2013 Kia Optima Hybrid: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 80 complaints
80
Total Complaints
67,000mi
Median Mileage
Electrical System
Top Issue
3
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

39,150 25th Percentile
67,000 Median Mileage
90,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Electrical System
17
Engine
12
Unknown Or Other
9
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
9
Power Train
7
Vehicle Speed Control
5
Hybrid Propulsion System
5
Service Brakes
3
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
3
Steering
3

Severity Assessment

3
Crashes
2
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TO WHOM IT CONCERNS, I HAVE A GREAT SAFETY CONCERN RELATED TO THE OPTIMA 2013 HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEM. I AM NOT SURE IF THE BEHAVIOR I AM GOING TO DESCRIBE IS TYPICAL OR DEFECTIVE. WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEED, WITH THE CRUISE SET, I FIND THAT ANY SUDDEN AND HARD HIT TO THE BRAKES WILL ACTIVATE SOME ..."
"TO WHOM IT CONCERNS, I HAVE A GREAT SAFETY CONCERN RELATED TO THE OPTIMA 2013 HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEM. I AM NOT SURE IF THE BEHAVIOR I AM GOING TO DESCRIBE IS TYPICAL OR DEFECTIVE. WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEED, WITH THE CRUISE SET, I FIND THAT ANY SUDDEN AND HARD HIT TO THE BRAKES WILL ACTIVATE SOME ..."
"TO WHOM IT CONCERNS, I HAVE A GREAT SAFETY CONCERN RELATED TO THE OPTIMA 2013 HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEM. I AM NOT SURE IF THE BEHAVIOR I AM GOING TO DESCRIBE IS TYPICAL OR DEFECTIVE. WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEED, WITH THE CRUISE SET, I FIND THAT ANY SUDDEN AND HARD HIT TO THE BRAKES WILL ACTIVATE SOME ..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Electrical System 17 complaints
25th: 33,327 mi Median: 45,760 mi 75th: 69,250 mi
Engine 12 complaints
25th: 42,620 mi Median: 69,000 mi 75th: 103,900 mi
Unknown Or Other 9 complaints
25th: 49,250 mi Median: 64,922 mi 75th: 89,250 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 9 complaints
25th: 65,000 mi Median: 90,000 mi 75th: 128,795 mi
Power Train 7 complaints
25th: 44,922 mi Median: 67,000 mi 75th: 89,500 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 24 TX: 8 AZ: 7 GA: 5 MD: 5 IN: 4 FL: 4 CO: 3 OH: 3 IA: 3

Who Files Complaints?

1.2%
Original Owners
98.8%
Second+ Owners

Kia Optima Hybrid — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
2011472
201215112
20145112
2017372

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28