Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (0)
No US recalls found for the 2005 Kia Optima.
Owner complaints (144)
Owners filed 144 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Kia Optima (7 crashes, 1 fires, 6 injuries reported). Among 20 model years of this model, it ranks #14 for the most complaints (median 212).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Latches/locks/linkages | 66 | |
| Electrical system | 29 | |
| Air bags | 22 | |
| Structure | 22 | |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 9 | |
| Engine and engine cooling | 6 | |
| Unknown or other | 6 | |
| Exterior lighting | 4 |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2005 Kia Optima.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Kia Optima 4-DR w/SAB | – | – | – | – |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2005 Kia Optima version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optima 2.4 L Automatic 4-spd | 19 | 28 | 22 | $3,050 |
| Optima 2.4 L Manual 5-spd | 20 | 27 | 23 | $2,900 |
| Optima 2.7 L Automatic 4-spd | 18 | 25 | 21 | $3,200 |
| Optima 2.7 L Manual 5-spd | 18 | 26 | 21 | $3,200 |
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada). Recalls updated 2026-10-30.