2010 Kia Optima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
99 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2010 Kia Optima, alongside 1 recall campaign and 2 defect investigations. It scores 6/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 75,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2010 Kia Optima has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2010 sits among all Optima years
What owners report
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 75 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,636 miles. Half of those reports fall between 55,866 and 82,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009…
Fix: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge.…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
34 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on airbags and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2010 Kia Optima. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2010 Optima TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2010 Kia Optima reliable?
The 2010 Kia Optima drew 99 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 6/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2010 Kia Optima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2010 Kia Optima are transmission & drivetrain (24 complaints), airbags (17), and electrical (15).
At what mileage do 2010 Kia Optima problems show up?
Owners most often report 2010 Kia Optima problems around 70,636 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 55,866 and 82,000 miles.
Does the 2010 Kia Optima have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2010 Kia Optima. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.