Selling a junk Kia Optima Hybrid
Any Optima Hybrid sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Kia Optima Hybrid
NHTSA has 416 owner complaints on file for the Kia Optima Hybrid, model years 2011 to 2020, the 415th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are engine (147, 35%), electrical system (73, 18%), brakes (37, 9%). 31 complaints involved a crash, 21 a fire, and 69 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 76,000 miles. The 2012 model year has the most complaints (155). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is engine, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a blown engine: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
Kia Optima Hybrid by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 47 | Engine | 2 | 4 | 3 | 91,250 |
| 2012 | 155 | Engine | 12 | 7 | 3 | 87,200 |
| 2013 | 89 | Electrical system | 3 | 2 | 2 | 67,500 |
| 2014 | 51 | Engine | 12 | 1 | 0 | 75,000 |
| 2015 | 17 | Electrical system | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 6 | Transmission and drivetrain | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 41 | Engine | 2 | 1 | 2 | 24,280 |
| 2018 | 7 | Engine | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2020 | 3 | Transmission and drivetrain | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Kia Optima Hybrid recalls
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for engine (2), air bags (1), brakes (1). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2011 model year, brakes (campaign 23V652000, Sep 2023): 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,…
- 2017 model year, latches and locks (campaign 23V594000, Aug 2023): Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Rio, 2016-2018 Optima, 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. The trunk latch base may crack, preventing the opening of the trunk from the insid…
- 2017 model year, engine (campaign 21V844000, Oct 2021): Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which can result in engine damage.
- 2011 model year, engine (campaign 20V750000, Dec 2020): Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
- 2011 model year, air bags (campaign 18V363000, Jun 2018): 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 c…
What a Kia Optima Hybrid is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk Optima Hybrid on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car with a blown engine 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
Junk car scams and how to avoid them Other Kia models
- Kia Sorento 13,706
- Kia Optima 10,428
- Kia Soul 7,471
- Kia Sportage 6,286
- Kia Forte 3,488
- Kia Sedona 3,423
- Kia Sephia 3,052
- Kia Rio 1,802
Questions people ask
- What is a junk Kia Optima Hybrid worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Optima Hybrid gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Kia Optima Hybrid that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Kia Optima Hybrid?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Kia Optima Hybrid numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.