Kia Optima

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
167
Received Sep 2007 to Aug 2026
Official recalls listed
2
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Airbag warning light stays on28 complaints · 17% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Driver sun visor will not stay up25 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Headlights dim or fail at night22 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

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.
View recall details

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 identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 11 crashes, 5 fires, 6 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.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 11 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

1 more problem

Airbags, belts & seats

Steering, suspension & tires

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

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.

Complaints received about the 2007 Kia Optima
21
Show as a table
YearComplaints
20075
20086
200911
201021
201111
201213
201318
201419
201514
201619
20176
20186
20195
20205
20211
20221
20233
20241
20251
2026 (to Oct 2026)1
Total167

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.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Airbag warning light stays on2817%–NHTSA recall #12V014000
Driver sun visor will not stay up2515%–
Headlights dim or fail at night2213%–
Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off159.0%–NHTSA recall #12V014000
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes74.2%–NHTSA recall #12V014000
Engine stalls and loses power while driving63.6%–
Ignition key sticks or will not turn42.4%–
Vehicle catches fire from wiring42.4%–
Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips31.8%–
Tail light sockets melt and burn31.8%–
Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power31.8%–

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 #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 2007 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