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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 (5)
Park outsideService brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/module
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Risk and remedy
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
Structure: body, roof and pillars
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Optima vehicles. The right and left headliner plates may not be secured properly, which can result in the plates detaching in the event of a side curtain air bag deployment.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A plate that detaches during a crash may strike an occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will secure the headliner plates, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 26, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC245.
Engine
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Kia Forte, Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Kia Optima and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners from deploying.
Risk and remedy
Risk: If the frontal air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners. For model year 2011 Sedona vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to verify the ACU part number and, if necessary, install an extension wire harness kit between the ACU Connector and the Vehicle Harness Connector. For all other affected vehicles, Kia will instruct dealers to install the extension wire harness kit. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC165.
Engine and engine cooling: engine
Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.
Risk and remedy
Risk: Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.
Canadian recalls (6)
Show 6 Canadian recalls
Brakes
2023-09-26 · campaign 2023-529
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the brake hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU) could short circuit.
Safety Risk:
A short circuit could create a fire risk, even while the vehicle is parked and turned off.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the fuse(s) for the HECU. Kia recommends that you should park your vehicle outdoors and away from other vehicles or structures until the recall repairs have been completed.
Engine
2020-12-04 · campaign 2020-597
Issue:
On certain vehicles equipped with a 2.0 L NU GDI or 2.4 L Theta II MPI engine, an engine compartment fire could occur while driving. Kia is conducting this recall as a preventative measure to prevent fire risk due to potential fuel leaks, oil leaks and/or engine damage. In some situations, you may notice any of the following symptoms: there could be an abnormal knocking noise from the engine; the check engine light and/or the oil pressure warning light could turn on; you may smell fuel, burning or smoke; or you may notice oil leaks. If you continue to drive the vehicle with these symptoms, the engine could fail and/or a fire could occur. An engine failure can cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart.
Note: For the Optima model, only the Optima Hybrid is affected by this recall.
Safety Risk:
An engine compartment fire can create a risk of injury. A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:
Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer for an inspection of the engine and engine compartment. The dealer will inspect for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, if necessary. Kia will also perform a Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software update free of charge, once it is available for your vehicle. This update will detect and prevent engine damage from worn connecting rod bearings.
Engine
2019-03-21 · campaign 2019-153
Issue:
Kia Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure may cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart.
Safety Risk:
A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Actions:
The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module.
Note: Vehicles repaired under Service Campaign SC025 already have this software update.
Fuel system
2018-12-28 · campaign 2018-742
On certain vehicles, when repairs were completed under recall campaign 2017-199 (Kia RC109), the high pressure fuel pipe may not have been properly installed on the fuel pump outlet. A fuel leak could occur if the pipe was damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the recall repair. A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, could create the risk of a fire causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect the connections of the high pressure fuel pipe to the fuel pump outlet for leaking fuel. If leaking fuel is detected, the fuel pipe will be replaced with a new one.
Airbag
2018-06-08 · campaign 2018-301
On certain gasoline and hybrid engine vehicles, the circuits within the airbag control unit may become damaged. This could cause the airbags and seat belt pretensioners to not deploy in certain collisions where deployment is warranted, which could increase the risk of injury to vehicle occupants. Correction: Dealers will install a wire harness kit between the ACU connector and vehicle harness connector as necessary. Note: This recall does not affect the 2013 model year Optima Hybrid.
Engine
2017-04-07 · campaign 2017-199
On certain vehicles equipped with 2.0L and 2.4L engines, the engine may contain residual metallic debris from factory machining operations. If debris is present, it could potentially restrict oil flow to the main bearings and rod bearings and could lead to premature wear. If the vehicle continues to be driven with worn bearings, the bearings could fail, which could cause an engine stall while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in loss of motive power which could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or property damage. Worn bearings could also result in the illumination of the oil pressure lamp in the instrument cluster. Correction: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the engine sub-assembly.
Owner complaints (920)
Owners filed 920 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Optima (25 crashes, 77 fires, 34 injuries reported). Among 20 model years of this model, it ranks #3 for the most complaints (median 212).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Engine | 398 | |
| Steering | 188 | |
| Electrical system | 122 | |
| Unknown or other | 87 | |
| Power train | 54 | |
| Service brakes | 52 | |
| Air bags | 48 | |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 42 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2012 Kia Optima.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2012 Kia Optima 4 DR FWD | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2012 Kia Optima version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Optima 2.0 L Automatic 6-spd | 22 | 33 | 26 | $2,600 |
| Optima 2.4 L Automatic 6-spd | 24 | 34 | 27 | $2,500 |
| Optima 2.4 L Manual 6-spd | 24 | 34 | 27 | $2,500 |
| Optima Hybrid 2.4 L Automatic 6-spd | 34 | 38 | 36 | $1,850 |
Need this data in your app?
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.
Explore the API →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.