The 2019 Kia Optima is associated with 205 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 1 safety recall campaign in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Engine, accounting for 51 reports (25% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 6 certified vehicle configurations spanning 1.6l 4-cyl, 2.4l 4-cyl, 2l 4-cyl, 2L 4-Cyl hybrid, and 2L 4-Cyl plug-in hybrid configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 24 to 41 MPG combined. Plug-in hybrid variants are rated up to 103 MPGe (40 MPG on gasoline) with up to 29 miles of electric driving range.

Key Data Findings
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 205 reports
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 1 campaign
  • • Top Reported Defect Area: Engine (51 / 25%)
  • • Safety Incident Signals: 20 crash / 6 fire / 11 injury reports
  • • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
  • • EPA Efficiency: 24–41 MPG (6 variants • PHEV up to 103 MPGe)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
Fuel Economy
24–41MPG
6 EPA certified variants (1.6l 4-cyl, 2.4l 4-cyl, 2l 4-cyl, 2L 4-Cyl hybrid, and 2L 4-Cyl plug-in hybrid configurations)
Reported Complaints
205
205 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
1
1 official NHTSA recall
NCAP Safety Rating
5 / 5 Stars Overall

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2019 Kia Optima?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Optima 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (AM7) 27 MPG 37 MPG 31 MPG — $2,000 / yr
Optima FE 2.4L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 25 MPG 35 MPG 29 MPG — $2,100 / yr
Optima 2.4L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 24 MPG 33 MPG 27 MPG — $2,300 / yr
Optima 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 21 MPG 30 MPG 24 MPG — $2,550 / yr
Optima Hybrid Hybrid 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (AM6) 39 MPG 45 MPG 41 MPG — $1,500 / yr
Optima Plug-in Hybrid Plug-in Hybrid 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (AM6) 103 MPGe (38 MPG) 104 MPGe (43 MPG) 103 MPGe (40 MPG) 29 mi EV (610 mi total) $1,550 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.
Electric Range & Charging: The 2019 Kia Optima provides an official EPA-rated driving range of up to 29 miles on a single battery charge.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2019 Kia Optima?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
4 DR FWD 9.8%
Hybrid 4 DR FWD 9.8%
Plug-in Hybrid 4 DR FWD —
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Standard and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Standard in official NHTSA records for tested 2019 Kia Optima models.
View complete 2019 Kia Optima crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2019 Kia Optima?

Summary of 205 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
205
Crash Reports
20
Fire Reports
6
Complaints w/ Injury
11
Total Injuries
16

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Engine 51 complaints
Air Bags 10 complaints (7 crashes)
Forward Collision Avoidance 10 complaints (5 crashes)
Structure & Body 9 complaints
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 6 complaints (2 crashes)

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2019 Kia Optima problems & component breakdown (65 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2019 Kia Optima?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #19V539000 Active Recall
Affected Component: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Defect Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Optima vehicles equipped with Gamma 1.6L Turbo-GDI or Theta II 2.0L Turbo-GDI engines. A software error in the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) system may cause the braking assist function to not engage when a stationary vehicle is detected.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will update the FCA software, free of charge. The recall began August 27, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC179.
View all 2019 Kia Optima recalls & campaign history (1 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.